Camera. Drone. Reinvented. Friendly and exceptionally easy to use camera drones in the spirit of the Lily flying camera. The future of Lily is just beginning.
The European nightjar is protected in the UK. It actually looks like tree bark, so they’re difficult to count before work that disturbs their nests. Drones spot them easily using thermal imaging. via
@nwtls
Breeders are using drones to quantify their crop’s phenomes. Their goal is to dramatically boost yield, from about 1.3% annually to doubling each year.
Drone surveys accident damage to city property in the United Arab Emirates, cuts damage estimates from weeks to days. AI used to calculate repair cost for review by a city engineer.
Buying your child a drone for the holidays? Follow the adventures of the FAA’s own little drone Buzzy to help you and your child have fun while keeping everyone safe.
Drones continue to get cleaner! Scientists in Sydney successfully fly the world's first hydrogen-powered drone. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest energy sources:
Bird strikes cost aviation billions per year. Caltech engineers programmed a drone to move birds away controllably, as a flock, avoiding panicking birds into random flight.
We’re at the Smart City Conference today in San Jose, showing off our Lily Next-Gen and other drones. Cities use drones for first responders—police, firefighting, search and rescue—and much more. Open to everyone: San Jose City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Santa Clara St., 8:30-4:00 PM.
At least 900 cities and states use drones for public safety. Barnstable, Mass. Detective Kevin Connolly: “From a local police officer’s point of view, we’re saving a lot of money, and more importantly, time that could be used towards getting the job done.”
Watch the video of this experimental drone changing shape in flight. It can squeeze through tight spaces to enter collapsed buildings and structures. Drones like this may be the future of search and rescue and first responders. via
@PopMech
Know where and when to fly. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY or the AirMap for Drones app before you leave home. They’ll help inform you of any restrictions at the place you want to fly. via
@dronedj
In a first, a robot drone disperses microscopic baby corals (coral larvae) across the world's largest coral reef. It’s been under threat from climate change, decreased water quality, coastal development and fishing.
Pilots’ magazine ‘In Flight USA’ lauds Lily Next-Gen’s ease-of-use and performance: “Lily is committed to making Next-Gen an excellent choice for first time drone enthusiasts, with an impressive array of high-end features.”
Christian de Moustier, IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society president: Drones will provide “an amazing amount of data” in monitoring the impact of changes in the ocean. via
@postandcourier
Drones can help find hot spots for wildfires and in buildings, pinpoint lost hikers, show police what’s around a corner in a chase, identify hazardous terrain, and much more.
Drone pilot Tulinda Larsen debuts “Six-Word Lessons for the Drone Hobbyist,” tips on flying safely in different environments, avoiding mishaps, and more.
Want to get the most from your drone? You need know the regulations and safety tips to help make your flight fun every time. Join the experts at Kansas State for a FREE webinar & live Q&A Tues., Jan. 9, 7:00-9:00 AM Central time.
First drone-aircraft mid-air in U.S.: drone operator flew beyond visual line of sight, ignored TFRs, and had been above allowed altitude, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. ,
Mud-spraying drone helps build prototype emergency shelter for disasters in minutes. Combines ancient wattle and daub construction with drone application for durable and weatherproof structures from locally available, very low-cost materials.
Drones can carry out cost-effective satellite station-keeping and attitude-control to extend satellites' working life beyond the usual 15 years. (Financial Times; may require subscription.)
Major telecom companies testing drones to be deployed after a disaster. AT&T, Verizon, and South Korea’s KT envision aerial platforms to help extend the reach of cell signals and even search for people. ,
Imperial College London developing autonomous soft-material drones to make building maintenance safer, more efficient. The drones will independently search for repair needs and carry out needed work.
Airbus demonstrating drone that uses laser obstacle detection to safely inspect commercial airliners in the hangar. Promises greater accuracy, shorter inspection times.
FAA prioritizes enforcement, with civil penalties up to $20,000 for any drone pilot who interferes with fighting wildfires, law enforcement efforts, or other first responders.
“In ten years, every single fire department in the country will have a drone program. It will be seen in the same way as not having fire hoses on your fire trucks.”—Derrick Ward, Los Angeles Firefighter.
NOAA launches freeFLY to make freeing whales from fishing gear safer for humans. Drones pinpoint just where to cut the ropes, minimizing time close to distressed whales, a risky procedure that can take two days.
The suspects were nabbed less than 30 min. away from Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest. The legendary Robin hid in the forest to evade capture after taking the King’s deer. The alleged modern-day deer poachers were put in police custody.
Traveling the world with your Lily? Laws vary. France prohibits publishing images of license plates without permission, and Italy bans drone flight altogether over its beaches in summer, where people may be, as it were, in their altogether. See our map:
Switzerland working to make drone services widely available under Europe’s U-Space drone airspace initiative. U-Space will enable greater use of low-altitude airspace, be it for drones or other aircraft like flying cars.