Category Archives: Multirotors Research

What Hurdles Will Amazon Prime Air Need to Overcome?

By Victoria Greene – @vickyecommerce

At the beginning of December, it will have been 5 years since Amazon kingpin Jeff Bezos announced plans for Amazon Prime Air. Initially mocked in popular culture, everyone soon realized that it’s precisely the sort of thing Amazon could and would do, and settled back to see where the chips would fall.

Today, the dream has yet to come to fruition — and other companies have followed suit in betting big on drone delivery hardware and systems — yet the smart money remains on Amazon being the big beneficiary of this automated revolution, especially since it has put so much time and money into getting it right.

amazon prime air drone
Credits: Amazon Prime Air

However, by the time Amazon’s Prime Air drone fleet goes live (whether in 2019 or much later), it will need to have overcome some major hurdles that currently face all drone delivery systems. What hurdles are those? Let’s go through them.

Legally using airspace

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is still in the early stages of figuring out how it’s going to handle approval for drone fleets, and thus far its regulations have focussed on manned personal drones. To this point its limitations have been based on maintaining the privacy of citizens and protecting airspace required for other things (such as planes). Continue reading What Hurdles Will Amazon Prime Air Need to Overcome?

An history of drones – Infographic

Thanks to David from DronesBuy.net for sharing this nice story and infographic with us! Make sure you check out his nice original full article at https://www.dronesbuy.net/history-of-drones/ 

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If you’re on this site, you’re already familiar with the incredible drone revolution going on these days.

Personal drones are becoming more and more popular, their prices are coming down, their technology is getting better and simply put, they become more accessible to more people- that’s why you keep hearing about them all over the place.

Personal drones however, have evolved, like much of our cutting edge technology from a more scary past – a military past. The commercial and consumer drone revolution has both an interesting, a curious and even a more terrifying past – the history of drones is, in fact, extremely interesting.

It’s interesting to read and understand how drones technology has come about and how it has matured over the years – incredibly drones have been evolving for more than two centuries. Quite a lot of different technologies had to come together to eventually enable the current version of drones.

The following Infographic from DronesBuy.net fully explains the timeline of the historical evolution of drones as it happened through the ages, from the first ever unmanned hot-air balloon flight, to the current usage of personal and commercial drones.

History of drones infographic
History of drones infographic

But let me tease your curiosity with a few questions about the history of drones: Continue reading An history of drones – Infographic

MicroPilot autopilots compatible with Lockheed Martin’s mGCS

Press Release

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MicroPilot autopilots have achieved STANAG 4586 compatibility through integration with Lockheed Martin’s unmanned systems software ecosystem.

June 1st, 2017 – Stony Mountain, Canada – Working with Lockheed Martin CDL Systems, MicroPilot Inc. has developed a Vehicle Specific Module (VSM) to communicate with STANAG 4586 compliant ground control station (GCS) software. This will enable MicroPilot customers to utilize Lockheed Martin’s many previously unavailable tools as part of its unmanned systems software ecosystem with over 1.5 million flight hours worldwide.

 

Micropilot autopilot
Micropilot autopilot

STANAG 4586 is a NATO standard interface for Unmanned Control System and UAV interoperability. MicroPilot was able to cooperate with Lockheed Martin CDL Systems to create the VSM to make MicroPilot autopilot’s able to communicate with Lockheed Martin’s mGCS software, which is STANAG 4586 compliant. Continue reading MicroPilot autopilots compatible with Lockheed Martin’s mGCS

A drone that flies (almost) like a bird

A drone developed by the Dario Floreano’s team in the Laboratory of Intelligent systems in the EPLF (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland is geared toward flying more like a bird than like small helicopters, as most available multirotors currently do.

This should allow a much greater tolerance to challenging environmental flight conditions.

For more information check full story on the EPFL website here and the video below.

Stay tuned on the Personal Drones Blog for the latest quadcopter and multirotor news!

Tech startup Makeblock releases Airblock, a Modular Drone that Transforms Into a Hovercraft

Tech startup Makeblock releases Airblock, a Modular Drone that Transforms Into a Hovercraft

SAN FRANCISCO — November 2, 2016 — Shenzhen-based robotics startup Makeblock released the new Airblock, a modular six-axis drone that transforms into various flying configurations, including hexacopter and hovercraft. Airblock combines the best of building blocks with flight physics and engineering to make each flying experience unique.

Airblock, a modular and programmable Drone
Airblock, a modular and programmable Drone

Airblock consists of magnetic, modular parts that are easy to assemble and disassemble without tools. Included in each set are a control core, a hovercraft base, six blade modules, six spare blades, ten blade shields, one wall charger, one lithium-ion rechargeable battery and one USB cable.

The central processor, motors and rotors are all enclosed in a soft foam frame that is durable and strong. Its pieces snap together using magnetic connectors. The large styrofoam base can be configured with the aforementioned pieces to construct a hovercraft that zips over water or smooth terrain. Continue reading Tech startup Makeblock releases Airblock, a Modular Drone that Transforms Into a Hovercraft

MicroPilot-lead Consortium labelled by ITEA

I am glad to publish the following press release by MicroPilot

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Excerpt :

HI-RISE – 15009
High Integrity RPAS by Innovative Software Engineering
Project Leader: MicroPilot (Canada)

To reach their full potential, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), must operate over built up areas such as towns and cities where there are many high value tasks that a UAS can perform. Flying a UAS over built up areas is not currently possible due to perceived lack of safety. For this reason, there is a need for UAS that comply with recognized safety standards (e.g. DO-178C). HI-RISE is a framework within which UAS and innovative uses for a UAS can be developed taking into account safety regulations and standards.

logo-itea-transparent Continue reading MicroPilot-lead Consortium labelled by ITEA

Interesting video from BBSRC: Octocopter! Experimental drone for agricultural research

I am glad to share here this great video on an experimental Octocopter for agricultural research.

Credits to BBSRC, check out the original article by Arran Frood. Here’s a short excerpt:

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An advanced eight-rotor model dubbed the octocopter (see ‘Flight-al statistics’), has been put through its paces by researchers led by Andrew Riche of Rothamsted Research, an institute devoted to plant, soil and agricultural science that receives strategic funding from UK bioscience funders BBSRC.

octocopter-for-agricultural-research

Rothamsted is the site of the longest running field experiments in the world, where farm systems and inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides and crop growth have been running for more than a hundred years. In the 21st century, they want to see if drone surveillance can take much of the drudgery and footwork out of these large-scale experiments that span over 200 hectares of picturesque English countryside. As a demonstrator technology, the researchers are embarking on a rigorous programme of regularly recording experiments over five hectares (the size of seven football pitches) to see exactly what this airborne marvel is capable of.

“This year we have focused on monitoring crop height through the season and also crop maturity, says Riche. “Different wheat lines mature at different rates, and we regularly monitor this on the ground – this year we hope to have done it from the air.”

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Check out the full article here. All inquiries to Arran Frood, arran.frood@bbsrc.ac.uk

Stay tuned on the Personal Drones Blog for the latest quadcopter and multirotor news!

UgCS ground station software goes commercial

I am glad to publish the following release by SPH Engineering. Click on the image below to visit their web site:

UGCS web site
UGCS web site

Also check out this video, in which the software is used together with 3D Robotics multirotors:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJjFySJXK_0

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SPH Engineering is pleased to announce that UgCS is now out of Beta stage and is available for purchase.

Our work for nearly two years have resulted in UgCS version 2.1 Which now we have tested to be exceeding or having abilities at least on par with native mission planning software of supported vehicles.

UGCS ground station software
UGCS ground station software version 2.1

Currently we support vehicles equipped with following autopilots: MikroKopter, Ardupilot APM/Pixhawk, DJI Naza-M(Phantom 2)/Wookong-M/A2, ARDrone, Microdrones. Our skilled engineers can add support to additional autopilot by request in less than 3 months including field tests. Continue reading UgCS ground station software goes commercial

Chris Anderson launches the DoneCode Foundation

Here’s the welcome post by Chris Anderson that announces the birth of the Dronecode Foundation, in partnership with the Linux Foundation.

Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics
Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics

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Welcome to the Dronecode Project

I’m thrilled to announce our partnership with the Linux Foundation to create the new Dronecode Foundation, a non-profit organization that brings together the leading open source UAV software projects under the professional management and leadership of one of the world’s foremost open innovation organizations. Continue reading Chris Anderson launches the DoneCode Foundation