European aviation and aerospace giant Airbus has announced its expansion in the booming security and defense UAV sector with the acquisition of US tech company Aerovel, maker of the innovative Flexrotor intelligence and reconnaissance data collection drone.

Skyports Drone Services has announced what it called breakthrough aerial testing of remote water quality monitoring, in partnership with fellow UK tech startup Makutu and the Northumbrian Water utility.

A funny thing happened the on the way to the conclusion of an otherwise convincing editorial about the self-defeating consequences of the recently passed anti-China American Security Drone Act of 2023 (ASDA): The author associated himself with a lobby supported by same DJI targeted by the law’s federal blacklisting, thus undermining the effectiveness of what had been a very compelling argument.

This week Yifei and Seth talk about drones at CES, or lack there of, and touched base on the biggest news stories of the week.

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Life must be pretty damned boring in the Oklahoma town of Moore. Otherwise, why would someone be placing sex toys around the wintry burgh, reportedly using a drone to drop the libidinous aids in elevated spots to increase their visibility?

Clashing priorities of personal privacy, collective security, use of unpopular surveillance applications, and respect of federal airspace regulations are inflaming tempers in one Saint Louis neighborhood, whose resident are fighting to prevent an outside crime fighting advocate from using drones as for-hire aerial watch dogs.

Canadian UAV transport specialist Drone Delivery Canada has effectively fused two different operational authorizations it had earned from regulators in past into a unified approval to fly beyond visual line of sight missions (BVLOS) while carrying medical payloads classified as dangerous cargo.

Florida-based Zing Drone Solutions says it’s all set to make FAA Remote ID compliance more accessible for drone pilots with the launch of an affordable broadcast module.

Tech giant DJI has released a new firmware update for the Osmo Action 4 camera. The new firmware version is 01.03.08.20, up from v01.03.07.10 introduced in December 2023.

Global drone leader DJI has announced the international rollout of its much-anticipated FlyCart 30 delivery UAV – marking the company’s full-fledged entry into an activity gaining momentum across the US, and expected to scale rapidly around the world.

Mitsubishi Electric US says the full suite of its AnyMile drone-based logistics and operations management platform is now available for use by drone operators, corporate shippers, and transportation and logistics companies. The platform was first announced at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Walmart has announced the dramatic expansion of its drone operations in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, tapping existing UAV service partners Zipline and Wing to spread that aerial coverage to 1.8 million additional households – a likely landmark development in the scaling of aerial deliveries across the US. 

Competition appears to be heating up between electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) plane manufacturers Joby and BETA Technologies, with the two startups announcing deals to install their air taxi recharging systems in airports on opposite sides of the US.

DJI RC is a drone remote controller that comes with a 5.5-inch FHD display screen built-in. It links directly with your drone once you power it on, and no smartphone is required in the process. So, which drone models does DJI RC support right now?

Leading global drone manufacturer DJI is hitting the ground running in 2024 with a major update of its GEO geofencing application for users in the European Union and UK – part of its ongoing responses to changes the new year is bringing.

Japan has just announced it will be providing $37 million in aid for strengthening Ukraine’s counter-drone detection assets – tech financing Kyiv may now be considering redirecting to one of its biggest backers, Germany, to help it halt suspected spying of their joint activities.

Leading global drone manufacturer Autel Robotics is facing intense international scrutiny after images in ads for its forthcoming Titan delivery UAV included what appear to be a munitions payload – presumably for military uses the China-based company recently condemned. Autel informed DroneDJ Monday the photos are fake, and that it’s working to identify their source.

An amateur drone pilot who nearly crashed his DJI Mavic Mini drone into DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, in 2022 has been ordered to pay over $1,100 in fines by a UK court.

To understand how uncrewed vehicles avoid each other and other obstacles, researchers at NASA recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The test is being seen as an important step towards advancing self-flying capabilities for air taxis.

This week Yifei and Seth discuss their predictions for the drone industry in 2024. From new consumer products and regulations to if there is a DJI-killer sitting dormant out there.

Enjoy the podcast? Shop DJI, Autel, or other drones at Amazon to support The Buzz!

Will the portion of the National Defense Authorization Act containing a ban on drones made by China-based companies like DJI be the boon for US makers the law’s political backers claim? “A definite maybe” is what a reading of a new document detailing the measure published by longtime UAV expert and innovator Mark Bathrick offers readers.

[Updated January 15, 2024] Chinese tech giant DJI says its education line is still available in the overseas market, and that the company will continue to provide technical and after-sales support to the customers. In its home ground, the company has already ceased the sales of all its educational offerings, including the Tello drone and programmable RoboMaster robots.