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Drones

Carnegie Mellon developing drones to fight wildfires

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The brown haze that settled over Pittsburgh and other US cities last summer was merely an irritant to most residents, but for researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute (RI), it was a reminder of why they are developing drones to help fight wildfires.

The smoke was generated by record-breaking wildfires in Canada. Over the course of the summer, the fires burned an area roughly the size of North Dakota and caused at least six deaths, including those of four firefighters.

Andrew Jong, who recently completed his master’s degree in robotics in the School of Computer Science and is now pursuing his PhD, says autonomous drones promise to provide firefighters with situational awareness of these fires, which can range over thousands of acres and are subject to rapid, weather-related changes in direction and intensity.

Seeing through dense smoke is one of many challenges firefighters face and poses a hurdle to using drones. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon developing drones to fight wildfires

DoorDash and Wing launch drone delivery test in the US

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DoorDash and Wing have launched their drone delivery partnership in the US, starting in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Select local consumers will be able to order eligible menu items from Wendy’s – the pilot’s first restaurant partner – through the DoorDash marketplace and have them delivered via drone.

This follows the drone delivery pilot program that DoorDash and Wing launched in Australia in 2022 and has since expanded to three locations in Queensland with over 60 participating merchants, marking the first time that Wing integrated its drone delivery service within another marketplace. [Read more…] about DoorDash and Wing launch drone delivery test in the US

Hamburg is pioneering urban drone traffic management

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The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany. Its purpose is to integrate air traffic data with data from various sources and platforms for the first time under real conditions to develop holistic blueprints.

This is expected to make a significant contribution to safe and economical air mobility. The BLU-Space project is being funded with a total of 2.36 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.

The integration of drone technology in urban airspace has the potential of providing significant benefits for society and the economy: it reduces ground-based traffic and increases efficiency in logistics. [Read more…] about Hamburg is pioneering urban drone traffic management

Commercial Drone Usage: 7 Notable Applications

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Multiple industries across the world are realizing the potential of drones or beginning to understand how much these unmanned aerial vehicles offer.

What started out as a recreational activity quickly became a valuable asset to different industries. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable examples.

[Read more…] about Commercial Drone Usage: 7 Notable Applications

Skyports and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore middle-mile drone logistics

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Skyports Drone Services, a specialist in drone logistics, surveys, and monitoring, has agreed a strategic partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to explore the feasibility of middle-mile drone logistics in the New York and New Jersey region.

The Port Authority oversees much of the region’s air, land, rail and maritime transportation infrastructure network, including: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty Airport (EWR); the Port of New York and New Jersey, one of the largest and busiest port systems in North America; in addition to major tunnels and bridge crossings within the Port District, which spans a 25-mile radius around the Statue of Liberty.

The multi-year collaboration between Skyports and PANYNJ will help realize PANYNJ’s vision for implementing and scaling uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) across its extensive portfolio of maritime, aviation, and transportation assets. [Read more…] about Skyports and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to explore middle-mile drone logistics

Wing and Walmart continue to expand drone service to millions of customers

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By Adam Woodworth, CEO, Wing

We’re kicking off 2024 by making drone delivery a reality for even more people: Wing and Walmart are expanding service to millions of customers, leveraging Wing’s airspace approvals that facilitate service across the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) community.

Wing and Walmart will launch our newest drone delivery locations in the coming months and plan to complete the expansion within the year.

Last August, Wing and Walmart launched service together at two locations in DFW – reaching 60,000 homes via drone delivery. In our first 4 months of service, the response from Walmart customers has been overwhelmingly positive, using the service to order a range of products, including quick meals, groceries, household essentials, and over-the-counter medicines. [Read more…] about Wing and Walmart continue to expand drone service to millions of customers

Google-owned Wing wins FAA authorization for drone deliveries

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With a new year on the horizon, demand for drone delivery has never been higher. Three in four shoppers are interested in saving time this holiday season with Wing’s fast-mile delivery, and major retailers like Walmart are integrating the company’s technology to serve their current and future needs.

In this context, drone delivery startup Wing – which is fully owned by Google parent Alphabet – says it has achieved “another milestone” in its ability to meet that growing demand.

Thanks to a recent update to Wing’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exemptions, Wing will be able to safely scale more effectively in the US – which means Wing can bring the benefits of drone delivery to more people, more quickly. [Read more…] about Google-owned Wing wins FAA authorization for drone deliveries

Matternet receives authorization from German Aviation Office to launch drone delivery service in Berlin

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Matternet, the developer of an urban drone delivery platform, has received approval from the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA), Germany’s Federal Aviation Office, to operate the Matternet M2 drone delivery platform beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) in the heart of Berlin. 

This marks the beginning of Berlin’s first ever BVLOS drone delivery network.

Labor Berlin, Europe’s largest hospital laboratory, provides diagnostics for 30 hospitals with more than 24,000 beds, including Charité, the largest university hospital in Europe and Vivantes, the largest municipal hospital group in Berlin. [Read more…] about Matternet receives authorization from German Aviation Office to launch drone delivery service in Berlin

Are consumers ready for drone deliveries?

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With Amazon aiming to make 10,000 deliveries with drones in Europe this year and Walmart planning to expand its drone delivery services to an additional 60,000 homes this year in the states, companies are investing more research and development funding into drone delivery.

But are consumers ready to accept this change as the new normal?

Northwestern University’s Mobility and Behavior Lab, led by Amanda Stathopoulos, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, wanted to know if consumers were ready for robots to replace delivery drivers, in the form of automated vehicles, drones and robots. [Read more…] about Are consumers ready for drone deliveries?

Skyports Drone Services partners with RigiTech to launch inter-island drone deliveries in Korea

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Drone airline Skyports Drone Services has launched a new project in Yeosu City, South Korea, for the delivery of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs by drone. The project will be the first time Skyports Drone Services operates flights with new drone partner RigiTech.

The Yeosu City drone project, supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MoLIT), Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (KIAST) and Yeosu City government, will provide inter-island drone deliveries within the coastal Yeosu region of Korea.

It is the first of a series of flight trials and proof-of-concept projects conducted by a drone services consortium made up of Skyports Drone Services Korea, Marine Drone Tech and RGB Lab. The first phase of the project launched in June this year and will continue until November. [Read more…] about Skyports Drone Services partners with RigiTech to launch inter-island drone deliveries in Korea