DroneDJ

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.

FlyCart 30, the first-ever delivery drone manufactured by DJI, now boasts a Remote ID Declaration of Compliance approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The tech giant had filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to bring FlyCart 30 to North America a few weeks ago.

Tech giant DJI has added a brand-new product to its incredible civilian drones and innovative camera tech portfolio. The company has just rolled out DJI Power, a series of portable power banks that can rapidly charge the most commonly used electronic devices today such as mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, and drones.

True to its reputation of using cutting-edge tech to produce equally state-of-the-art electric vehicles, Tesla has introduced a warehouse drone and robotic vehicle duo with astonishing capabilities to its Giga Berlin facility. True to the reputation of company CEO Elon Musk, however, the manner of communicating that news rather outstrips the development’s underlying import.

Authorities in Finland are holding suspects believed to have exported millions of dollars worth of drones and counter-UAV components to Russia, in violation of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the US over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Has Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium become a hub of illegal drone activity during the National Football League (NFL) Ravens’ home games? It’s starting to sound that way, with news that several more UAVs were active on November 16 than the craft that famously caused that day’s contest to be suspended.

Australian drone delivery company Swoop Aero has returned to sector headlines after a long period of maintaining a relatively low profile by playing a critical role in the recently completed trial of Ethiopia’s first UAV medical distribution system.

How bad is the reputation of California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)? Poor enough that it’s conspicuously displaying the sight and sounds of its drone flights to endear itself to the public (that’s a joke, kind of – read on). 

What at its launch was hailed as the UK’s first permanent UAV postal delivery operation has been temporarily suspended after a Skyports Drone Services craft encountered a technical glitch, leading an observer to abort a routine mission linking Orkney Islands destinations for the Royal Mail.

Drone show organizer and tech creator Verge Aero has taken another step towards its apparent goal of putting itself out of business (kinda), with the introduction of its eponymously branded Composer software designed to transform neophytes into celestial Twyla Tharps.

The European Union organization researching, testing, and validating urban air mobility (UAM) services, AiRMOUR, has issued a guide to assist businesses, communities, and member nations to facilitate the integration of next generation aviation tech into daily activities.