Drone to the rescue: Hawaii resident saved from Kilauea’s lava flows
Real-time footage from a drone flying over the lava flows on the island of Hawaii this week helped to save a resident caught up in the chaos. Deployed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the flying machine identified new flows and was able to guide emergency responders in a brave rescue effort.
Drone-delivered meals come to Shanghai, but they’re dropped off by … a human?
When city roads are clogged with traffic, meal delivery services can suffer, with food arriving at customers' doors late ... and cold. A service in Shanghai has taken to the skies to speed up deliveries, employing drones along fixed routes as part of a setup that also keeps its delivery drivers in work.
Drone propellors are great at slicing fingers — this $20 sensor prevents that
For drones to truly become everyday technologies, it's important that they learn to play nice. Researchers in Australia have developed a smart $20 sensor add-on which will stop a quadcopter's rotors if your fingers get too close to the blade -- and do so within just 0.06 seconds.
Workhorse Group’s drones are now delivering packages in Ohio
Workhorse Group is launching a drone delivery pilot program in Loveland, Ohio. Residents will be able to use a dedicated app to have their packages delivered by drones launched from nearby delivery vans. The drones are the same HorseFly models used in a test with UPS last year.
Drones are no longer crash-test dummies thanks to MIT’s new VR training platform
To better train drones and reduce the risk of damage, MIT engineers developed a training platform called "Flight Goggles" that uses virtual reality. This enables a fast-flying drone to train for a specific task using a virtual environment while speeding through empty physical space.
A drone made out of pizza? This YouTuber shows you just how to dough it
How do you like your drones: Fixed-wing or multirotor? Civilian or military? Thin-crust or Chicago-style? That’s the question you’ll be asking yourself after a new video from a drone-mad YouTuber, who recently built a functioning drone out of pizza. But was he able to eat it afterward?
DJI’s plush new headquarters will feature a skybridge for drone tests
Google's done it, Apple's done it, even Facebook and Amazon have done it. And now DJI is doing it: Building a flashy new headquarters. The work of Foster and Partners, which also designed Apple Park, the stunning twin-tower structure has been designed with DJI's drone business very much in mind.
A defense company is building a drone that can fly continuously for one year
An average drone has a flight time of around 10 to 20 minutes. A new solar electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed by British companies BAE Systems and Prismatic is aiming to smash that figure -- with a drone that can fly for one entire year without landing.
FBI hostage rescue team bamboozled after criminals unleash drone swarm
Drones are apparently being used by criminals to conduct nefarious activity. Recently, an FBI stakeout was raided by a swarm of drones, and in other cases, these quadcopters have been used by criminals to surveil potential targets. Unfortunately, it appears that a fix may take quite a while to implement.
Intel drones offer high-tech help to restore the Great Wall of China
Drones are being tried and tested in a growing range of industries, from movies and logistics to agriculture and health. Heritage conservation is another sector exploring this tech, with Intel using its own advanced drone platform to assist with work to restore decrepit parts of the Great Wall of China.
Funding Nemo: Kickstarter underwater drone streams 4K footage from the deep
Looking for a way to make your summer trips to the beach a bit more memorable? Newly launched on Kickstarter, Nemo is an underwater drone that offers 4K streaming from up to 100 meters beneath the waves. From VR to high-res stills snaps, here's why this one sounds great.
China nabs world record for biggest drone display, but it’s a bit of a mess
Chinese drone company Ehang has just nabbed the world record from Intel for the most drones flying in a single display. On Tuesday, May 1, Ehang sent 1,374 quadcopters skyward, their LED lights sparkling in the night sky. But video footage of the display showed many of the drones were out of sync at times.
From vaping to drones, 8 tech trends we may look back on and cringe
Believe it or not, folks used to insulate their homes with asbestos and smoke on airplanes without worry. What is the technology we use today which may prompt similar 'what were they thinking?' reactions in just a few decades' time? Here are our picks for eight such trends.
A lightweight sensor can help sniff out survivors in disaster zones
There are a number of different ways that search and rescue teams look for survivors in the aftermath of disasters. A team of researchers have added a powerful new technology to the toolkit -- in the form of an inexpensive sensor which can be used to help find people trapped in rubble.
A sensor-packed exosuit lets you fly a drone by pretending to be one
Researchers at Switzerland’s École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a smart superhero-style exosuit which allows users to pilot a drone by, essentially, pretending to be one. Let's just hope you're not too shy to use it in public! Here is how it works.
Robot bees on Mars — NASA funding a swarm of drones to explore the Red Planet
The Curiosity Rover has done its share of exploring Mars by land, but now, NASA is looking to take to the skies above the Red Planet. The agency is funding a team of Japanese and American engineers that's hoping to send a team of drones inspired by bees, aptly named "Marsbees."
From smartphones to airbags, MEMs sensors make the world work
Here’s how the technology that helps decide when to deploy an airbag also lets you watch YouTube on the train, by way of the lightsaber.
World’s fastest ever delivery drone could deliver medical supplies in U.S.
Medical supply drone delivery company Zipline's ready to launch the world's fastest delivery drone to help in the U.S.
Drone pilot gets hefty fine after flying his machine over an Ed Sheeran concert
A drone flight over a packed Ed Sheeran concert in Brisbane, Australia last month cost the pilot more than $800 in fines.
University of Michigan hopes new drone facility pushes students to great heights
Aware that the drone industry is going places, the University of Michigan has opened a new facility where students can safely test-fly new designs.
Smugglers used aerial drones to sneak $80 million in iPhones into China
Smuggling iPhones into China can be quite lucrative, and an enterprising gang came up with a scheme to rig a cable between buildings using an aerial drone.
Construction companies are welcoming their new robot workers
It's getting harder and harder for construction firms to find qualified workers, and many are turning to automation for help.
This super-sized drone has several tricks up its sleeve
Drones are entering a growing number of industries, with various designs allowing businesses to improve efficiency. Here's what Aerones has come up with.
In bid to compete with Amazon, Walmart files patents for farming drones
In an effort to increase the efficiency of its grocery supply chain, Walmart has filed patents for six new drones to aid farmers in managing their crops.
Switzerland’s new air traffic control system to put drones, planes in same skies
Switzerland is set to become the first country in the world to integrate drones into its air traffic management system.
A consumer drone crashed and burned, and then caused a wildfire
We know how drones can hamper firefighters tackling a wildfire from the air, but this is the first time we've heard of a drone actually starting a blaze.
A drone captures dramatic footage of surfers caught in big waves in Portugal
A drone has caught dramatic footage of surfer Alex Botelho and a teammate caught in the massive waves of Nazaré, Portugal, where things get dangerous very quickly.
Underwater swarms and sonar-bombing drones: Meet the deep-sea Xprize finalists
Nine finalists have been announced for the Shell Ocean Discovery Xprize, a three-year competition to map the deep seafloor using autonomous technology.
Amazon-style drone deliveries come a step closer for U.K. shoppers
The main challenge for drone delivery platforms is safely managing the machines in the sky. The U.K.'s leading air traffic services provider is on the case.
DJI’s Mavic Pro drone has just dropped to its lowest-ever price
DJI's Mavic Pro drone is now competing with the newer Mavic Air for sales, but a deal on Amazon currently has it on offer for $769 — cheaper than the Air.
Drones are helping restore power to Puerto Rico
Drones are nothing new, but in Puerto Rico they are helping Duke Energy's volunteers restore downed and submerged power lines.
Stanford students are trying to design the perfect delivery drone
Stanford University's new Aerial Robot Design course involves dreaming up concepts for delivery drones and putting them into action.
Flight Director for Bebop drones lets you create cool videos in a few taps
A new app feature for Parrot's Bebop drones helps you to create cool videos of your footage in just a few taps. But it'll cost you.
How British cops used a drone to save a car crash victim’s life
Watch the moment British police using a drone with a thermal imaging camera locate a car crash victim in the dead of night.