Innehållsförteckning för March - April 2020 från RotorDrone Pro

Continuing the RotorDrone Pro tradition, in this issue we cover the drone portion of the worldfamous electronics extravaganza that is known simply as “CES.” Along with more conventional UAVs, this year’s show offered an up-close look at some urban air mobility (UAM) concept aircraft from Hyundai and Bell, as well as industrial hydrogen-powered drones. Also, you will not be disappointed by the high-tech innovations in compact camera drones, which seem to get smaller and smarter in every new rendition. Head to page 24 for our special 14-page feature to get the inside scoop on the all of the exciting new drone tech coming your way in 2020, and don’t miss our RotorDrone Pro top picks for Best Cool Tech, Top Value, Top Innovation, Best Pro Drone, and Best of Show.…

ICE CREAM NOW! Terra Drone Europe, a Japan-based corporation, has joined forces with Unilever, the British-Dutch consumer goods giant, to explore drone delivery service of Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand in New York. To introduce the delivery service—Ice Cream Now—a demonstration was conducted at Unilever’s annual investor event. Th ree Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cups were delivered by a drone to a predetermined destination. During the demonstration, a multirotor drone was fitted with a custom delivery box designed to carry the Ben & Jerry’s mini cups. The flight path being set beforehand, the drone delivered the ice cream to its destination inside Unilever’s U.S. facility. Launched in 2017, Unilever’s Ice Cream Now service has already grown into a huge business worldwide. With regulations for future drone flights…

Editor’s Note: This year’s annual Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2020, which is the Consumer Technology Association’s flagship event, took over Las Vegas on January 6 through January 10. New and novel drones were among the products on display by the 4,400 exhibitors, spread out among 11 venues across the city, in 2.9 million square feet encompassed by the event. As it has in past years, the Las Vegas Convention Center hosted a dedicated space for civil uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Once again this year, RotorDrone Pro magazine honored the best of the best with awards in categories that included Best of Show, Best Cool Tech, Top Innovation, Top Value, and Top Professional Drone. In addition to conventional drones, the show hosted several urban air mobility (UAM) concept vehicles from leading…

“This is a crevasse minefield!” yelled Louise. In flat light I was skiing in front, trying to pick the safest way forward. Bumps of blue glacier ice were all around me. My ski tails would settle, leaving behind holes of blackness. Louise moved left to avoid one of my holes. Dave also stepped left into untracked snow. A yell from Dave warned us that he was falling into a crevasse. Louise and I threw ourselves to the snow, bracing for the jerk on the rope. I looked over my shoulder to see Dave windmilling his ski poles but still visible—then he was out of sight, with just the baskets poking out of the crevasse. Then, in horror, I saw the baskets disappear and the 150-pound sled slowly get sucked into…

Like many other professional content creators out there, I never really took 360 cameras very seriously. However, after testing the Insta360 One X camera, I realized that I had not only become a fan of 360, but it turned out to be of the most exciting pieces of camera tech I had ever used. The clever team at Insta360 have not only managed to address previous concerns I had about 360 media, but they have also produced a camera that has a user experience that is remarkably similar to what Apple and DJI have accomplished with their products. I believe they have achieved this by targeting exactly what consumers have demanded in this market space. Their success is evident in their popularity, and they are shaping the industry by creating…

Nothing lasts forever, not even the staid administrative procedures of federal agencies. Until January of this year, the process for taking the Airman Knowledge Test (ATK) had not changed since I earned my private pilot’s certificate nearly 30 years ago. Now, whether your goal is to become a commercial drone pilot, an airline transport pilot, or to earn any other rating that falls under the FAA’s jurisdiction—including parachute rigger and aircraft dispatcher—you will need to take an additional step. Change can be stressful, especially if becoming a certified drone pilot is your only interaction with an administrative behemoth like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which can already be a daunting prospect. However, in this case, the changes are to everyone’s advantage. So let’s take a look at some common questions…

BEST OF SHOW: AUTEL ROBOTICS EVO 2 The Autel Robotics Evo 2 claimed the top prize at CES with its omnidirectional collision avoidance system and robust, interchangeable camera gimbals, making it wellsuited for a range of missions, from aerial photography to mapping and emergency response. BEST COOL TECH: ZERO ZERO V-COPTR FALCON The V-Coptr Falcon from Zero Zero Technology took home the RotorDrone Pro award for Best Cool Technology with its highly innovative design, relying on two propellers—rather than four or six, like other multirotors—and promising a huge increase in flight time as a result. TOP VALUE: EXTREME FLIERS MICRO DRONE 4.0 Designed to bridge the gap between cheap “toy” drones and expensive aerial photography platforms, the Micro Drone 4.0 promises to deliver impressive functionality by relying on the ingenuity…

In the drone industry, it is taken nearly as gospel that small uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) will allow people to do their jobs better, safer, and faster than whatever the traditional method happens to be—especially when it comes to public safety. However, if you are making decisions that have financial consequences or lives on the line, it isn’t enough to believe it. You must be able to prove it. That’s the job of researchers like Dr. Joseph Cerreta at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Worldwide Campus: to build the case through the scientific process that drones really can deliver results comparable to legacy systems, which have demonstrated their reliability through decades of service. Specifically, Dr. Cerreta wanted to see how 3D models created by Pix4D using drone imagery would stack…

RotorDroneMag.com Swiss Post Drones Recently, we made a post regarding the Swiss Post delivery system resuming operations after being suspended following two drone crashes. After a review by an independent board of experienced aviation specialists, review board member Michel Guillaume said, “Swiss Post and Matternet [the U.S.company that maintains the fleet] maintain high safety standards and a high level of safety awareness. The processes that were examined were at a high standard even before the incidents. There are no reasons why flight operations should not be resumed.” Changes to be made to their operations after the incident were: implementation of the new safety recommendations set by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation and the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board; establishment of independent oversight for safety-related processes before the end of…

There are few events in your professional life more rewarding than starting your own business. The ability to take an idea and grow it into a thriving entity is a dream many people share. Unlike some business endeavors that require large amounts of capital or extensive training, drones offer a chance for anyone to become their own boss. I have been fortunate enough to start several businesses. Some were great successes, while others burned up in a blaze of glory. Each was a priceless learning experience that led me to my career in the UAV industry. In 2017, I started my drone service business, Vigilante Drones, and in 2018 I started a nonprofit, Vigilante Cares, that uses drones to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over the years, people…

Location: Le Port, Réunion, France Pilot: Jude Newkirk/Amazing Aerial Agency (amazingaerial.agency) Drone: DJI Mavic Pro SEND US YOUR PHOTOS If you have an image that you’ve taken with a multirotor that you’d like to see showcased in “Over the Horizon,” please send your high-resolution image, your Instagram handle (if applicable), and information on the location and the drone you flew to capture the image to RotorDrone@AirAge.com. Every photographer we feature on this page will receive a free one-year subscription or extension to RotorDronePro magazine.…