DroneDJ

A new bipartisan bill has been introduced in the US Senate with the principal objective of streamlining, speeding, and broadening the process under which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorizes beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights by businesses and public agencies.

Drone navigation and awareness tech specialist Airspace Link is taking another step in its efforts to permit operators of all kinds to remain as fully informed on activity around their craft as possible with the launch of its AirHub Portal solution.

The latest addition to the DJI Mini drone series is here! DJI has unveiled the new Mini 2 SE camera drone, bringing several enhancements to flight performance, image transmission, and intelligent features of previous-generation Mini SE aircraft. The photo and video quality, however, have been kept the same, indicating that the new DJI drone aims to woo beginners rather than those looking to upgrade from the sub-$300 Mini SE.

The DJI Fly app has received a fresh update today, and it comes with support for a new beginner drone – the Mini 2 SE.

Airobotics has announced a $3.5 million purchase order and joint venture with SkyGo, a UAE-based company that has a commercial license to provide uncrewed aerial transport of goods and services across the city of Abu Dhabi. This news follows the recent acquisition of Airobotics by Ondas Holdings.

Love is in the air, and so are discounts and free gifts on DJI products. The drone maker has unveiled its Valentine’s Day deals to make it easier for you and your special someone to capture your adventures together in a creative manner. The list includes free travel bags and ND Filters set for drones and price cuts on handheld devices.

Drone-based data collection and renewable energy sector inspection specialist DroneBase says it has raised an additional $55 million in funding to fuel its continued business expansion, which it will now pursue under the new brand entity Zeitview.

Though DJI remains unusually quiet for a company rumored to be set to launch its first drone of 2023, an additional online photo leak this morning adds support to the theory a new Mini 2 SE model may be rolled out tomorrow ­– though where (and, of course, if) remains to be seen.

Wisconsin-based vertiport specialist Volatus Infrastructure has announced additional business that – while admittedly modest – reflects the company’s efforts to enlarge its foothold in the design and construction of advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure – an activity that, up until now, seems to be largely dominated by European and South American companies.

Australian drone delivery and logistics company Swoop Aero is preparing to initiate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) services for New Zealand’s health care system, initially operating flights of lab samples between the South Island west coast towns of Westport and Greymouth.

Popular drone platform AirData is now providing its fleet data management and real-time flight streaming services in Japan.

It’s that time of year again, the biggest football (American football that is) game of the year is quickly approaching, and the NFL is once again asking drone pilots to stay away from the stadium during game day weekend.

That may have been the shortest span from an opening scene to the climax of the mystery apparently being solved in history. Just hours after the first leak of a purported DJI teaser for a February 9 unveiling of what looks to be a new Mini 2 SE drone, another sector sleuth turned up not just photos of the product but what’s thought to be a fairly complete spec sheet to boot.

Oil and gas services company Flogistix says its drone methane detection technology has been approved by the State of New Mexico as part of its Advanced Leak and Repair Monitoring (ALARM) program. Flogistix’s aerial solution utilizes a DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone to carry a payload that can sniff out methane, sewer gas, volatile organic compounds, and hydrocarbons.

AgEagle Aerial Systems has introduced a trade-up program for its regulatory-compliant eBee X mapping drone. All professional fixed-wing, VTOL, and multirotor drones are eligible for exchange, and there are thousands of dollars up for grabs in savings.

It appears global drone giant DJI may be readying its first 2023 product launch earlier than expected, with leaked evidence suggesting a new UAV in the works could be a Mini 2 SE positioned toward the lower end of the company’s pricing scale, and currently being readied for a February 9 introduction.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has denied autonomous drone solutions provider Percepto’s latest exemption request. And that regulatory ruling is something that not only Percepto but the entire drone industry needs to celebrate. Confused? Read on…

Despite recurring announcements with significant fanfare at various stages of the service’s very long awaited rollout, it appears Amazon drones aren’t actually delivering much – or often ­­– in the two communities where they were finally put into operation last December.

Canada’s Indro Robotics, a leader in drone and ground UAV research and user training, says it is teaming up with next-generation vehicle trial center Area X.O to offer new test facilities for uncrewed tech, featuring a range of exacting courses particularly useful to police and other first-responder aerial units.

Japan’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) developer, SkyDrive, is looking beyond the planned debut of its SD-05 “flying car” at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka by establishing a base in South Carolina as its operational foothold for future business in the US.

Global shipping, ground transport, and logistics giant Maersk is tackling the problem of getting accurate, continually updated data from its warehouse inventories by swapping one of the weak links in that process – the easily distracted attention of humans – with the laser-focused, unperturbable eyes of automated drones.

Israeli Police have successfully conducted a trial where drones served as first responders to incidents in two suburbs of Tel Aviv with a combined population of around 154,000 residents.

Czech UAV tech company Dronetag is starting 2023 with the rollout of its new Direct Remote ID (DRI) product, designed as an ultra-small internal component for incorporation by drone manufacturers around the world.

A new drone flight advisory service is now available for pilots in Australia, and it’s free for all users.