Acoustic awareness system could open the floodgates for drone delivery

It seems inevitable at this point: our urban skies will soon teem with all manner of multicopter aircraft, from small logistics and delivery drones all the way up to eVTOL air taxis and minibuses. This will bring a lot of positives, including speed, co… Continue reading Acoustic awareness system could open the floodgates for drone delivery

HUUVER drone rolls along the ground and flies through the air

While aerial drones have many uses, there are some situations where ground-based drones are a better choice – they certainly use less battery power. The HUUVER combines aspects of the two in one vehicle, as it features both propellers and tank-like tre… Continue reading HUUVER drone rolls along the ground and flies through the air

Autonomous Black Hawk helicopter makes first flight with no crew onboard

DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program has taken another step forward, with a US Army UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter taking to the air over Fort Campbell, Kentucky on February 5 for a 30-minute autonomous flight with no one ab… Continue reading Autonomous Black Hawk helicopter makes first flight with no crew onboard

Firefly drone boasts 2-hour runtime and 100-lb cargo capacity

Multicopter drones already have many uses, but they’re still held back by relatively short flight times and limited lifting capacities. The Firefly quadcopter is designed to address those shortcomings, with the ability to fly for about two hours and ca… Continue reading Firefly drone boasts 2-hour runtime and 100-lb cargo capacity

Kawasaki’s supercharged cargo copter tests robotic ground crew

Kawasaki has shoehorned the supercharged 1,000cc engine from its wild H2R hyperbike into a heavy-lift autonomous cargo helicopter, and has now demonstrated a robotic system for loading and unloading it without exposing humans to those big blades.Contin… Continue reading Kawasaki’s supercharged cargo copter tests robotic ground crew

eHang’s pilotless eVTOL may be certified and operational within months

China’s eHang says it’s “hopeful” it’ll achieve full type certification for its autonomous EH216 eVTOL aircraft “in the next few months,” after which commercial operations can begin – potentially years earlier than American and European competitors.Con… Continue reading eHang’s pilotless eVTOL may be certified and operational within months

XAG V40 agri-drone uses just two rotors for better performance

Usually when we think of multicopter drones, we picture aircraft with four or more rotors. The V40 agricultural drone takes a different approach, though, with only two rotors – a feature that reportedly lets it do its job better.Continue ReadingCategor… Continue reading XAG V40 agri-drone uses just two rotors for better performance

Wing says drone deliveries are taking off madly where they’re allowed

Drone delivery technology is ready to rock, says Alphabet’s Wing spinoff, ushering in a wild new era in which small deliveries can touch down within minutes of being ordered, traveling across town at highway speeds. The only holdup at this stage is red… Continue reading Wing says drone deliveries are taking off madly where they’re allowed

Autonomous racing drone claims landmark victory against human pilots

One of the many ways researchers are working to improve the performance of autonomous drones is by having them compete against humans in the business of racing them. It takes some skill to pilot a tiny quadcopter through confined spaces at blistering s… Continue reading Autonomous racing drone claims landmark victory against human pilots