Drone Blogs

 Drone enthusiasts have been filming fish and sea mammals for years. Mostly, it’s been scientists seeking to document aquatic migration, predation and mating patterns.  With drones, scientists have learned intimate details about the habitats and life conditions of sharks, seals and sea turtles – among other species – that earlier field researchers, using more... Read More

While the launch of new drone cargo and remote package delivery operations in the United States and Europe has made global headlines of late, China, the world’s leading drone manufacturer and technology developer, refuses to be outdone.  In recent weeks, two Chinese companies have announced an expansion of their own remote delivery operations – with... Read More

Drone industry defenders have often bristled at the suggestion that drones are any louder than other sources of noise, especially vehicle traffic.   In one study funded by NASA, the authors suggested that consumers are simply more accustomed to hearing traffic noise.  But most noise experts disagree.  The problem isn’t really the decibel level of the... Read More

 Crop management continues to occupy center stage in the burgeoning drone industry.  But as technology advances, agricultural missions are evolving far beyond basic aerial surveying and boundary management.  Some drones are equipped to seed and spray farms with fertilizers and pesticides – without the need for remote piloting, and in precise amounts based on... Read More

Many areas of the world are prone to massive floods, brought on by extreme weather events, including cyclones.  A good example is the impoverished African nation of Mozambique which suffers recurring cyclones.  Back in 2018, Mozambique suffered two cyclones in the space of a month that left tens of thousands of displaced people without food,... Read More

 “Reverse” waterfalls are considered rare events.  The phenomenon occurs when a fierce updraft of wind – typically raging at 60 mph or more – reverses the downward direction of the waterfall, spraying a long and smoky plume of mist that wafts skyward.  It’s an optical illusion but the sight of a waterfall seemingly flowing... Read More

Remote aerial package delivery via drone is finally getting its first big test.  Amazon, Walmart, Wing and Zipline, among other companies, are commencing delivery services in selected U.S. cities – 34 in the case of Walmart.   These are not full-scale autonomous  operations – only remotely piloted “last mile” deliveries that cover the final leg of... Read More

 Last week, a recreational drone flier in New Brunswick, Canada stumbled upon a rarely observed sight:  A moose shedding its antlers.  According to wildlife experts, the shedding of moose antlers is normally a fairly lengthy process; it happens only once a year after mating season and usually consists of a moose losing one antler... Read More

China-based DJI is widely recognized as the world’s leading UAV manufacturer, cornering between 70% and 80% of the total drone market.  DJI exercises such complete dominance – not just over global production and exports, but also over new technology development – that other firms rarely get mentioned in discussions about the future of the industry.... Read More

Japan’s drone industry once lagged far behind the United States – now it’s poised to catch up.  Last year, under growing pressure from Japanese drone manufacturers, the country loosened its long-standing regulations that prohibited drone flights over residential areas and that also banned nearly all beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, even in... Read More