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What’s the difference between PPK and RTK drones, and which one is better?
Post-processed kinematic (PPK) and real-time kinematic (RTK) are not new technologies. They’ve been used in terrestrial surveying for years to improve the accuracy of GNSS data. Both methods correct the location of drone mapping data and remove the need for GCPs, bringing absolute accuracy down to cm (sub-inch) range However, when you factor in obstacles and environmental conditions common to aerial surveying, the difference between a PPK drone and an RTK drone becomes more important to understand. In fact, choosing the best correction method for your surveys will save you time and project costs. But how do you know which is best? The answer can be found in learning about how each method works, including its inherent strengths and drawbacks.What is an RTK drone (and how does RTK work)? An RTK drone carries an onboard GNSS RTK receiver that gathers data from satellites and a stationary base (ground) station to more accurately correct image location, in real time as it flies Sat Read More »
Wingtra and Delair sign on dotted line to offer practical business insights from large, high-accuracy drone mapping projects
The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) WingtraOne mapping drone and delair.ai artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software will now be promoted in both companies’ portfolios of solutions for extracting useful business insights from large, high-accuracy drone mapping projects. Earlier this year, Wingtra and Delair announced that the compatibility of the two products was tested and evaluated. Due to the complementarity of their solutions, they recently made the decision to join forces in a sales partnership. “We tested WingtraOne data compatibility with delair.ai a while ago and were convinced by the ease of use and the functionality of the software, especially in cases where deep AI analytics and accessibility by stakeholders is important,” said Leopold Flechsenberger, Head of Sales at Wingtra. We are excited to include delair.ai in our recommended software portfolio and that they’re promoting WingtraOne as a go-to drone when customers require a VTO Read More »
Mira Early Adopter Program
To visionary UAV/RPAS pilots,Mira cordially invites visionary UAV/RPAS pilots and entrepreneurs to join our early adopter program of the Mira Rotorcraft System. Take the opportunity to enrich your capabilities with this unique, versatile and UAV system!Mira has developed, and is now poised to reveal, the Mira Rotorcraft — a conceptually-new, universal and modular unmanned aerial system. The unique Mira Rotorcraft has been purposely and strategically designed with unrivalled versatility, enabling the widest range of aerial tasks and missions to be accomplished using the same, single vehicle. Read More »
SN-2020/002: Small Unmanned Aircraft – Overflight of Uninvolved People
Please find below details of the CAA Publication you have selected. Dependent on availability, you are able to download the file, or purchase a printed copy.EU exit Please note that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a negotiated agreement, some CAA website content and application forms may continue to carry the EASA logo or reference the EU or EASA rather than the UK CAA in the short term. These will be updated in due course following the UK’s departure from the EU. In the meantime, the guidance provided and the application forms accessed via the CAA website portal will continue to be valid.Reference:SN-2020/002 Title:Small Unmanned Aircraft – Overflight of Uninvolved People Description:The purpose of this Safety Notice is to provide additional guidance to remote pilots in the form of suggested best practice when considering flight over people in accordance with articles 95(2)(d) or 95(3) of the ANO. It is also intended to remind and assist remote pilots in meetin Read More »
SN-2020/001: Small Unmanned Aircraft - Water Ingress
Please find below details of the CAA Publication you have selected. Dependent on availability, you are able to download the file, or purchase a printed copy.EU exit Please note that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a negotiated agreement, some CAA website content and application forms may continue to carry the EASA logo or reference the EU or EASA rather than the UK CAA in the short term. These will be updated in due course following the UK’s departure from the EU. In the meantime, the guidance provided and the application forms accessed via the CAA website portal will continue to be valid.Reference:SN-2020/001 Title:Small Unmanned Aircraft – Water Ingress Description:The purpose of this Safety Notice is to remind pilots of the requirement in law that they must be reasonably satisfied that a flight can be safely made (ANO 2016 article 94(2). Status:Current Review Comment:None Version:1 Date:16 January 2020 Read More »
Creative genius by artificial intelligence – but who owns the copyright?
Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of science fiction, is now common place in our day to day lives. This is only set to increase rapidly over the coming years, but not without a unique set of legal challenges.One key challenge is the question of how the relationship between AI and copyright is defined. Whilst historically AI has taken over repetitive, process driven tasks carried out by humans, AI has now entered the creative sphere. Huge numbers of non-human AI artists, poets, writers and musicians have emerged, creating high level pieces of creative works. In 2018 Christie’s became the first auction house to offer a work of art created by an algorithm – the portrait, titled Edmond de Belamy, sold for $432,500. Whilst there is clearly a demand for AI as an emerging creative medium, who owns the copyright in what is created?Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1998), ownership of the copyright in source code or other data is defined by Read More »
Shetland Space Centre (SSC) Design Principles Questionnaire
Shetland Space Centre (SSC) is developing a vertical launch spaceport on the island of Unst, Shetland. The spaceport will launch small rockets into space from Lamba Ness on Unst in a Northerly direction over the sea. To ensure that the launching rockets are protected from other air users SSC (the change sponsor) are undertaking an Airspace Change with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The change process is described in CAP 1616, which can be found at this link: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1616E2noninteractive.pdf One of the key principles of the change process is that it should be as transparent as possible, therefore the CAA hosts an airspace change portal where individual airspace changes can be followed. The following link will take you to the portal: https://airspacechange.caa.co.uk/OrganizationSearch Read More »
The CAA has launched a consultation on our airspace classification review
Help us identify volumes of controlled airspace in which the classification could be reviewed On 30 October 2019 the Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to amend the 2017 Air Navigation Directions to give us a new role regarding the way in which airspace is classified. This now means that we must:Regularly consider whether to review the classification of airspace;consult airspace users as part of that review;where we consider a change to classification might be made, amend it ourselves in accordance with a new procedure that we must develop and publish;in developing that procedure and our policy describing airspace classifications, seek to ensure that the amount of controlled airspace is the minimum required to maintain a high standard of air safety and, subject to overriding national security or defence requirements, that the needs of all airspace users are reflected on an equitable basis.We are now beginning the first airspace classificatio Read More »
SkyWatch.AI Drone Insurance Launches Partnership with ParaZero Drone Safety Systems to Benefit Safer Drone Pilots
SkyWatch.AI Drone Insurance, a prominent risk-assessment and InsurTech platform for the drone industry and ParaZero, the leading developer of advanced drone safety systems, announced today a collaboration that will allow drone pilots, using the SafeAir Parachute to receive reduced rates on their drone insurance. The companies have teamed up in order to further benefit safe pilots who take extra measures to reduce drone risks. Pilots with ParaZero’s SafeAir system can now share their flight data with SkyWatch.AI and receive a higher Safety Score that will provide them with a unique reduced rate. The collaboration between SkyWatch.AI and ParaZero will allow drone operators to dramatically mitigate risk through the ASTM compliant ParaZero system, reduce their insurance costs with SkyWatch.AI, and also apply for a Flight Over People waiver with the FAA. This cooperation brings with it added value to drone operators, and is another great advancement in the development of the commercial d Read More »
Commercialisation of the Drone Industry... are we just dreaming?
Without question, the most exciting emerging industry mankind has ever witnessed but are we really moving as fast as some would have us believe or is it all just bluster? The evolution of the drone industry seems to shift from one exciting development to the next. First the sky will be full of tiny air drones or Unmanned Air Systems (UAS), then we are all going to be flying to work in taxis but the reality is that things are not advancing as rapidly as some would have you believe because we simply do not have the infrastructure needed to enable it. We seem to be a long way from commercialisation (I'll come on o what that means later)and here's why: 1. To manage any volume of unmanned air traffic safely, we need to establish what is known as Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM), but UTM is not some magic thing which will just appear, it will take years of development both technically and regulatory and (no matter what certain app developers say) you can't build a UTM purely Read More »
The UAS community created ‘a new transport ecosystem’ at Amsterdam Drone Week
Just like the drone industry itself, the Amsterdam Drone Week is rapidly outgrowing its infancy. Together with the High Level Conference on Drones, co-organized by the European Aviation Authority EASA, the second edition of the event made Amsterdam the epicenter of the global drone industry. In addition, important milestones were achieved in the adoption of European legislation and regulations concerning U-space.“We are at the dawn of a new social and industrial revolution”, said Philip Butterworth-Hayes at the opening of the Amsterdam Drone Week. “Humans, robots and automated systems are going to work together. We are creating a new transport ecosystem and we are learning right now here in Amsterdam how this will work. ”Filip Cornelis, Director for Aviation (DG MOVE Directorate) in the European Commission, added the important role of cities in reshaping the future of mobility: “Cities will have to manage the 3rd dimension: the skies over the cities where the bulk of drones Read More »
AUTONOMOUS DRONES FOR INDUSTRIAL SITES
The push for digitalization in the global business age exacerbate with challenges familiar to manufacturers. Increased volatility in prices and availability of raw materials, the response to rapid swings between product shortages and capacity overages, staff fluctuations, concerns about intellectual property security, and the frequent movement or closure of industrial sites - all increases competitiveness and search for efficiencies.Autonomous drones help companies respond to time, cost, and quality restrictions, while dynamically positioning them to respond to future technology- and data-driven demands.ENSURING INDUSTRIAL SECURITY Read More »
FROM EXCEL TO EXCELLENCE
The story of how one Co-op turned 3000 images in Excel into actionable insights about their assets. “Successful people don’t keep up. They stay ahead.” Read More »
A MEDICAL CHECK FOR YOUR UTILITY
Colorado Aerial Imaging’s insights to being a successful DSP. “I see a lot of people worrying about drones invading their privacy. It never worried me much. My life is just not that exciting – people flying over my house; they won’t see anything that they could sell to a news outlet and make good money. I’m not Tom Cruise.” – Scott Fredericksen, CEO, Colorado Aerial Imaging Though he might be a few movie-deals behind, Scott Fredericksen has the edge on Cruise, when it comes to aviation expertise. With 21 years in the US Army National Guard flying BlackHawk’s (UH-60), Huey’s (UH-1) and Scouts (OH-58s), he knows his way around a cockpit. He even ended up as the Aviation Battalion Commander in Colorado, before he left to become an entrepreneur four years ago. Joined forces With a degree in Aerospace engineering and a professional software engineer, it made sense to Scott, to start a company in the drone industry. He partnered with a former UH-60 Blackhawk Read More »
Dutch Drone Delta: Dutch consortium is preparing for Urban Air Mobility
Drones have the potential to reduce traffic congestion, to automatically inspect and secure ports and to deliver medicines at the right time and location. To ensure that this happens in a safe, efficient and sustainable manner, leading industrial parties in the Netherlands announced the launch of the Dutch Drone Delta consortium during the Amsterdam Drone Week.Ambition for the Netherlands The Dutch Drone Delta focuses on creating opportunities for the Netherlands in the field of future passenger and freight transport through the air with drones (Urban Air Mobility). The consortium will work on the essential requirements for the successful integration of drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in the Dutch society, including social embracement and safe integration into the airspace. By using drones for medical deliveries, surveillance and inspections of ports and ultimately the transport of cargo and people by air the socially added value will be shown to the general public.The foundation Read More »
Introduction of priority rules for manned and unmanned aircrafts
Growing number of drones requires uniform European regulationsThe rapidly increasing number of complex flights undertaken by drones makes the adoption of further European regulations on U-Space more critical than ever. In order to integrate all the various types of drones and drone-operations into the urban airspace, right-of-way rules will apply, with manned flights generally having right-of-way over unmanned flights.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will present the main principles of the proposed draft regulation of the so-called “U-Space” at the beginning of December at Amsterdam Drone Week. The opinion will be proposed and clarified at the EASA High Level Conference on Drones, which will take place on the 5th and 6th of December. It’s the first time anywhere in the world that such regulation on U-space/Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) is being drafted and implemented according to EASA Executive director Patrick Ky. This regulation is prepared as a follow Read More »
Digital Catapult announces Platinum Award winners
This week Digital Catapult celebrated the launch of the inaugural Platinum Awards and the announcement of our eight winners. Digital Catapult's Platinum Awards is a prestigious new initiative recognising and celebrating the most impactful advanced digital technology startups and scaleups, adjudicated by an eminent, independent judging panel. The Platinum Awards celebrate the best companies that have been part of Digital Catapult’s industry-leading programmes: CreativeXR, Augmentor, Machine Intelligence Garage, 5G Testbed Accelerator Programme, LPWAN Testbed, Immersive Labs, Cyber 101 and the Future Networks Lab. We were thrilled to welcome so many of the companies that have worked with Digital Catapult over the last five years to celebrate the 24 shortlisted startups and scaleups and to join us in recognising the achievements of the eight winning companies - the stars of Digital Catapult’s programmes. The winners are (in alphabetical order): axial Read More »
Flying motorbikes showcased at Amsterdam Drone Week
Amsterdam Drone Week is getting ready to show two innovative flying machines designed and created by students from TU Delft University. Both are single-person aerial vehicles that look like flying motorbikes. Both futuristic vehicles are also creating waves in the international media as they are compact, quiet, and electrical. Startups Talaria and Silverwing will give visitors a glimpse of what Personal Air Mobility will look like in future. In recent months, a team of over 30 students from the Talaria startup worked overtime to complete their electrically powered aerial vehicle. Their Hermes II prototype is now ready and will be shown to the public for the first time at Amsterdam Drone Week. The flying machine is 2 m tall and the diameter of the rotors is approximately 2.6 m. Alexander Essle, one of the students: ‘This first prototype is intended to function as a single-person flying machine. The ultimate goal is to have it fly fully autonomously’. The Hermes II looks somethi Read More »
Medical drone showcased at Amsterdam Drone Week
KPN provides communication data links for test flights The prototype drone used for trials with medical drones will be showcased at the Amsterdam Drone Week at the beginning of December. Last week, the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam gave the green light for the trial named the Medical Drone Service. KPN is involved in this innovative project as a technology partner.The Erasmus MC and Sanquin Blood Bank, in collaboration with ANWB, PostNL and technology partners Avy (drone developer) and KPN are investigating how drones can be used for medical applications such as transporting blood, medicines, and diagnostic samples to patients and care institutions. Within a period of three years, the partners involved in this collaboration aim to determine what kind of contribution drones can actually make to society in ensuring that care is delivered at the right time and the right place. Connectivity In the coming period, ANWB will be the party actually carrying out the test flights in order to dem Read More »
FUNDING AND SAVINGS IN ONE FELL SWOOP
Swoop is a business funding and savings platform enabling businesses to discover the right funding solutions across loans, equity and grants, and to identify and easily make savings - all in one fell swoop. Read More »