Boeing-backed passenger drone contest offers weird and wonderful designs
Five single-passenger drones built by teams from around the world will take part in a special “fly-off” event in California with a top prize of $1 million.
Amazing aerial drone display uses smoke machines and laser projection
Giant drone displays? Seen it! This startup has found a way to take things to the next level, however -- and it involves a laser writer and some smoke machines.
DARPA tests drones that can be dropped from planes and collected in midair
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recently tested out an innovative drone that can be launched from a plane, then later recovered in midair.
Digital Trends Live: Coronavirus and tech, new emojis, and more
On this Digital Trends Live, we dig into the biggest tech stories, including how the coronavirus is affecting tech operations, and high-resolution sun pictures.
Drone delivery: Medical supplies will soon be flying around San Diego
UPS and drone specialist Matternet are teaming up for a trial drone delivery service for health care facilities in San Diego. It follows a similar trial by the two firms in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2019. The San Diego effort will see medical samples flown between facilities.
When it comes to delivery drones, Google’s Wing is miles above the competition
The world has been waiting on autonomous drone deliveries seemingly forever. Google sister company Wing promises to make them a reality. Here's what it's achieved so far -- and some of the challenges it will face as it tries to get this technology off the ground. No pun intended.
PigeonBot is a drone that flies with feathered wings, just like a real bird
Drones can fly like birds, but that’s pretty much where comparisons with our feathered friends end. Well, unless you build an experimental drone like PigeonBot, the unusual creation developed by researchers at Stanford University. Here's what makes it so interesting.
U.K.’s busiest airport deploys new anti-drone system for safer skies
London Heathrow, the U.K.'s busiest airport, has installed a new safety system capable of detecting rogue drones flying nearby, and also of pinpointing the person operating it. The technology’s deployment follows increasing reports of unauthorized drones flying in restricted areas close to airports around the world.
U.S. may call a halt to its civilian drone program over security fears
The United States government is about to ban the use of Chinese-made drones in its work, a report by the FT claims. The Department of Interior has been using the machines for various tasks, but recently suspended their use over security fears while it conducted a review.
Colorado cops call in FBI in hunt for mysterious drones
Cops in Colorado and Nebraska have set up a special task force that includes the FBI in a bid to track down the person or people behind mysterious drone flights apparently taking place there. Sightings by cops and members of the public describe a fleet of up to 17 large machines flying in formation at night.
This startup wants to plant a billion trees with a swarm of seed-bombing drones
Every year, way more trees are cut down than are planted. Could drones help? Canadian company Flash Forest believe that they can — and it is looking to raise money on Kickstarter to make its ecological dream a reality. Here's what it is planning to do — and how you can help.
From pizza to transplant organs: What drones will be delivering in the 2020s
Whether it's your Friday takeout, transplant organs, or books from Amazon, drone deliveries are coming. As we enter the 2020s, here's a rundown of the most exciting drone delivery companies -- and what they're promising to be right to your front door (or wherever needed).
Colorado cops puzzled by fleets of large drones flying overhead
Cops in Colorado have reported seeing fleets of large drones flying overhead on consecutive nights this month, but have so far been unable to work out what the remotely controlled machines are doing. They appear in a group of up to 17 drones with colorful lights, and fly at an altitude of around 250 feet.
FAA proposes nationwide real-time tracking system for all drones
The FAA is exploring the idea of tracking all airborne drones around the clock, as well as connected pilot IDs. The agency says the proposed tracking network would be “an important building block in the unmanned traffic management ecosystem.” A 60-day consultation period is about to open inviting anyone to comment.
Turkey’s new machine gun drones are proof that we live in a cyberpunk dystopia
The Songar drone is a regular unmanned aerial vehicle -- that just so happens to come with a mounted machine gun and 200 rounds of ammunition for riddling targets with bullets from the sky. Here's how it works, and how its aerial targeting capabilities could shape up on the battlefield.
Top drone racer takes on robot drone in first human-vs.-machine clash
Autonomous drones already exist, but they're not usually seen whizzing around an obstacle course at high speed. That all changed recently when a self-piloting drone recently took on one of the best drone racers in the world at a specially organized contest in Austin, Texas.
Katsuru Beta is a graffiti-painting consumer drone launching in 2020
Created by New York artist Katsu, Katsuru Beta is a limited edition, graffiti-painting quadcopter that will let anyone become a drone-flying tagger. Here's what you need to know about this upcoming quadcopter -- coming soon to deface a billboard or wall someplace near you.
Watch this foldable drone get fired out of a cannon before flying away
Getting a drone off the ground is usually the most challenging part of a flight. Not so with SQUID, a quadcopter that you launch by firing it out of a cannon. A team of engineers in California is developing the design, with its unusual launch system giving it potential in a range of scenarios.
DJI has built an app that lets anyone track nearby drones
DJI plans to release an app that lets anyone track and identify quadcopters and similar machines that are flying nearby. It would also show the drone’s altitude, speed, travel direction, and pilot location. DJI said the aim is to offer an easy way to monitor drones “for enhanced safety, security, and peace of mind.”
Drone and rover tag teams could help solve the world’s deadly land mine problem
Roughly 20,000 people are maimed or killed each year due to land mines; the vast majority being civilians in parts of the world subject to ongoing conflict. Could a tag team of autonomous robots help solve the problem? Roboticists from Worcester Polytechnic Institute think so.
U.S. Interior Department grounds 800-strong drone fleet over security fears
The U.S. Department of the Interior has stopped using its fleet of Chinese-made drones over spying fears. A final decision will be made following an investigation. The drones undertake a range of tasks, including land and forest monitoring, and assisting efforts to tackle wildfires and other natural disasters.
Rescue drone can distinguish between survivors, victims in disaster zones
In an amazing world's-first study, researchers have demonstrated how drones could be lifesaving tools by helping to identify survivors in a disaster zone. The drones are able to look for things like heartbeat and breathing rate -- from a distance of more than 25 feet away.
CVS and UPS join forces for drone deliveries to customers’ homes
More and more major companies are keen to get into the drone delivery game. Take CVS and UPS. The two firms have just teamed up to develop a drone service delivering prescription drugs and other retail items direct to customers. CVS said it was excited to explore faster, lower-cost, and more efficient delivery models.
The Drone Racing League’s newest racing rig is piloted entirely by A.I.
The Drone Racing League (DRL) has unleashed its first autonomous racing drone. Called RacerAI, the innovative new unmanned aerial vehicle changes the drone racing game by flying itself, rather than requiring a human to steer it. How long until it can defeat human racers?
Vloggers arrested in Iran for flying a drone have been freed
Two vloggers sent to jail in Iran in July 2019 for allegedly flying their drone without a permit have been released. Australians Mark Firkin and Jolie King had been enjoying a world trip, documenting their adventures on YouTube and social media sites, when they were detained by the Iranian authorities.
The best way to counter drones is apparently to smash them with other drones
California-based startup Anduril Industries has unleashed the Anvil, an anti-drone drone that answers hostile UAVs by smashing into them. One of the co-founders of the startup is Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR and the designer of the Oculus Rift, but his new work involves real-life threats.
Digital Trends Live: Instagram’s new Threads feature, Uber Works in Chicago
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Nicole Raney break down the biggest trending stories in tech, including Instagram’s new Threads feature, Uber Works launches in Chicago, robot taxies in Las Vegas, a drone helps rob a food cart, and more.
Portland burglar allegedly used a drone to aid in after-hours food cart robbery
A pair of food carts in Portland was recently burglarized by a thief who used a drone for surveillance. A 34-year-old man has been arrested for the burglary. Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a growing number of drone-related crimes as the technology goes mainstream.
Skydio’s new auto-follow drone is basically a flying A.I. cinematographer
Auto-follow mode has been a standard feature on camera drones for years now, but the new Skydio 2 takes that idea to a whole new level. It can autonomously fly, follow, and dodge obstacles without any jarring, stuttering, or stopping. This is one of the most exciting additions to the UAV market we've seen in years.
Waiting in the wings: How drones are revolutionizing the battle against hunger
How do you use drones to save lives following a disaster? The World Food Programme, the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, is doing its bit to use drone technology to help humanity. Here are some of the ways that it is using unmanned aerial vehicles right now.
Google’s Wing delivery drones will soon ship packages for FedEx and Walgreens
Google-owned drone delivery company Wing will launch a pilot version of its service in Virginia next month, delivering packages for FedEx Express and Walgreens. The company will deliver health care products and other packages and will be one of the first drone delivery programs in the U.S.
The drones used in the Saudi Arabia oil attack were not ‘off the shelf’
Over the weekend, a fleet of 10 drones attacked a major oil processing facility and oil field in Saudi Arabia. But these aren't your everyday, off-the-shelf consumer unmanned aerial vehicles. Here's what we know about the kind of drones used by the forces responsible for the attack.
Travel vloggers detained in Iran for flying a drone without permission
Two vloggers who gave up their jobs in Australia to travel the world have been detained in Iran for flying a drone without a permit, according to reports. Jolie King and Mark Firkin were detained a couple of months ago, though the news has only come to light in the last few days.