DroneDJ

Alva Industries, a Norwegian company specializing in electric motor technology, has released the second generation of its ALTUS X60 industrial drone propulsion system. The new ALTUS X60 Duo boasts several improvements over its predecessor.

Europe’s largest drone delivery operator, Manna Drone Delivery, says it has officially commenced US operations by delivering Halloween candy to families in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by drone.

As DroneDJ readers (and anyone else paying even passing attention) have realized by now, DJI has become a veritable (and suspiciously unrepaired) sieve of nominally confidential product information – the most recent example being the liberal flow of photos of the rumored Matrice 3D enterprise drone in advanced stages of development. How did such a tight-lipped company become a leak machine?

Aerial food delivery specialist Flytrex has announced authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permitting it to perform beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights in markets across the US, an exemption to operate above homes and people without ground observers it plans to use in accelerated scaling of its activities.

Shield AI, a San Diego-based startup that’s on a mission to build the world’s best AI pilot for aircraft and drones, has raised a cool $200 million in Series F funding. After this new funding round led by the US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), Shield AI is now valued at $2.7 billion.

Responding to political criticism and even some concern within the next generation aviation sector, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said it will team up with the US Air Force to study the operation and effective integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft into the nation’s airspace.

Leading instant logistics and UAV transport specialist Zipline has announced a new partnership with healthcare giant Cleveland Clinic involving an evolving operation that will begin with drone delivery of medication directly to patients’ homes.

Drone pilots in the European Union who are frustrated with the 120-meter altitude limit built into DJI’s latest Mini 4 Pro operating system now have a chance to soar considerably higher using a firmware update – though they’ll need to take action fast and be certain they’re ready to stick with their decision.

France’s budding UAV services startup Delivrone has teamed up with one of Europe’s most ambitious and fast-moving drone delivery companies, RigiTech, to initiate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions between French hospitals – including rare nighttime flights.

New image leaks offer indication of DJI’s continued preparation of its rumored Matrice 3D drone, a smaller, non-foldable version of the  Matrice 30 that’s likely to operate from the company’s Mini Dock for regularly flown enterprise missions.

DroneSense, a Texas-based drone software solution specialist for the public safety sector, has announced new features and integrations to make mission-critical operations smarter, safer, and more efficient. Here are the key highlights…

Prepare for drones to yet again reach places they’ve never hovered before, as Fox Sports deploys the first UAVs ever flown during World Series coverage when the Arizona Diamondbacks start their best-of-seven battle against the Texas Rangers tonight.

Drone and general aviation communications, navigation, and surveillance company uAvionix has moved to expand and enhance its range of awareness solutions by acquiring onboard and ground-based aircraft detect and avoid startup Iris Automation.

In their overlapping efforts to defeat Russia’s invading army while increasingly relying on domestic production of materials to obtain that objective, officials from Ukraine have said they’ll rapidly augment the number of drones the nation manufactures to tens of thousands per month.

Swedish medical drone specialist Everdrone is upgrading its aerial first response capabilities with the launch of its E2 drone, a craft designed to accelerate, diversify, and improve the critical care provided in emergencies.

Zing Drone Solutions says it has obtained the FAA Declaration of Compliance (DOC) approval for its Z-RID Remote ID broadcast module. The solution is compatible with both DJI Enterprise and consumer drone models such as the Mavic 2 Enterprise, Matrice 200, Inspire 2, Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and even the Mavic Mini.

Michigan Central and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have announced the launch of a new aerial urban initiative in Detroit that would provide open, shared infrastructure and services to drone startups. The two-year Advanced Aerial Innovation Region project aims to foster commercial drone development in the state while catalyzing new high-skill jobs.

In a move reflecting the national interests in the race between next-generation aviation companies to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles to market, Japan’s SkyDrive has received 12.4 billion yen ($82.7 million) from the government to support the development of the startup’s electric vertical takeoff and landing craft (eVTOL).

DJI announced its next-generation pocket-size gimbal camera, the Osmo Pocket 3. It brings great new upgrades to those looking for an on-the-go camera, and it might just tell us what we’ll see coming to a DJI Mini 5 drone – key word is might.

Its reputation resplendent in large part due to the critical performance of its tech in service of Ukraine’s defense against invading Russian forces, German drone and robotics company Quantum-Systems has completed an eye-opening €63.6 million ($66.8 million) Series B funding round, pushing its total financing beyond the €100 million ($106 million) threshold.

Confined spaces and indoor drone specialist Flyability has released a new LiDAR surveying payload for the Elios 3. Available as part of a bundle including training, reflective targets, and specialized processing software, FARO Connect, Flyability’s new Ouster OS0-128 Rev 7 payload is designed for safe, centimeter-accurate scans of hard-to-reach areas.