UAV

HYPACK chose the Ellipse-D inertial navigation system

HYPACK chose the Ellipse-D inertial navigation system to equip their new UAVbased surveying solution: the NEXUS 800, which is an out of the box turnkey system that tightly integrates hardware and software to provide an advanced and seamless solution for LiDAR survey planning, data acquisition, post processing and analysis, and product creation. Powered by HYPACK, it is a full end-to-end solution that represents a new paradigm in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data collection by seamlessly harmonizing LiDAR data with photogrammetry. www.hypack.com

senseFly unveils new RTK/PPK-ready senseFly

has introduced its next-generation fixed-wing system for survey-grade photogrammetric mapping recently. It features three component parts, each developed with photogrammetric mapping in mind. A breakthrough innovation of the eBee Plus is High Precision on Demand (HPoD). This describes the drone’s built-in upgrade path to real-time and post-processing correction (RTK/PPK) functionality.

Rwanda launches world’s first national drone delivery service

Rwandan President Paul Kagame launched the world’s first national drone delivery service during a ceremony in the country’s centrally located Muhanga District. The Rwandan government will begin using drones to make up to 150 on-demand, emergency deliveries per day of lifesaving blood to 21 transfusing facilities located in the western half of the country.

The drones and delivery service are built and operated by Zipline, a Californiabased robotics company. While Rwanda’s drone delivery service will initially focus on blood, an international partnership between UPS, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Zipline will help the country quickly expand the types of medicines and lifesaving vaccines that can be delivered. www.pressroom.ups.com

Chinese researchers develop solarpowered UAVs

Chinese aviation researchers are developing solar-powered drones that would be capable of staying airborne for at least a month, a senior designer informed.

Shi Wen, head of unmanned aircraft development at the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, said in an exclusive interview that his team has developed prototypes to demonstrate new technologies and equipment.

Recently, his team conducted the maiden flight of a giant solar-powered drone at an airport in northwestern China. Shi said the 14-meter-long drone has a 45-meter wing span, longer than a Boeing 737, and can carry a payload of 20 kilograms. He said mass-produced models will eventually be able to fly for one to six months, and added: “We plan to make one that can stay in the air for five years. Our next-generation drones will have a 60- to 70-meter wing span and will be able to carry a payload of at least 50 kg.”

Sweden bans flying camera drones in public places

In a huge blow to the aerial photography and camera drone industry in Sweden, the country’s highest court has ruled that it is illegal to fly camera drones in public places because they qualify as surveillance cameras. The Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden ruled yesterday that cameras mounted on drones require a permit under camera surveillance laws. At the same time, the justices decided that dash cams or cameras mounted on bicycle handlebars are not surveillance cameras (because they’re operated in the owner’s immediate vicinity) so they won’t require a permit.

If you wish to use a camera drone in a public place now, you’ll need to pay a hefty fee to apply for a permit. County administrators will then decide whether your use of the “surveillance camera” provides a legitimate benefit that outweighs public privacy. If not, your request to fly will be shot down. http://petapixel.com

Trimble sells its UAS business to Delair

Trimble has announced that Delair-Tech has acquired its Belgium-based Gatewing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) engineering and manufacturing business. Delair-Tech is a leading provider of longrange, fixed-wing UAS solutions for industrial inspection and asset management applications headquartered in Toulouse, France. Delair-Tech intends to grow the acquired business as part of its portfolio.

Gatewing has been reported as part of Trimble’s Engineering and Construction segment. www.delair-tech.com

ESNC Winner 2016: One Step Ahead of the Civilian Drone Market

This year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition, the world’s leading innovation platform for forward-thinking applications in its field, centred on the topic of civilian drone use. On 25 October in Madrid, its 2016 edition culminated in an awards ceremony featuring prominent industry representatives and the winners of 32 categories, which included 11 drone applications. Rafael van Frieken, Madrid’s regional minister of education, youth, and sport, presented the grand prize to the innovative security system GUAPO, which promises to take the use of drones to the next level. www.satellite-masters-conference.eu

OriginGPS elevates Drone Navigation

OriginGPS, one of the leading manufacturers of miniature GNSS modules, has launched three new products built on the flash-based SiRFstar V from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. This latest trio of modules is now boasting key drone features like low-latency velocity and position outputs and 5 Hz position updates to their already industry leading Multi Hornet, Multi Micro Hornet and Multi Micro Spider. www.origingps.com