UAV

Drones enter the sky safely through new technology

Two companies from the Netherlands and Belgium joined forces to show that drones can be managed and controlled using a specially developed small transponder combined with Unmanned Traffi c Management software. The new technology was developed by Unifl y supplier of transponders that make the drones visible. www.unifl y.aero

Trimble expands portfolio – UAVs

Trimble has introduced that three new GNSS-Inertial Systems for Direct Georeferencing on UAVs: the Trimble® APX-15-EI UAV, Trimble APX-18 UAV, and Trimble APX-20 UAV. Direct Georeferencing with the systems allows the location of image elements collected by Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral sensors to be accurately computed without extensive networks of ground control points, reducing costs while maintaining accuracy to produce maps.

The innovative APX-15-EI UAV features dual inertial measurement units (IMU); one embedded onto the GNSS-Inertial board that is mounted on the UAV airframe with the GNSS antenna, and one that is mounted on an external sensor contained in a gimballed mount. The APX-18 UAV is a single-board GNSS-Inertial solution that supports two antenna heading for the highest accuracy in low-speed multi-rotor survey applications such as building facade scanning. www.applanix.com/dgforuav

Powerline construction using drones

Sharper Shape and SkySkopes, in cooperation with an investor owned utility have developed an innovative and unique way to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for powerline construction. The mission uses the Sharper A6 UAS to string sock lines for a 675 kV line construction project. Sock pulling, the act of fl ying a strong and lightweight rope and attaching it to the towers is typically performed via helicopters or by workers climbing the towers. Both these methods involve risk to both helicopter pilots and ground crews. The use of UAS is eliminating the previously complex process consisting of several steps of reattaching the rope and decreasing the risk of injury for involved people. www.sharpershape.com

An integrated drone multi-spectral mapping solution for agriculture

The Fairfax-based company Icaros Inc. based in USA partnered with the supplier of multispectral sensors and analytics software Agrowing to deliver an integrated drone multi spectral mapping solution for agriculture. This new bundled solution integrates Icaros’ OneButton Standard Edition with Agrowing’s agriculture and multispectral sensor solutions. Icaros has been focused on providing geospatially accurate remote sensing software products and services since 2004. Its OneButton software, initially designed for manned aircraft sensors but now compatible with UASs, allows users to easily and automatically generate geospatially precise, fully orthorectifi ed 2D maps and 3D models from frame-based aerial imaging systems. www.expouav.com

SimActive releases correlator3D Version 7.0

SimActive Inc. has announced the release of Correlator3D™ version 7.0, with complete redesign of its 3D generation engine enabling substantial quality and speed improvements. www.simactive.com

Honeywell launches UAV Industrial Inspection Service

Honeywell has launched its fi rst commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection service, the Honeywell InView inspection service, to help industrial customers improve critical structure inspections while also helping increase employees’ safety from many of the risks associated with these oftendangerous working conditions. The new InView inspection service will combine the proven performance of the Intel® Falcon™ 8+ UAV system and Honeywell’s expertise in the aerospace and industrial industries with data-driven software customized to the needs of the utility, energy, infrastructure, and oil and gas industries. www.honeywell.com

Raytheon coyote UAVs help NoAA track, model hurricane Maria

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used six Raytheon Company Coyote® unmanned aerial vehicles to track and model Hurricane Maria. Launched from a NOAA WP- 3D Orion hurricane hunter aircraft, the Coyotes fl ew directly into the storm, giving researchers an unprecedented view of Maria from a safe distance.

Developed for the military, Coyote is a small, expendable UAV that’s air- or ground-launched into environments too dangerous for manned aircraft. The system can fly for more than an hour and up to 50 miles from its host aircraft. www.raytheon.com

UN’s aviation agency propose to register drones in global database

The United Nations’ aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), plans to support a single worldwide drone registry. This singular ledger would be easier for law enforcement to sift through than each country’s individual UAV ledger.

That might irk US hobbyists, who fought and defeated the FAA in court when it passed a law to force drone owners to sign up for an American registry. The contentious case ended in a decision that classifi ed non-commercial drones as model aircraft, which don’t need to be nationally registered. Whether the US drone community cooperates with ICAO’s registry is another question.

Conceivably, the UN agency could run the database itself, though no department has been offi cially tasked to do it. But the registry is likely a precursor to the global regulations on drone flying and tracking that ICAO has been asked to help create, according to Reuters.