The Agribot, India’s first government-approved drone, was authorised in just 35 days, providing the most recent proof of the nation’s desire to encourage domestic drone manufacture and establish itself as a centre for drone manufacturing worldwide. The first Type Certificate issued under the 2021 Drone Rules has been given to Gurugram-based IoTechWorld for their precision agriculture tool Agribot by India’s Union Aviation Minister.IoTechWorld wins, and the Indian drone industry also benefits. In order to make it simpler for manufacturers to gain type certification, the Ministry of Civil Aviation reportedly released new regulations for drone certification in January. Just 34 days after the company’s online application was submitted on India’s DigitalSky platform, India’s first government-approved drone got Type Certification (TC). The DGCA must grant certificates in 15 days, and the Quality Council and Certification Bodies must process applications in 60 days under India’s 2021 Drone Rules. An effective type certification procedure, in the government’s opinion, will promote a healthy drone manufacturing ecosystem. “The drone certification programme is anticipated to establish an environment that will allow India to produce and export top-notch drones to all corners of the globe. The certification tests are now being performed on 14 drone prototypes. Over the next three years, there may be more than 100 Type Certified prototypes, according to a news statement from the Ministry. IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd received the first Type Certificate (TC) under the Drone Rules, 2021, according to a statement made on this occasion by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. The Hon. Prime Minister’s goal of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” is being pursued, he claimed, by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The central government of India has passed a system of rules, subsidies, and incentives to aid the developing domestic drone sector in addition to the type certification procedure. A “green zone” allowing drone flight up to 400 feet covers about 90% of India’s airspace. Government subsidies are also used to encourage the purchase of agricultural drones, which further supports drone production. The 2022 Union Budget includes a “Drone Shakti” programme to support drone startups and drone-as-a-service companies. To make it simpler for new pilots to get started, the regulations requiring a drone pilot licence have been eliminated. An absolute restriction on the import of foreign drones for domestic use, coupled with a more liberal import framework for drone components, is what most strongly supports India’s aim to become a global drone powerhouse. “Almost every sector of the business can profit greatly from drones. These include geospatial mapping, defence, infrastructure, emergency response, transportation, agriculture, mining, and law enforcement. Due to their reach, adaptability, and usability, particularly in India’s rural and inaccessible areas, drones can significantly contribute to the creation of jobs and economic growth. India has the potential to become a worldwide drone powerhouse by 2030, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, given its historic strengths in innovation, information technology, and cost-effective engineering; supportive laws, financial incentives, and a sizable local market base.
China has created a ship without a crew that can transport many drones.The ship, Zhu Hai Yun, has an artificial intelligence system that allows it to travel on its own.China has debuted the first crewless drone carrier in history, which utilises AI to find its way on its own on open ocean. The ship has the potential to be employed as a military vessel, according to some experts, despite Beijing’s official description as a tool for marine research. According to the shipbuilder, CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipping Co., the autonomous vessel, the Zhu Hai Yun (seen here), is around 290 feet long, 45 feet wide, and 20 feet deep and can transport dozens of aerial, maritime, and …
Experts say India’s drone sector could play a key role in public services such as agriculture, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure maintenance in the future, despite some reservations about the safety and privacy of these unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones are small pilotless aircraft that may be controlled remotely using basic equipment such as a smartphone app.These unmanned vehicles need significantly less work, time, and energy to operate, and can travel over long distances and through tough terrains while being controlled remotely by a single person. Drone technology is gaining popularity and adoption across geographies and industries, and India is no exception. India will require around one lakh drone pilots in the coming years, according to Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Drones are small pilotless aircraft that may be controlled remotely using basic equipment such as a smartphone app.These unmanned vehicles need significantly less work, time, and energy to operate, and can travel over long distances and through tough terrains while being controlled remotely by a single person.Drone technology is gaining popularity and adoption across geographies and industries, and India is no exception. India will require around one lakh drone pilots in the coming years, according to Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Over 1,600 delegates attended the Bharat Drone Mahotsav, a two-day event held in the capital on May 27 and 28, comprising government officials, foreign embassies, PSUs, private firms, and drone startups, among others.The firms displayed unmanned vehicles that are ready for use in industries such as defence, agriculture, and survey mapping, as well as prospective cutting-edge concepts that would see drones carrying patients in crises and delivering goods and supplies on a large scale.Theta Enerlytics, a drone manufacturer based in New Delhi, and Vega Aviation Products displayed their endurance and hard body drones during the festival. “These drones can be used for a variety of applications, including agriculture, forest management, town and city planning, revenue and planning departments, police services, smart cities in the public sector and industries, power plants, mining companies, and construction companies, to name a few,” said Karan Dhaul, Chairman and co-founder of Theta Enerlytics.“Our drones are composed entirely of composite materials, allowing them to fly longer than any other drone in their class. Our Theta Falcon can fly for up to 150 minutes and carry up to 1 kilogramme of sensors and payloads in a single flight “Dhaul said to PTI. ‘Theta Falcon’ is perfect for mapping applications, monitoring, and border security, according to him. The drone takes off vertically, similar to a helicopter, before transitioning to horizontal flight, similar to an aeroplane.The ‘Hexacopter Theta Lotus,’ another drone on display at the event, can carry a weight of up to 10 kg in optimum conditions and is also capable of stringing guidewires for transmission lines, ropeway bridges, and cable cars.“On a single charge, the Lotus can fly for up to 70 minutes,” Dhaul claimed. According to Suhas Chandak, proprietor of Karnataka-based Vega Aviation Products, “many of the drones shown at the festival have a distinct and strong use case and would sell well due to the burgeoning demand in the country.”“Drone companies in India are already providing services worth 100 crores, and that number is expected to grow tenfold,” Chandak told PTI. “As a result, it’s feasible that India could soon have very cost-effective services in numerous areas such as agriculture, delivery systems, project monitoring, and the health sector,” he added.Singh believes that extremely stable and precise drones with good coverage capability could play an important role in public services as India strives to become a global powerhouse for drone technology by 2030.The professor stated that India has adequate infrastructure, a strong supply chain, and high technical capacity for drone deployment, but that there are still certain problems. “Privacy, hidden monitoring or eavesdropping, and drone crashes are some of the risks that could stymie their widespread use,” he added.According to Chandak, the government is well aware of these worries, and the country’s zoning into green, orange, and red zones has handled the majority of anxieties and concerns, particularly those related to privacy.“However, as an industry, we must ensure failsafe against equipment failure or human error, because a single accident can change an operator’s fate,” Chandak said. “It would be useful if the government made it simpler for indigenous production and deployment of anti-drone systems and jammers to assist protect infrastructure from antisocial elements as a deterrent to rogue drones,” he added.
When star cricketer MS Dhoni bought a share in drone startup Garuda Aerospace and became its brand ambassador last week, he was just the latest in a long line of investors and entrepreneurs interested in a piece of India’s expanding drone pie. India’s drone market is off to a flying start, drawing technology and new investments, fueled by new opportunities in industry and agriculture and assisted by favourable government laws. Reliance Industries (RIL), led by Mukesh Ambani, was one of the first to enter the fray, purchasing an 83 percent share in SankhyaSutra Labs, which creates highfidelity aerodynamics and multiphysics simulation software, in 2019 and Asteria Aerospace, a fullstack dronetechnology firm, in 2021. Adani Enterprises, founded by Gautam Adani, agreed to buy a 50% investment in General Aeronautics, a Bengalurubased drone manufacturer, for an undisclosed sum in May of this year. “There are a lot of policy tailwinds that would give an impetus to the sector, such as the government’s policy to promote drones and make the country a global hub for drone manufacturing by 2030. Further, an …
June 2022, South San Francisco, California — Zipline, the world leader in rapid logistics, revealed its innovative Detection and Avoidance (DAA) system today. The innovative system, which is a first for the industry, combines onboard acoustic-based technology to enable safe and autonomous flight in complex, even uncontrolled airspaces. This technology is a huge step forward in achieving large-scale commercial autonomous delivery. Zipline’s innovative DAA system navigates airspace and provides 360-degree awareness with a range of up to 2,000 metres using a set of compact, lightweight acoustic microphones and onboard processors. Aircraft can use this onboard technology to monitor for other aircraft in real time and adjust to changes in their flight path. “Our DAA system is the holy grail of drone technology,” Zipline co-founder and CTO Keenan Wyrobek stated. “We’ve designed a system that can think for itself and modify in real time, and is agile enough to work with the tiniest of margins.” DAA is the result of hundreds of thousands of flight hours and years of development. It’s a graceful response to the challenges of flying outside visual line of sight in the United States today, not in ten years.” Existing detection and avoidance systems rely on cumbersome or ground-based optical or electromagnetic awareness systems, which are inefficient for scaling tiny, long-range drone operations. Zipline’s acoustic-based approach blends the light, low-cost hardware required for autonomous drones with the regulatory precision required. “We envision a world in which physical things may be delivered as swiftly and easily as a text message.” “DAA is the key to scaling rapid delivery in the United States and around the world,” said Keller Rinaudo, Zipline’s founder and CEO. “We see this system being the industry standard for all commercial autonomous aircraft to fly safely in the future.” The gear has already been integrated into Zipline’s drones and is ready to go once regulatory approval is received. DAA is being unveiled more than five years after Zipline began commercial operations. A delivery is now completed every four minutes, and the company has surpassed 300,000 commercial flights. DAA is the next step in developing the company’s industry leadership and bringing the promise of instant logistics to the rest of the world. Concerning Zipline Zipline is the world’s leader in real-time logistics. Our mission is to instil hope, reform institutions, and serve everyone equally. We created, build, and run the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service, which has done over 300,000 commercial deliveries holding over 5 million vaccinations and other medical items, reducing delivery emissions by 98 percent when compared to traditional methods. Governments, major brands, and premier health care systems all rely on Zipline.
Drone capabilities will grow at Westcott Space Cluster as top drone services firm Skyports chooses the south of England location as its European headquarters and centre of competence. Skyports plans to utilise the state-of-the-art facilities at Westcott Space Cluster to …
PLATH GmbH & Co KG of Germany and Primoco UAV of the Czech Republic performed the first successful BVLOS-flight of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) under an all-European LUC while regular air traffic continued in the Bundeswehr’s military airspace in Manching. With a take-off weight of 150 kg, a payload of 30 kg, and a flight time of more than 15 hours non-stop in the air, the flexible fixed-wing UAV Primoco One 150 is perfectly adapted to a variety of activities. PLATH’s onboard multi-sensor technologies, as well as its airborne radio and transponder, ensured safe air traffic management (ATM) and acquired all data required for the mission’s success. BAAINBw L 5.2 gave the WTD 61 Geschäftsfeld 470 in Manching the task of conducting flight demonstrations to examine the Primoco One 150’s capabilities. The trip was made feasible by the use of a LIGHT UAS OPERATOR CERTIFICATE from …
UAV Navigation ensures that the Alpha platforms A-900 and A-800 can complete missions even if GNSS signals are unavailable or if they are jammed. To maintain a stable position and/or navigate between waypoints, the majority of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Furthermore, any small drone system that solely depends on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors to estimate aircraft attitude and does not combine data from other types of sensors may be subject to GNSS jamming assaults. The design philosophy of UAV Navigation is that the UAV cannot rely on the availability of a GNSS signal; the system must be able to continue the mission even if the GNSS signal is unavailable. When a flight control system is jammed or the UAS is operating in a GNSS-denied location, it loses access to positional data. With weaker systems, the only option is for the remote pilot to take manual control, which increases the chances of the mission failing and, depending on the distance between the GCS and the UAV, the UAV being lost. As previously stated, some systems may be unable to maintain UAV stability, resulting in the aircraft falling out of the sky. This is a key flaw in many commercially available drone systems, which is why jammers and other anti-UAV countermeasures have become so popular in the business. Due to the need for a comprehensive GNSS-denied capability in their UAV helicopters Alpha-800 and Alpha-900 systems, Alpha Unmanned Systems chose UAV Navigation as its flight control system provider. Alpha’s platforms can continue a mission even if the GNSS signal is unavailable or jammed, thanks to UAV Navigation’s VECTOR-600 autopilot. The autopilot can estimate the UAV’s position and follow a flight plan, or alternatively receive a command to fly to a designated area – including the landing site – even if the UAV is beyond line of sight (BLOS). Because the autopilot’s sensor suite uses MEMS technology, the system can accrue navigation mistakes of up to 30 metres per minute; wind conditions may change this figure, but the important thing is that platform stability and control are maintained, and the aircraft can be retrieved. “Thanks to UAV Navigation’s advanced dead-reckoning capability, we can disable GNSS for a limited amount of time, or we can escape out of a jammed area, in order to correct our position and attempt to recover the GNSS signal; if the worst comes to the worst, then we know we will be able to save the UAV,” says Alvaro Escarpenter, COO of Alpha Unmanned Systems. This is a more advanced feature that only professional or military-grade UAVs have. Commercial drone systems will begin a controlled descent to the earth if the GNSS signal is lost or jammed, resulting in a failed mission and the potential loss of the aircraft.” Grupo Oesa – UAV Navigation Since 2004, UAV Navigation has specialised in the design of guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) solutions for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with 100% Spanish capital. The flight control solutions are known for their dependability and resilience, as they are employed on a variety of platforms and in a variety of weather circumstances. These include tactical unmanned planes with high performance, VTOL fixed wings, aerial targets, mini-UAVs, and helicopters. UAV Navigation is part of the Oesia Group, a Spanish conglomerate with more than 45 years of expertise designing, developing, and maintaining cutting-edge technology for the Security, Defense, and Aerospace sectors, including a long history of avionics work on major projects. The Oesia Group has worked on critical and non-critical flight systems for the Eurofighter EF-2000, A-400M, F-18, C-295, P3-B Orión, and MH-60R throughout their entire life cycle (design, development, qualification, and maintenance). The FCAS/NGWS, Eurodrone, and SIRTAP projects have all enlisted the help of the group. The Oesia Group employs over 3,500 people across 15 offices in Spain and America, with projects in 23 countries. Its mission is to make the world a better place by making it more efficient, safe, and sustainable. To extend these cutting-edge skills over the world, the company relies on a global network of distributors. Alpha Unmanned Systems is a company that specialises in unmanned aircraft Alpha Unmanned Systems is a leading engineering UAV systems manufacturer specialising in supplying customers with dependable and diverse tactical solutions, such as UAV helicopters and related UAV systems and services. Our systems are custom-built to order and deployed to businesses and government organisations in over eight countries.Surveillance, border control, maritime security, search and rescue, educational purposes, and transportation of desperately needed medical supplies are just a few of the roles they do. The Alpha team consists of aviation engineers, electronic engineers, mechanical engineers, UAV pilots, and business experts who all have one aim in mind: to make your mission a reality. ALPHA is primarily a corporation that specialises in aviation engineering. Every day, our team not only designs and builds world-class UAV helicopters and systems, but also researches and develops new ways to make them better, more useful, more reliable, and easier to operate.
DroneUp, a prominent drone flying services provider, and FlightOps Ltd., a leading multi-drone operating system (OS) supplier, announced today a substantial commercial deal. “Our customers can fly more missions over longer distances with better safety and lower costs with the FlightOps OS,” stated FlightOps CEO Shay Levy. “With our technology, we will be able to realise the concept of drone delivery as a last-mile option with large scale and low operating costs.” We expect our delivery segment’s software licence costs to hit $2 million in 2022 and $10 million in 2023.” DroneUp is a global pioneer in drone flying services, modernising businesses with drone technology solutions that include everything from deliveries and inspections to safety and security. Walmart invested in DroneUp to continue scaling its last-mile delivery technology after successful home delivery trials. Walmart has announced intentions to extend its DroneUp delivery network to 34 locations by the end of the year, potentially reaching four million Americans in six states. The FlightOps technology works by placing robotic software on any type of drone, transforming it into an autonomous “robot-pilot” that connects with a cloud-based operation centre through 5G networks, enabling for automated fleet operation in shared airspace. By combining high degrees of autonomy with the power of cloud connectivity, FlightOps enables huge scalability for any drone operation. Without the need for manual planning, the software combines powerful and automated mission planning to construct dynamic flight paths for delivery to corporate or residential addresses. FlightOps Information FlightOps is a global pioneer in providing a quick and secure solution to integrate autonomous flight capabilities into any organisation. FlightOp’s cloud-based software, situated in Herzelia, Israel, allows drone service providers, manufacturers, and developers to scale out their operations in terms of range and number of flights while maintaining greater safety and lower operating costs.
The entire addressable market for Volocopter’s family of eVTOL aircraft has grown to USD 290 billion thanks to VoloConnect.A lift and cruise aircraft can seat up to four people and has a range of more than 60 miles.For flight speeds of over 155 mph that are both safe and sustainable, zero operating emissions are required. Bruchsal, Germany / Bentonville, USA – Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), revealed today at the UP.Summit, an annual gathering of experts in transportation innovation hosted by investment firm UP.Partners, that its fixed-winged passenger aircraft, the VoloConnect, conducted its first flight in May 2022. Volocopter is the only eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) developer in the world with a whole fleet of different aircraft configurations in flight testing. With a range of over 60 miles and flight speeds over 155 mph, Volocopter’s third product solution, the VoloConnect, delivers longer and faster journeys than any other Volocopter aircraft to date. The passenger plane’s increased range and cargo will enable business travellers and commuters to travel outside the city limits on routes such as Burbank to Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, California. Volocopter is poised to offer a greater range of passengers’ flying needs with the VoloCity and VoloConnect air taxi designs, which meet demand for metropolitan flights and suburban connections in heavily populated areas, respectively. Furthermore, the VoloConnect is scheduled to begin service in 2026, while the VoloCity is set to begin commercial operations in 2024. The VoloConnect, Volocopter’s third product solution, has a range of over 60 miles and a top speed of 155 mph, making it the longest and fastest Volocopter aircraft to date. Business travellers and commuters will be able to go beyond of the city limits on routes such as Burbank to Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, California, thanks to the passenger plane’s improved range and cargo capacity. With the VoloCity and VoloConnect air taxi designs, which fulfil demand for metropolitan flights and suburban connections in densely populated areas, respectively, Volocopter is ready to meet a wider spectrum of clients’ flying demands. Furthermore, the VoloConnect is slated to begin commercial operations in 2026, while the VoloCity is set to start in 2024. The accomplishment of bringing the VoloConnect prototype to life is due to a devoted team in Munich, lead by Sebastian Mores, Chief Engineer, VoloConnect. “Seeing the VoloConnect soar into the sky represents the achievement of one of our important milestones and highlights just what we are capable of in a short period of time, in keeping with the firm’s overarching vision for crewed and uncrewed aircraft,” says the company. Mores also stated that “new technologies will be examined and gradually included over the overall programme development.” According to EASA, the VoloConnect and other eVTOL aircraft were developed to meet the highest aviation safety standards (European Aviation Safety Agency). After only 17 months in development, the prototype flew for the first time in May 2022, performing a series of manoeuvres for 2 minutes and 14 seconds. All of the expected aerodynamics and performance elements of the future commercial model are included in the prototype. The VoloConnect is a lift-and-cruise aircraft designed for missions outside of city limits and suburbs. Six rotors provide vertical takeoff while two electric fans in combination with uplift-creating wings ensure high forward speeds by reducing moving components to a minimum. The VoloConnect prototype is currently undergoing a rigorous series of flight tests to ensure that the aircraft and its systems meet performance requirements and are ready for the next stage of development. This phase includes a variety of tests, such as standardised low-speed, transition, high-speed, and engine failure testing for automated and later autonomous flights, all of which are standard-issue tests for an eVTOL passenger aircraft manufacturer. During the campaign’s first three test flights, the crew was able to verify a major section of the eVTOL’s envelope, with forward speeds of up to 40 mph and sideward speeds of up to 28 mph. Over the next few weeks, the test flight envelope will be incrementally opened as part of the test flying programme. Along with its other aircraft family members, the VoloDrone and VoloCity, the VoloConnect is positioned to increase Volocopter’s total potential UAM market. There are numerous technological distinctions between the …