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Question of the Week
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already pro-drone. And you’re probably well aware that not everyone is pro-drone. That’s okay—in fact, it’s an opportunity.
In the coming weeks, I’ll put together a page on the 3DR site that calls attention to “drones for good” projects around the world. As new projects and uses emerge, I’ll add them to the database, which will continue to grow until it breaks the internet.
This is where all of you smart, curious and well-informed folks come in. After all, there are hundreds if not thousands of compelling use cases and stories out there. So: What are your favorites? Give me a lead and a link, and I’ll see about dropping it into this database. No story is too small, too esoteric, too weird or too vanilla—whatever you feel is important enough to share. (That said, weird is definitely good.) Help me assemble the biggest, coolest and most informative “drones for good” database online, and do your part to advocate for this life-changing technology. Submit your suggestions in the comment section below!
And now, the links that matter…
Headlines
NASA and Verizon are in cahoots in developing an air traffic control system for drones. According to the Guardian: “The purpose of the agreement is to ‘jointly explore if cell towers and communications could possibly support Unmannned Aerial Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) for communications and surveillance of UAS at low altitudes.” (The Guardian)
Next week Fox Sports will use drones to cover the US Open golf tournament in Tacoma, Washington. They plan to capture the live shots on a special frequency that allows them to splice drone footage into the broadcast. No need for that with Solo—just plug HDMI straight into the controller. (Geekwire)
On the heels of a radioactive drone scare, Japan is considering a ban on all nighttime drone flights. (Japan Times)
Drones could be the latest and greatest weapon in the never-ending battle against Chinese exam cheaters, many of whom use radio transmissions to send and receive information: “Able to monitor the examination area for radio signals from about 500 meters above the test site, the drone pinpoints on a tablet the source location of any suspicious transmissions it picks up. Zeng urged any would-be illegal radio cheats to realize that they can’t escape the department’s radio-wave ‘dragnet.’” (Quartz)
More cheating a little farther south: Indonesia is using drones to catch tax cheats who under-report the size of their mines or plantations. “Out of a population of 250 million, only about 900,000 Indonesians submitted a tax return last year, and the mines and plantations in some districts only pay about 30% of what they owe.” Unrelated: Indonesia’s tax office is famously corrupt. (Bloomberg)
Sam’s Club will stock drones for the holiday season. Time’s takeaway for this story? “It expects them to fly off the shelves.” Sigh. (Time)
Analysis
What you need to know about drone safety before you fly. (3DR)
Why BNSF Railway is using drones—and 3DR drones, to boot. “Derailments caused 35 injuries and $94 million in damages last year. BNSF says its drones will allow for more frequent track inspections, which should reduce track-caused derailments.” BNSF is also a partner in the FAA’s Pathfinder program to test beyond-line-of-sight flights. (Fortune)
Amazon Prime Air could actually be highly profitable—for a company infamous for its ruthless margins and relatively low profitability. “Based on these margins, Amazon would recoup its investment in Prime Air after one year and generate substantial profit thereafter.” (The Verge)
More on Amazon’s profitability: Drones keep watch on illegal logging and mining operations in the Amazon rain forest. Flying cameras allow teams to quickly investigate reports of deforestation. “We can go straight to the point, not just walking everywhere trying to find it in the forest.” (NPR)
Tech
On a clear day you can fly forever: Boeing just got a patent for a drone that can recharge in the air, and theoretically stay aloft indefinitely. The drone would have a retractable cable to connect to its power source. When the drone’s fully juiced, it can continue on its way while another would take its place at the power station. (RT)
Drone technology will contribute to the future of commercial space travel: Airbus is developing a new reusable rocket concept that includes a UAV module. (BBC)
Great long-form piece from The Verge about the fast-growing FPV racing craze, “the racing sport of the future,” where “crashing is both a constant threat and a shared joy.”
Included this one mostly because otters are totally rad. Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks are considering using drones to help get a better idea of otters’ lives offshore—specifically, knowing what otters eat will help researchers manage fisheries. This same project also used drones to study the prevalence of sea grass in intertidal flats—and that study confirmed their initial hypothesis that intertidal sea grass, while pretty rad in its own right, is nowhere nearly as rad as otters. (NewsMiner)
The New America Foundation released a database of international drone regulations. Though some aspects are slightly inaccurate (it’s an enormous and complex undertaking), they’re also accepting your help in sharpening this much-needed tool.
Video
New York firefighters tried to knock a drone out of the sky with blasts of water from their hoses. (The Smoking Gun)
Beautiful and highly illegal drone video of the Golden Gate bridge. (Vimeo)
And here’s the winning lap of that forest FPV race covered in The Verge piece above.
The post This Week: Amazon drones may turn big profit; NASA and Verizon partner on drone traffic control; the drone that can fly forever; drones at the US Open appeared first on 3DR | Drone & UAV Technology.
via This Week: Amazon drones may turn big profit; NASA and Verizon partner on drone traffic control; the drone that can fly forever; drones at the US Open
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