For those of us who use Yuneec products this is great news.
Commerce
New Boss on Construction Sites Is a Drone
By Will Knight
For some construction workers, any thoughts of slacking off could soon seem rather quaint. The drones will almost certainly notice.
The workers building a lavish new downtown stadium for the Sacramento Kings in California are being monitored by aerial drones and software that can automatically flag slow progress.
Once per day, several drones automatically patrol the Sacramento work site, collecting video footage. That footage is then converted into a three-dimensional picture of the site, which is fed into software that compares it to computerized architectural plans as well as a the construction work plan showing when each element should be finished. The software can show managers how the project is progressing, and can automatically highlight parts that may be falling behind schedule.
“We highlight at-risk locations on a site, where the probability of having an issue is really high,” says Mani Golparvar-Fard, an assistant professor in the department of civil engineering at the University of Illinois, who developed the software with several colleagues. It can show, for example, that a particular structural element is behind schedule, perhaps because materials have not yet arrived. “We can understand why deviations are happening, and we can see where efficiency improvements are made,” Golparvar-Fard says.
The project highlights the way new technologies allow manual work to be monitored and scrutinized, and it comes as productivity in other areas of work, including many white collar jobs, is being tracked more closely using desktop and smartphone software.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/540836/new-boss-on-construction-sites-is-a-drone/
Empire Unmanned seeing green with ag industry’s vast potential
Being at the forefront of a new industry gives Empire Unmanned the opportunity to tap into a market teeming with possibility.
It also allows the Hayden-based company to help set the standard for just who can pilot their unmanned aircraft systems as demand for Empire’s precision mapping services continues to increase.
“The biggest customer out there is agriculture, and they’re the one with the most potential,” said Brad Ward, president of Empire Unmanned. “It’s limitless — we will never run out of acreage in the United States to fly over.”
Empire Unmanned is an Idaho company venture between Empire Airlines of Hayden; ADAVSO of Star, Idaho; and Blair Farms of Kendrick, Idaho.
In January, ADAVSO became the first entity in the nation to be granted a Section 333 exemption to fly drones commercially for agriculture by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Now that we’ve already kind of broken that ice, the exemptions are coming out a lot faster,” Ward said. “You can call it the future, or give it whatever kind of cliche you want, but the fact of the matter is there’s a business opportunity growing in this industry.”
Ward added that capitalizing on the opportunity requires a company with the aviation, maintenance, and management expertise of Empire Airlines. In March, Empire Unmanned began using six FAA-certified private pilots and 10 visual observers to fly drones and capture precise images of farms throughout the Northwest.
Using certified pilots is beneficial, Ward said, because they are familiar with federal aviation regulations and terminology. All of their pilots have flown multiple airplanes, he added, which makes transitioning to a new aircraft easier.
But, with only two of the pilots having an agricultural background, there are challenges in transitioning to the brand new industry.
“The problem is because it hasn’t been available before. We’re having to educate the growers and the ag industry on what benefit it has and where it fits into what they do,” Ward said. “That education is going on as we grow.”
As the company expands, Ward said he’s looking toward a proposed UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Operator Certificate. The certificate process would include a background check and knowledge test, similar to the one required for a private pilot certificate, but remove the medical requirements.
“The person who flies this aircraft doesn’t need legs. If they’re not physically qualified to fly an airplane with passengers I don’t really care,” Ward said. “What I really want is a crop advisor that’s already kind of in the industry. I want to hire that guy because he already knows how to talk to farmers and he knows what he’s looking for.”
Ward hopes that the UAS certificate program will open up the pool of available talent to include people with agricultural experience, as well as those who have flown radio-controlled aircraft for years and know the computing associated with it.
Although selecting talent from this wider pool will require more training and a rougher transition, Ward thinks the outcome will speak for itself.
“By the time he’s done and is through that first growing season, he’s ideal for what we need,” Ward said. “Every pilot needs to be a salesman. They’re the ones that are meeting the grower in the field, explaining what the product does and what it can do for them.”
http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_3a87cf84-47b6-11e5-8b1b-0f85be8b31f2.html
Entrepreneurial spirit takes flight at Broomfied, CO Remote Control Airfield
There’s no stopping 9-year-old Jack Bonneau — not only does he have a way with small business, but also in taking on local and state representatives in friendly competition — and smoking his opponents.
Broomfield’s Bonneau is the young entrepreneur who last summer founded Jack’s Lemonade Stands.
Every week, Bonneau and his crew sell lemonade and iced tea at the Erie, Lafayette, Louisville and Westminster farmers’ markets. Jack’s Lemonade Stands teaches area kids about math, money, sales, responsibility and entrepreneurship by putting them to work at one of four stands.
“By the end of the summer Jack’s stands will have helped over 100 kids,” Bonneau said.
On Wednesday, in honor of National Startup Day Across America, Bonneau challenged Congressman Jared Polis, D-Boulder, and Broomfield Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Stokes to a drones dual at the Broomfield Remote Control Airfield at West 144th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard.
Broomfield-based UAS Professionals’ chief operating officer Nathan Ruff and president Joe Falconer provided the drones and created the obstacle course that had contestants traveling the straightaway course, slaloming the aircraft in and out of 25-foot pylons and ultimately flying them through a 30-foot-high goal post.
“The judges had a scorecard — 8, 9, 10 or ‘ouch,’” Ruff said. “It was a great competition, Jack edged the congressman and the mayor pro tem out with straight 10s.”
In a flying feat, Polis maneuvered his drone under the goal post, Ruff said, making some of the UAS officials slightly nervous, while the others flew their drone over the posts. But Polis still came short of the win, giving the lead to Bonneau.
“I had a lot of fun flying with Mr. Polis the congressman, and the mayor pro tem. It was kind of scary flying it, because I thought I was going to crash it,” Bonneau said. “I never flew a drone before. You could hover, turn right, turn left, it was just really, really cool.”
Luckily no one received an “ouch” rating, though Falconer was nearby with a partner control on the drones, in case one went haywire.
UAS Professionals last year founded the company, at 11705 Airport Way, and was the first Broomfield company in April to receive the Federal Aviation Administration 333 exemption waiver to legally conduct commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations nationwide. Only a handful of waivers have been granted to Colorado companies, with less than 400 companies nationwide receiving the waiver as of May.
Rudd said the “incredible technology” could be used for search and rescue, recalling a Maine sheriff who recently located rafters stranded on a rock in the middle of a river, or to serve farmers tracking chlorophyll levels. He said individuals in Kenya pair the drones with thermal imaging to track animal poachers in restricted areas.
“It’s almost a window into the future,” he said of the technology.
Polis founded Startup Day Across America in 2013 with California Rep. Darrell Issa to recognize innovators and the importance of startups, and for those entrepreneurs to connect with lawmakers to understand how federal policies impact their businesses.
Ruff said Wednesday’s event served as a platform to recognize startups like his own, to shine a spotlight on the growing aircraft industry and to simply have fun.
Ruff aims for UAS Professionals to serve as a go-to for the first time drone flyer hobbyist or someone interested in flying commercially, as the FAA works to finalize rules in how to integrate aircrafts into national airspace.
“We’re trying to make Colorado and the Boulder area a little bit like Silicon Valley was back in the day with the Internet,” he said. “We’re hoping to help lead the way in that.”
Drone industry denied government funding
A scheme to explore how drones could be developed to detect and avoid other aircraft has failed to be granted funding by the Government
Last year there was a near miss between a drone and a plane at Heathrow Airport Photo: Strat Aero
Britain’s hopes of taking a leading position in drone technology have suffered a blow after the Government failed to fund a scheme to explore how unmanned aircraft can fly in normal airspace.
The Astraea (Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation & Assessment) programme is a partnership between government and industry.
It aims to invent systems and equipment to allow drones to operate beyond the current controls, which limit them to an altitude of 400ft, and visual line of sight of the operator at about 1,500ft.
However, to develop their full potential they need to be able to fly at heights that would see them mixing with conventional aircraft.
This requires the development of systems that allow drones to sense and avoid other aircraft.
However, as Simon Jewell, Astraea’s chairman, has explained, “regulators require an example system to certify [but] industry requires regulations to specify requirements”.
Astraea was set up in 2006 to look into how to do this with a budget of £62m, with half coming from companies including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ, Cobham and Airbus, and the rest from the Government through Innovate UK.
Military, commercial and small helicopter drones owned by enthusiasts will soon fill Britain’s skies, experts say Photo: Reuters
However, Astraea’s application for a further round of public funding – thought to be about £30m – has now been turned down.
“Astraea could not make a case that was good enough for the amount they were asking for,” said an industry source.
An Astraea spokesman said: “The UK is widely recognised for its world-leading aerospace sector and it is important that it works to ensure that the appropriate regulations and operating procedures around this new type of aircraft are established.”
A spokesman for the Business Department said: “The Government is continuing to work with industry and the Aerospace Technology Institute on opportunities in this important market.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/11819554/Drone-industry-denied-government-funding.html
Media Madness
You know we have gone mainstream when Coke and Pepsi are using quadcopters/multirotors in their commercials.
Just a few examples:
Audi A6
Bud Light Lime
Neymar, Jr for Panasonic
Pepsi Drone Football
And of course Coca Cola
CNET en Espanol
Wrong on so many levels…puppies
Head and Shoulders…seriously?
Netflix
How are drones helping the construction industry?
Congressman Polis Honors UAS Professionals for Startup Day Across America
Broomfield, Colorado: In honor of Startup Day across America, Congressman Jared Polis, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Broomfield’s Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Stokes, City Council Members and city staff honored UAS Professionals as a startup company leading the UAS industry in Colorado. UAS Professionals is a FAA approved drone operator headquartered in Broomfield that provides support and training to individuals and businesses wanting to utilize dronetechnology. In addition, they have founded a non-profit organization, Coalition of UAS Professionals, to represent the voice of the small business operator. With no membership fees, the nonprofit provides updates of all pending and passed legislation affecting the UAS industry. In addition, the Coalition provides a forum for members to share ideas and a means to help shape the future of this burgeoning industry.
Startup Day Across America was founded by Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) in 2013. The day is designed to recognize the innovation created by startups across the country and connect elected officials with startups in their communities so they can learn about the challenges new companies face. Startups add enormous value to our local and national economies, and they are responsible for a majority of the net job growth in the U.S. They will ultimately be the engine that drives the tremendous economic impact UAS is poised to achieve.
At the event, Congressman Polis, Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Stokes, and budding entrepreneur, Jack Bonneau (9 years old) faced off in a drone flying completion. Following a bit of tutelage from UAS Professionals, each took to the “gauntlet” – a UAV obstacle course requiring precision flying. Scored by 3 volunteer judges, the competition was very tight, but in the end, young Jack edged out the Congressman and Mayor Pro-Tem receiving perfect scores of 10-10-10 after landing his drone unassisted.
“Today’s garage startups will be employing thousands of employees in the next 5 to 10 years,” said Congressman Polis. “Supporting Startup Day Across America is a highlight every year for the City and County of Broomfield, as we have so many small businesses that contribute everyday to our thriving economy,” expressed Broomfield Mayor Pro-Tem Greg Stokes. “We know how important it is to support startups like UAS Professionals who, in turn, support local startup businesses themselves and jobs. It was a very fun day!”
UAS Professionals offers a full service solution to the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Industry. The company provides a range of training solutions, from the first-time hobbyist who wants to master the skills of flying drones safely to the commercial operator who needs certification in areas such as infrared imaging or forensic aerial photography. UAS Professionals also provides business support to startups, including helping them obtain legal approval to operate commercially. As one of the first companies in the state of Colorado to receive authorization from the FAA, UAS Professionals conducts mission operations for organizations that need aerial data collection – ranging from photography, videography and GIS mapping to multispectral analysis.
“We are honored that Congressman Polis is recognizing UAS Professionals as a leading startup company in the drone industry. The potential of this technology is tremendous – analysts estimate that the economic impact just for Colorado over the next 18 months will exceed $232 million with the creation of 1,190 new jobs. But the only way to make this a reality is to go above and beyond public expectations, driving the industry to operate at the utmost levels of safety and professionalism,” said Nathan Ruff, Chief Operating Officer, UAS Professionals.
About UAS Professionals:
UAS Professionals provides aerial data collection solutions, drone training, and small businesses assistance filing 333 exemption waivers with the FAA so they can conduct commercial operations legally. UAS Professionals are the founders of a 501(c)3 non-profit organization The Coalition of UAS Professionals, which provides education and assistance to the small business operators who will ultimately be the economic engine powering the drone industry. For more information on UAS Professionals, please visit www.UASPI.com, email Nathan@uaspi.com or call 720-330-8320 x6.
Launch of silent drone aims to advance the film industry
MEGHAN LAWRENCE/FAIRFAX NZ
Howick brothers Mat Rowe and Seamus Rowe with the beginnings of their drone design. The third brother Shaun Pentecost, 35, who couldn’t make it along for the photo, is looking after the drone’s coding.
Three inventive brothers have been awarded $10,000 to design a new drone that could revolutionise the film industry.
Seamus and Mat Rowe and their brother Shaun Pentecost, all from Howick in East Auckland, are one of six teams to make the finals of the 2015 Callaghan Innovation C-PRIZE competition.
The competition is centred around producing the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology that can be used in big screen productions.
Seamus Rowe soldering together parts of the drone.
The brothers decided to take on the challenge of creating a drone that could not only film, but also record spoken dialogue with very little unwanted noise.
They hope their combined experience in electrical engineering and biotechnology will help them produce a marketable drone.
Seamus, 22, says there are a lot of drones already on the market, but the sound they make is horrible.
“The whole goal of this project is to try and make the drone quieter,” the Manukau Institute of Technology electrical engineering student says.
“At the moment the sound they produce is about 80 decibels, which is like shouting, so you can’t record audio from them at all because they are way too noisy.”
Mat, 39, says it is not about building a drone from scratch, but trying to create technology that will improve them.
“There are a number of ways of doing that but we have chosen the paths of active noise cancelling and actually making the drones themselves quieter,” he says.
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The design includes 3D printed shrouding which will muffle the sound of the propellers, as well as technology that will record dialogue while removing any unwanted noise.
The brothers have four months to complete their prototype and are competing for the chance to win $50,000 and a trip to exhibit at the NAB trade show in Las Vegas.
The winners will also receive support from Callaghan Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to release the drone on the international market.
It has also been a great way to launch their own technology discovery business, Dotterel Technologies, Mat says.
“It has been good to be given a start. If we were to win we would push it more towards a commercial product and look to expand into other industries such as agriculture,” Mat says.
The winner of the C-PRIZE competition will be announced in late November.
Go to cprize.nz for more information.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/71243859/launch-of-silent-drone-aims-to-advance-the-film-industry
Why people are angry with DJI for launch of Phantom 3.
Ouch…