DroneDJ

Christmas may be less than a week away but you still have the time to get the perfect gift to add some magic to the holidays. DJI, whose products usually top the wish lists of most tech enthusiasts, is running discount deals on several drone and camera models for last-minute shoppers. Here are some of our favorite picks that would make great gifts this year.

Global instant logistics leader Zipline will initiate its medical drone delivery activity in the UK by assuming a central role in an aerial network planning to serve over 30 hospitals and other healthcare facilities operated by northwest England’s regional unit of the National Health System (NHS).

Wing Aviation, one of the world’s leading operators of drone delivery services, has received additional authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing the company to considerably broaden its use of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights without ground observers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX area – and, eventually, in scaling across the US.

Tech giant DJI regularly releases firmware updates to enhance the functionality, stability, and user experience of its products. If you’ve recently bought a new DJI drone, you should know that the company strongly recommends updating firmware promptly. The DJI Fly app will notify you when a new firmware update is available.

Efforts to undermine the fortunes of the world’s leading drone maker DJI are about to bare a bumper crop fruit with legislative passage of a key defense bill that contains the National Security Drone Act of 2023, which blacklists aerial tech from China-based companies for use in official federal agency work. The wider package now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

The second iteration of DJI’s audio recording solution, Mic 2, made a quiet debut through the Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo a few weeks ago. But the product has seen several firmware tweaks since then, with the latest adding support for connecting to the new Osmo Action 4 camera via Bluetooth.

New York’s Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) announced a major expansion of its capabilities to prepare diversified drone and advanced air mobility (AAM) activity, with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) approval to expand the organization’s beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight zone to cover 240 square-miles.

Today, DJI announced that its Ronin 4D-8K, a camera initially unveiled in 2021, is officially shipping. The full-frame camera can capture ProRes at 8K/75fps internally. The complete Ronin 4D kit comes bundled with the Zenmuse X9-8K gimble camera that attaches to the main body and features 4-axis stabilization for extremely smooth camera movements, even when moving vertically.

The kit includes DJI’s 17-28mm lens, a handy 1TB SSD, wireless transmission and control monitor, battery, a LIDAR focusing system, and everything else you need to get started for $12,838. Professionals who already own the DJI 4D-6K can also purchase the standalone Zenmuse X9-8K gimble camera for $3599 and upgrade from 6K to 8K.

Dronisos, the outfit behind the largest drone light show at Disneyland Paris, is expanding to North America. The company is opening a new office in Florida and plans to conduct its first US holiday drone show at Orlando’s Lake Eola Park on December 23.  

As predicted when policies and budgets were passed to mend long neglected infrastructure across the US, the deployment of drones for inspection and restoration of public assets has increased dramatically. Yet another example of that is the work the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will do in surveying its aging rail system using a newly-issued Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation. 

The future of autonomous piloting has come at least two steps nearer with news that two breakthrough trial flights were completed by different aviation tech companies – including one whose systems permitted a cargo plane to fly with nobody in the cockpit.

Drone maker Autel Robotics has announced the launch of its official service center in the United Kingdom. The company, which is offering up to 50% off on its drones during this holiday season, has opened its UK drone repair store in partnership with local drone specialist Vantage UAV.

One-click drone reality capture specialist SkyeBrowse has announced a new price plan that promises to make advanced 2D maps and 3D models affordable for all.

Commercial drone systems developer Matternet says it has been selected to operate medical deliveries between Berlin hospitals and laboratories in a project that will involve the first ever beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAV flights over the German capital.

Litchi, a third-party app for DJI drones, has updated its iOS offering. The company has released v2.15.3 of the app to fix some critical issues that users have reported.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has introduced a digital space to enable exchange between stakeholders of future advanced air mobility (AAM) craft – from drones to air taxis – and act as a resource for interested members of the public who’ll ultimately be using their services. The question now is, will José and Jacques Q. Public actually consult the platform?

German air taxi developer Lilium has announced the passing of two major milestones with the production launch of its electric vertical takeoff and landing jet (eVTOL), and an agreement to explore the craft’s operation in partnership with the nation’s flag carrier airline, Lufthansa.

German research firm Drone Industry Insights (Droneii) has released its annual flagship report, ranking the companies that manufacture drones. The research team says it assessed more than 500 civil- and government-use drone makers around the world to build the report.

DJI’s beginner-level camera drone, Mini 2 SE, is down to $299 this holiday shopping season. Designed to capture your everyday moments or travels, the easy-to-use drone was first announced in February 2023. It’s now 12% off its normal price, which is also the lowest-ever price for the Mini 2 SE.

Efforts by Amazon to fulfill founder Jeff Bezo’s decade old vision of swiftly dispatching customer orders with a fleet of speedy, efficient delivery drones is facing yet another unexpected challenge with the news that the primary interlocutor in its contacts with the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), Sean Cassidy, has left the company.

Switzerland’s Flyability has released a new automated feature for Elios 3, a drone developed especially for indoor and confined-space inspections. The drone can now automatically monitor the live video connection and return to its flight path if the video is interrupted due to signal loss.

Ascendant drone tech company Quantum-Systems is extending its involvement with Ukraine – and the nation’s defense against invading Russian forces – with the establishment of a research and development center in the country’s tech incubator initiative, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation in Kyiv.

The Texas city of Arlington is preparing to launch a trial using drones and robotic ground vehicles to deliver packages from a local food bank to recipient homes in a bid to reduce the number of vans – and emissions those produce – in transporting the vital parcels where they’re needed.