DroneDJ

Canadian drone maker Draganfly is joining forces with US-based robotics and AI specialist Knightscope to offer highly advanced autonomous aerial platforms to public safety agencies.

Terra, the all-in-one drone mapping solution from DJI, has received a new update. Version 4.0.8 of the software packs in several bug fixes and optimizations to elevate the user experience.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s policy for exercising discretion in determining whether to take enforcement action for drone pilots not complying with its Remote ID rule ended on March 16. However, research has found that over 70% of major drone manufacturers aren’t ready for Remote ID yet.

Legislators in Vermont are considering passage of draft privacy law that would ban most drone flights over private property below 100 feet, or to capture images of someone even at higher altitudes.

Ukraine has launched drone attacks of oil refineries deep inside Russia as part of an effort to undermine the nation’s energy sector – and thereby undercut the finances of its ongoing invasion – in a strategy initially revealed to DroneDJ late last year.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reminding drone operators that its policy for exercising discretion in determining whether to take enforcement action for pilots who were not able to comply with the Remote ID rule will end this week on March 16. Operators who do not comply after that date could face fines and suspension or revocation of their drone pilot certificates.

Scarcely a week goes by anymore without new efforts being announced to tighten bans on DJI drone operation in the US and this is one no exception, amid national and state activities to effectively and legally ground UAVs produced by the market leader.

AutoPylot, an FAA-approved provider of B4UFLY and LAANC services, has updated its iOS and Google apps to include drone insurance facilities for both recreational pilots and commercial operators. The all-in-one flight planning solution has integrated an insurance program underwritten by Allianz Commercial directly into its platform.

Global drone leader DJI has come under increasingly intense pressure in the US, as successive federal and state measures banning its craft for official use have proliferated amid worsening relations with China – and accompanying security concerns. Though accusations by politicians that DJI UAVs leak data to Chinese authorities have never been substantiated – and flatly denied by the company – the blacklisting has reportedly undermined the firm’s former 70%-plus US market share down to what some estimates say is closer to half now. 

Drone navigation and situational awareness tech startup Kongsberg Geospatial is partnering with advanced radar specialist Echodyne to provide what they describe as enhanced, uncluttered piloting interfaces to facilitate the scaling of beyond visual line of sight operations (BVLOS).

The Alaska Supreme Court has struck down unregulated aerial surveillance of citizens’ homes with high-power zoom lenses. This ruling stems from a 2012 drug crime case where a man was arrested after officers flew over his property and took pictures of his marijuana plants without a search warrant. Here’s what happened…

A couple of fairly clear elements have arisen about the Pentagon’s otherwise secretive future UAV plans. The first is it intends to initially invest $1 billion in its expendable swarm program known as Replicator, with the second being participating drone makers had better be in permanent revision mode to be to produce continuously upgraded craft. 

Verizon says it has partnered with Skydio to operate the X10 as its primary drone while providing on-demand assistance to government agencies and emergency responders during crisis situations.

In another example of isolated obnoxious drone operation producing regressive rules for all users, St. Louis is finalizing an ordinance requiring anyone flying UAVs for commercial purposes to obtain a specific city authorization, in addition to having a Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 license. 

Confined spaces and indoor drone specialist Flyability has released a new ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement probe for the Elios 3. The payload has been developed in partnership with ultrasonic tech specialist Cygnus Instruments, so certified UT inspectors can take accurate thickness measurements under ISO 16809 compliance and back them up with high-resolution A-scans in the most challenging areas.

California heavy-lift drone specialist Parallel Flight Technologies (PFT) has secured another buyer for its brawny FireFly UAVs, through a new sales agreement with industrial hardware supplier Alpha Drones USA.

The UK has announced it will be increasing its previously announced military aid package to Ukraine to include 10,000 additional drones at a total cost of £325 million ($416 million) – support coming at a critical time as Kyiv’s munitions run low amid blocked US assistance.

With the FAA’s March 16 drone Remote ID enforcement deadline fast approaching, Czech startup Dronetag has unveiled the next generation of its Remote ID module for FPV pilots, aeromodelers, and recreational drone pilots. Dronetag BS Gen 2 is a standalone, battery-powered solution that weighs just 5 grams.

Tech giant DJI has launched two new versions of its most innovative action camera, Action 2. The upgraded Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo and Action 2 Power Combo expand the internal recording limit from 32GB to 128GB for increased storage. Plus you get more versatile magnetic accessories in the box, such as a headband.

Specialized defense and security UAV company Red Cat Holdings is moving to further enhance the onboard assets of its tactical Teal Drones craft by adding voice-control capacities developed by startup Primordial Labs.

San Francisco has pivoted from its habitual leftist civil liberties positioning to approve increased police powers for fighting crime, including uses of drone and formerly banned facial recognition tech.

Drone fleet management platform AirData says it is encouraging law enforcement transparency by making more public-facing features available to community-oriented police departments across the US. The company’s Public Portal program boosts public trust by improving accountability in drone use.