The Rise of the Drone Industry

In recent years we have seen the commercial drone industry rapidly increase. As the technology improves, the battery life & distance of flying has improved. And probably most importantly, the price of drones has dropped dramatically, meaning that everyone can get their hands on one. In fact, it’s thought that the global market for drones

Pix4Dag Helps Selab Tackle One of Japan’s Biggest 21st Century Challenges

Rice is one of the most essential grains for the country of Japan, as well as its neighbors. However, a serious problem looms in the near future as Japan’s farming population age, with very few in line to take their place. The Japanese government, in response, is both encouraging labor-saving measures and actively looking for new ways

Spin Master Releases First Ever National TV Commercial Featuring Professional Drone Racing with Air Hogs and DR1

Los Angeles, CA (October 26, 2016) – Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY), a leading children’s entertainment company, and DR1 Racing, the premiere global drone racing series, are proud to announce the first ever national television advertising campaign featuring professional drone racing—now consumers everywhere can “Race Like a Pro.”  The national commercial features DR1 pilot and drone

​​Eos Introduces New Photogrammetry Software Optimized for Drone Photography

Vancouver, BC – Oct. 26, 2016 – Eos Systems Inc. has introduced new photogrammetry software optimized specifically for photographs taken with drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The new PhotoModeler UAS 2016 software creates 3D models, measurements, and maps from photographs taken with ordinary cameras built-in or mounted on drones. It includes numerous features for optimized

How Drones Can Help Improve Refugee Camps

Most of the time, when you have to build a refugee camp, you have to do so in a hurry. In a typical scenario a lot of people arrive very suddenly and the government decides on where humanitarian organizations can build a camp. Very often the designated land is not ideal – else it would

Drones let you see the view from your seat before you buy tickets

Ever wonder what it’s like to step into the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts? Or curious about what your seat view might be when debating which tickets to buy? Thanks to this nifty drone flyby of the venue, you can get a great sense of what it might be like to step into

2016 National Drone Show Zooming into the Nation’s Capital this December

The National Drone show this year features: Drone Flying Cage, educational sessions, panels and hands-on training conference, exhibits and Advanced UAV Workshop, all in heart of nation’s capital. Also to feature the premiere of the D.C. DRONE FILM FESTIVAL. Second annual National Drone Show builds on the success of 2015 launch Gold Sponsor: Stampede The

Meet the Young CTO Taking AI By Storm

Anouk Visser isn’t a typical grad student at the University of Amsterdam. At age 24, Anouk is already managing her second successful startup as the Chief Technology Officer for Birds.ai. She’s also a fellow of the prestigious Kairos Society, on the board of DutchUAS, and nominated for the VIVA 400 Award for entrepreneurial and inspiring

Drones Data X Conference and VIP Weekend to be held Nov. 3-6

This year’s Drones Data X Conference will be held in Dublin, at the AIB Bankcentre. Featuring an exciting line-up of speakers, chances to do some drone flying, and lots of networking opportunities, this is an event not to miss. The day-long conference event will be immediately followed by a VIP weekend held on beautiful Achill Island,

The benefits and limits of drones in search and rescue

During search and rescue operations, time is critical. Injured survivors of a disaster might be trapped, and finding them quickly can literally be a question of life and death. For search and rescue teams that often means having to make difficult decisions, such as where to look first and what risks to accept for themselves

Rhino Africa takes African travel to new heights in creative video campaign

Rhino Africa, Africa’s leading safari company, has spent the past three years exploring Africa to capture breathtaking drone footage of the continent’s most beautiful places. Visiting iconic places such as Victoria Falls, Sossusvlei, the Okavango Delta, the Garden Route and Cape Town, the video team at Rhino Africa has managed to take viewers on an

Silent Falcon and MicroPilot succeed at NASA’s UTM 2016

Oct 20th, 2016–Reno, Nevada USA – Silent FalconTM conducted a series of successful Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) demonstration flights as part of NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) system. NASA’s UTM program is developing a civilian traffic control system for autonomous low altitude Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations. This will create a

The Top Drone for New, Beginner, and Intermediate Pilots

The amount of drone models out there is astounding. Some are very similar to each other, and some vary widely. You can get drones that come with cameras, eight blades, drones that are the size of a quarter, and in just about any variation you can imagine. And new models are coming out every month. It’s

GoPro, Dell EMC Sign as Presenting Sponsors of the First Ever World Drone Championships October 17-22 in Hawaii

Los Angeles, CA (October 19, 2016) – Drone Sports Association (DSA), the leading global drone racing and drone sports entertainment company, announced today that the first ever Drone World Championships “Drone Worlds” will be presented by GoPro (NASDAQ: GPRO) and {code} by Dell EMC. LowePro, Horizon Hobby, AirVuz and EY have also signed on as

Amazing uses of drones

Drones are becoming one of the most sought after flying machines after jets and UFOs (!), loved by humans due to fact they are very useful and fun to fly, with a power packed remote control or smartphone in your hand to see the world through drones eyes. Drones have been used for a long time, but recently

Do the Media/Manufacturers have a responsibility or not?

As a Professional Aerial Photographer, lately I have been noticing a growing number of questionable drone photographs being used in the local press, and let’s be honest, have probably been taken illegally and in contravention of the CAA guidelines for drone use. I am talking about photographs such as a bird’s eye views of the

NVdrones Announces DroneDeploy Compatibility and One-of-a-Kind Instant Flight Reports

PASADENA, CA – 10/18/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET) — NVdrones, a start-up that provides cloud-based software solutions for drone fleet management, today announced compatibility with DroneDeploy flight logs as well as the ability to create beautiful and comprehensive flight reports at the push of a button. NVDash, the company’s flagship product that hundreds of drone companies

DRL Simulator – Review

I’ve been flying drones and RC in general for over 10 years now, and one thing that always holds true is that there’s no replacement for stick time. The more you fly the better you fly, full stop. So it’s been long known that simulators are a great way to stay current on the sticks.

5 Ways Drones Are Shaping The Future

There’s no doubt that drones are making a huge impact on society. Each year, drones are proving to be more and more useful to us. For example, earlier in 2016, drones were programmed to build a rope bridge (here’s the video). While fun to watch, realize that this also has practical applications- it can save

How Drones are Helping in Haiti

Haiti is both one of the poorest and one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. In addition to the devastating 2010 earthquake and the subsequent cholera outbreak, the country is regularly hit by hurricanes which frequently trigger landslides and floods that wash away whole neighborhoods. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is

Drone Racing Set for Take off on Eurosport TV Starting in November

Los Angeles, CA (October 17, 2016) – In an effort to offer fans new and innovative sports entertainment, Eurosport today announced its partnership with DR1 Racing, the leading international drone racing series, to exclusively distribute content for broadcast in 70 countries across Europe and Asia-Pacific. The first episode of the DR1 Invitational from Los Angeles

Verizon uses drones for cell site inspections in the Carolinas in wake of Hurricane Matthew, another tool for reliability

Raleigh, NC – Verizon is using drones to help with cell site inspections from the air in North Carolina and South Carolina to survey areas impacted by severe flooding from Hurricane Matthew. The quadcopter used for the inspections is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) operated by Measure UAS Inc., to inspect cell sites in difficult

Overview of best drones for GoPro Cameras in 2016

Drones have quickly become a popular new hobby for enthusiasts around the nation. What once was a fascination for RC planes and copters may have now transcended into a passion for what is swiftly becoming a larger part of daily life, fun or no. Drones aren’t just for show, they have multiple applications, types, and

How Drones Helped with Early Recovery in the Philippines

In November 2013, the Philippines experienced one of the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclones ever recorded. Typhoon Haiyan resulted in well over 6,000 deaths and devastated the city of Tacloban along with the islands of Leyte and Panaon, among other regions. The Category 5 super typhoon also displaced more than 6 million people and left

New Drone Pilots: Try These 5 Quadcopters to Improve Your Skills

When you’re first learning to pilot a drone, the drone itself is just as important as the way you train. Certain rigs are much easier to learn with than others. And they have features that allow you to practice different skills without needing to buy a new one. In this article, I’m going to break down

Birds.ai to Demo Its Advanced Computer Vision Software at CES 2017

13 October 2017 – Dutch startup Birds.ai is flying to Las Vegas this January to showcase a live demonstration of its computer vision software at CES 2017. Birds.ai’s cloud-based program can automatically measure, track, and report the status of assets in industries like agriculture and infrastructure. It is also one of the very few AI

Flitelab: From Part-Time Hobby to Provider of Commercial Grade Aerial Imaging Services

When Terence C. Gannon thought about launching a new podcast covering ‘dream jobs’, his first instinct was to look to the booming drone industry with its blend of fascinating technology, disruptive applications and amazing results. His very first interview for what became The WorkNotWork Show was Mark Langille, founder of Flitelab of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. With many

4 Essential Tools For Drone Photography Businesses

Running a drone photography businesses can be a rewarding and challenging profession. At HiFly Photography, we’ve learned that these tools are invaluable for growing and maintaining a drone photography company.   Skyward Project Management – Record Keeping Skyward is an all around operations management tool, that allows you to manage much of your day-to-day duties

Tracking Landmines with Drones in Bosnia Herzegovina

In May 2014, the worst flooding in the Balkans in 120 years caused massive damage and triggered landslides. In Bosnia Herzegovina these landslides and floods brought an additional danger with them: mines and other explosive remnants of war were dislodged and swept into inhabited areas – in some cases mines were moved by as much

7 Tips for Flying a Small Drone Outdoors

Last time, I gave you seven tips for flying a small drone indoors. This article is all about flying a small drone outdoors. Outdoor flight is much different than indoor. There are forces of nature at play, and you have a much larger space to fly your drone. Let’s break it down: 1) Fly in Moderate Conditions

SimActive Launches Subscription UAV Software

Montreal, Canada, October 11 th , 2016 – SimActive Inc., a world-leading developer of photogrammetry software, is pleased to announce a new subscription-based offering for Correlator3D™ UAV. The rental option allows users with a dynamic workload to access a high-end product at minimal cost. “Correlator3D™ UAV was developed for leading mapping firms, military and government organizations, with a constant

Stars in the Sky: Celebs with Drones

Social media have let us in on the lives of celebrities more than ever before. Celebs with millions of followers now have a chance to share their private lives, hobbies and interests more than ever before. With the commercial drone sector in the US projected to reach $5.1 billion in direct economic impact by 2025

7 Tips for Flying a Small Drone Indoors

Small drones are some of the funnest to fly. You can do acrobatic maneuvers, fly at fast speeds, and fly them indoors. But flying indoors comes with it’s own set of quirks. In this article, I’m going to give you seven tips for flying a small drone indoors. These tips will help you stay safe and maximize

A Design Tool for Everyone: USU Aerospace Engineer Creates Free 3-D Aircraft Design Software

News Release – LOGAN, UTAH, Oct. 6, 2016 – As interest in small autonomous aerial vehicles and their applications continues to expand, a Utah State University aerospace engineer is offering the public a free software tool that could revolutionize the drone industry. Doug Hunsaker, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at USU, is

DAT/EM Systems International INTERGEO Booth to Feature 3D Building Capture and UAV Technologies

Anchorage, Alaska, USA. October 6, 2016 – DAT/EM Systems International® will exhibit at this year’s INTERGEO® Conference in Hamburg, Germany with RhinoTerrain™ SARL, Pulse Aerospace and local partner DAT/EM Systems Europe. DAT/EM Systems and RhinoTerrain will offer software demos, and Pulse Aerospace will display their latest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), the Vapor 55. DAT/EM Systems

The 5 Coolest Quadcopters of 2016 (So Far)

In recent years, the drone industry has exploded with some awesome new models capable of doing some amazing things. Luckily, this innovation has not slowed down in 2016. In fact, we have been introduced to some of the most technologically advanced drone models ever produced. In this article, I’m going to break down five of

Drone Company Ranking Q3 2016

Old and new leader of the drone company ranking is DJI (▷1). The Chinese platform manufacturer remains expanding both company portfolio and market presence. Toy manufacturer Parrot (▷2) defends rank two with solid distance to the newcomer Xiaomi on rank three. So far military manufacturers were not considered in the commercial drone company ranking. Since

Aerialtronics Commercial Drones Give IBM Watson Internet of Things a Bird’s Eye View

ARMONK, NY –4 October 2016: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Aerialtronics, a Netherlands-based designer and producer of unmanned aircraft systems, today announced the first commercial drones featuring cognitive computing capabilities from the IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT) Platform on IBM Cloud. Aerialtronics vehicles can provide high-quality inspection services for global organizations across multiple industries, from monitoring city traffic patterns to

Implications of the new FAA rules

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced its first official rules for commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, as the rest of the world calls them. These guidelines were created to ensure safety between drones and other aircraft. The new rules, known as Part 107, also simplify the requirements businesses have to follow

How Cheap Drones Helped Create Maps After the Nepal Quake

Following a series of severe earthquakes in 2015, many communities in Nepal struggled to rebuild their homes and  lives. Aerial imagery can be helpful when planning post-disaster recovery activities, however people on the ground found that the quality of available satellite imagery was too low to be useful, especially given how densely built up Kathmandu

UAV sector shows pioneering spirit

INTERAERIAL SOLUTIONS presented by INTERGEO 2016 – the largest trade fair and communications platform for the manufacturers, service providers and users of drones in Europe – is drawing experts from industry, market research, law and science to a round table discussion to highlight the hottest topics in unmanned aerial systems (UAS). For starters, it’s most

Can a Drone Get the Mail?

In this new series we are testing the limits of our drones in the household. Is this the future?