DJI, FAA, Safety

DJI Includes Collision Detection Systems in Drones 0

The world’s largest drone maker, DJI Technologies, announced Wednesday it will begin including airplane and helicopter detectors in nearly all consumer drones manufactured in and after 2020, making it the first company to do so.

 

All new DJI drone models released after January 1, 2020 that weigh more than 250 grams will include AirSense technology, which receives ADS-B signals from nearby airplanes and helicopters and warns drone pilots if they appear to be on a collision course. The company says this will be the largest single deployment of ADS-B collision awareness technology to date, and sets a new standard by putting professional-grade aviation safety technology in drones available to everyone.

Enter AirSense

AirSense can detect airplanes and helicopters from miles away, farther than a drone pilot can hear or see them, and displays their locations on the screen of the pilot’s remote controller. It has previously been available only on some professional-grade DJI drones.

“DJI was the first company to offer geofencing, automatic altitude limits, return-to-home technology and other safety features to the world’s growing community of personal and professional drone pilots. We believe our efforts have helped drones attain their enviable safety record, and we expect our new agenda will further improve safety even as more drones take to the skies,” Schulman said in a prepared statement.

AirSense can detect airplanes and helicopters from miles away, farther than a drone pilot can hear or see them, and displays their locations on the screen of the pilot’s remote controller. It has previously been available only on some professional-grade DJI drones.

Including ADS-B is only the first of 10 steps that DJI, other drone manufacturers and governments around the world can and should make to improve safety in our skies.

Completely fake gif of drone hitting plane, visualizing DJI’s greatest nightmare

The 10 Points of Elevating Safety

  • DJI will install ADS-B receivers in all new drones above 250 grams
  • DJI will develop a new automatic warning for drone pilots flying at extended distances
  • DJI will establish an internal Safety Standards Group to meet regulatory and customer expectations
  • Aviation industry groups must develop standards for reporting drone incidents
  • All drone manufacturers should install geofencing and remote identification
  • Governments must require remote identification
  • Governments must require a user-friendly knowledge test for new drone pilots
  • Governments must clearly designate sensitive restriction areas
  • Local authorities must be allowed to respond to drone threats that are clear and serious
  • Governments must increase enforcement of laws against unsafe drone operation

DJI’s schedule to add the ADS-B receivers aligns with the FAA’s upcoming requirement for essentially all airplanes and helicopters to be equipped with ADS-B transmitters in controlled airspace, starting January 1, 2020. DJI’s drones also integrate obstacle avoidance, geofencing, and altitude limits to prevent near-crashes but they haven’t been as successful as hoped.

 

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Best Drone Videos: July 2019 0

It’s that time again. We scour through drone videos every day, looking for the most helpful, the funniest, all around awesome…or horrible and in the end, the most interesting. Here are our top 5 for July 2019 in no particular order

New FAA Rules Explained

YouTube Drone Evangelist, Ken Heron discusses and explains the details of the new FAA drone rules for enthusiasts. Comical, light and easy to understand.

Hong Kong Protests From Above

Many of the citizens of Hong Kong are protesting against a proposed extradition bill. How many? A lot.

Canary Island Cinema

Cinematic beauty above Fuerteventura

Drones Celebrate Independence

The 4th of July fireworks show at the end is great – but the Drone pre-show should have been the finale.

Bosnia and Croatia Roadtrip

Mixture of drone and pro cam footage of the prettiest parts of Bosnia and Croatia. For some reason, it makes us miss Game of Thrones.

 

 

 

 

 

NASA Heads Deliveries By Drone For Amazon, FedEx, FAA 0

A national system to manage the air traffic of commercial drones is underway, led by NASA.

As more companies look to make deliveries via unmanned aerial vehicles, a system to regulate…and avoid catastrophe, is desperately needed.

The future of UAV deliveries, automated flying taxis, and more could hinge on just how well the trials pan out.

“This activity is the latest and most technical challenge we have done with unmanned aerial systems,” an official with NASA in California, David Korsmeyer, told the Associated Press.

“When we began this project four years ago, many of us wouldn’t have thought we’d be standing here today flying UAVs with advanced drone systems off high-rise buildings,” he added.

Cities Present the Biggest Challenges

Amazon and FedEx are among the companies that hope to send consumer products by drone by 2020. Drone delivery company Flirtey began testing delivery of defibrillators for cardiac arrest patients last year in Reno under FAA oversight.

 

“A drone pilot can pre-program landing spots that are known to be safer, such as a garage rooftop or a park. But they can’t know ahead of time if there will be people standing there or a parked car,” NASA officials wrote in a blog. “One solution being tested during TCL4 was developed by UTM team members at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. It allows the drone to use its camera to detect pedestrians or vehicles and, if necessary, move on to the next safe place.

This phase represents the most complicated demonstration of advanced UAS operating in a demanding urban environment that will have been tested to date,” said Ronald Johnson, NASA’s UTM project manager.

Similar tests have been conducted in remote and rural areas. The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized individual test flights in cities before but never for multiple drones or outside the sight of the operator.

Conventional delivery methods have been found to be unreliable at times.

The agency outlined proposed rules in January that would ease restrictions on flying drones over crowds but said it won’t take final action until it finishes another regulation on identifying drones as they’re flying — something industry analysts say could be years away.