Tag Archives: aerial drone

This Tiny Palm-Sized Drone is the Future of Battlefield Surveillance and Military Recon

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Quite reminiscent of the Hunter-seeker drones from the DUNE movie series, the Black Hornet 4 is shaping up to be an incredibly small yet exceptionally handy recon drone, capable of flying into areas unnoticed, and helping perform important surveillance required during military strategy and battle planning. This miniature marvel, weighing a mere 70 grams, packs a powerful array of features. Equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, superior low-light performance, and a high-resolution thermal imager, the Black Hornet 4 empowers soldiers with exceptional situational awareness on the ground.

Designer: Teledyne FLIR

However, its true potential lies in its ability to excel in challenging environments. Boasting a flight time exceeding 30 minutes, a range surpassing 2 kilometers, and the capability to withstand strong winds, the Black Hornet 4 navigates even the most demanding situations with ease. Additionally, its low visual and audible signature makes it ideal for covert operations, allowing for discreet deployment and data collection. The system’s ability to function in GPS-denied environments adds another layer of versatility, ensuring reliable operation regardless of external factors.

This innovative technology has already seen significant global adoption, with over 20,000 units deployed. The recent contract awarded by the U.S. Army for additional systems further underscores the Black Hornet 4’s impact. This tiny tech marvel represents a significant leap forward in the realm of personal reconnaissance, offering soldiers unprecedented capabilities and operational flexibility.

Beyond its military applications, the potential of the Black Hornet 4 extends to various civilian sectors. Search and rescue operations in disaster zones, environmental monitoring in remote areas, and even industrial inspections in hazardous environments could all benefit from the capabilities of this miniature marvel. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see the Black Hornet 4, or similar systems, playing an increasingly crucial role in diverse fields, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of miniaturized aerial technology.

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Drone designed to collect DNA on tall tree branches has a suprising style to increase biodiversity

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Drones have become ubiquitous in recent years when it comes to wide video shots that encompasses a huge amount of space, whether it’s concert festivals, a beautiful landscape, or if you just want to have video of kids playing around in your backyard. But there are also a lot of other uses for drones rather than just documenting a place, an event, or whatever it is you want to capture. It can now even be used for research and studies about various things, including a forest biodiversity.

Designer: ETH Zurich

The Zurich-based roboticists have come up with a drone that can collect “external DNA” from birds, insects, and other organisms that leave them on the branches of really tall trees that climbers may not be able to reach. These include dead skin, feathers, waste, fluids, and other sources of DNA. These things are important in understanding how to do understand the biodiversity that exists in an area and therefore plans how to conserve and restore it.

The drone they developed looks more like your typical drone except it has several fixtures attached to it which makes it look like a lamp or something. It has a crafted wooden frame and plastic shielding to protect the drone inside. It has something called “humidified cotton” which is pretty similar to strips of adhesive tape which is able to press onto the branches of trees and then collect the materials on the surface. Researchers will be able to extract the needed DNA from these strips once they’re back in the lab.

Hopefully there’s also something in the drone’s structure that will be able to protect the materials that it was able to gather. The are still working further on developing the drone so that it can get higher up than what it currently can. They’re also planning to “teach” it to collect materials in other conditions and circumstances. It would be interesting to see how robotic biodiversity explorers can help various researchers in this sphere.

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This flying donut is probably one of the safest drones around

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Who knew that ditching half the fans would actually yield in what seems to be a more stable and safer drone, which is exactly what this odd-looking drone is promising.

Drones are no longer things immediately associated with the military and warfare. Thanks to companies like DJI, commercial drones have gone mainstream and have become familiar to many people in different walks of life. Despite differences in design, almost all drones share the same four-rotor system that gives them their technical name of “quadcopter.” This isn’t the only possible design, however, and a different kind of drone is trying to sell the idea of having only two fans instead of four.

Designer: Cleo Robotics

Quadcopter drones have four rotors not just to look cool or even intimidating. Up until now, it’s the commonly accepted solution to creating stability and movement in mid-air. As many drone users know by now, this design isn’t exactly the easiest to control, nor are they the safest to handle. Even those with protectors around them can suffer a serious setback when they bump into something or, worse, someone.

Cleo Robotics’ solution is to halve the number of rotors to two placed on top of each other. This bi-rotor design creates opposing forces that create the same stability that would normally require four rotors. More importantly, this compact design allows the rotors to be completely enclosed in what looks like one tough donut. Naturally, they just had to name this the “Dronut.”

This potentially makes the Dronut X1, the first in this line of bi-rotor drones, safer not just for people around the drone but for the drone itself. It can bump into things and into people without doing serious damage. It’s also small enough to fit on a person’s hand, albeit a person with very big hands. It can even be easily be operated using a smartphone, though you’d probably want to connect a gamepad for better results.

The Cleo Dronut X1 looks like a fun device, but its $9,800 price tag clearly indicates it isn’t a toy. It comes equipped with a 4K camera, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for positioning, and LED lights for seeing in the dark. The drone is aimed more at industrial and even military applications, especially for use in space-constrained places where a traditional quadcopter drone wouldn’t even fit. If this idea takes off, however, we could be seeing more of these flying donuts available for less serious uses.

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The world’s first Sea-Air Integrated Drone blazes a new path towards oceanic sustainability and carbon neutrality

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The Sea-Air Integrated Drone is the first drone of its kind to be able to fly in the air and swim underwater to perform various and complex tasks, leading a new path toward sustainable ocean economies and carbon neutrality.

Underwater robotics firm QYSEA recently teamed up with Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI to develop the world’s first sea-air integrated, remote-control-operated drone, which was constructed by the commercial drone manufacturer PRODRONE. The Sea-Air Integrated Drone was first unveiled during a flight showcase at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama. With sights set on modernizing “offshore and marine operations with its intelligent capabilities, high working efficiency, and minimized manpower required,” the drone will be the first of its kind to fly in the air and swim underwater.

Designers: QYSEA, KDDI, and PRODRONE

Known for an impressive catalog of underwater robotics and marine technology, QYSEA implemented the use of their industrial-class FIFISH PRO V6 PLUS ROV into the build of the heavy-duty aerial drone. Six years prior to its conception, KDDI first began “[combining] advanced mobile communication networks with drone technologies that would deliver extended flying distances and lengths.” Since then, KDDI and QYSEA have worked together to develop seamless drone operations between air and sea.

Defined by KDDI’s long-range mobile communication technology, operators can control the drone via remote from long distance ranges, whether the drone has submerged underwater or taken flight. Once the drone has landed in its designated location, the FIFISH ROV detaches and deploys to get to work, allowing the operator to remotely control the drone with the ROV from a safe distance. Describing the drone’s remote-controlled operations, the team at QYSEA notes,

“Without the need to leave their onshore working location, the operator can deliver inspections with real-time visual feedback and operate through underwater environments with a variety of sampling, measurement, and manipulation tools, as well as be able to live-stream operations for multi-person collaborations.”

In addition to the variety of operations the drone can manage, the Sea-Air Integrated Drone has shown its competency across additional marine-based industries. In offshore wind power plants, the drone can perform complex maintenance tasks.

In the world of aquaculture, the Sea-Air Integrated Drone can fly out to monitor livestock and crops, in addition to regular maintenance tasks. With further information to be released in early 2022, the Sea-Air Integrated Drone is sure to lead a new path toward the development of a sustainable ocean economy and the global goal of carbon neutrality.

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This aerial drone for NASA will help discover prospective landing sites on Mars

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As planet Earth grows too chaotic for habitation in the near future, the next frontier is definitely Mars. NASA has been working hard on Mars missions currently underway and the ones that are lined-up for the future, and the dream doesn’t look too distant when humans will set foot on the planet. The final destination being to colonize the red planet just like ours. The surface of the hostile planet is a challenge to explore and an aerial vehicle that can survey the surface of the planet in close proximity for the ground units to zero-in on the hot spots to scan on priority makes complete sense.

The Mars Aerial Exploratory Drone 2030 which is the brain-child of 3D Generalist Anton Weaver aims to be the lead aerial surveillance vehicle that helps in tracking out the key habitat zones or detect any unknown threats in advance with its vantage position up in the air. The drone is inspired by the NASA Mars Helicopter which is planned for use with the scouting tasks for the future Mars rovers. According to Anton, the drone is more advanced than NASA’s iteration, with “bigger, smarter, and more utility.” It has soft landing pads for any surface on the planet and runs on the solar power of the sun.

That said the primary objective of the drone will be to identify the points of interest for the research team and detect sites that’ll be of interest to the ground team. The aerial vehicle can also perform drilling tasks to bring back samples if the identified zone is too tough for the rovers to tackle. The idea by Anton is quite future-forward and if a prototype of this concept vehicle is designed, who knows, it could actually scout the Mars surface come year 2030!

Designer: Anton Weaver

With over 100 awards to their name, innovation experts ‘INDEED’ need an industrial designer!

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INDEED, an innovation firm based in Hamburg, Germany, designs and develops new products and services for Fortune 500, SME’s, and start-ups. INDEED’s vision is to “establish design as the single most effective steward of our being human in the computational age.” They believe that the future is too important to be left to technocrats and technologists, and hence more than ever, we need human-centered innovation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will only be human if we design for it. Therefore INDEED claims: “Human-first in innovation”. Their team of designers, innovation specialists, engineers, and business strategists are multicultural and their client base global. Embracing advanced technologies, they combine business savvy with the vision and creativity needed to thrive in a globally connected world. Based on a no-bullshit, highly collaborative approach, as well as their seamless interplay of design, engineering, and strategy, they translate complexity into smart, surprisingly simple solutions. Thus helping companies such as Melitta, Wagner, Freudenberg, KABA and Beiersdorf, as well as international corporations like Airbus, the Linde Group and the Turkish industrial group Eczacibasi to innovate in the computational age. They also have over 100 prestigious awards to their name such as the Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, German Design Award, Good Design Award Japan and etc! Apply now if you’re interested in being a part of their innovative award-winning culture!

 Inspired by aerial drones, AIR RUNNER is a futuristic smart device that enhances your jog with games and tracking data! With a light projection onto the street the little flying companion creates an exceptional virtual adventure landscape and even keeps the user safe when running in the dark.

The Opportunity

INDEED is looking for a Senior Industrial Designer (m/f/d) who is ready to take the next step in her/his career. As an Industrial Design Project Lead, you will manage exciting and truly innovative product development and design projects. With passion, expertise, and leadership you will plan design research, inform the strategy and delivery innovation with a dedicated and super powerful team. In order to do so, they will train you in all aspects of design management & strategy so you can grow and become a pivotal part of INDEED.

Requirements

  • +5 years of experience in design consultancy
  • Track record of projects and teams managed by you
  • Must have a portfolio that showcases the entire design process and sketching skills
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design or equivalent
  • Excellent sketching and form development skills
  • Competency in relevant digital tools – Adobe CC, SolidWorks, rendering software
  • Sound command in German and English
  • Extraordinarily talented, open-minded and curious personality interested into all aspects of design
  • An excellent communicator and presenter who can take leadership and responsibility
  • Outgoing, positive in nature and a motivated team player
  • Passionate about customer-centric design and a creative problem solver who is not afraid to go new ways
  • Capable of writing highly complex quotes and you have proven experience in planning multiphase projects

Benefits

  • International projects where you will make a fundamental mark and become a thought leader in the industry
  • Integration into the entire development process
  • Design management and leadership training
  • Great team with flat hierarchies
  • Cool office in the heart of Hamburg, the best city to live in Germany
  • Lots of opportunities for professional and personal growth

How to Apply

You can apply today by sending your job application to jobs@indeed-innovation.com

Location

Hamburg, Germany.

Click here to Apply Now! 

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10 Futuristic Drone Concepts & Designs

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Technology has been moving so fast that new devices and machines emerged to better help people. Take for example, the evolution of communication devices — from pagers to candy bar phones to the many variations of smartphones and tablets we see today — brought better and better features and enhancements. 

And technology has moved far beyond than that: now, advanced technology mechanisms are used everywhere, such as in creating the likes of autonomous vehicles, in which the most popular at the moment are aerial vehicles we know today as drones. And now drones have become so popular that individuals and companies alike have found tons of possibles uses for then. Here are some of the drone ideas we found:

GoPro’s Karma Drone

Image via: GoPro

There had been a lot of camera drones out there in the market today. And of course, GoPro, the company famous for manufacturing action cameras, won’t allow itself to get left behind. GoPro just launched its Karma system, which it says is a compact and foldable drone system that can actually fit in the back pack that is included in the package. The company has begun to make the Karma system available on its website and in select sellers in Europe and is sold for €999.99, or €1399.99, if with HERO5.

Amazon’s Prime Air Delivery Drone

Image via: Amazon

I recently watched “Storks,” that animated film where storks (yes, the kind of bird) actually delivered packages to customers. Interesting idea, indeed, but we can’t expect storks to actually deliver us packages. But drones can. This e-commerce giant, Amazon, proves that they are aggressive in making delivery faster for each of its customers and decided to work on  drones that can deliver your orders in less than an hour. Currently, the drones are in private trial to select customers. We’ll just have to wait for this to fully rollout. After all, it already has begun its first delivery last December.

Natilus: Cargo Drone

Image via: Digital Trends

Another startup based in California, wants to make a similar attempt to that of Amazon, but bigger. The company, Natilus, came up with an idea of autonomous and amphibious drones that could transport upto 200,000 pounds cargo. Yes, it intends to operate similar to cargo planes at a much cheaper cost!

Jet Capsule’s UFO-inspired drone

Image via: Jet Capsule

This drone looks like a spacecraft that’s similar to those extraterrestrial films I’ve seen before. Though the company behind this idea, Jet Capsule, seems to project the drone as a ship-like vessel that would float on water.

This drone, called UFO, is intended to offer better amenities than your typical private jet, offering a transformable kitchen, a living and dining area, as well as a bedroom, within the two-storey architecture of the drone. This could also be our doomsday escape, if this eventually gets built out as it has a water generator that can covert rain and sea water into potable drinking water. 

Ehang 184 Autonomous Aerial Drone

Image via: http://www.ehang.com/ehang184/

We may also see a similar transportation service drone in Dubai soon. Called EHang 184, this drone is shaped like an egg and can carry a one person with a maximum weight of 220 pounds. That person can also carry a small suitcase or bag with him. Interestingly, this drone had already been tested to fly over Burj al-Arab and is expected to fly around in the Middle Eastern country in July.

Plan Bee Drone

Image via: Cnet

Meanwhile, this drone is made to grow your garden in style. Created by a college student, Plan Bee is a drone that’s intended to artificially pollinate flowers. Now, drones are not only replacing tasks of humans, but also of insects, huh?

Skeeter: Dragonfly biomimetric microdrone for surveillance

Image via: TechCrunch

Another participant in the animal-inspired drone is this biomimetric microdrone that is intended to look like a dragonfly. Conceptualized by British company Animal Dynamics, they wanted a drone that could mimic a dragonfly, including the wing-flapping movement the insect does. The tiny drone called Skeeter, which is expected to weigh just less than 30 grams, is intended cor covert surveillance  While still in testing phase, the company expects to have the machine fly in the next two to three months.

SkyOne: Oil Rig-Inspecting Drones

Image via: S

Drones are totally trying to address various problems across different industries. Another proof of that is Canadian company SkyX’s SkyOne craft, which is intended to inspect any damages gas and oil pipelines, thereby avoiding any catastrophic events, such as explosions from gas leaks. Something pipeline builders could definitely invest to.

DogDrones: Poo Scooper Drones
Image via: The Sun UK

Image via: The Sun UK

Too tired of cleaning up your dog’s mess? Here’s the drone for you! DogDrones consist of a fair of drones. First is the WatchDog 1, an aerial drone that has the capability to spot the dog poo through heat sensors, which would be detected by the installed camera. Once spotted, it will send signals to its tandem drone, Patroldog 1, which will move towards the poo and sweep it up. Problem solved! The drones are concepts of a Dutch based startup. While the idea is still in the early stages of development, all we have to do is wait and manually do the job for now.

Sea Lice-Killing Underwater Drone

Image via: Digital Trends

While most drones are built for aerial purposes, there are also a few ones made for under the water. This one’s especially tailored to solve a certain issue in salmon farming in Norway — sea lice. Apparently, salmon farmers have been spending tons of money to battle against these parasites. So, Stingray Marine Solutions developed an underwater drone to help solve their dilemma. The drone is built with an image-recognition technology to detect sea lice and to throw out a laser pulse that will eventually kill them. How cool is that?

UAV Lifeguards to patrol Australian beaches, Hasselhoff given notice

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UAV Lifeguards to patrol Australian beaches

Look, up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's... a lifeguard? Aiming to keep a robotic eye out for distressed swimmers and dangerous marine life, Surf Life Saving Australia will soon deploy flying safety drones across beaches in Queensland, Australia. Starting off on a trial basis, the unmanned bots have a wingspan of one meter (about three feet) and will feature detachable safety buoys and alert sirens. While it could be the next thing in oceanside safety, we'd image that some folks won't be too fond of being watched sans any say in the matter. That said, we'd be remiss not to mention to that SLS head Brett Williamson frankly stated to ABC that "at the end of the day this is about public safety." Big brother conspiracy aside, we're sure some folks could be swayed if these bad boys play Flight of the Valkyries while in formation.

[Image credit: Kim Powell]

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UAV Lifeguards to patrol Australian beaches, Hasselhoff given notice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops II limited editions unveiled, $180 ‘Care Package’ includes aerial drone

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Activision never disappoints when it comes to limited edition Call of Duty release bundles, and for the upcoming Black Ops II, it actually may have outdone itself. Besting the RC-XD from its predecessor, $180 will let you snag the Care Package edition for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. This massive bundle is actually boxed as an in-gamed care package (aerial drop-off not included) that's loaded with a remote controlled MQ-27 Dragonfire quadrocopter drone (!) -- we really wish we'd picked up those Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles now (not at all for full-fledged, after hours recon of our Aol office-mates...). Naturally, it also comes loaded with the requisite DLC goodies; namely, two extra maps (Nuketown Zombies and Nuketown 2025), exclusive weapon camo, a pair of Player Card backgrounds and copy of the soundtrack. Furthermore, PS3 owners will get a pair of dynamic themes, while those with 360s will receive an XBL Zombie avatar and Claw prop. Lastly, you'll also receive a couple more tangible items in the way of an art book and a duo of "Challenge" coins.

Not looking to terrorize your local airspace? Shave off the $100 premium for the drone and case (not too shabby if the AR.Drone is too expensive for your budget) and you'll be able to grab the Hardened edition packed with everything else. Last, and seemingly least in this case, Activision is putting out a Digital Deluxe for PC users -- similar to the Hardened variant, but with a download code for the aging World at War in place of the physical goodies and PSN / XBL content. Wallet already prepared for the future of secret warfare? You'll find details to place your own pre-order ahead of the November 13th launch at the source links below and trailer courtesy of Joystiq after the break.

Gallery: Call of Duty: Black Ops II Care Package and Hardened editions

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops II limited editions unveiled, $180 'Care Package' includes aerial drone

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Call of Duty: Black Ops II limited editions unveiled, $180 'Care Package' includes aerial drone originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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