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Drone lanes above 400 feet? New research project mulls viability

drone flying above 400 feet airmatrix

Uncrewed traffic management (UTM) specialist AirMatrix says it has received funding to map cellular signal data up to 1,000 feet. The company’s new research project will eventually help to set up the necessary telecom infrastructure for passenger air taxis and drones carrying heavy payloads above 400 feet.

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University of Alaska’s drone program gets FAA waiver designed to facilitate UAV testing

FAA drone University Alaska

A division of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) specializing in drone development and operation has been given a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver allowing experts to directly assess the air worthiness of craft and oversee their testing in various operational scenarios and certification trial runs.

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Southern Company, MSU’s joint research on drones moves forward

southern company drone msu

Utility provider Southern Company says it has reached a new milestone on a joint research project with Mississippi State University (MSU). The duo is finding ways for the energy provider to safely expand the use of drones to map critical infrastructure, assess weather-related damage, and conduct routine utility inspections.

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Draganfly’s drone test center to focus first on Ukraine de-mining activity

Draganfly test drone

Innovative drone, software, and artificial intelligence (AI) developer Draganfly has announced the launch of a research and test center dedicated to perfecting a variety of aerial applications – not the least of which being the company’s ongoing work with Ukraine using UAVs for the detection and clearance of Russian mines.

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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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Watch as gravity-defying DJI F450 drone lands on a steep roof

drone land steep roof how

No matter how advanced its landing system is, most consumer drones today require a flat landing site to touch down safely. Small drones, in particular, are not capable of landing in complex situations, such as on steep roofs, in wind gusts, or at high-impact velocities. But now, researchers have taught a DJI F450 drone to land in some of the most difficult scenarios.

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MEDUSA ‘dual robot’  drone flies and dives to monitor water quality

medusa drone water quality

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a shape-shifting drone that can both fly through the air and float on a water surface. This Multi-Environment Dual robot for Underwater Sample Acquisition, aka MEDUSA, drone can also extend its “tentacles” underwater to collect samples and monitor water quality.

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