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Through its commitment to open-source software, the foundation is driving advancements in aerial robotics, a term that has become synonymous with drones, reflecting their growing capabilities and the blending of robotics communities.

A proposed rule modification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could benefit electric aircraft developers as it would allow new types of aircraft to fly without costing hundreds of millions of dollars for certification.

infiniDome, an Israeli developer of anti-GPS jamming systems, recently released a white-paper report focusing on various GPS jamming technologies, as well as countermeasures (such as the company's own GPSdome product).

Drones are changing the way industry and science operate. Small, manoeuvrable, unmanned aircraft allow access to difficult or dangerous-to-reach sites and equipment, so it isn't surprising that the chemical industry, as well as fields like atmospheric chemistry and astrochemistry, are investing in them. But what is surprising is the sheer diversity of how they are being applied.

Technology company Whisper Aero unveiled their Whisper Jet concept yesterday as part of a larger reveal of the applications of their ultra-quiet ducted fan technology that is currently under development.

Pierce Aerospace announced a partnership with C-UAS (Counter-UAS or Counterdrone) industry leader DroneShield, to integrate Pierce Aerospace's Flight Portal ID, Remote ID technologies into DroneShield's C-UAS and Command and Control systems, including DroneSentry-C2. DroneShield, with offices in the United States and Australia, and presence in over 100 countries globally, is a leader in C-UAS technology with a recent recommendation from the U.S. DOD's Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) and numerous systems deployed worldwide.

The second edition of CAP 722A released in December 2022 is intended to assist Applicants who are involved in the production of an Operational Risk Assessment (ORA) which will be used as supporting evidence for an application to the CAA for the operation of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in the Specific Category.

A recent report by Verizon and the FAA indicates that mobile connectivity is a valid and desirable form of control over drones and UAVs. A paper by Ericsson from 2019 explores the topic and addresses the requirements needed to support drone operations.  Drone connectivity experts Elsight agree,

The last few years have brought labor shortages, supply chain issues, and geopolitical turmoil.  These shifts necessitate major changes in the way that industry thinks about operations: and even the most traditional industries are adopting new technology solutions to become more efficient and more effective.

If you think you can model eVTOL aircraft charging based on the same systems used for electric cars, think again.
That is the message from Josh Portlock, the CTO of Electro, an Australia-based company that manufactures electric aircraft charging products. Portlock delivered his pitch at the recent Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) conference.

BATT and INVOLI are pleased to announce a collaboration to optimize HEMS operations and improve pilots' safety. The collaboration combines BATT expertise in system integration and heliport design with INVOLI's air traffic surveillance system to provide air risk mitigation and operation automation services to HEMS operators around the world.

uAvionix recently completed a complex demonstration of its SkyLine Command and Control (C2) management service in which multiple Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) were being controlled from the cloud-based C2 platform, while each of the aircraft was connected to SkyLine by multiple simultaneous links to multiple terrestrial radios.  The demonstration was conducted in coordination with the Chocktaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) UAS Test Center, an FAA Beyond lead participant.

Boeing and electric air taxi developer Wisk unveiled a concept of operations this week that includes recommendations for deploying and integrating urban air mobility (UAM) in the United States. Wisk, which is developing an autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is backed by both Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced the launch of the next-generation VAPOR® Helicopter unmanned aircraft system (UAS), VAPOR 55 MX. Delivering new levels of operational performance with a completely redesigned modular autonomy framework, VAPOR 55 MX enables increased endurance and expanded payload capacity to meet the current and emerging needs of defence, commercial and industrial customers.

The NAAMCE will feature a two-story, 30,000ft2 office building to house administrative, laboratory, meeting, and collaboration space, with 25,000ft2 of aircraft hangar space available for use by the U.S. Air Force and private industry. The center will support the expanding work of manufacturers and operators of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for advanced air mobility (AAM).

Last week, leading provider of multi-drone operating system FlightOps employed its software for the delivery of medical laboratory tests via drones, which maintained the quality of the transported samples while traveling between hospitals.

Next-generation electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Volocopter is teaming up with computing giant Microsoft to ready the operating system upon which its entire range of urban air mobility (UAM) activities will run.

The long-awaited Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) final report dropped on March 20. The almost- 400-page document comes nine months after the FAA chartered the ARC, and three months beyond its originally projected deadline. Here we break down the report into key elements, with analysis and predictions for the way ahead.

The Unmanned Aerial Systems industry has been clear that the #1 factor holding back growth is a lack of clarity. Through FAA programs like Data Exchange and UAS Service Suppliers (USSes), the federal government is meeting its commitments to support the industry with regulations addressing operations in controlled airspace. Now, Virginia is helping to provide clarity at the state and local levels.

Using software to handle tasks to assist people is not a new concept – look at our computers, cell phones or electric cars.
Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM, aircraft intend to apply that same idea with new software algorithms and hardware such as sensors and radars. Technology like this could enable vehicles to operate without a pilot, or if a pilot is in the loop, increase the safety. Use cases include helping the vehicle avoid bad weather, other aircraft, and safely take off and land.

Imagine you're a family of 4 heading to a ski resort in the region. You take an electric Uber to your local small airport. You're in the air in 15 minutes. You land near the resort and another electric Uber takes you to the hill. You fly quietly over the often dangerous mountain roads, enjoying the scenery from the air. All for the cost of getting there by other means, but in a fraction of the time.

The Federal Aviation Administration will open the application period to become an FAA Approved Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Service Supplier for the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) on May 2, 2022.

Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility, has raised USD 170 million in the initial signing of its Series E funding round led by South Korean investor WP Investment, at a pre-money valuation of USD 1.7 billion. Composed of funds by new and existing investors, the money raised will assist with the certification of Volocopter's electric passenger air taxi and is expected to help Volocopter achieve commercial launch in first cities worldwide.

We've long held dreams of what the future of air travel could look like.
Something out of the Jetson's TV show or a Star Wars movie is generally the "go to" vision for most people: aircraft of all types and sizes – including those without pilots onboard – safely flying anywhere at all altitudes anytime for many different reasons.
But there's more to it than that. It's a future that could include a distributed digital backbone to seamlessly integrate innovation and tradition in aeronautics, expanding the idea of what commercial air travel looks like while enabling it to grow safely and sustainably.
Now, thanks to technology developed by NASA Aeronautics and its research partners during the past decade or so, more of those dreams than ever before are nearly ready to be turned into reality.

Non-profit organizations the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA) and the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT) have entered into an agreement of cooperation in order to support the implementation of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Test Methods for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to improve upon the safety and proficiency surrounding public safety drone operations.

Jaunt Air Mobility today announced advancing to the next phase of the AFWERX High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HSVTOL) Concept Challenge, a crowdsourcing effort for the United States Air Force (USAF) and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The company is one of 11 companies from more than 200 challenge entrants selected to receive market research investments aimed at advancing solutions that enable optimal agility in austere environments.

The future air mobility (FAM) industry had a record year in 2021. Building on recent trends, such as technological advances, increased focus on environmental sustainability, and growing vehicle traffic congestion, this was the year that put FAM on the map. Now, the industry will mature and evolve—and as it does, new opportunities, as well as significant challenges, are likely to emerge.

PABLO AIR, South Korea-based drone service provider, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) to develop regulatory compliant commercial drone solutions in the United States. PABLO AIR hopes to conduct a long-distance delivery demonstration in New York this year and the agreement intends to preemptively build a business model suitable for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, a crucial area for entering the U.S. business and well known for its high hurdles.

The news is filled with stories about flying taxis and how these pilotless aircraft are ushering in a new era of aviation. A recent study commissioned by NASA defines this concept as "…the future of aviation includes Urban Air Mobility (UAM) — a concept involving aircraft, air traffic management, and new infrastructure."

A U.S. Air Force pilot recently successfully flew an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft during remote pilot in control (rPIC) training, marking the first government flight of a remotely piloted eVTOL

Here at Kittyhawk in Palo Alto, we are developing ground breaking all-electric Vertical Take off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.  They are designed to be fast, small, and exceedingly quiet, taking advantage of new possibilities to free people from traffic. 

4D Avionic Systems has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $255,994 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on a 4D Flightpath-Based Autonomous Separation Assurance Systems (ASAS).

The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) says it has gotten approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights over a vastly expanded 35-mile swath of New York's UAS Test Site drone corridor.

The FAA has announced a NOTAM name change effective December 2: the former "Notice to Airmen" will now be "Notice to Air Missions."

Dutch aviation technology pioneer Avy has launched the first Drone Response Network to combine docking stations with autonomous aircraft that possess vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The network's implementation provides 'drone coverage' within a certain area, allowing for instant deployment to support medical deliveries or emergency services during critical incidents. It's fit for purpose and ready for roll out, with first flights taking place in the first quarter of 2022.

This action clarifies FAA policy regarding the existing
accuracy requirements for the reported geometric altitude of the
control station of a standard remote identification unmanned aircraft.

Policy makers and investors take note: regional air mobility is vastly more scalable, an actual path to a decarbonized future and much lower risk.

We believe our all-electric 'Spirit of Innovation' aircraft is the world's fastest all-electric aircraft, setting three new world records. We have submitted data to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) – the World Air Sports Federation who control and certify world aeronautical and astronautical records

CAL Analytics is testing their Contingency Management Platform (CMP) with the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) test site.

"EASA HLC on drones – UAM Becoming a Reality"

IMSAFE, check! This acronym is what a normal pilot would talk through with themselves before a flight to ensure that they are personally ready to fly. IMSAFE: illness, medications, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and eating. Simple enough, right? Though these are great considerations to ensure a base-level of risk mitigation, the truth is that human factors (in all aspects of aviation) are much more complex and more important than many UAS pilots probably realize. If we look to manned aviation, somewhere between 60-80% of aviation accidents are due to or related to human factors (Shappell, 2006). This is a staggering number of accidents that could presumably be mitigated by autonomy or a higher level of risk understanding and management. We need to explore the human aspect of UAS and how we can deeply analyze ourselves and our organizations to be safer operators through the FAA's HFACS system (Shappell, 2006) and the SHELL model (Moriarty, 2015).

The Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has announced Altitude Angel, the world's leading UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, has joined its Airspace Management Consortium in an effort to co-develop and advance the air mobility operating environment.

UK-based unified traffic management (UTM) technology provider Altitude Angel has announced it is joining Hyundai Motor Group's Airspace Management Consortium, an initiative to help develop and accelerate advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.

Research currently being conducted at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's College of Aviation could play a major role in expanding restrictions on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), or drones, being flown beyond the visual line of sight of their operators — marking an important milestone that would pave the way for advancements like drone delivery and urban air mobility.

NASA researchers have developed a phase-locked rotor system to reduce noise in multirotor aircraft. NASA will host a webinar regarding this technology on Nov. 16. Registration is free, just follow the headline link.

Associated Elements provided by physical and digital infrastructure will support advanced UAS ecosystems. New FAA guidance addressing requirements for these elements present a path forward to scalability and highlights associated challenges.

Pilots, mechanics, and owners and operators of helicopter infrastructures — heliports and helistops — may want to be on the lookout in December for a revised FAA Advisory Circular (AC) that outlines recommended standards and guidelines for the planning, design, and construction of helicopter infrastructure.

Honda is known for its innovation, engineering some pretty awesome robots, and even swappable electric batteries. Now. it seems it has new plans for a motorcycle drone according to a novel patent the firm has filed.

On January 14, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights by granting Massachusetts-based American Robotics, Inc. permission to operate drones without hands-on piloting and "beyond-visual-line-of-site" (BVLOS) through January 31, 2023.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with industry and public stakeholders to develop a traffic management system for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones. The UAS traffic management ecosystem (referred to as UTM) involves developing a framework of interconnected systems for managing multiple UAS operations. Under UTM, FAA would first establish rules for operating UAS, and UAS-industry service providers and operators would then coordinate the execution of flights.