VIDEO: Helium balloon drones
Germany-based H-Aero have developed bi-propeller helium balloon drones for long duration, energy efficient flight, with the largest model boasting a 3 kg sensor payload and 5 hr flight time.
Brazilian startup develops drones that fight the spread of dengue by releasing sterile Aedes mosquitoes
A Brazilian startup has developed a drone-based technology for releasing sterilised mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti, to combat the spread of viruses such as dengue and yellow fever in urban environments, now under validation by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Drone used to smash ice off power lines
From Superinnovators 26/01/24 China’s DJI (f. 2006), a leading drone manufacturer, released a video this week showing its DJI FlyCart 30 (FC30) smashing ice off power lines in sub -10°C conditions with a 23 kg de-icing stick. Th build up of ice on power lines can cause sagging, leading to power outages and is historically […]
Quiet, rugged coaxial drone for all weather conditions
From Superinnovators 19/01/24 US company Ascent Aerosystems (f. 2014) launched Spirit, a compact dual rotor coaxial drone in 2020, and larger model NX30 in 2022. The cylindrical shaped drones are designed handle high winds, heavy rain and snow, and come with two payloads at the top and bottom. Spirit, available for $13,999, has a top […]
Chinese drone-submarine hybrid can dive underwater, take off again
From Superinnovators 17/01/24 Innovators from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University unveiled the Nezha-F drone in April 2023 that can fly in the air then dive into water, navigate vertically underwater, then resurface and take off again. When underwater it retracts four propeller arms and goes into submarine mode, using a piston buoyancy adjustment system to […]
AI drone racing pilot beats human world champions
From University of Zurich 31/08/23 Remember when IBM’s Deep Blue won against Gary Kasparov at chess in 1996, or Google’s AlphaGo crushed the top champion Lee Sedol at Go, a much more complex game, in 2016? These competitions where machines prevailed over human champions are key milestones in the history of artificial intelligence. Now a […]
‘Hamster ball’ bot can roll and fly
From Revolute Robotics 26/07/23 With the ever-changing technology of robotics and their impact on the future, one thing is for certain – robots are here to stay. With this in mind, Arizona-based Revolute Robotics is introducing a new type of robot that can not only fly through the air, but drive and roll on the […]
Hunting down moth pests with drones
By SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 07/07/2023 Researchers have been testing real-life Batman-style gadgets to eradicate moth pests from greenhouses, including bat-inspired flying drones that hunt down and destroy moths – but new research reveals that the noise from drones can alter moth flight behaviour. “The idea of using drones as an alternative solution to eliminating […]
Edible drone with rice cake wings for stranded climbers
By Charles Carter, 04/11/22 Innovators from EPFL have developed a drone with edible rice cake wings to supply food for people stranded in remote locations e.g. mountain climbers. Why not just use regular delivery drones being used to drop packages in cities? Well, they work well for short distances in cities where battery swap/recharging infrasturcture […]
Bee-like aerial 3D printing
By Charles Carter, 03/10/22 Engineers from Imperial College London have created a team of bee-like drones capable of 3D printing structures while in mid-air. Such a system could enable more efficient 3D printing of buildings, especially in hard to reach locations. The drones mimic aerial builders in nature such as bees, that deposit layer upon […]
