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Miami-based Airborne Response says it has completed more than 500 drone flights in Florida in the last few days on behalf of its customers. The drone company is working with critical infrastructure providers to help assess damage, restore power, and process insurance claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Ian, which made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, has left catastrophic damage in its wake. As rescue crews and disaster relief groups jump-start recovery in the region, drones have emerged as a critical force multiplier for damage assessment and search and rescue efforts.

Most people are aware that shooting guns at unwanted drones flying overhead can result in criminal charges, but who knew trying to take one out with a soccer ball was a yellow card offense? Brazilian pro player Marcal does – now – and will be sitting out his Botafogo club’s next match for his attempt.

As tensions around energy security in Europe mount, TotalEnergies says unusual drone activity has been observed close to an oil field that the French company operates in the Danish North Sea.

Ukraine’s campaign to assemble an Army of Drones to push invading Russian forces out of the country staged a PR coup Thursday by welcoming its new ambassador Mark Hamill, the actor who played the consummate defender of good against evil Star Wars hero, Luke Skywalker.

A precautionary landing of a Wing delivery drone caused electricity to be cut to around 2,000 homes in an Australian town Thursday after the craft accidentally came to rest on power lines. The good news, according to one report, was utility workers arrived to find the food order payload still nice and hot.

A custom-modified Ford Ranger is now available in the UK as the most advanced vehicle to support public safety drone operations. Among other things, the rugged 4×4 hosts a bespoke ready-to-fly drone mechanism and a built-in DJI drone detection unit.

This hunting season, wildlife conservation officers in Utah plan to search for evidence of poaching and locate illegally killed animals with the help of drones.

This is shaping up to be a busy and auspicious week for electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Lilium. Just days after the German company hailed the success of its Phoenix 2 prototype’s first full transition flight, its boss announced a search for new funding to enable what he said would be initial production targets of 400 craft each year.

Companies around the globe have been at work developing a category of UAV capable of hauling weightier payloads than the typical delivery craft can, and an Oxnard, California-based business says it’s done that – and more. Meet the Rhaegal super heavy-lift drone, whose Sabrewing manufacturer credits the craft with recently setting a world record by hovering with a payload of 347 kg (829 lb.).

The executive body of the European Union (EU) has introduced draft regulation that would make it easier for individuals and organizations to sue companies whose products – including drones – caused prejudice, damage, or injury due to malfunctioning or misuse of integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

German fixed-wing drone manufacturer and aerial services company Wingcopter is partnering with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences to test on-demand delivery of goods using UAVs and cargo e-bicycles to people in villages and other remote rural communities.

A research project experimenting with drones to identify overexerted athletes in states of distress turned into a real-life emergency medical response operation last weekend, when UAVs deployed to monitor the Montréal Marathon spotted an exhausted runner collapsing.

Drone delivery specialist Flytrex has announced further expansion of its aerial activities with the launch of services in Durham, North Carolina, flying orders from its new partner, Charleys Philly Steaks.

ComEd, the utility which powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois (or 70% of the state’s population), has started using drones for vegetation management near power lines.

Embraer’s urban air mobility unit (UAM) Eve has struck a multi-faceted deal with aerial service provider BLADE India that includes an order of 200 of the Brazilian company’s future electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Norway-based Tundra Drone says its patented 10,000 lumens bright auto-moving spotlight accessory is now compatible with all DJI Mavic 3 drones, including the newly released Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T commercial UAS.

DJI has unveiled its new portable commercial drone series, the Mavic 3 Enterprise. The compact drone offerings come with seriously impressive specs and an equally attractive price tag.

European UAV research and innovation organization AiRMOUR has launched a series of tests using drones – including an EHang air taxi – to substantiate the potential advantages of the craft in responding to life-threatening medical emergencies.

Developer of electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, Vertical Aerospace has completed the first test flight of its VX4 prototype in what it says was the first trial of a new UK aircraft in two decades.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued its first set of guidelines on the construction and layout of future vertiports, providing a critical basis of uniformity for developers of advanced air mobility (AAM) services and infrastructure to work from.

DJI’s new company headquarters, called DJI Sky City, are now open to employees in Shenzhen, China. Sky City consists of two towers, 44 and 40 stories respectively, which have been designed by the award-winning architectural team of Foster + Partners. This is the same architectural firm that designed the 175-acre Apple Park in Cupertino, California.

XAG’s latest-generation agricultural drone, P100, is now available for sales globally. The versatile drone for precision farming can autonomously undertake spraying, fertilizing, and sowing functions for multiple crops.