A German-based venture capital group has invested in a Michigan drone service firm. Statkfraft Ventures, along with UL Ventures and Capital Midwest, has infused SkySpecs with an $8 million round of series B financing.

Boeing subsidiary Insitu successfully demonstrated its ground-based airspace situational awareness system for unmanned aircraft during a test flown at the Mississippi State University Raspet Flight Center.

Last year, at CES 2017, Yuneec announced the H520. This time around, the China-based drone manufacturer added three new drones and two new categories to its product range.

For law enforcement patrol officers, stopping and interviewing an individual along the road can be a very dangerous situation as it is nearly impossible to tell if the individual is someone with bad intentions. This is a situation where remote sensing and distant interaction can save lives. To address this situation, researchers at the Air Force have developed a small UAV, deployable from the officer's vehicle, which can interact with the subject of interest. The officer can issue instructions to the subject through the UAV, capture images of the subject or his/her documents, and compare those to database records. On-board sensors can also identify suspicious objects such as weapons. This vehicle-deployed UAV includes a base station mounted on the roof of the patrol vehicle from which the UAV is launched, retrieved, and secured during transport.

Contact: Sean Patten, CLP
Phone: 406-994-7736

The 9 Technology Readiness Levels of the DoD

The University of Tulsa Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is planning an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) competition on the TU campus August 25-28 2017. UAV systems are effective in recruiting middle and high school students to fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The industrial applications of UAV systems continue to expand, and TU is home to innovative UAV research.

Registration opening soon.

Dronetech America is about more than flying robots, it's about the intersection of advanced technologies that have the power to transform the world! ​

sUSB Expo the Silicon Valley Drone Show is a commercial sUAS event for business to business exchange of ideas on commerce. The Expo features guest speakers from around the world and a SAR workshop, new in 2018 sUSB Expo Demo Field Day.

If you're looking to harness the power of unmanned technology, AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2018 is the spot. An intersection of cutting-edge innovation and real-world applications, XPONENTIAL is the one event that brings all things unmanned into sharp focus....

The Conference spans four days. June 12 will be a Workshop/Tutorial day, followed by a three-day technical Conference on June 13-15. Judging from the interest ICUAS has drawn over the past eight years and its growth, ICUAS'18 is expected to attract...

This new paradigm of Drone-based inspections is helping industries improve efficiency and quality of data acquisition while increasing safety and speed of delivery. Although a new and emerging technology, (which is still evolving), in early 2018, most companies are not aware of the possible benefits they can achieve using small unmanned aerial vehicles to inspect their assets.

On December 22nd Ballard Power Systems announced that the company has developed a next generation high performance fuel cell propulsion system to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Given the perceived improvements over the technology we first reported back in June 2017. Commercial UAV News reporter Juan Plaza reached out to Phil Robinson Vice President of Unmanned Systems at Protonex, a Ballard subsidiary, to hear from him directly on the details and potential impact of this announcement.

Drones are going to see significant new capabilities in 2018. The use of multiple high-functioning cameras as well as upgraded Global Navigation Satellite System will enhance navigational acumen far beyond that of today's drone models. This, combined with ultra-fast charging and longer-lasting batteries, means the drones of 2018 will have far greater range and performance flexibility. Expect to see more and more sectors incorporating drones into their operations this year as a result.

Oregon State University is a part of the UAS Test Range Complex, meaning it is one of the few areas approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for UAS testing, according to the OSU research office webpage. According to Mark Peters, the institutional compliance officer for UAS operations, drone research conducted at OSU spans a broad range. 

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced a new initiative to support scientific research for the development of drones that fly like bats and insects.

Stanford Blood Center and Menlo Park-based drone manufacturer Matternet late last year approached the city of Palo Alto, Calif., with a plan to deliver blood to Stanford Hospital via drones during blood shortages after learning that the Federal Aviation Administration was soliciting trial drone projects.

The arsenal of airborne tactics available to firefighters and first responders may soon grow significantly as Thrush Aircraft ,a manufacturer of full range of aerial application aircraft used in agriculture, forestry and firefighting roles worldwide, has formed a strategic alliance with highly-regarded unmanned aerial vehicle and systems manufacturer Drone America to begin development of the world's first autonomous air tanker.