AirView: Fotografías y grabaciones de vídeo con multicópteros

Cualquier iniciativa audiovisual puede contar ya con imágenes aéreas hasta ahora vedadas por el alto coste de los medios tradicionales al uso, tales como avionetas y helicópteros.

AirView es una empresa española habilitada por la AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea) para la realización de trabajos aéreos con UAVs y sus pilotos cuentan con los conocimientos necesarios para realizarlos.

Realizan grabaciones en HD y hasta 4K, así como fotografías de 12 Mpx, para televisiones nacionales, autonómicas y productoras.

Más información:

http://airviewspain.es/

Aeromax: Curso de piloto de UAVs

La industria de los UAVs promete generar  puestos de trabajo, pero en España sigue habiendo falta de pilotos de UAV. Bajo esta premisa, Aeromax ha creado un curso ajustándose al marco de la nueva normativa a entrar en vigor, para formar a los estudiantes en el emergente sector de los aviones no tripulados.

Más información:

https://www.aeromax-spain.com/curso-de-drones-rpas/

The World’s Best Weaponized UAV Ever Built

Also known by the name of the Predator B, this is most probably, the world’s best weaponized UAV, judging by the amount of technology present inside it. 

Since it was released, it has managed to consolidate its place into the fleet of weaponized UAVs in use.

It includes a turboprop engine, which offers nine times the horsepower of the piston-driven power plant, thus allowing the UAV to carry 15 times the load of other models.

Not only this, but it can also deploy laser-guided bombs and shoot Hellfire missiles, directly against targets situated on the ground. The UAV has also been designed to use air-to-air missiles, meant to hit aerial targets. 

UAV Airstrike in Libya

An airstrike carried out on Tuesday 26th in Libya killed "several" fighters from the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, according to a Thursday 28th statement from U.S. Africa Command. It followed a similar UAV attack last week that Trump personally approved, the first in Libya since the one President Barack Obama authorized in January the day before he stepped down from office.

As for whether the command could carry out strikes wherever it chooses in Africa, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss current operations says it limits its actions to pre-established agreements with partner countries. In this latest instance, AFRICOM coordinated with the de facto coalition governing Libya known as the Government of National Accord. It has similar arrangements with other partners in Africa, including with Somalia to hunt Islamic State group fighters and with others to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.

"These strikes were conducted under the Presidential Policy Guidance," Defense Department spokeswoman Army Maj. Audricia Harris says, referring to a 2014 document the Obama White House released explaining the policies that would govern covert war. "That allows for the use of all available tools of national power to protect the American people from threats posed by groups such as ISIS, al-Qaida and their associated forces."

US Army Testing Experimental UAV Resupply Drone Hover bike

Field testing for a Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV), on Ft. AP Hill, VA. Testing included simulations of take off, landing and resupply.

DroneTools: Alta Tecnología Española

DroneTools es un fabricante español de UAVs diseñados a medida para realizar aplicaciones muy concretas a petición del cliente final.

Todos sus UAVs disponen de marcado CE, y cada uno de sus componentes está controlado y ajustado para ofrecer una máquina con las máximas garantías de seguridad y fiabilidad.

Su sede está en España y cuenta con delegaciones en Portugal, Argentina, México y Perú.

Más información:

http://www.dronetools.es/

Extreme Drone Piloting

Don't comment: Just watch:

China unveils its answer to the Reaper

After modifying it for certain missions, China has started commercial production of its deadliest UAV: an UAV named CH-5, able to fly for up to 120 hours, and that many experts believe it could be a rival to the Reaper. The initial output of this UAV will be relatively small: 10-20 units a year, and it is unlikely to exceed 20 due to the size and sophistication of the aircraft. Regarding weapons payload, this UAV can carry up to 16 air-to-ground missiles.

The CH-5 can be operated by an undergraduate student with basic knowledge of aviation after only one or two days of training, according to state media reports. This is because of the simplicity of its user interface, and the fact that operations like the take-off and landing can be automated. The UAV can also be modified to become a low-cost airborne early warning system, or equipped with high-tech sensors such as wall and ground-penetrating radars developed by China.

Summarizing: with the commercial production of the CH-5, China could be ready to offer international buyers a heavy military UAV with many features comparable to the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, but at around half the cost.

Impresión 3D para UAVs impresionantes

Una de las tecnologías de fabricación de UAVs que están experimentando un mayor crecimiento en estos últimos años es la Impresión 3D, que está demostrando dia tras día su capacidad de aportar múltiples beneficios en lo que se refiere a la fabricación de series cortas de piezas, aptas para uso final.

Entre algunas de sus mayores ventajas se encuentra la versatilidad, ya que una sola impresora es capaz de producir infinidad de productos muy realistas hechos totalmente a medida, aportando a los departamentos de diseño una amplia flexibilidad y personalización en su trabajo.

En este webinar abordaremos los factores clave a la hora de obtener piezas de UAVs para coleccionismo que ofrezcan un aspecto similar al producto final.  Un webinar dirigido a todos aquellos fans de los UAVs a escala que quieran descubrir todas las facilidades que puede aportarles la impresión 3D en la fabricación de sus réplicas, y conocer las claves para obtener un UAV totalmente realista.

Enlace para inscribirse:

http://integralplm.com/es/eventos/

Additive manufacturing in UAVs: Challenges and potential

UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are gaining popularity due to their application in military, private and public sector, especially being attractive for fields where human operator is not required.

Light-weight UAVs are more desirable as they have better performance in terms of shorter take-off range and longer flight endurance. However, light weight structures with complex inner features are hard to fabricate using conventional manufacturing methods.

The ability to print complex inner structures directly without the need of a mould gives Additive Manufacturing (AM) an edge over conventional manufacturing. Recent development in composite and multi-material printing opens up new possibilities of printing lightweight structures and novel platforms like flapping wings with ease.

This paper explores the impact of additive manufacturing on aerodynamics, structures and materials used for UAVs. The review will discuss state-ofthe-art

AM technologies for UAVs through innovations in materials and structures and their advantages and limitations. The role of additive manufacturing to improve the performance of UAVs through smart material actuators and multi-functional structures will also be discussed.

(Read More)

Additive manufacturing techniques for millimeter-wave components

Additive Manufacturing technology has made significant advances in terms of materials, tolerances, and surface finishes.

The technique is becoming more common in science and industry. Since it has proven effective in constructing small parts with fine features, 3D Printing is well suited for improving upon the manufacturing processes of millimeter-wave components.

This paper explores the approach specifically applied to waveguide components produced using two different additive manufacturing approaches. Work is also being done to fabricate parts via additive manufacturing techniques in-house at General Atomics.

(Read More)

AUHSD Teams with Tesla Foundation for UAS Education

The Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) is the first public school district in the nation to partner with the Tesla Foundation to provide students with training to successfully work in the emerging technology field of unmanned aviation, or drones.

A nonprofit science and technology think tank, the Tesla Foundation is launching its initiative beginning at Magnolia High School with after-school programs featuring FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approved curriculum, equipment, and Drone Flight Simulation Kits.

The foundation’s goal is to identify and develop a “farm system” of young talent that can be future innovators and entrepreneurs in the unmanned systems industry. “We are excited to partner with the District in this most critical endeavor,” said Keith Coleman, chief strategy officer of the foundation. “Our focus is looking at the future of jobs and the future of work. Automation and the disruption that it will bring is real, yet while jobs will be lost, there will be lots of new opportunities in the (new) field of aerial robotics. Through this partnership, we will help move the needle forward for underrepresented students who may not otherwise have a pathway to these experiences. The Tesla Foundation sees critical thinking and access to technology as the democratization of opportunity.”

Trustee Al Jabbar thanked Superintendent Mike Matsuda for making the connection that led to the partnership. He also thanked the Tesla Foundation for “recognizing that AUHSD is at the cutting edge in preparing students for the 21st Century workforce. Once parents and the community learn about how this partnership promotes innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in an emerging STEAM field, I know they will be as enthusiastic as we are.” The Tesla Foundation estimates that the economic impact of drones will be $82 billion within the first decade of their operational integration into the national airspace system. Drone industries leverage many key technologies, including cybersecurity, sensors, data analytics, aeronautics, aviation, Additive Manufacturing, precision agriculture, first responders, geospatial information, and simulation.

(Read More)

Additive Manufacturing for the Drone/UAV Industry 2017-2027

In this report, the firm Research and Markets projects that the yearly value of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) industry to reach $1.9 billion, driving over $400 million in yearly sales of AM equipment, software, materials and services.

The Drone AM report also provides information on which companies and institutions in the space infrastructure industry are using additive manufacturing today, with relevant case studies. Key firms in the drone AM segment include: Boeing, CRP Group, DJI, EHANG, EOS, General Atomics, HP, Hubsan, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), Parrot, Ricoh,  Stratasys, 3D Systems and 3DR.

The report includes an in-depth analysis of the materials used for drone AM prototyping and production, which takes into consideration both high performance polymers and metals as well as composites, ceramics and technologies for direct 3D printing of electronics.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7mvrn7/additive

Marines take 3D printed UAVs from the lab to the field

Additive manufacturing is a technology the U.S. military has been pursuing for some time: “Imagine being in a forward deployed environment, and just like Amazon, you can ‘order’ the weapons and equipment you need for the next day’s mission from an entire catalog of possible solutions,” says Capt. Chris J. Wood, who oversees innovation efforts at the Marine Corps’ installations and logistics branch. “These solutions can all be upgraded literally overnight, in order to integrate new components or adapt to new requirements.”

In the coming weeks the service will deploy a tiny unmanned aircraft dubbed the “Nibbler,” which would become the first 3D printed drone used in combat operations by conventional forces. Marines see it as just the beginning of a new way of equipping and supplying forces in the field. The Nibbler will be used for surveillance missions, along with several other 3D printed unmanned aircraft that the Marines are still developing, Wood added. “We can have a backpack-able fixed wing UAS for long endurance ISR. We can have a small quadcopter for building clearing operations,” he said. “We will forward deploy these capabilities into a combat zone as soon as possible.”

(Read more)

Achieving ship's mission flexibility through designing, printing and operating unmanned systems with additive manufacturing and delayed differentiation

The Design, Print and Operate (DPO) Concept Of Operations (CONOPS) is proposed in this thesis as a new means of equipping ships with the appropriate capabilities. A companion concept of delayed differentiation is also introduced. In coupling the two concepts, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of capabilities in-situ becomes a possibility through the equipping of operational units with three building blocks: additive manufacturing systems and their raw materials, commercial off-the-shelf items and field programmable gate arrays.

A concept of operations on uses of additive manufacturing was developed to illustrate the flexibility that the nexus of DPO CONOPS and delayed differentiation can engender. A tactical UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) was used as an illustration to contextualize the concept of operations to enhance the littoral combat ship's survivability when operating in the littorals. Assessments were then made on the feasibility of DPO CONOPS for shipboard uses. A tactical UAV was used as it was assessed to be operationally relevant and significant. Analytical models that could be iterated to achieve the specific-to-mission requirements were developed to analyze and assess the implementation approach. The models focused on the UAV's reliability in fulfilling the mission as well as the build-time of the UAV.

Link to download:

https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/50484

Iran shows off new UAV base

According with Arutz Sheva, Iran has revealed a previously unseen Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) base in a new video released today, coming amid rising tensions with Washington.

The clip shows a long line of UAVs parked on the tarmac at an undisclosed air base. Iran is estimated to have considerable UAV capabilities, but today is the first time it has ever revealed its UAV's base.

¿More reasons to worry? OK: Tensions have been rising between the Islamic Republic and Washington ever since President Trump instituted new sanctions in July over its ballistic missile program, but Iran also announced yesterday that it was testing its new Bavar-373 air defense system, which it claims rivals the Russian S-300.