Offshore wind giant Ørsted has become the first offshore wind company in the world to use autonomous giant drones to transport cargo to turbines. Building on its previous expertise using smaller drones in other countries, Ørsted is now trialling the 58kg drones, with a wingspan of 2.6 metres to transport cargo of up to 68kg, […]
MSU Researchers Developing Long-Range Identification Technology for US Intelligence Community
Since Nov. 2021, researchers at Michigan State University have been working to develop a computer vision system capable of identifying individuals from 1,000 meters away. The technology, called FarSight, is the culmination of 18 months of research in cooperation with the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, or IARPA, a federal organization that works to develop […]
UAE Drone Firm Microavia to Develop AI-Based and Heavy Duty Drones
Microavia, the first UAE-based drone company, is gearing up to revolutionise the MENA region’s security sector with new age AI-based and heavy duty drones fit for uses across sectors, including law enforcement and border security, amid projections of a long-term high double-digit growth in the region’s currently estimated $1.2 billion commercial drone market. Also on the drawing […]
DJI Air 3 Vertical Mode (Video)
This article and video will discuss what vertical mode actually is on the DJI Air 3, as well as serve as step-by-step guides showing how to enable and use Vertical Mode.
WhiteFox Defense Deployed to Protect UN General Assembly: the Role of Counter Drone Tech in Security Operations
CA-based WhiteFox Defense was deployed to protect the 78th United Nations General Assembly, held in September. Counter drone technology is now playing and important part in security operations worldwide. “Drones have increasingly been used in conflicts such as the one in Ukraine, highlighting the urgent need for effective counter-drone measures in high-profile events like the UN […]
The post WhiteFox Defense Deployed to Protect UN General Assembly: the Role of Counter Drone Tech in Security Operations appeared first on DRONELIFE.
FAA, Air Force Sign Collaboration Agreement on Advanced Air Mobility
FAA, Air Force’s AFWERX Agree to Collaborate on Advanced Air Mobility Integration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced October 26 that they have signed a collaboration agreement with the U.S. Air Force to collaborate on the integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft into the National Airspace System. The FAA is working to enable the […]
The post FAA, Air Force Sign Collaboration Agreement on Advanced Air Mobility appeared first on DRONELIFE.
Drone Delivery for Disaster Response: In Japan, Bringing Critical Supplies to Isolated Villages
This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association. In Japan, a shrinking rural population and dramatic landcape means that some villages may be difficult to reach in the case of a disaster. NEXT DELIVERY has successfully conducted a 2 day demonstration of drone delivery for disaster response, bringing supplies to […]
The post Drone Delivery for Disaster Response: In Japan, Bringing Critical Supplies to Isolated Villages appeared first on DRONELIFE.
Camera Technology in Drones (Explained)
Drone cameras help us ascend into the sky and experience new vantage points we could never achieve on our own two feet. Have you ever stopped and wondered how the technology behind these cameras works? Drone cameras feature image and video stabilization and high-res sensors. They work with other sensors like gyroscopes and accelerometers to …
Swiss drone company gains landmark FAA approval
SwissDrones, which builds uncrewed helicopters designed to fly over long ranges for inspection, surveillance, and public safety applications, just gained a landmark approval for its SDO 50 V2 aircraft from the Federal Aviation Administration that has huge implications for the state of beyond line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights.
SwissDrones this month announced that its SDO 50 V2 single-turbine uncrewed helicopter system has been granted BVLOS authorization for its aerial service provider, Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU), to fly drones not just in specific areas, but across the entire United States. That same aircraft has already received a Special Airworthiness Certificate (SAC-EC) from the FAA.
That’s big news for PAU, which will now be able to not only broaden where it can execute its aerial services, but also be able to fly its drones over more extensive distances. In particular, this means the ability to conduct extended-range inspection and patrol flights over linear infrastructure under the same regulations as traditional-crewed aircraft.
But the news has far more wide-reaching impacts than simply benefiting PAU. It’s the first of its kind approval to come out of the FAA, which SwissDrones says had been three years in the making. Critically for all players in the drone industry, this authorization establishes a clear regulatory pathway and sets a precedent for other organizations utilizing the SDO 50 V2 to pursue BVLOS approvals for their commercial operations.
What to know about SwissDrones and PAU
SwissDrones was founded in 2013 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland. It manufactures long-range, uncrewed helicopter systems from its manufacturing site about an hour drive away in Buchs, Switzerland. Its unique twin-rotor aircraft are designed to replace crewed helicopters at significantly reduced costs and lower carbon emissions. It’s been making big moves this year, largely driven by a seven-figure funding round earlier this year.
Its flagship product is the aforementioned SDO 50 V2. Here are some key specs of the SDO 50 V2:
- Maximum weight of 191 pounds
- Can carry sensors weighing between 30 and 70 pounds
- Can maintain flights lasting over 3 hours
SwissDrones has also said the aircraft’s extended endurance makes it ideal for missions requiring multiple sensors, offering nearly ten times the endurance and three times the lift capacity compared to aircraft weighing under 55 pounds that operate under Part 107 waivers.
SwissDrones also offers services to operate those systems for other businesses, in addition to working with other aerial service providers (like PAU) to operate its drones as well.
And beyond its significant FAA approval, SwissDrones already has a strong foothold in Europe. SwissDrones is among the first organizations to obtain a European drone operator license from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) called the Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC). That certificate, which was issued by Transport Malta, grants SwissDrones the authority to self-authorize flight operations for its aircraft across EASA countries, encompassing BVLOS operations within the specified certificate limits.
So how was its FAA approval done? Going back to that “three years in the making” statement, the two companies have been working together for the past three years to build a robust concept of what safe BVLOS operations actually entail. Together, they conducted flight trials around the U.S., and used those to prove to the FAA that all regulatory and safety requirements were met.
So what will PAU do with its newfound authorizations? PAU, which is an American drone service provider based in Cartersville, Georgia, said it intends to use its SwissDrones aircraft for a range of data-gathering tasks, including high-resolution imaging, LiDAR data collection and thermal imaging. That aligns with the company’s existing strategy of delivering accurate LiDAR data and high resolution imagery for survey and mapping, utility inspections, and engineering design.
Phoenix Unmanned said that with the SwissDrones news, its flights could now run distances of 60 miles, and perhaps even more, enabling it to conduct multiple inspections within a single flight.
“This unprecedented authorization empowers us to conduct BVLOS operations for utilities nationwide,” said Will Lovett, Managing Director of Phoenix Air Unmanned, in a prepared statement. “The SwissDrones SDO 50 V2 offers a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional infrastructure inspection methods.”
The post Swiss drone company gains landmark FAA approval appeared first on The Drone Girl.
New Method to Measure Wind Speed Could Unlock Drones’ Potential
Traditionally, remotely piloted aircraft systems, or drones, have used onboard flow sensors to measure wind effects, producing in-flight metrics on which operators rely. Leveraging GPS instead, however, might provide more robust measurements, leading to safer, more efficient flights, according to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers. As most drones weigh less than 55 pounds, even mild gusts […]