Category: Uncategorized

How firefighters in South Africa are using drones to protect their forests

Are These Drones the Fix for Our Depleted Forests?

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 …

Modi-Trump meet: US clears sale of predator Guardian drones to India

… the sale of predator Guardian drones that India had sought in … on advanced defence equipment and technology at a level commensurate with … spoken about strengthening bilateral defence technology and our trade and manufacturing … sale of 22 predator Guardian drones. The ‘game changer deal’ will …

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…

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

Jun 26th 2017 at 10:15AM

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..

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..

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

Sunday , June 25, 2017 – 5:45 AM

Thomas Black

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..

Trump approves $2B sale of drones to India ahead of meeting

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President Trump Approves $2 Billion Sale of Unarmed Surveillance Drones to India Ahead of Meeting

Pres. Donald Trump

June 24, 2017 06:25 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration has authorized the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to India, the manufacturer said Friday, as the two nations' leaders prepare for their first face-to-face meeting.

India initiated its request to buy 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance last year. The deal is estimated to be worth about $2 billion. The offer is still subject to congressional approval.

The green light from the administration marks a further deepening in defense ties as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Modi's two-day visit to Washington, which starts Sunday, takes place amid uncertainty over the relationship because of differences on trade and other issues.

So far in his presidency, Tr..