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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.

German air taxi developer Volocopter was among a group of sector companies that successfully tested the integration and use of traditional air traffic management (ATM) technology with new uncrewed traffic management (UTM) platforms designed to orchestrate the flight of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) planes.

Verizon has become the first corporate drone program in the US to receive the International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registration. The registration certificate comes after a six-month-long voluntary and detailed audit of Verizon’s drone operations, governance, and safety standards.

Drones flying over Lumen Field in Seattle prompted delays of two different football games this weekend, just days after sports officials urged Congress to pass robust laws to deal with intrusive UAVs to replace standing legislation set to expire October 5.

Moves are afoot in Congress to pass legislation replacing existing laws expiring October 5 authorizing the identification and mitigation of drones posing security threats. Yet a new House of Representatives bill aiming to do that reportedly falls well short of the robust proposals circulated by the White House earlier this year.

The FAA has approved three more DJI drones for compliance with the new Remote ID mandate, bringing the total number of approved drones to 10 for the tech giant. Interestingly though, two of these drones are yet to be released.

Saildrone, whose ocean drones are helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) understand what drives the rapid intensification of storms, has captured the Category 4 Hurricane Fiona from the inside. The incredible video provides a completely new view of one of Earth’s most destructive forces.

A federal grand jury has charged two men for illegally flying drones over an NFL and MLB game in Cincinnati.

Add Ireland to the list. Like a growing number of countries around the globe, Irish authorities say they’re now working to detect and thwart drone deliveries of contraband to the nation’s prisons, and have introduced anti-UAV technology into jails as a part of that.

Researchers have announced their proof-of- concept success in testing a system using swarms of drones as flying 3D printers of materials in the construction and repair of buildings, inspired by the way bees and wasps assemble their nests.

Mimo, the all-in-one app that DJI has designed specifically for its Osmo series of cameras and video stabilizers, is ready with another update. Version 1.8.2 of the app adds support for the iPhone 14 series phones as well as the newly-launched OM 6 gimbal.