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Drone flown robotic arm revolutionizes Kauai’s rare flora preservation

Kauai robotic arm drone

Botanical researchers on the island of Kauai have teamed up with engineers in Quebec’s University of Sherbrooke to create a robotic arm flown by drone to collect rare flora in difficult or impossible-to -access spots for humans as part of their efforts to preserve endangered plants for centuries to come.

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New USGS drone video shows dramatic drop at Kilauea Summit in Hawaii

New USGS drone video shows dramatic drop at Kilauea Summit in Hawaii

Yesterday the U.S. Geological Services (USGS) took a drone to the top of Kilauea Summit to show a dramatic drop and cracks running through the ground at the south side of the crater. Steve Brantley, a scientist from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory talks about the 300ft subsidence of the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor in the drone video below.


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Drones are a valuable tool in freeing whales from lines and fishing nets

Drones are a valuable tool in freeing whales from lines and fishing nets

In this latest video from DJI, we see how drones have become an invaluable tool in freeing whales from ocean debris such as lines and fishing nets. The people from Oceans Unmanned have teamed up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and have started to use drones to assess the whale and the way the lines are wrapped around its body. The unmanned aerial systems provide a clear picture of the situation, before they approach the whale, minimizing the risk to the people on board the boat.


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Drone helps guide rescue workers and resident back to safety after successful rescue mission from approaching lava in Kilauea, Hawaii [video]

Drone helps guide rescue workers and resident back to safety after successful rescue mission from approaching lava in Kilauea, Hawaii

Last Sunday, a drone rescue mission from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Kīlauea volcano’s lower East Rift Zone, helped guide a resident who was trapped at his residence to a team of rescue workers, who were on their way to evacuate the civilian. The individual was instructed to follow the drone back to safety. The unmanned aerial system (UAS) team could keep track of the person visually as he was instructed to use his cell phone’s flashlight. Meanwhile, the team was also assisting the rescue workers in their effort to reach and evacuate the resident.


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Hawaii volcano eruption: drone video shows Mount Kilauea spewing lava

Hawaii volcano eruption: drone video shows Mount Kilauea spewing lava

A drone video shows Mount Kilauea erupting and spewing fountains of lava into the sky in a residential area. The volcano eruption in Hawaii has caused a large-scale evacuation in the Leilani estates residential area, home to about 1,500 people. The footage from the unmanned aerial vehicle shows the lava oozing through the local forest. Yesterday afternoon the FAA issued a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for the area to prevent drones from interfering with first aid responders.


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Drone melted but amazing photos of hot lava were worth it

In pursuit of amazing photos of 2,000-degree hot lava, Erez Marom flew his $1,500 DJI Phantom drone too close and caused it to melt. The melted drone was worth it though according to Marom. He said:

“When you take a drone through a volcano, you take a certain risk that the drone isn’t going to come back,” Marom says. “I knew the drone might not come back, but it was worth it.”


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