WATCH: Drones speed through forest in thrilling race

Schoolchildren could soon have a chance to learn more about the emerging sport of drone racing as part of a new education programme.

The initiative will see students expand on the maths and science learnt in the classroom to help them build and fly their own drone creations.

Pro pilots from US racing drone manufacturer Thrust UAV will showcase the sport’s latest technology at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, before the programme is launched across the country.

And to give an idea of what drones are like, the company invited a group of journalists to the festival site to have a go themselves.

Drone pilots from both the US and UK were on hand to show us the basics, and I started by having a go on a computerised simulator.
Like the real thing, the machines are operated with using two dials, controlling speed and direction – similar to most video games.

The aim is simple – to guide the drones safely through wooden gates and around the course, ideally in as fast a time ..

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The Islamic State (IS) group is using drones rigged with munitions in the battle for the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, a FRANCE 24 team inside the jihadist group’s highly dangerous self-proclaimed capital discovers.

… a new, technologically advanced threat from the skies.
“A drone has targeted … is targeting US-backed forces with drones rigged with grenade-sized munitions with … every day’
“Two to three drones rotate everyday here. They target … IS group is also using drones in the battle for the …

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Plans to trial drones for medical deliveries in remote North

Drones could be delivering medicine to remote, rural Northland communities by March next year.
Medical Drones Aotearoa plans to begin trialling the delivery of medical supplies to Mitimiti, near Hokianga, in November and aimed to start its first regular service by March, pending Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval.
Medical Drones Aotearoa founder Robyn Kamira said about 14 per cent of patients in low socio-economic and rural areas did not pick up their medicines and even more rationed their medicines to make them last longer.
“The medical and crisis-support drone trials will lead to a high-quality, high-value service that will make a real difference to people's lives. We're focused on supporting communities that may otherwise be overlooked when it comes to deploying leading-edge technologies for services.”
Advertisement Advertise with NZME. × Medical Drones Aotearoa founder Robyn Kamira is aiming to trial the delivery of medical supplies by drone to rural communities…

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MIT drones switch between flying and driving, whichever’s best

Jun 26th 2017 at 10:15AM

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MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab has developed a new prototype drone that can both fly and drive, and will determine which method to use to optimize battery life, speed and efficiency. It's a preview of how autonomous urban transit might one day work, with flying cars switching seamlessly between roads and airways to navigate dense urban environments in concert with one another.

The MIT-developed system operates in a scaled down model of a city block, complete with traditional roadways, buildings and mock green space. The prototype can theoretically work with up to 80 vehicles cooperating effectively at the moment, navigating landing pads, streets, no-fly zones and more without issue.

Researchers at CSAIL created eight quadcopter drones that can also scoot along on wheels on the ground, with a max travel distance of up to 252 meters when driving, or 90 meters of pure flight. The team noted that many an..

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Prize-winning tech helping Ghana’s farmers

Accra – Agyei Douglas is a farmer who grows vegetables near Kumasi in Ghana's central Ashanti region. He used to struggle to access markets and capital.
The information he needed was broadcast on the radio but often it wasn't specific enough to improve his yield of lettuce, spring onions, cabbage and chilli pepper.
Two years ago, the 43-year-old began using Farmerline, which delivers weather updates, the latest market prices and other details to his second generation mobile phone.
“It has helped us improve on our productions through the information we get from them, it has made things easier for us as compared to our previous system,” he told AFP.
The Ghanaian tech company behind Farmerline is one of a number of start-ups in the West African country working to bolster food security through better access to information.
The initiative was established in 2012 and has so far helped connect some 200 000 farmers in 10 countries using the mobile technology.
Farming industry
Accordi..

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Block-by-block weather forecasting? Drone delivery depends on it

Block-by-block weather forecasting? Drone delivery depends on it

Sunday , June 25, 2017 – 5:45 AM

Thomas Black

(c) 2017, Bloomberg.

Imagine a weather report so precise it provides wind-gust forecasts for individual city blocks. Such micro-weather data may soon become a reality-and a necessity for future fleets of delivery drones.

As Amazon.com, United Parcel Service, Domino’s Pizza and others gear up to launch autonomous drone deliveries of books, pills, and pizza, companies are realizing it’s the quality of hyperlocal weather data more than anything else that will steer their packages around storm clouds and through wind-buffeted urban canyons.

“The weather issue is a very significant one,” said Sean Cassidy, director of safety and regulatory affairs for Amazon’s drone unit. “We don’t have anything at the level of granularity that you would need to operate.”

The push is on to develop traffic-management systems that will forecast weather conditions down to a sin..

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