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Leading European autonomous aerial surveillance and inspection specialist Azur Drones is launching a project for remote monitoring and detection of radiation leaks at nuclear energy plants, as well as industrial sites where risk of contamination exists.

The US government organization that established the Blue sUAS list of what it considers efficient, economical, and data-secure drones for official use by administration agencies says it is widening the scope of activities those craft fulfill, and increasing the number of manufacturers involved from five to 11.

A Pennsylvania homeowner has allegedly shot down a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone that was conducting powerline inspections in his neighborhood. The police have classified the incident as criminal mischief and charges are expected to be filed.

Valqari has secured a patent in the US for its drone landing pad that can be mounted outside a window. The Chicago-based startup says this device would allow those living in high rises to send and receive packages easily via drones. At the same time, a window-mounted drone delivery station would also help to fend off package theft.

Located in Scotland, the magnificent River Dee is one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world. But as popular as the 100% “Catch and Release” river is with anglers, it has been notoriously targeted for years by poachers who remove the fish illegally. So now, drones have been brought in to catch the criminals.

Chula Vista, the second-largest city in San Diego County, California, uses drones as “first responders.” The flying robots are often the first to arrive on the scene when an incident is reported, and play an instrumental role in catching criminals or assisting detentions. And to make sure that citizens retain their trust in these drones, Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) gives residents the ability to view the exact location, flight path, and purpose of each police drone deployment.

Drone detection company Hidden Level has announced its partnership with Arlington, Texas’s Smart City initiative, deploying its Airspace Monitoring Service (AMS) to provide situational awareness to law enforcement and security companies overseeing the city’s entertainment district.

To skeptics who’ve seen one too many meltdowns arising from too-good-to-be-true finance market innovation, blockchain technology has earned a suspicious reputation through its role in cryptocurrency schemes. But blockchain may benefit from positive rehabilitation if – as researchers now suggest – it can play a role in thwarting attempted hacks of automated drone fleets.

Australian software as a service company Advanced Navigation has developed a multi-user platform providing remote connection to, monitoring, and navigation of a single drone or swarms of over 1,000 vehicles using a simple phone app or web browser.

Engineers at Caltech have developed a drone that walks, skateboards, balances on a tightrope, and can probably leap tall buildings in a single bound. It’s super, but it sure is weird. Get a load of LEO the creepy drone.

Skydio, the largest US manufacturer of AI-equipped consumer and enterprise drones, is continuing its push for global expansion by ramping up its international team. And this time, the focus is on Europe.

Google’s drone delivery cousin company, Wing, is announcing a new service flying orders from stores in a major shopping center in the Queensland city of Logan – its largest market in the world thus far. The innovative mall-based offer comes a month after Wing dubbed Logan “the drone delivery capital of the world” after the company passed its 100,000^th order milestone there. 

In episode six of Netflix hit Squid Game, Player 067, aka Kang Sae-Byeok, says if she won the prize money from the game, she would head straight out to Jeju Island. “It looked exotic. It didn’t look like Korea at all,” she insists. So, we thought, why not get a sense of the place by taking a drone tour.

Enterprising and ambitious UAV pilots who love nothing more than getting their craft performing in the skies, take note: SPH Engineering is now accepting entries for the Second International Drone Show Competition.

Industrial services and equipment supplier Kuker-Ranken has decided to promote the efficiency and cost reduction attractions of drone-based technologies in a novel way: by teaming up with aircraft and application partners for an educational drone tech roadshow to demonstrate the power of mapping, surveying, maintenance, and other tools in the sky.

If you own a drone and are going to be in Bismarck, North Dakota, anytime soon, you may want to consider making a trip to the Steckel boat ramp near Wilton. Drought conditions and low water levels on the Missouri River have revealed a nearly 130-year-old shipwreck some 25 miles north of Bismarck, and you should be able to capture stunning aerial footage of the same.

Climate change researchers have used a range of drone technologies to confirm fears that southern Europe’s largest glaciers in the Pyrenees mountains are rapidly melting amid rising temperatures – and may soon disappear altogether.

South Korea is shifting preparations for passenger drone transport into higher gear with plans to launch air taxi service by 2026, and autonomous urban air mobility (UAM) operations within the following decade.

Cleanup efforts are underway after a major oil spill off the coast of Southern California dumped more than 120,000 gallons – or 3,000 barrels – of heavy crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. Drone videos show oil-slicked water at Huntington Beach while crews on the water and onshore work feverishly to limit the environmental damage from the spill.

More than two weeks after its eruption, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain’s La Palma island continues to spit out ash and lava. New DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone videos trace the path of the magma to the crater and show the extent of the coastline expansion triggered by red-hot lava pouring into the cool ocean waters.

After spending the last couple of months to acquire a $9 million stake in a European drone manufacturing firm and buying out an AI-based software company for an undisclosed sum, Aquiline Drones has quietly laid off nearly half of its workforce.

The Skyward team has completely refreshed the InFlight mobile app from the ground up. Skyward’s airspace management and flight planning app now features a brand-new design and comes with a color-coded “stoplight” system that warns drone pilots about serious, moderate, or low-level concerns.

Government administrations and researchers in Australia are teaming to use drones and facial recognition technology in an effort to count, monitor, and protect the nation’s beloved koala bears.