DZYNE Technologies has been awarded a seven-year, $49 million contract through the Small Business Innovation Research program to conduct research and development on advanced unmanned aerial systems for the U.S. Air Force. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
Johns Hopkins Researchers Study Autonomous Air Traffic Control for Drones
Ten years from now, we could be in for a new sort of traffic jam. In the near future, posits a new study led by two members of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy, some 65,000 drones—weighing up to 55 pounds each, most of them programmed to operate without a pilot—will be “taking off, flying, or landing” per hour in what is so far largely uncontrolled lower U.S. airspace. Continue reading
MIT Drones Navigate Unseen Environments with Liquid Neural Networks
Inspired by the adaptable nature of organic brains, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have introduced a method for robust flight navigation agents to master vision-based fly-to-target tasks in intricate, unfamiliar environments. The liquid neural networks, which can continuously adapt to new data inputs, showed prowess in making reliable decisions in unknown domains like forests, urban landscapes, and environments with added noise, rotation, and occlusion. Continue reading
Teal Group Predicts Worldwide CIVIL UAS Spending of $150BN Over the Next Decade
The dynamic growth in Civil Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) over the next decade will create significant rewards for smart investment as nations open their airspace, commercial applications take off, and civil governments adopt systems for new roles in border security and public safety. Continue reading
Towards More Efficient Electric Propulsion UAV Systems Using Boundary Layer Ingestion
Researchers at the Escuela Politecnica Nacional in Ecuador have just published a paper which examines a formulation for the sizing of ducted fans for BLI configurations with a distributed propulsion system, based on the NASA X-48B. Continue reading
Embry‑Riddle Student Research on Drone Swarm Mapping Selected to Compete at NASA Challenge
A team of Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University students is conducting research using swarm microdrones that could change the way 3D mapping is done, especially in complex, hard-to-reach locations. Continue reading
New Method to Measure Wind Speed Could Unlock Drones’ Potential
Traditionally, remotely piloted aircraft systems, or drones, have used onboard flow sensors to measure wind effects, producing in-flight metrics on which operators rely. Leveraging GPS instead, however, might provide more robust measurements, leading to safer, more efficient flights, according to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers. Continue reading
Manchester Researchers Design and Fly World’s Largest Quadcopter Drone
Engineers at The University of Manchester have built and flown the world’s largest quadcopter drone. The drone, made from a cardboard-like material called foamboard, measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg – 0.5kg less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority. Continue reading