Drones News - Page 2

A study on the drone swarm titled "Swarm of micro flying robots in the wild" has been published in the journal Science Robotics.

Researchers from Zhejiang University have created a purpose-built swarm of ten palm-sized drones, each equipped with depth cameras, altitude sensors, and onboard computers, that can navigate through unstructured environments with obstacles such as a forest.

The drones don't rely on any external infrastructure like GPS and are instead powered by flight algorithms that incorporate collision avoidance and coordination throughout the swarm. Researchers tested the drones in multiple scenarios; a dense bamboo forest, a high-traffic experiment where they had to avoid other drones, and following a human target.

Undefined Technologies has unveiled the new design of its concept eVTOL drone named the Silent Ventus.

The drone is powered by proprietary ion propulsion technology, creating "high levels of ion thrust in atmospheric air" from the ion cloud surrounding the craft. Undefined Technologies is currently working toward achieving longer flight times and keeping noise levels below 70 decibels. By comparison, most drones produce between about 85 and 96 decibels.

In the U.S., acceptable noise levels range for residential, industrial, and commercial zones from 50 to 70 decibels, making the technology much more suitable for general use. The next mission flight is scheduled for sometime in May, and it previously completed a 2-minute and 30-second mission flight in December 2021.

The United States has already included similar drones in its previous arms packages for Ukraine.

Part of The White House's $800 million weapons package announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on April 21st contains the new suicide drone known as the Phoenix Ghost. Over 120 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems are included in the package, according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby during a press conference.

The U.S. Air Force has reportedly been working on the drone since before Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year. The Phoenix Ghost is similar to the Switchblade drone, a one-way attack drone that the U.S. has already shipped 400 of to Ukraine. The Phoenix Ghost was created by Aevex Aerospace and the U.S. Air Force, but both parties have refused to comment on the details of the drone.

The official Twitter account for the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine ArmyInform has released a new video of drones Russia is allegedly using in Ukraine.

The video in question shows a Ukrainian soldier dismantling an Orlan-10 drone utilized by Russian forces. The drone appears to have been cobbled together from various civilian technologies, such as a handheld Canon DSLR serving as the drone's camera. The video also shows access to the drone's fuel tank in the form of the top of a water bottle and its lid.

Visible across the surface of the drone are also large swathes of duct tape. Despite drones constituting a significant portion of military operations, in this case surveillance, but also in delivering deadly payloads, it seems some of the drones in use are not as sophisticated as one might think.

The latest batch of weapons the United States is sending to Ukraine will include 5-pound drones called Switchblades.

The US will be sending a large weapons package to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia, which has been invading the country for nearly a month now. The latest package from the states is worth $800 million and includes several different types of weapons that are all designed to hinder Russia's advancement towards Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

Notable contents of the package are FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank weapons, FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, AT-4 anti-tank unguided missiles, grenade launchers, body armor, and more than 10 million bullets. Additionally, the package contains 100 Switchblade drones which are also called "kamikaze drones," as they are designed for one-way trips towards their target. There are two types of Switchblade drones, Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600.

Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has issued an open letter to DJI requesting its assistance.

Using geofencing technology implemented into its products several years ago, DJI can control where its drones can fly throughout the world. In 2017, DJI implemented a no-fly zone for its drones over most of Iraq and Syria, preventing them from being re-purposed by combatants to deliver lethal payloads during battle. DJI also uses geofencing to restrict flight over sensitive areas such as airports, military bases, and prisons.

Vice-PM Fedorov believes DJI drones are being used by Russian troops to navigate missiles toward civilian targets and has implored DJI founder Frank Wank to help stop them. Fedorov also believes Russia is utilizing AeroScope, another DJI product, to identify and target Ukrainian DJI drone pilots.

The Punisher drone is made by UA Dynamics, which is also accepting cryptocurrency donations to "protect Ukraine from Russian occupiers."

UA Dynamics was launched by combat veterans who fought Russian forces during the annexation of Crimea. They have since designed and developed the "Punisher" drone, with the "cheapest mission cost in the world," according to the UA Dynamics website. It has a strike range of 45 kilometers (28 miles), cruising speed of 20 meters per second (39 knots), combat payload of 2+ kilograms (4.4+ pounds), a precision of 4 meters (13 feet), and time to start of 7 minutes.

According to Business Insider, over 60 successful missions have been carried out with Punisher drones during the current conflict in Ukraine against Russian forces. The drone has been used to fly behind enemy lines to disrupt supply lines, targeting fuel and ammunition stocks as well as electronic warfare systems without jeopardizing its own troops' safety.

Early reports from police suggest that drones were used to attack oil tankers resulting in explosions that have killed three people and injured a few others.

A report from The Guardian indicates that drones may have been used by Houthi forces in Yemen to attack three oil tankers that were located close to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) airport. The attack was claimed by the Houthi forces, and UAE police have acknowledged and reported the incident, stating that the explosions were likely caused by small flying objects.

The attacks and the quick claim by the Houthi forces is likely to increase the tensions between UAE and Houthi. The apparent drone attacks have killed three people, two Indian nationals and one Pakistani. Additionally, six people have been injured, but most are reportedly suffering minor damage. The Guardian reports that the Houthi have been using drones equipped with bombs to attack the UAE over the duration of the war.

Drones have fast become one of the newest forms of surveillance and weapons for military personnel.

Naturally, when a weapon is developed, defense against the weapon is developed as well. Introducing, HELMA-P, a new turret system that uses lasers to knock drones out of the sky. HELMA-P stands for High Energy Laser for Multiple Applications - Power, and as noted by Interesting Engineering, it resembles a one-eyed WALL-E.

However, I don't believe its intentions are as pure or kind-hearted as WALL-E's as HEMLA-P is designed to take out drones with its lasers. HEMLA-P is equipped with optical sensors that give it the ability to track drones mid-air, and two-kilowatt lasers that are designed to destroy them. During its testing, HELMA-P successfully shot down 37 drones with 100% accuracy. The new system was developed by two French companies, CILAS, and Ariane Group.

The 2021 Olympics have officially begun, with the opening ceremony kicking off with an incredible display of drones flying in the night sky.

The video has been posted to Reddit and shows a collection of small drones, all creating what appeared to be a flat disk in the night sky. The drones then expand the circle and move to their respective positions to form a sphere. After that, the drones initiate the next phase and position themselves accordingly to create the shape of all of the continents on Earth.

The opening ceremony also featured an incredible fireworks show to start the games off with a bang, with each of the athletes representing their countries parading into an almost empty stadium. In other drone news, a Florida man recently shot a drone out of the sky that was "harassed" him, check out more on that story here.