Industry News

10Oct

Coyote UAV recently deployed to track and model Hurricane Maria

Coyote UAVThe scientific community continues its quest to better understand hurricane behavior. Recently, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deployed six Raytheon Coyote UAVs to track and model Hurricane Maria. The Coyotes flew directly into the storm and provided researchers an unprecedented view of the hurricane. The UAVs launched from a NOAA WP-3D Orion – fondly dubbed the “hurricane hunter”. The Coyote operated in the lower part of the hurricane, an area impossible for manned aircraft to reach.  

Coyote UAV: at your disposal

“Our expendable Coyote UAVs are delivering vital information about these potentially deadly storms; and that can help save lives,” said Dr. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missile Systems. The Coyote gathered and transmitted continuous storm data directly to the National Hurricane Center, all while navigating winds exceeding 100 miles per hour. NOAA scientists hope to gain better understanding of hurricane storm behavior by evaluating the data collected. Researchers can also fly Coyotes throughout the storms, revisiting key locations inside hurricanes to obtain the most robust data possible. The hope is that researchers can use all this data to improve the accuracy of hurricane forecasts.  

History of the Coyote UAV

Developed originally for military use, the Coyote is a small, expendable UAV. It can launch via air or ground and is often deployed in situations that are too dangerous for manned aircraft. It boasts over an hour flight endurance and travels up to 50 miles from its host. The Coyote is just one part of Raytheon’s family of high-tech weather forecasting technology. Additional weather technology includes: the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument aboard NOAA’s Suomi NPP spacecraft, the common ground system for the Joint Polar Satellite System, and the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System – a powerful forecast toolkit that helps meteorologists make sense of the massive amounts of weather data that modern sensors collect.  
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04Oct

Study Sets New Distance Record for Medical Transport via drone

Researchers from John Hopkins University School of Medicine recently partnered with Latitude Engineering for a very unique study. The goal? To test the viability of transporting medical samples across 161 miles of Arizona desert via drone. LatitudeEngineering's HQ-40 provided transport. The on-board payload system maintained temperature control throughout the three-hour long flight. This ensured the samples maintained viability for laboratory analysis upon landing. The successful mission also set a new distance record for unmanned medical drone delivery.  

Advanced report findings

A report, published ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, June edition, gave light to some interesting finding. Accumulative evidence, investigators suggest, indicates that unmanned aircraft are an effective, safe and timely way to quickly transport medical samples from remote patients to laboratories with advanced diagnostic capabilities. “Drone air transport will be the quickest, safest and most efficient option to deliver biological samples to a laboratory whether it be in a rural or urban setting,” says Timothy Amukele, M.D., Ph.D. “We don’t need to fix 20th Century problems, such as no roads, poor roads or driving vehicles through crowded urban streets to improve patient care. Logistical inefficiencies are an enemy of patient care. Drones will take patient care into the 21st Century by making patient diagnoses quicker and more efficient.”  

Real world results

The study demonstrated real world long distance transport of samples involving several modes of transportation. The team collected 84 samples in pairs at the University of Arizona in Tucson and driven 76 miles to an airfield. One sample from each pair was loaded on the drone, which flew them 161 miles. Following the flight, they transported all sample 62 miles to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Finally, the team compared each pair of samples was to check for differences between the flown and not-flown sample. Results from sample pairs were similar for 17 of the 19 tests. Small differences were seen in Glucose and Potassium, which do also vary in other transport methods. We suspect the differences seen in this test arose because the samples not-flown by drone were not as carefully temperature controlled as the flown samples in the temperature-controlled chamber.  

Medical transport via drone

The aircraft used in this study was a Latitude Engineering HQ-40. The unique "quadplane" hybrid configuration of the craft enables it to take off vertically and transition to traditional horizontal flight. Due to its unique design, the HQ-40 can land in small spaces as well as fly efficiently between widely separated facility. This makes it a viable option for use at medical facilities. The flight team took numerous precautions throughout the test. A certified remote pilot controlled the aircraft throughout the test which they performed in restricted airspace at a military aircraft test range cleared of all traffic. The flight team controlled the aircraft via a radio link between the on-board flight computer and the ground control station. The team packed and transported the samples according to IATA guidelines. During transport, the samples were in a temperature controlled chamber designed by the Hopkins team. The chamber used electrical power from the aircraft to maintain the samples at room temperature. The device is lighter than an equivalent amount of ice, the current method of temperature control. Additionally, the chamber can warm the samples in cold weather.  

Building on previous work

Previously, the Johns Hopkins team studied the impact of drone transportation on the chemical, hematological, and microbial makeup of drone-flown blood samples. They found no negative affects on the samples. The test involved drone flight distances up to approximately 20 miles. The new study examined the effects of drone transportation over longer distances, more than 160 miles, and significantly longer time periods that require environmental controls. The team plans further and larger studies in the U.S. and overseas. “My vision is that we engage drone technology to fly over challenges presented by  self-limiting ground transportation systems,” says Amukele. “So, our hospitals will have diagnostic results far more quickly. And, when a first responder arrives to the scene of an accident, he or she will be met by a medical delivery drone carrying the correct blood product. Together, we will most certainly improve care and save more lives.” Authors of this study are include Timothy K. Amukele MD PhD, and Jeff Street, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Christine LH Snozek PhD and James Hernandez MD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. Ryan G. Wyatt, Matthew Douglas MD, and Richard Amini MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.

Peter Kovler of the Blum-Kovler Foundation provided funding for the study.

  Find out more about the Johns Hopkins study, here.
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27Sep

Accident reconstruction and drone applications

Documenting, investigating and reconstructing accident scenes is time consuming. And, depending on the site, it can also pose risks for reconstruction specialists. The work, though, is vital. The data gathered from reconstructing an accident helps officials identify what went wrong. It also informs future decisions to improve overall traffic safety. The pressure to clear the roads as quickly as possible following an incident, is enormous. However, documenting the accident is vital…and some can stretch over a considerable area. Photographing, measuring and capturing all the details using traditional methods takes considerable time and energy. So, it should come as no surprise that some public safety departments are testing the feasibility of drone use for reconstruction efforts.  

Accident reconstruction via drone

As technology advanced, the possibility of creating 3D models via drone became a reality. Currently, data gathering methods include a mixture of photography, laser scanners and total stations to produce a 3D point cloud of the site. And, it often requires personnel trained in surveying. Drones may help reconstruction specialists document incidents more quickly and accurately than traditional methods. One drone flight can collect vital image data. This image data, coupled with advances in photogrammetry software, is highly dynamic. Specialists can create 3D point cloud, a model, measurable orthomosaics, and detailed reports. And, importantly, all the data is there for further analysis.  

Getting ready for the real world

Recently, a number of public safety officials in North Carolina gathered to observe the possibility of drone use for accident investigations. The scenario played out at the  Buncombe County Public Safety Training Facility. The demonstration involved a head-on vehicle collision. Two reconstruction teams quickly jumped into action. One team was the State Highway Patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit. The other team was the Division of Aviation UAS flight team...using drones. The Highway Patrol team completed the reconstruction in 1 hour 51 minutes. The UAS team completed the same work in 25 minutes.  

Less specialization required?

Sophisticated flight planning software means there is less need for highly specialized training to document accident scenes. Processing the data after, is another story. However, in situations where specialized personnel are unavailable or unable to get to the scene, flying a drone over the scene and capturing important data is a viable option. The future of drone use for accident reconstruction is just in the beginning stages. However, the benefits of capturing information quickly, securing the safety of personnel and clearing roads faster means it is only a matter of time before drones are an important public safety tool.
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21Sep

Crash test dummy vs. drone

The push to create the infrastructure to support drone delivery on a massive scale continues. Of course, there are numerous challenges to identify and overcome before this is reality. One such dilemma involves the safety of people on the ground. Enthusiasts envision a day when drones populate the skies delivering packages, conducting public safety operations and much more. However, before this occurs, there is a need to address the safety of those on the ground. Currently, the FAA does not allow for unmanned aerial operations to occur over people. Clearly, this must change if drone use is to become part of everyday life.  

Bio-mechanics to the rescue

Virginia Tech’s injury bio-mechanics group teamed with its FAA-approved UAS test site to study the risks unmanned aircrafts pose to people. The injury bio-mechanics group has garnered much respect for their work evaluating injury risk within the automotive and sports industries. Areas studied, included: impact scenarios, potential injuries, design considerations to minimize injuries, operational limitations, and regulations to help prevent accidents. The team selected three popular commercial vehicles weighing from 2.6 to just over 24 pounds. In addition, the team setup a test dummy with sensors embedded inside the head and neck. The sensors measured the acceleration and force of the blows inflicted on the dummy. Then the team tested out various impact scenarios – head on and from above – and measured the force of those impacts. Standard benchmarks were applied to determine how likely the impacts were to cause severe, even life-threatening injuries. Of course, injury risk increased with the weight of the air vehicle. When dropped directly from above, the likelihood of the smallest craft causing severe neck injury was less than 10 percent. That risk rose to 70 percent with the largest craft. The drop tests tended to produce the most severe impacts. In deflection tests, the force and resulting injury were reduced. The study also found that drones which broke up upon impact, helped absorb some of the energy and reduced the force of the crash.  

Moving forward

The data gathered offers manufacturers insight as to how to design drones in a way that mitigates risk to those on the ground. It will also help inform future regulations of drone operations over people. These tests are just the beginning. There is a need to conduct more comprehensive tests. The team is already developing a broader set of controlled experiments to test the various ways drones and people interact. Read more about the Virginia Tech study.
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19Sep

Refurbished Drones: considerations before you buy

Smart phones, game consoles, smart TVs...and now, drones. New technology is exciting but the cost of owning the latest gadgets prevent many from immediately running out and buying it. Many wait months before purchasing coveted products in the hopes that competition may eventually drive the price down. However, some savvy shoppers choose another path...refurbished products. From smartphones games consoles, refurbished electronics are a viable option for price-conscious consumers. Refurbished products offer consumers the chance to buy updated technology at a reduced price. However, when considering refurbished gadgets, a little due diligence is required.

An affordable way to keep pace

Technological innovation happens at a break-neck pace. Products are updated regularly and newer models are quickly made available. And, as manufacturers look to ever increase revenue, product cycles seem to get shorter and shorter. It is easy to see how consumers are out-matched. Refurbished products come from a variety of sources, including: ex-display items, items with slight defects from shipping, and previously owned items - to name a few. A refurbished product can have either some or all of its components replaced with newer ones. Some are done by the manufacturer. Others by private individuals or companies that specialize in the product line in question.  

Types of refurbished drones

Just like many other types of electronics, refurbished drones are the result of the consumerist economy we live in. Here’s a quick look at the aforementioned causes behind refurbished electronics and their advantages or drawbacks, if any:
  • Drones with Defects: Manufacturers take every precaution to ensure products reach the customer in full functioning condition. However, issues do arise from time to time. If a drone is found to have a defects it is usually returned to the manufacturer for repairs. In some cases purchasing a refurbished drone in this instance is an advantage. This is due to the detailed inspection, repairs and testing which are carried out by experienced and certified technicians.
  • Ex-Display Drones: Many retail shops display working prototypes so customers can examine and even demo the product. As such, demo drones are virtually new. Some stores make minor repairs to the item, if needed, and then offer it at a reduced priced. For those who don't mind a drone that's been handled a bit, it's an affordable option.
  • Shipping Damaged Drones: Getting the product from the factory to the end-user often involves transport via several carriers. As such, it is not unusual for some product to get damaged en route. When this occurs, the drone is sent back to the factory for repairs or resold as-is at a lower price.
  • Used Drones: Customers can change their mind and return a drone for numerous reasons, including: cost, a desire to upgrade, or personal preference. Such items are checked thoroughly before being offered for sale again, often at a lower price. This is a great way to own an almost-new drone at a fraction of the cost.
Many drone manufacturers offer refurbished drones. In many ways, it is a win-win. The manufacturer recaptures dollars they may have previously lost by refurbishing damaged goods and reselling them. And the consumer can upgrade their technology at a lower cost than buying new. These are items that are usually in an as-new condition and have been thoroughly checked before being re-listed for sale at a lower price. So while a refurbished drone is a viable alternative for anyone looking to buy a UAV is it a foolproof path to drone ownership? Perhaps but there are some considerations to remember before taking the plunge.  

Always purchase from reputable sellers

The best way to avoid pitfalls is to only purchase through reputable sellers. Some manufacturers offer refurbished products directly from their own retail stores or online shops. Another option is to find retailers who specialize in that product line. As such, they have the experience and expertise to ensure the drone is refurbished properly. In addition, major retailers such as eBay and Amazon specify whether a product is refurbished by the manufacturer or reconditioned by the seller.  

Consider purchasing a warranty

Another advantage of buying a refurbished drone from a reputable company is the option to purchase a warranty. A good warranty covers the most common repairs and the original issue.  

Check the return policy before buying

Before buying a refurbished drone, check to see if the retailer accepts returns for their refurbished line. Some do, some don't. Some consider it an as-is sale. So, it is buyer beware. Also, make note of the time period covered by the return policy.  

Inspect the drone

Finally, take the time to carefully inspect the drone. Check for any damage. Ensure the drone comes with all the accessories it should. Inspection is especially relevant to pre-used, open box and ex-display items where things like charging cables or instruction manuals could be missing. Of course, if buying a refurbished drone via an online reseller, a physical inspection is just not possible. That is why it is vital to ony purchase from reputable sellers.  

Refunds and buyer protection

Lastly, online payment providers such as PayPal and credit card companies often provide or extend buyer protections. This additional protection, helps in the event the consumer needs to claim a refund or file a dispute at a later date.   Thanks to the fast pace of innovation and the constant release of new products, the market for refurbished drones continues to expand. To minimize risk, follow the considerations above and begin the search for a great deal on a good quality refurbished drone.
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22Aug

Tightening security data: DJI makes its move

security data DJIThat didn’t take long. DJI, the Chinese-based company, took little time to address the gathering noise over cyber security concerns. At the beginning of August, the U.S. Army called for troops to cease and desist use of DJI drones, equipment and cameras for any operations. The Army's announcement seemed to catch DJI unaware. In the last few days, DJI announced that it will accelerate the release of a new feature, Local Data Mode.  This feature will be a part of the DJI controller app. When selected, Local Data Mode will allow pilots to disconnect from the internet during flights. The update releases at the end of September. “We are creating Local Data Mode to address the needs of our enterprise customers, including public and private organizations that are using DJI technology to perform sensitive operations around the world,” said Brendan Schulman, DJI Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs. “DJI is committed to protecting the privacy of its customers’ photos, videos and flight logs. Local Data Mode will provide added assurances for customers with heightened data security needs.” This feature is designed to stop internet traffic to and from DJI’s flight control application. This would make it “impossible” for the craft to communicate any flight log data, photos or videos with DJI servers. It would also prevent any accidental syncing with DJI servers. DJI believes Local Data Mode offers users some level of data management. DJI hopes this feature will help alleviate privacy and security concerns for sensitive operations.  

Drawback of Local Data Mode

Disconnecting from the internet means the application will not receive continuous updates. As such, operators lose the features that makes flight safer and easier, including: updates of maps, newly issued flight restrictions, software updates, and geo-fencing information. However, it is up to each operator to decide whether the operation requires Local Data Mode for privacy or security reasons. And, at least now operators have an option. Local Data Mode may not be available in all countries depending on specific regulations. DJI made its move. Only time will tell if this is enough to diminish the concerns of enterprise and government entities.
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