Drone News of the Week, August 5: The DRONELIFE Headlines, All in One Place to Read or Listen

Read or listen to all of the headlines in one place: excerpts from the DRONELIFE drone news of the week, July 29.  Click on the titles below for the full story.

Continue reading below, or listen:

AUDROS cUAS System: Capturing Intruding Drones in a Net

The AUDROS system, a drone solution that captures foreign drones in a net, has completed successfully testing in the Czech Republic. As opposed to other interception systems, which operate by shooting down or electrically paralyzing the intruding drone, the AUDROS (AUtonomous DROne System) solution provides a fully safe alternative that poses no risk to people or property in the removal of its target. The tests were conducted using Fly4Future’s Eagle One drone, which would take off from its docking station after detecting the presence of an unwanted drone. Upon approaching a foreign drone, Eagle One releases a net from its chassis to capture the intruder.

Archer UAM Aircraft Moves Forward with Honeywells MicroVCS

Archer Aviation and Honeywell Aerospace have entered into an agreement regarding the supply of flight control actuation and thermal management technologies for Archer’s production aircraft. Honeywell’s offerings are invaluable to Archer’s operations, with the aerospace company’s actuation technology playing a crucial role in Archer’s 12 tilt 6 configuration, and its thermal management technology to be utilized to elevate Archer’s in-cabin experience.

Is FAAs Remote ID Rule for Drones Constitutional? The Court Ruling

A 3-judge appellate panel has ruled that the Remote ID rule for drones, which would require all drones to utilize technology that will identify the location of both aircraft and pilot, does not violate a citizen’s reasonable expectation of privacy.  (Read the ruling here.).Tyler Brennan, owner of drone reseller RaceDayQuads, sued the FAA last year,  claiming that the Remote ID rule violated the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, amounting to surveillance.  However, the judges ruled against the argument.

Most Residents are OK with Drone Delivery in the US: But Will They Pay for It? Auterions New Study

Drones are delivering coffee, food, groceries, library books, and more – but residential delivery is so far limited to light weights.  (Cargo drones and larger aircraft are already offering a huge benefit to industrial customers around the world.) Over time, aircraft and regulations may evolve to support heavier payloads and expand the items that can be delivered by drone.  A new study by open source drone platform Auterion indicates that most residents in the US expect packages to be delivered by drones – and while they do have concerns, the majority have a positive view…

Skydio on Dawn of Drones August 3!

Join Dawn and her special guest from Skydio, Anna Wiesenthal-Birch, the company’s VP of People Operations! Skydio is our sponsor-of-the-month for August, which focuses on the theme of “Developing Industry Leaders.” Skydio has made itself a strong reputation as a leading manufacturer of autonomous and cyber-secure American made drones. But Skydio is also leading the way on developing industry leaders, both within the company and external to it. Listen in as Dawn and Anna discuss the company’s focus on developing the diverse workforce of tomorrow, the leaders our industry needs!of tomorrow, the leaders our industry needs!

Japan Drone 2022 Draws More than 17,000 Visitors

Japan has shown major committment to the drone industry, since the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe referred to the sector as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.  Since then, Japan has simultaneously heavily regulated the recreational industry while making significant accommodations in testing and bandwidth for the commercial industry.  As Japan struggles with labor shortages  – especially in remote areas – drones offer a tool that can bring products and services to island regions and perform industrial tasks with less manpower…

NASA and Zipline Sign Space Act Agreement to Pursue m:N Drone Operations

NASA recently signed a Space Act Agreement with San Francisco-based Zipline “to pursue a future vision of U.S. aviation that includes delivery drones and air taxis,” says the NASA announcement. The agreement will help NASA to explore the concept of one pilot operating multiple drones, which they refer to as m:N operations.  In order for commercial drone operations like widescale delivery or security to scale economically, the industry must be able to move away from the concept of one pilot per aircraft.  NASA is working with the aviation and drone industry to understand both the applications and the processes for these operations.

Drones on Mars: Skypersonic Tests Technology on Sicilys Mt. Etna, Piloted from Houston

Drone inspection leader Skypersonic successfully tested its software and hardware on Mt. Etna, an active volcano in Sicily where the terrain is comparable to the geology of Mars.  In 2021, Skypersonic signed a five-year contract with NASA for the supply of drone and rover software, hardware and support for NASA’s forthcoming simulated Mars mission. Skypersonic’s “Skycopter” drone, capable of being piloted remotely in nearly any location, was flown by the Skypersonic team on Mt. Etna as part of a test that lasted 15 days. Utilizing Skypersonic’s Long Range Real-Time Remote Piloting System, the drone and rover on Mt. Etna were piloted in real time by operators based in Houston, Texas.

White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility Addresses Security Concerns, and the Need to Authorize cUAS Systems

Today, at the White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility, stakeholders expressed concerns over security, the possibility of uncrewed technology being used by bad actors for terrorism or warfare, and the critical need for the reauthorization and expansion of the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 set to expire October 5, 2022..

DroneShield Handheld Counter Drone Solution Delivered to U.S. Government Agency

DroneShield, a leading developer of artificial intelligence based multi-mission solutions, has received and fulfilled a follow-on order for its portable and handheld Counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions issued by a U.S. Government agency.  DroneShield has received recognition for its best-in-class C-UAS (“Counter-drone” or “Anti-drone”) systems, including its RfPatrol and DroneGun MkIII. The company has previously received contracts from DoD, DHS, Federal and State level Law Enforcement agencies.  As drones become an important tool in conflicts, detection and mitigation of small drones is increasingly critical for soldiers.

Its a Bird.. Its a Drone.. DeTect Dual Function Radar Tracks Both

A solution for finding both birds and drones is at hand.  Today, DeTect Inc announced “the world’s first dual function bird and drone radar” for operation  on US Military Installations.  The MERLIN BDR-DDR was developed for real-time, tactical operational birdstrike avoidance: and MERLIN now has TRUE3D for simultaneous bird and drone detecting capabilities.

DeTect specializes in advanced radar and remote sensing technologies, designed to protect the airspace around a wide variety of critical sites from airborne hazards.