A study by composites manufacturer Quickstep Technologies and RMIT University has concluded that braiding technology offers an opportunity to enhance the production rate of composite structures for eVTOL UAS applications. A collaboration between Quickstep, RMIT and the Defence Science Institute studied the use of advanced composite manufacturing methodology — braiding — to produce the primary […]
Research
CNAS Releases Open Source Dataset on Drone Proliferation
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Drone Proliferation Dataset tracks global transfers of military-grade aerial drones, regardless of size and capability, between 1995 and September 1, 2023. It was created as part of a larger research project by the CNAS Defense Program that examined trends in drone proliferation and drone use in recent […]
Structural Batteries Pave Way for Light, Energy-Efficient Vehicles
When cars, planes, ships or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced. A research group at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden is now presenting a world-leading advance in so-called massless energy storage – a structural battery that […]
NASA Develops Pod to Help Autonomous Aircraft Operators
For self-flying aircraft to take to the skies, they need to learn about their environments to avoid hazards. NASA aeronautics researchers recently developed a camera pod with sensors to help with this challenge by advancing computer vision for autonomous aviation. This pod is called the Airborne Instrumentation for Real-world Video of Urban Environments (AIRVUE). It […]
Drones will Revolutionize the Inspection of Remote Runways in Canada
With weather, limited flights and long distances, gravel runways at remote airports — particularly in Northern Canada — are difficult to get to, let alone to inspect for safety. So Northeastern University researcher Michal Aibin and his team have developed a more thorough, safer and faster way to inspect such runways using drones, computer vision and artificial […]
Kinematics of Kestrel Wing and Tail Morphing During Hovering Flights
A new joint study by RMIT and the University of Bristol has revealed secrets to the remarkably steady flight of kestrels and could inform future drone designs and flight control strategies. The study, “Steady as they hover: kinematics of kestrel wing and tail morphing during hovering flights,” was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. […]
An Improved Wireless Power Transmission System for Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
A team of Chinese researchers from the School of Information and Communication Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China, has just published a paper on how to improve wireless power transmission system for micro unmanned aerial vehicles. Abstract Due to its limited load capacity, the piggybacking of wireless charging systems for micro unmanned aerial vehicles has become […]
Tiny Solar-Powered Drones Could Stay Aloft Forever
An aerial robot weighing 4 grams is powered by tiny solar panels that produce extremely high voltages – an approach that could enable drones to fly indefinitely A drone weighing just 4 grams is the smallest solar-powered aerial vehicle to fly yet, thanks to its unusual electrostatic motor and tiny solar panels that produce extremely […]
Crash-Perching on Vertical Poles with a Hugging-Wing Robot
Perching with winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has often been solved by means of complex control or intricate appendages. Mohammad Askari, Michele Benciolini, Hoang-Vu Phan, William Stewart & Dario Floreano, researchers at the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, present a method that relies on passive wing morphing for crash-landing on trees and other types […]
SPH Engineering Releases Drone Show Market Analysis
Latvia’s SPH Engineering, a developer of drone show technology, has released the “Drone Show Market Analysis” in collaboration with Duamentes Global Alliance. The study focuses on industry trends, market evaluation, and specifics in the eight most active regions, employed a 3-level methodology including desk research, in-depth expert interviews, and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index*, revealing the dynamic growth […]