Category: Drone

Impact Lab > Drone
Automation, Drone, New Inventions, New Viewpoints

General Drones’ Auxdron Lifeguard UAV rescues swimmer in Spain

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A group of seven swimmers was in trouble when an undertow whisked them off to sea. Fortunately, a lifeguard drone was deployed to the rescue.

When a group of seven swimmers found themselves carried off into the ocean by an undertow in Valencia, Spain Wednesday, time was of the essence. Though they successfully managed to alert the lifeguards, rapid response wasn’t guaranteed at 230 feet from the beach. Fortunately, an Auxdron Lifeguard Drone was at the scene and quickly flown to the rescue.

According to New Atlas, Diego Torres remotely piloted the eight-rotor General Drones vehicle. Guided by a lifeguard via radio and assisted by the drone’s camera feed, he managed to reach the swimmers in danger and drop a life jacket which automatically inflated upon deployment. The woman in most immediate need of assistance managed to untether it from the vehicle, and save herself from drowning.

Continue reading… “General Drones’ Auxdron Lifeguard UAV rescues swimmer in Spain”

Amazon.com, Drone, drones, Shopping

Amazon patents aerial fulfillment centers for improved drone delivery

Amazon expanding in Eastern Europe

Amazon’s drone-centric skyscrapers intended to replace traditional warehouses are old news. The tech giant just patented floating warehouses.

Last June, we reported on Amazon’s patent application for fulfillment center towers: skyscrapers that would replace the traditional warehouse model in favor of modern, drone-friendly versions that could serve as both charging hubs and convenient pitstops for delivery drones to pick up and drop off packages efficiently. According to a 2016 patent which the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the tech giant today, Amazon realized that making the fulfillment centers airborne, themselves, would serve as one last additional step toward maximizing the idea completely.

Continue reading… “Amazon patents aerial fulfillment centers for improved drone delivery”

Drone, drones, Engineering, Inventions, Science & Technology News

This flying ‘dragon’ drone can change shape in midair

Researchers at the University of Tokyo’s JSK Lab have developed a “dragon drone,” made up of several small drones and capable of transforming on the fly, as reported by IEEE. Not only can the drone change into different shapes, like a square or curved line, it can also autonomously decide what shape it needs to change into depending on the space it’s required to navigate.

The name of the drone is actually an acronym, standing for “Dual-rotor embedded multilink Robot with the Ability of multi-deGree-of-freedom aerial transformatiON,” or DRAGON for short. Its design was modeled off of traditional dragon kites, where the tail is made up of a series of smaller, interlinked kites.

Continue reading… “This flying ‘dragon’ drone can change shape in midair”

Drone, drones, Environment, Farms

Dropcopter’s drones boost crop pollination by up to 60% in bad bee years

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The Dropcopter drone is designed to pollen-bomb rows of crops following a pre-programmed route

A large percentage of the world’s food production relies on bee pollination, but what do we do when the bees can’t be relied on? US startup Dropcopter has just demonstrated that it can deliver a 25 to 60 percent boost in pollination rates using autonomous drones to pick up where the bees left off.

Much has been made of the collapse of bee populations worldwide, what the causes might be and what we might be able to do about it. It’s no small issue, given how much of the global food supply hangs in the balance.

Continue reading… “Dropcopter’s drones boost crop pollination by up to 60% in bad bee years”

Automation, Drone, Inventions, Robots

The company that invented the Vespa scooter is now testing this amazing luggage-hauling robot

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Developed by the company behind the Vespa scooter, Gita is a mobile carrier designed to make mobility and transportation easier and more efficient for pedestrians.

A compartment within Gita can hold 44 pounds of cargo such as backpack, a briefcase, or any other items that make walking cumbersome.

The robot uses cameras to track the legs of the person it’s following, memorizing routes as they go.

Seventy two years after launching the iconic Vespa scooter, Italian motor vehicle company Piaggio has unveiled its newest creation: A robot designed to help you get around without a car at all.

Continue reading… “The company that invented the Vespa scooter is now testing this amazing luggage-hauling robot”

Automation, Aviation, Drone, Military, military drones

Isreal’s self -flying ‘Cormorant’ whisks wounded soldiers to safety

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Tactical Robotics’ Cormorant can carry up to 1,000 pounds and offers a range of 20 miles while flying at more than 100 mph.TACTICAL ROBOTS

FIVE MEN IN white overalls lifted the stretcher off the ground, one of them taking care to lay a clear plastic IV bag that’s connected to the patient onto his stomach. They marched him toward what looks like a black inflatable dinghy on small wheels, crossed with a fly. The stretcher was loaded in through a hatch on the side, and then the men stood back.

The patient was actually a medical training mannequin, but that didn’t stop him (it, rather) from taking part in the first “mission representative” demonstration of a new aircraft. That bean-shaped thing is called the Cormorant, and it was built by Israel-based Tactical Robotics to make battlefield evacuations—which today rely on helicopters—quicker and safer, thanks to a new design and the fact that there’s no human pilot involved.

Continue reading… “Isreal’s self -flying ‘Cormorant’ whisks wounded soldiers to safety”

Drone, drones, Entertainment, government, Hot Issues

Illegal drone use over New York City is steeply rising

Drone Racing Event Held On New York City's Governors Island

Within a single year, illegal drone sightings in New York City have increased by 68 percent.

When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to establish the state’s first drone-testing corridor, this is probably not what he had in mind. New York City has seen an increase in illegal drone use of 68 percent from the first three quarters of 2016 compared with the same period in 2017.

Continue reading… “Illegal drone use over New York City is steeply rising”

Drone, drones, Latest Trend, Video

DJI’s new Mavic Air drone shoots in 4K, does 43 MPH, and fits in your pocket

We were admittedly a bit disappointed when DJI showed up to CES earlier this year without any new drones to show off, but it appears that the company had something new to show off all along. At a January 23 press event in New York City, the company unveiled the Mavic Air: A lighter, more streamlined version of the company’s popular Mavic Pro.

Continue reading… “DJI’s new Mavic Air drone shoots in 4K, does 43 MPH, and fits in your pocket”

Alternative Transportation, Drone, drones, Transportation

Boeing built a giant drone that can carry 500 pounds of cargo

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Boeing today unveiled a giant drone that’s capable of lifting a 500 pound payload. Calling it an “unmanned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV) prototype,” the aerospace giant said it could serve as a precursor for future autonomous flying aircraft.

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