News & Analysis

Industry Trends Observed at 2023 XPONENTIAL Show

Industry Trends Observed at 2023 XPONENTIAL Show

AUVSI wrapped its 2023 XPONENTIAL convention in Denver last week, bringing together thousands of attendees and hundreds of companies to ...
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Seeing More: New Boson+ Boosts Sensitivity

Seeing More: New Boson+ Boosts Sensitivity

Teledyne’s extensive Boson+ family of thermal sensors boasts an industry-leading 20-millikelvin sensitivity in two radiometric resolutions ...
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Autonomous Air Cargo Prepares for Takeoff
Air

Autonomous Air Cargo Prepares for Takeoff

Remote cargo delivery serving the “middle mile” attracts startups and legacy companies who see it as a large potential market ...
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Courtesy NGC Aerospace
Air, FAA

The Tech Behind BVLOS

Flying BVLOS is still an exception, but enabling technologies are paving the way for routine BVLOS operations ...
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Zipline Keeps Working on 'Changing Delivery for Good'
Air

Zipline Keeps Working on ‘Changing Delivery for Good’

Drawing on its extensive drone delivery experience in Africa, Zipline is working to expand its delivery services around the world ...
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BRINC Aims Lemur 2 and BRINC Ball at Police, SWAT

BRINC Aims Lemur 2 and BRINC Ball at Police, SWAT

Giving new meaning to the term “blue UAS,” Seattle-based BRINC is highlighting its new Lemur 2 small UAS at AUVSI's ...
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New FAA Waivers: Introducing Shielding, BLVOS Drones in a Box to Dominion Energy
Air

New FAA Waivers: Introducing Shielding, BLVOS Drones in a Box to Dominion Energy

A Skydio drone flies from the Dock at a construction site. New waivers for Dominion Energy, under the FAA’s BEYOND ...
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BVLOS in Europe—A Work in Progress

BVLOS in Europe—A Work in Progress

Drone flights beyond visual line of sight are under way in Europe. The process for obtaining a permit to carry ...
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MITRE First Responder Program Focuses on Low-Cost Unmanned Solutions

MITRE First Responder Program Focuses on Low-Cost Unmanned Solutions

MITRE has developed a new First Responder Innovation Program to get new tools, including unmanned systems, into the hands of ...
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Type Certification: Award from FAA Allows Drone Companies to Scale Operations

Type Certification: Award from FAA Allows Drone Companies to Scale Operations

The FAA is approving the design of some unmanned aircraft but the process is lengthy and few companies have achieved ...
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Skydio Gets Nationwide BVLOS Approval for Remote Drone Operations In Japan

Skydio announced the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has granted the company nationwide approval to remotely fly drones BVLOS.

Ameriflight Receives FAA Approval to Operate Matternet M2 Drone

Ameriflight has received approval from the FAA to operate drone aircraft.

ANRA Delivers Technology for India’s First Autonomous Air and Terrestrial Testbed

ANRA Technologies has completed a technology integration effort at India’s Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation.

ACUA Ocean, HydroSurv Announce Intent to Merge

ACUA Ocean and HydroSurv, two U.K.-based companies specializing in maritime autonomous systems, have announced their intention to merge.

XTEND Extends Reach, Acquires Inspection Specialists Performance Rotors

Tel Aviv-based XTEND has acquired Singapore’s Performance Rotors, with the resulting combination of human-guided autonomous operations and drone-based inspection expertise broadening XTEND’s capabilities, global reach, and ability to deliver precise, safe solutions.

Industry Trends Observed at 2023 XPONENTIAL Show

AUVSI wrapped its 2023 XPONENTIAL convention in Denver last week, bringing together thousands of attendees and hundreds of companies to discuss a path toward autonomy. The staff of Autonomous Media noticed several trends at the show.

Fugro Blue Essence® carrying out first fully remote wind farm inspection using Blue Volta® eROV.

Fugro’s Blue Essence® Completes World’s First Fully Remote Offshore Wind ROV Inspection

The world’s first fully remote inspection of offshore wind farm assets has been successfully carried out by Fugro, using one…

PickNik Robotics, Motiv Space Systems Announce Partnership for Advanced Robotics Capabilities

PickNik Robotics, which builds advanced robot arm software systems, and Motiv Space Systems, which designs and manufactures space-rated robotic systems, motor controllers and mechanisms, announced a partnership to develop advanced robotics for space applications.

Flytrex Releases 2022 Drone Delivery Customer Trends

Flytrex has released its 2022 yardstick detailing customer trends across its drone delivery service in North Carolina and Texas.

Aeronautics Signs Deal for Production of Orbiter 4 in Thailand

Israel-based Aeronautics Group has signed a collaboration agreement with one of the leading defense companies in Thailand, RV Connex, for in-country production of its Orbiter 4 tactical UAV.

Airwayz, Royal NLR Partner to Accelerate Drone U-Space Adoption Across Europe

Umanned traffic management provider Airwayz announced it is collaborating with the Netherlands Aerospace Center to support drone traffic management across Europe.

Wingcopter, ZAL Start Joint Development of Hydrogen Delivery Drones

Wingcopter and ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research GmbH have announced a development partnership to explore the potential of green hydrogen to power Wingcopter’s drones.

Startup Sprouts Multitasking AI Farm Tool for Organics

Verdant, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is developing AI that promises versatile farm assistance in the form of a tractor implement for weeding, fertilizing and spraying.

Topcon Acquires Digital Construction Works

LIVERMORE, Calif. – Topcon Positioning Systems has purchased construction software and data integrations and services company Digital Construction Works (DCW)….

Reliable Robotics, Inmarsat Collaborate on Commercial Satellite Comms System for UAS

Inmarsat has announced a collaboration with Reliable Robotics to support the integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into airspace worldwide.

DCIM\100MEDIA\DJI_0021.JPG

ABS Issues Approval in Principle for Saildrone USVs

The American Bureau of Shipping has issued Approval in Principle certificates to Saildrone.

LiquidPiston Evolves the Rotary

LiquidPiston, a Bloomfield, Connecticut-based developer of advanced power solutions, has moved closer to fielding its technology.

Canada’s Federal Fleet Services Installs MARSS CUAS System on Combat Support Ship

MARSS and Federal Fleet Services announced the full NiDAR C2 and CUAS will be installed on Asterix, a Combat Support Ship.

Army Futures Command's Future Vertical Lift cross-functional team, in conjuction with The U.S. Army Program Executive Office - Aviation, Aviation Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate, and the Manuever Battle Lab, conducted flight tests and manuevers on February 25-26, 2021 at Leyte West Airfield, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) Rodeo occuring on March 2-5, 2021 is the capstone event for a yearlong capabilities assessment of four commercial UAV systems conducted by five brigade combat teams. The Army is conducting a "buy, try, inform" approach to rapidly develop informed requirements for an RQ7 Shadow replacement. (U.S. Army Photo by Mr. Luke J. Allen) For more downloadable photos, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/armyfutures/albums/72157718482910623

Four Potential Future Tactical VTOL Systems Advance in Quest for Modernization

A seven-week Base Period concluded May 24 with “agreement option 1” awards to four Project Agreement Holders for the Army’s FTUAS.

Times Microwave Systems Announces TF-047 Micro-Coaxial Cable

Times Microwave Systems, the preeminent brand in innovative RF and microwave interconnect assemblies, cables, and connectors, introduces its new TF-047…

Army Selects Northrop Grumman, Shield AI for Future Tactical UAS Prototype

Northrop Grumman, teamed with Shield AI, has been chosen by the U.S. Army to participate in the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System competition, Increment 2.

Industry Trends Observed at 2023 XPONENTIAL Show

AUVSI wrapped its 2023 XPONENTIAL convention in Denver last week, bringing together thousands of attendees and hundreds of companies to discuss a path toward autonomy. The staff of Autonomous Media noticed several trends at the show.

BRINC Aims Lemur 2 and BRINC Ball at Police, SWAT

Giving new meaning to the term “blue UAS,” Seattle-based BRINC is highlighting its new Lemur 2 small UAS at AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL.

Trimble Launches RTX for Drone Package Delivery

Provides Integrators with Hardware and Software as a Service for Unparalleled Accuracy and Performance Trimble announced today the Trimble PX-1…

A2Z Drone Delivery Launches RDSX Pelican Commercial Delivery Drone

A2Z Drone Delivery Inc. has released its new flagship delivery drone, the RDSX Pelican.

D-Fend Solution’s Software Release Brings New Capability

RA’ANANA, Israel and MCLEAN, Virginia—D-Fend Solutions, which provides radio frequency, cyber-based, non-kinetic, non-jamming, counter-drone takeover technology, today announced the release…

Stratom to Showcase Autonomous Pallet Loader at XPONENTIAL

Stratom plans to display an autonomous pallet loader and showcase a robotic refueler at AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL.

Zelim Selects Sea Machines SM300 Autonomy for Unmanned Search and Rescue Vessel

Scottish search and rescue company Zelim has developed the Guardian class of fast rescue craft, controlled by Sea Machines Robotics’ SM300 maritime autonomy.

Teledyne’s Thermal by FLIR Expands With US Drone Makers BRINC and Teal

Teledyne FLIR announced continued momentum within its Thermal by FLIR program for SUAS with the integration of its Hadron 640R dual visible-thermal payload on the Teal 2 drone and Lepton 3.5 thermal micro camera on the BRINC LEMUR 2.

Red Cat Launches Teal 2 Night-Operations SUAS at AAAA Summit

Red Cat Holdings Inc. officially launched its new military-grade sUAS, the Teal 2, at the 2023 AAAA Army Aviation Missions Solutions Summit Nashville.

Five Good Questions: Jim Williams, AURA

As AURA’s aviation regulatory affairs director, Jim Williams leads the company’s efforts to secure approval to use its network to…

Five Good Questions: Gordon Heidinger, Hexagon

Gordon Heidinger has spent 25 years in the automotive and transportation industry in a combination of roles as an electrical…

Five Good Questions: Lori Scott, NatureServe

Lori Scott is chief information officer and vice president for technology and partnerships at NatureServe, which, for nearly 50 years,…

Bentley Systems Announces Promotion of Brock Ballard to Chief Revenue Officer and Eric Boyer Joining as Investor Relations Officer

EXTON, Pa. – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced that Brock Ballard, previously vice president and…

In Memoriam: Dee Ann Divis

Dee Ann Divis, the founding editor of Inside Unmanned Systems and contributing editor for Inside GNSS, died Nov. 22 at the age of 62.

Five Good Questions: Peter Liu, Deloitte Federal Consulting

Peter Liu is a managing director leading programs in UAS and C-UAS at Deloitte Federal Consulting.

Dedrone Appoints Former FBI Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Drone Expert to Advisory Board

Dedrone, the market leader in smart airspace security, announced the appointment of Rob D’Amico to its board of advisors. An…

Five Good Questions: Nikhil Vadhavkar, Raptor Maps

Nikhil Vadhavkar is co-founder and CEO of Raptor Maps, which, covering six continents and 40 countries, provides “advanced analytics, insights…

Women to Watch

CES Highlights: Trailblazing Women and Companies in Tech Sponsored by Women And Drones 2021 marked a milestone—the fifth Anniversary of…

Former NASA Administrator Joins D-Fend Solutions Advisory Board

D-Fend Solutions, a leader in radio frequency (RF), cyber-based, counter-drone takeover technology, is announcing the addition of former NASA Administrator…

Errol Farr Appointed as President of Auterion Government Solutions

MOORPARK, Calif., and ZURICH – November 4, 2021 – Auterion, the company building the connected drone operating system, today announced the…

Amazon Prime Air Co-Founder Gur Kimchi Joins Near Earth Autonomy

Gur Kimchi, Co-Founder of Amazon’s drone delivery service Amazon Prime Air, has joined the Board of Directors at Near Earth…

Amazon Web Services veteran Jeff Jones joins Auterion as Chief Revenue Officer

Auterion, the company building an open and software-defined future for enterprise drone fleets, announced the appointment of Jeff Jones as Chief Revenue…

Edgybees Announces Strategic Appointments of H.R. McMaster, Brett B. Lambert, and Aki Yamaura to Advisory Board

Edgybees, the leading visual intelligence technology company, announced today the appointment of Lieut. Gen. H. R. McMaster (US Army, ret.)…

Kuker-Ranken (KR) Announces the Appointment of Brady Reisch, KR’s Virtual Design/Construction (VDC) Specialist

Reisch’s mission is to assist AEC firms, surveyors, civil engineers & inspection teams to realize the potential of their drone…