UAV

Harris Geospatial Solutions to offer Icaros OneButton™

Icaros Inc. has announced that Harris Geospatial Solutions will offer the Icaros OneButton™ family of image processing software as a front-end complement to its ENVI® geospatial analytics solution for users extracting information from manned and unmanned aerial sensor data. Icaros developed the OneButton family for geospatial end users to easily and automatically generate precise, fully orthorectified 2D maps and 3D models from frame-based aerial imaging systems. Originally engineered for manned aircraft sensors, the OneButton software has been modified to accommodate the unique collection conditions of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). www.icaros.us

Draganfly UAS now use GPS + GLONASS

Draganfly Innovations has added support for GLONASS satellite navigation, which will provide higher accuracy and function in more locations than GPS alone. Adding GLONASS support allows additional satellites to be detected, which is important in situations where fewer satellites are in line of sight. The Draganflyer Commander, X4-ES, and X4-P unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) now use GNSS receivers that support both GPS and GLONASS.

NASA marks success for most complex drone traffic management test

In the first and largest demonstration of its kind, NASA and operators from the FAA unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites across the country flew 22 drones simultaneously to assess rural operations of NASA’s UAS traffic management (UTM) research platform. Operators outside NASA interacted with the UTM research platform, entering flight plans and planned operations from several geographically diverse locations, using various aircraft and software. The UTM research platform checked for conflicts, approved or rejected the flight plans and notified users of constraints. Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, monitored operations and system load and gathered qualitative feedback to identify capability gaps to further refine the UTM research.

A total of 24 drones flew multiple times throughout the three-hour test, with 22 flying simultaneously at one point. The mission was declared successful, given the minimum success criteria of 16 simultaneous operations was achieved. In addition to the live aircraft interacting with UTM, NASA Ames introduced dozens of virtual aircraft into the same airspace to further enhance the test. www.nasa.gov/

Europe wants to keep track of migrant route surveillance with UAS

EU border patrol agency Frontex announced recently that it intends to use remotely piloted aircraft for maritime surveillance, adding drones to its existing portfolio of satellite and sensor technologies for monitoring vessel traffic and migrant flows. At present, Frontex is dependent upon individual member states’ coast guards, with widely varying assets, capabilities and practices but the agency’s operations have progressively expanded over the course of the last two years as an unprecedented migrant crisis has shaken European politics. The European Commission has even proposed folding Frontex into a new European Border and Coast Guard with expanded authority and twice as many personnel, and the measure is making its way through the EU’s legislative process. http://i-hls.com/

Xiaomi launches drone with 4K recording capabilities

Mi Drone has a 5100 mAh capacity battery that is meant to last for a 27-minute flight on an average. The drone has a modular body which makes it easy to detach and service. The camera module is detachable too. The Mi Drone is navigable with a remote control that comes with it. The drone can also work on autopilot mode which enables automatic take-offs, landings, and returns. The operator can chart the flight path of the drone which has built-in GPS and GLONASS support. In the absence of GPS availability, Mi drone can use a special technology called vision positioning. www.hufflngtonpost.in