After raising two initial amounts for a total fund of €4.5 million in 2016, Azur Drones, a pioneer in the civilian drone sector, has raised an additional €2 million to accelerate its growth and confirm its leading position on the civilian drones market. Azur Drones is also confirming its desire to consolidate the market by conducting its first external growth operation with the acqui...
Amazon has been experimenting with drone deliveries for quite some time and now it seems that the e-commerce behemoth is keen to go beyond the hustle and bustle of land-based shipments to exploit the potential offered by the open skies. In the latest, Amazon plans to build a giant flying warehouse that will be used as a launchpad to deliver goods within a few minutes, according to a...
From high-street playthings to sophisticated commercial and military aircraft, drones are seen as being at the sharp end of technology. Yet, paradoxically, traditionally low-tech countries such as India and Pakistan are now churning out their own models. The commercial drone business is driven by advances in key components such as sensors, lenses and radio control devices – and manufactur...
Anyone who received a drone as a present this year has been reminded that they must register it with authorities. Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, said it was important people know the regulations that govern drone ownership. "Whether it is received as a gift or bought by the person, it doesn’t matter. People need to register their drones...
If you ordered something from Amazon recently, it was probably delivered by a person dressed in black and wearing a reflective vest. Chances are, that person woke up at 5 o’clock in the morning and reported for duty at a distribution warehouse in some unseemly industrial area somewhere in your city, and then set out in a van with some 150 packages. For a long time, that’s pretty much h...
Embraer announced the creation of a business unit focused on services and customer support, which will be led by Johann Bordais, who is currently serving as the Director of Services and Support for Embraer Commercial Aviation. “The new business will bring together capabilities that are currently spread throughout different business areas to offer customers a broad portfolio of solutions,&...
Contract with California-based firm is intended to boost performance of new fleet of Protector drones The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, has announced a £100m contract to improve the performance of a new generation of drones for the RAF. The government disclosed as part of last year’s defence review that it would double its drone fleet from 10 to 20 and the existing Reapers w...
An autonomous flying ambulance has successfully completed its first solo test flight, offering a potential solution for challenging search and rescue missions. Completing such missions in rough terrain or combat zones can be tricky, with helicopters currently offering the best transportation option in most cases. However, these vehicles need clear areas to land, and in the case of war zones, helic...
Facebook's drive to digitally connect the whole world may have hit a road bump. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is reportedly investigating a June accident involving one of Facebook's massive drones. Known as Aquila, the unmanned aircraft is part of Internet.org, Facebook's at times controversial project to bring internet to remote communities....
Agriculture could be one of the biggest drone markets. You might be familiar with the idea of drones delivering consumer packages or monitoring security areas, but did you know that drones were first used commercially in Japan for agricultural purposes? In fact, agricultural efficiency is poised to take a big leap with drone technology now that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is stream...
The fledgling drone industry is in the throes of change as weak consumer demand and falling prices drive startups to shift their focus to specialized business applications. 3D Robotics - an early drone startup that raised more than$125 million from investors - has seen its consumer business all but crash. This week, it unveiled a new commercial strategy, announcing a camera-equipped drone...
Germany's Deutsche Telekom plans to launch a drone defense system this year designed to guard airports, stadiums, car test tracks and critical infrastructure, German weekly Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday. The increasing use of drones for commercial and leisure purposes has led to a rise in the number of near-misses with aircraft and infringements into no-fly zones, prompting companies a...
