drones
SkyMul’s drones secure rebar on the fly to speed up construction
There are many jobs in the construction industry that fall under the “dull, dirty, and dangerous” category said to be ripe for automation — but only a few can actually…
DJI has flirted with FPV goggles before, of course. The company got on the burgeoning FPV movement with the launch of its DJI Goggles back in 2016. It was a…
Additive manufacturing has proven an ideal solution for certain tasks, but the technology still lacks more traditional methods in a number of categories. One of the biggest is the requirement…
Bay Area-based construction startup TraceAir today announced a $3.5 million Series A. Led by London-based XTX Ventures, this round brings the company’s total funding up to $7 million. The raise…
DJI says products will remain on sale after being added to US ‘entity list’
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Commerce included DJI among the 77 new entries on its “entity list.” Precisely what this means for the company’s future in the States remains uncertain,…
This tiny drone uses an actual moth antenna to sniff out target chemicals
Sometimes it’s just not worth it to try to top Mother Nature. Such seems to have been the judgment by engineers at the University of Washington, who, deploring the absence…
How Verge Aero’s drones pulled off an Election Day win as big as Biden’s
Intel may be the household name, but Verge Aero is hot on their heels with a product that’s more nimble, easier to execute and much more dynamic.
Industrial drone maker Percepto raises $45M and integrates with Boston Dynamics’ Spot
Consumer drones have over the years struggled with an image of being no more than expensive and delicate toys. But applications in industrial, military and enterprise scenarios have shown that…
UK to invest in AI and cyber as part of major defense spending hike
The UK has announced a massive boost in defense spending — £16.5 billion ($21.8BN) over four years, the biggest such spending bump for 30 years — in what prime minister…
Sony has announced that it is entering the drone market with a new brand called Airpeak, though the specifics of the drone itself are left something of a mystery. It…
DJI’s pint-sized Mavic Mini gets camera and connection upgrades
We dug DJI’s Mavic Mini when the drone arrived last year. As Matt noted in his review, “It packs everything critical to be a quality drone. It has a good…
DroneDeploy teams with Boston Dynamics to deliver inside-outside view of job site
DroneDeploy, a cloud software company that uses drone footage to help industries like agriculture, oil and gas and construction get a bird’s-eye view of a site to build a 3D…
Skydio partners with EagleView for autonomous residential roof inspections via drone
Skydio only just recently announced its expansion into the enterprise and commercial market with hardware and software tools for its autonomous drone technology, and now it’s taking the lid off…
Agtech startup iFarm bags $4M to help vertical farms grow more tasty stuff
Vertical farming technology provider iFarm has bagged a $4 million seed round, led by Gagarin Capital, an earlier investor in the startup. Other investors in the round include Matrix Capital,…
Skygauge’s innovative tilting rotor drones are up for pre-order, with deliveries in 2021
I have had a few occasions to see Skygauge’s drones in-person, primarily on visits to Asia. The Canadian team is involved in HAX’s program and has spent time working out…
Drone-deployed sterile mosquitoes could check spread of insect-borne illnesses
Drone deployment of sterile mosquitoes could accelerate efforts to control their populations and reduce insect-borne disease, according to a proof of concept experiment by a multi-institutional research team. The improved…
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Director Atlas Acopian breaks down his drone-shot video, ’A World Artists Love’
“A drone is a camera,” Atlas Acopian begins simply. “And it can fly. It’s basically a flying super-camera! I’d love to see more film and TV productions embrace the nimble and magical nature of drones and use them for more than bird’s eye view establishing shots.” The director’s video for London-based record label AWAL (Artists…
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DJI Mavic Air 2 Review: Fantastic drone, despite obstacle avoidance blindspots
I’m supposed to get photos as soon as I take something out of the box. I know better. The rule is not to play with the gadget first. I’m going to crash the drone; I always do. I crashed the DJI Mavic Air 2 and broke a landing peg. I flew the drone before I…
DJI’s latest industrial drone has 55 minute flight time, 15 km video range
DJI took the wraps off its latest drone today. Targeting industrial users, the Matrice 300 builds on the company’s Matrice platform, and sports a host of improvements from longer battery…
DJI’s mini Mavic Air gets an upgrade with improved camera and battery life
DJI had to kibosh its usual big unveil this time out, for obvious reasons, but the company won’t let a little thing like a global pandemic get in the way…
Bessemer’s Tess Hatch on the evolving aerospace market and COVID-19 adjustments
The aerospace market is evolving quickly and merging with other segments of tech, making it an exciting space for both startups and investors — but the complications of the global…
Matternet’s new drone landing station looks like a sci-fi movie prop
Drones making deliveries is of course the hot new hyperlocal tech play, but where are these futuristic aircraft supposed to land? On the lawn? Matternet has built a landing station…
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The risky first transatlantic flight of a Reaper drone
The Royal Air Force delayed safety warnings about the first transatlantic flight of a new Reaper aircraft in 2018, over fears that they could tip anti-drone protestors to its arrival in the U.K.
German drone delivery trial paves the way to replacing trucks for inter-office deliveries
Drone startup Wingcopter, working with partners Merck and the Frankfurt University of Applied Science, has completed a first flight of a new drone delivery trial designed to show the benefits…
UCSD hospital gets a drone delivery program powered by Matternet and UPS
Drone delivery may not make a lot of sense for food or parcel delivery yet, but for hospitals it could be a lifesaver. A new test program is being inaugurated…
Playing traffic cop for drones in cities and towns nets Airspace Link $4 million
As the number of drones proliferates in cities and towns across America, government agencies are scrambling to find ways to manage the oncoming traffic that’s expected to clog up their…
This autonomous security drone is designed to guard your home
One of the new products unveiled at CES this year is a new kind of home security system — one that includes drones to patrol your property, along with sensors…
FPV Robotics debuts Waver drone to inspect infrastructure on land, on water and in the air
Japanese startup FPV Robotics is leveraging drone technology to address a growing global need: inspecting aging infrastructure in an effort to avoid major issues like unexpected bridge collapses. FPV Robotics…
The Federal Aviation Administration this week issued proposed rules for the remote identification of drones in the U.S. The “next exciting step in safe drone integration” (their words) aims to…
Pyka and its autonomous, electric crop-spraying drone land $11M seed round
Modern agriculture involves fields of mind-boggling size, and spraying them efficiently is a serious operational challenge. Pyka is taking on the largely human-powered spray business with an autonomous winged craft…
