During CES 2018, commercial UAS operations software provider Kittyhawk announced new features to its Flight Deck platform, including the addition of an automated flight system to Flight Deck, which will work in conjunction with the company's recently released secure live streaming feature.
Using the new automation features, operators can plan missions in the Kittyhawk mobile application, and then execute the entire flight, from takeoff to landing, with unlimited waypoints.
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AEE and SELFLY Camera develop UAS-smartphone-case called AEE SELFLY
AEE Aviation Technology Inc. and SELFLY Camera LLC have introduced AEE SELFLY, which is a smartphone case with an embedded UAS.
Considered the first device of its kind and the first of its class, AEE SELFLY gives smartphone users the ability to capture photos of themselves—commonly known as “selfies”—at a whole new level of quality and precision, for basically any event, from any location, and from heights and distances that were once considered impossible.
“More photographs are being taken now on smartphones than ever before because the best camera is the one you can always have with you,” says Mike Kahn, AEE's Chief Marketing Officer.
'Unified Pilot System for Unmanned Aircraft Products and Systems' platform to be used in UAE
The details of a platform called the “Unified Pilot System for Unmanned Aircraft Products and Systems” were announced on Dec. 18 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The platform is the first unified electronic platform for UAS and air vehicles to be used in the UAE for recreational, service and commercial purposes.
Reportedly “in line with the UAE government's keenness to provide a civil aviation environment and a safe community for practice,” the platform will be used to obtain UAS information and conform to the UAE standards that were established by the Committee for Monitoring the Implementation of the Light Sports System.
UAVOS converts manned aircraft into UAVs
UAVOS Inc. has developed an unmanned aerial complex based on Pipistrel’s Sinus light aircraft.
UAVOS converted three Pipistrel Sinus aircraft into UAVs, and modified the wings of the original aircraft for the installation of hangers for payload. In addition to that, the wiring was changed, and the company integrated its UAVOS automatic control system into the aircraft.
Vadim Tarasov, UAVOS investor and Board member, says that converting manned aircraft into UAVs is a much simpler process than building a heavy UAV from scratch.
Los Angeles Fire Department uses UAS for first time as it battles Skirball Fire
According to KTLA, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) deployed its UAS for the first time on Dec. 7, as the department battled the Skirball Fire burning near the Bel-Air neighborhood in California.
Two of the department’s eight UAS were used to conduct reconnaissance for about 30 minutes, as one UAS provided visuals of property damage, while the other located hotspots. After the hotspots were located, firefighters or a water drop were dispatched to the exact location where they were needed.
Moore County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina adds UAS to its fleet
According to ThePilot.com, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office in Moore County, North Carolina has added a DJI Matrice 210 UAS to its "Air Force."
The “first-ever” dual-camera UAS for simultaneous thermal and standard color imagery, the DJI Matrice 210 has a weather resistant design, an upward-facing gimbal mount, dual battery bays, thermal imaging and an extensive zoom. It also has two controllers; one for the pilot and one for the observer to control the cameras.
University of Maryland UAS Test Site acquires 11 TigerShark UAS
The University of Maryland UAS Test Site has acquired 11 TigerShark UAS, which adds to the test site's fleet of more than 40 aircraft, and will ultimately help enhance and expand the long-range testing efforts of the site.
Some of the TigerShark’s characteristics include its ability to carry up to 100 pounds of payload, being able to stay airborne for up to seven hours, and being able to operate as high as 14,000 feet.
Before acquiring the TigerShark UAS, test site pilots and engineers could only perform operations where sensors and other equipment weighed in under 20 pounds, so the TigerShark UAS will be extremely beneficial according to the director of the UAS Test Site, Matt Scassero.
Big Bend Community College's UAS program receives accreditation
According to the Columbia Basin Herald, students in Big Bend Community College’s (BBCC) UAS program will be able to receive an Associate of Applied Science degree in the program starting in January, after the program received accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
BBCC also received accreditation for a “certificate of achievement” in its mechatronics program.
Wisconsin's Eau Claire Police Department benefits from UAS
After investing nearly $4,000 in a UAS earlier this year, the Eau Claire Police Department in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has used its unmanned system to help with multiple search and rescue missions over the last few months. Currently, the department has eight officers that are trained to fly the UAS.
According to Deputy Chief Chad Hoyord, the UAS is beneficial because it provides investigators with a unique perspective, while keeping officers out of harm’s way.
“We have used it two times to do a search and rescue of the river bank and the rivers. It allowed us to look at the area and look without having to put someone in the water,” Hoyord says via WEAU.
Embry-Riddle UAV Storm Chaser team completes first Remote Controlled flight
Kicking off a series of tests for its capstone project, the UAV Storm Chaser team at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University completed its first Remote Controlled (RC) flight of a UAV on Nov. 17.
Considered a “huge success,” the RC fight was used to demonstrate “all of the communication components of the UAV linking together properly, to calibrate the motors and motor controller, to get flight time, and to go through the process of setting up all of the parameters in mission planner.”