Drones
Keep up to date with the latest commercial and civilian applications of unmanned aircraft – from autonomous sky-faring taxis to swarms of battlefield-ready flying robots.
Latest News
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Streamlined "submersible quadcopter" is an underwater inspector gadget
March 19, 2024The Chasing X brings a new form factor to mini ROVs, looking a bit like a submersible quadcopter. It's designed mainly for the underwater inspection of things like ship hulls and aquaculture operations, although it can also grab stuff if need be. -
"Flying milk can" drones to start drop-delivering food in Sweden
March 18, 2024People living in part of Sweden will soon be receiving food deliveries by drone. The service, which utilizes multicopters that look rather like old-timey milk transportation cans, may subsequently be introduced throughout the country and beyond. -
Mosquito-spreading drones could slash the spread of disease
February 23, 2024If you're trying to disperse 300,000 disease-fighting mosquitos per day, using a drone may well be your best bet for doing so. The technology has already been tested in Brazil, where it showed very promising results. -
Auto-follow chopsticks grab flying UAVs from the back of a vehicle
February 04, 2024Mesmerizing video shows Teledyne FLIR's new autonomous drone-catching cradle matching the movements of a model helicopter and grabbing it the instant it's within reach. It'll allow soldiers to launch and recover drones from inside their vehicles. -
Huntress hybrid drone packs a 300+ mph turbojet core
January 30, 2024Connecticut-based WaveAerospace has announced "the world's fastest multirotor UAS," a "new class of aircraft" that's effectively a quadcopter drone with a raging jet turbine in the middle, capable of insane speeds and all-weather operation. -
DJI announces its first-ever delivery drone, the FlyCart 30
January 18, 2024Although DJI is probably the best-known manufacturer of consumer drones, it hasn't ventured into the world of delivery drones … until last week, that is. The company's FlyCart 30 (FC30) is now set to join the growing ranks of package-toting copters. -
Shipping-pallet-friendly Orca cargo drone is designed to fit in
January 17, 2024In order for cargo drones to be widely adopted, it helps if they're compatible with the shipping infrastructure. The creators of the Orca drone have kept that in mind, as their aircraft will take payloads stacked on standard-size shipping pallets. -
Evolution Eagle drone flips the bird at enemy forces
January 15, 2024If you're conducting covert military reconnaissance, you probably don't want the enemy seeing what's obviously a drone flying overhead. That's where the Evolution Eagle is intended to come in, as it's a drone that just looks like a big ol' bird. -
"Flying dragon" robot harnesses the "crazy hose" effect to fight fires
December 21, 2023Japanese researchers have created and open-sourced a flying firefighting hose that levitates and steers itself to fight fires using its own water pressure as a two-part propulsion system, spraying water down onto fires and keeping operators safe. -
VT-Naut fixed-wing drone takes off vertically and makes water landings
December 19, 2023If you've ever tried flying a drone, you'll know how hard it can be to land one in just the right place … now imagine trying to land one on a boat out at sea. The VT-Naut is designed to make things easier, by performing belly landings on the water. -
ThunderFly TF-G1 autogyro drone is up for stormy weather
December 11, 2023Although drones are a good substitute for piloted aircraft in hazardous weather conditions, it's obviously still best for their users if the things don't crash. The Czech-designed ThunderFly TF-G1 autogyro drone was created with that fact in mind. -
Qysea's modular FiFish E-GO comes apart for easier underwater droning
December 08, 2023If you're buying an expensive underwater drone, you don't want to have to send it away every time an upgrade or repair is required. Qysea's new FiFish E-GO was designed with that consideration in mind, as it has a unique modular design. -
Drone-mounted LUCY tech has an ear for hidden disaster-site survivors
December 07, 2023The search for survivors at disaster sites is one of the most commonly suggested uses for drones. If those people are buried under debris, however, they won't be visible. That's where LUCY comes in, as it could let drones locate survivors by sound. -
Bionic Bird releases upgraded X-Fly remote-control flying insect
December 07, 2023Four years ago we told you about the MetaFly, a remote-control flapping-wing flying model insect made by French startup Bionic Bird (which did previously release a model bionic bird). Well, the company is now back with the new-and-improved X-Fly. -
Scientists use drones for inexpensive ice prevention on wind turbines
December 06, 2023Not unlike the wings of airplanes, the blades of wind turbines need to be kept ice-free in order to function properly. Scientists have now developed an inexpensive method of using drones to apply an eco-friendly anti-icing coating to those blades.
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