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Photo credit: Josh Sorenson via Unsplash.com The use of drones to fly over landscapes, collect aerial photography or survey a building is not difficult to comprehend. In fact, those uses are quite common. But what about flying a drone to locate people displaced in a natural disaster? Or taking it underwater for reconnaissance missions? Each spring, the UAE Drones for Good Award recognizes innovations in drone technology like these that aim to help their communities. The award, sponsored by the government of the United Arab Emirates, “encourages useful and positive applications for drone technology,” according to the program website. The award and a $1 million prize are awarded to one international team and one team within the UAE (the latter receives a prize of Dhs1 million). While the award is not limited to set categories, entries are often received in the areas of education, healthcare, tourism, environment, and disaster relief, among others. The award was launched in 2014 by the UAE Government Summit and Flyability took the inaugural international prize the following spring. Flyability, a company from Switzerland, created a drone for search and rescue purposes that was protected from collisions, called “Gimball”. Wadi Drones, a UAE-based team, won the inaugural national prize for a drone creation geared towards wildlife conservation. Video credit: UAE Drones for Good Video credit: NYU Abu Dhabi The award website writes that the Drones For Good Award “is based on international reports that show that the value of drones market in the world will reach $16.1 billion in 2021,” citing expected growth, particularly in the areas of logistics and the environment. “Drones have also been shown to have huge potential in urban planning 3D imaging technology in addition to … disaster response and projects in various economic sectors …,” according to the initiative description. Submission requirements for the competition include being able to demonstrate a working prototype that is either semi-autonomous or fully autonomous and illustrating “a genuine service or present[ing] a solution to a real human need.” Entries are also encouraged to be “safe, effective and economical.” Entries can come from individuals, teams, companies or universities. Loon Copter, from the United States, took the international prize in the 2016 competition with a drone that was able to operate under water. Osmah Rawashdeh, the project leader for Loon Copter, told GulfNews.com that the team’s creation was versatile, stating “It can fly, or operate on the surface of the water, and then can dive underwater like a remote control submarine,” according to a 2016 article. That year’s national winner, BuilDrone, addressed a similar problem, creating a drone to repair leaks in pipelines. The award is given during a two-day event, where entrants are judged and provide live demonstrations of their prototypes. The recognition is “a tangible outcome of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make optimal use of innovation and technology for the service of humanity,” stated the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, according to an article by DRONETHUSIAST. Other past winners of the UAE Drones for Good Award include: 2016: BuilDrone (national category); Loon Copter (international category — USA) 2017: Smart Ring by Sanad Academy (national category); Nokia Saving Lives (international category) I am a journalist and drone pilot based in Missouri. I currently teach future drone pilots at the University of Missouri, where I am also studying for my master’s degree in documentary journalism. I am fascinated by the possibilities of drone use in film and journalistic projects, and am excited for opportunities to incorporate the medium into my own work. Instagram: @sarahsabatke #UAE #UAEDronesforGoodAward #UnitedArabEmirates #Flyability #Gimball #WadiDrones #education #healthcare #tourism #environment #disasterrelief #wildlifeconservation #LoonCopter #BuilDrone

Image Credit: Maddy Washburn There’s no doubt that new technology is helping us protect animals more effectively, and this is especially true for drones. Conservationists are saving time, money, and animals by using drones, which are smaller, easier to maneuver, and produce less noise than traditional methods of aerial monitoring. Drones have also proved themselves to be more accurate than people. As a result, conservationists are using drones more to track animals’ movements, record their population numbers, protect them from poachers, and more. Recently, beachgoers were able to witness how even an unsuspecting drone pilot could help protect wildlife. On April 20th, a female drone pilot (and Women Who Drone Ambassador) by the name of Maddy Washburn was able to use her drone piloting and photography skills to assist in the rescue of a whale. Through email, Maddy spoke with me and answered a few questions about herself and the rescue. Image Credit: Maddy Washburn Originally a hobbyist, Maddy Washburn is a Part 107 certified drone pilot from California who was able to accomplish something wonderful, just in time for Earth Day. While flying her drone at Dana Point Harbor, she spotted a young gray whale caught in gillnet and line. Upon realizing this, Maddy and her team contacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rescue team and continued to track the whale until the rescue team arrived. Maddy started flying drones two years ago after seeing drone photos in her Instagram feed. Living on the coast, Maddy’s favorite places to shoot are at the beach and over oceans. Thus, she drives North and South to different beaches which she says allows her to capture the different vibes of each spot. At Dana Point, She had started the day with the goal of obtaining at least one good shot of a whale. Photographs of whales are especially popular right now and more prevalent since it's migration season. After only about 15-20 minutes on the water, she and her team heard there was a whale in the area. This situation was her first time capturing a wild animal on film, but she wishes it had been under better circumstances. In spite of the unfortunate situation, her experience is a testament to the value of drones in wildlife research and preservation. “I've been wanting to capture a whale for over a year now and while it was under incredibly sad circumstances, I'm so glad we were able to help by taking photos so the rescuers could see what his tale was tangled in without having to pull up alongside the whale and cause him for stress!” Screenshot of Maddy's Instagram Post When asked if she had ever heard about drones being used in animal rescues or preservation, Maddy had this to say: “I had honestly only read a few articles before this about how drones were being used in places like Africa to help catch poachers with thermal imaging which is amazing! Obviously, this isn't a feasible option here in California, but I would love to find other ways to get involved in animal rescue after experiencing this!” Maddy recalls that when she first started flying, she would never see other drones. With their popularity rapidly rising, she states that it’s not unusual for her to see another pilot when she’s out flying. With the growing number of drone pilots, it would likely be helpful if more of them were able to contribute to wildlife conservation endeavors. Even without a drone, there are ways that we, as citizens, can help keep animals and the environment safe and clean. In her interview, Maddy stated that the most important thing she took away from this experience was the importance of keeping our oceans clean and the impact waste, like nets, have on marine life. “I always try to be as eco-friendly as possible, but seeing the whale swim so slowly and seeing just HOW much rope was wrapped around his tail broke my heart. According to our captain, nearly 1,000 whales and dolphins die EVERY day around the world from being caught in nets so it opened my eyes as to how we need to be so much more aware of what we're throwing away and to never dump in our oceans.” You can read more about the whale rescue and whale entanglements here. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron #WhaleRescue #femaledronepilot #MaddyWashburn #animalconservation #aerialmonitoring #wildlifeconservation #EarthDay #part107certification #DanaPointHarbor #California #NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration #NOAA #WWDBrandAmbassador #AnimalConservation #WildlifeConservation #Conservation #Wildlife #Animals #Environment #Environmentalism #AnimalTracking #AnimalRescue

Over the past few years, you may have noticed a trending headline that goes something like this, "Rare Drone Footage of/shows/captures ... " You may have noticed a few headlines with this pattern. "Rare Drone Footage" is a popular headline that articles often use when someone makes a discovery because of video/pictures taken by drones or captured a sight that is difficult to experience by other means. In spite of all our efforts, the world is still full of hard to reach areas and places yet to be explored. With drones being piloted from above and below, those places may be decreasing in supply and "rare" drone footage may become more common. It seems like most rare drone footage revolves around witnessing rare moments in marine life. Considering how little of the ocean we have been able to explore, this is understandable. According to the National Ocean Service, "More than eighty percent of our ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored." Thus, there are many new and exciting things that can be reported on. Through aerial recording, drones have captured rare appearances of blue whales and the hunting patterns of killer whales. Scientists have used underwater drones to track jellyfish blooms. With their compact designs and powerful cameras, drones are able to maneuver into places with minimal disturbances to wildlife unlike with a boat, car, or helicopter, which are cumbersome and noisy. Recent articles bearing the headline "Rare Drone Footage" report the recording of a secluded indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest. Researches with Brazil's agency for indigenous affairs (FUNAI) had been monitoring the tribe for some time, but last year was the first time they had captured them on camera, and it was by drone. The drone recorded an aerial view of members of the tribe walking through a deforested patch in indigenous territory. FUNAI works to ensure the protection of indigenous tribes, and it is their policy to not make contact with isolated tribes. Using a drone was the perfect move for observing this secluded culture without disturbing them. Another rare sight captured by drones was the effects of war on the people of Yemen. The headline reads "Rare drone footage captures life amid the rubble in war-torn city". Currently, Sanaa, the capital of Yemen is under rebel control. In June, the rebels gave Brazilian photojournalist Gabriel Chaim limited access to the area. While there, he was able to obtain drone footage of the damage the city had sustained from airstrikes. From ice fields to the bottom of the ocean, drones have opened up previously unexplored realms of possibilities. Drone technology is still being developed and adapted to withstand various environments. Soon, we'll even have drones we can use to explore outer space. There's no doubt that as drones continue to perform well in these areas, the headline "Rare Drone Footage" will become rarer. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron #DroneFootage #DroneTechnology #NOS #NationalOceanService #Whales #Jellyfish #IndigenousTribe #AmazonRainforest #Brazil #FUNAI #Yemen #Ocean

Photo Credit: Wix Stock Library Including the massive devastation wrought by the record-breaking wildfires of 2018, the environment is taking hits that are getting harder to come back from. Although wildfires are an annual occurrence in nature, there are times when mother nature needs a hand recovering from the damage. Unfortunately, the damage can be unpredictable and difficult to plan for. Fortunately, there’s innovative technology built to resolve such problems. In an interview with TechCrunch, CEO Grant Canary revealed that the idea of planting trees with drones was just one of many ideas he’d had for a sustainability-based startup. When his other ideas didn’t pan out, he researched tree planting and found the current methods to be outdated. That's where DroneSeed comes in. DroneSeed is a drone startup based in Seattle that was created with the intention of planting trees in land affected by wildfires. They mainly operate in the Western United States over land that spans more than 10,000 acres. When wildfires occur, the areas affected need to be replanted with native vegetation or else invasive weeds move in, throwing off the local ecosystem. This kind of work is typically done manually, but the labor is arduous, with a high turnover rate. DroneSeed advances post-fire forestry by employing artificial intelligence to manage drone swarms. They were the “first and only company” to have a license from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate multiple UAVs over 55 pounds. Their UAVs are “significantly modified” off-the-shelf drones equipped with “multispectral camera arrays, high-end lidar, six-gallon tanks of herbicide and proprietary seed dispersal mechanisms. They map and fumigate the affected area, then identify the ideal location to deploy their seed nutrition packages. They can plant all over the country but are only allowed to spray herbicides in a few states. The company has worked with state governments and 3 of the 5 largest timber companies in the US. In the future, they aim to work with prime contractors holding government contracts as well." Currently, they are hiring pilots, so if you're interested in doing important work that allows you to help the environment, consider filling out an application. To be a pilot for DroneSeed, you have to meet certain qualifications. Qualifications include a willingness to work in remote environments and travel regionally up to 50% - 75% of the time, you must be FAA Part 107 Certified and proficient in heavy-lift, multi-rotor UAS operations, and you must have deep UAS systems knowledge and functional expertise. If you meet those requirements, check out the others to see if you qualify. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron #TechCrunch #WOMENWHODRONE #womenwhodrone #droneenvironment #DroneSeed #dronesustainability #UAV #WildfireRecovery #WildlifeConservation #Conservation #Wildlife #Environment #Environmentalism #PlantingTrees #Climate #UAS #UnmannedAircraftSystems

Image Credit: Monica Walton (@monicawalton_ on Instagram) After enduring weeks of social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantine, Americans and people around the world are fighting — in the streets, at home, and online — to have their voices heard: Black Lives Matter. As we enter the second week of demonstrations, we have seen thousands of people have been protesting the impunity for police brutality and vigilantism perpetrated against black people in the United States. Following the senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery, who was hunted and gunned down while jogging, and Breonna Taylor, who was murdered in her own home during a “no knock” raid, people were incensed by yet another video documenting the carelessness with which black bodies are handled by the police. None of these tragedies were presented with an opportunity to receive justice until their stories became well-known on the internet. In horror, we all had to watch as for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George Floyd (unarmed and restrained) was forced to lay on the ground, struggling for breath as an officer, unwavering in his apathy, pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Despite concurrent worries about the still-active COVID-19 pandemics, knowledge of George Floyd’s death and the initial impunity of his murderers caused thousands of people to risk their lives and their health to march for his justice. Protests began in Minnesota on May 26th and have continued every day since, expanding to more cities around the world. Those who cannot march are showing their support in other ways. On June 2nd, people participated in Blackout Tuesday, where they abstained from posting personal content and instead posted black squares to make information about the movement stand out on people’s timelines. On various social media platforms, people shared their stories, instances of unjust encounters they have had with the police, and have used their platforms to speak out about injustice and the state of our country. Video Credit: Monica Walton In conjunction with these efforts, creators on social media are using their talents to show their support. On May 31st, Women Who Drone ambassador Monica Walton posted on her YouTube channel a video titled simply “Black Lives Matter”. In it, the audio of Ronald Vinson’s poem “Letter to Your Flag” plays over video and images of protests and police brutality. In her description, she writes, “I didn't create a video tutorial for Youtube this week. My heart has been breaking for George Floyd's family, for America, the chaos, the agony & the division in the world. I came across a poem on Youtube, by a talented young man named Ronald Vinson. He performed this a couple of years ago. We seem to be going backwards. Away from justice, away from peace & compassion - it moved me to create this video, to show what I can't find the words to say. #justiceforgeorge” Image Credit: Monica Walton (@monicawalton_ on Instagram) Monica Walton is a certified drone pilot and a Women Who Drone ambassador living in the Cayman Islands. Hopefully, her decision to use her voice by creating this video will help encourage others to feel free to do the same. You can learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement here. If you’d like to learn more about Monica, check out her Pilot Spotlight Video on our Facebook page or head to her Instagram. If you’d like to see what our other brand ambassadors have accomplished, check out our Pilot Spotlight series on our blog and Facebook page. A big part of helping the movement has been fundraising and sharing links for donations. Protests have been met with the various forms of retaliation and as a result, some people have been arrested for taking to the streets. According to BuzzFeed News, over 11,000 people have been arrested at protests across the United States. Many people, including celebrities, are offering up funds to help bail protesters out of jail. Some people are even offering legal counsel to those who have been arrested while protesting. People are also donating money to the Floyd family to support them in the wake of their tragedy. As of the writing of this article, the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund organized by Floyd’s brother has raised $13,019,800. If you’d like to help the movement monetarily, you can donate to these organizations or wherever you see your contribution making the most difference. You can also check out this guide to supporting black-owned small businesses published by The Finimpact Blog. Thank you for your support during these times. Stay safe and healthy. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #2020protests #WWD #BrandAmbassadors #MonicaWalton #PilotSpotlight #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #AhmaudArbery #BlackoutTuesday #JusticeForGeorge #WomenWhoDroneCommunity

You read that correctly. Do not adjust your screens. Women Who Drone is officially partnered with Getty Images, one of the largest distributors of visual content in the world. The Getty Images Women Who Drone Collection features the aerial content of female drone pilots around the world. This is very exciting news and a sign of WWD's stellar growth since its inception in October 2017. For those of you who are unaware, Getty Images, Inc. is a widely used media licensing agency that sells stock photos, video, music and multimedia products. Their business serves customers in over 100 countries and was the world's first online image licensing agency. Getty Images is responsible for modernizing the stock photo industry, and this partnership is an important step in accomplishing Women Who Drone's goals of inspiring women and girls to join the UAV industry. Through Getty Images, women can share their aerial photography and cinematography and be compensated for it on a large scale. The collection is currently open to female drone pilots who are Certified Drone Pilots in the U.S.A. as well as Women Who Drone's Brand Ambassadors in other countries. To become a Brand Ambassador, check out the application process here. By providing them with a platform, Getty Images is increasing the visibility of female pilots and giving more creators the opportunity to sell their content and prosper. This in turn exposes other women and girls to drones and the UAV industry, encouraging them to channel their creativity into the tech world. This is not the first time that Getty Images has tackled this issue and shown an interest in inspiring women and girls. Getty Images has worked with other well-known brands that focus on women and created collections for this purpose. Last year, Refinery29 expanded their partnership to create their No Apologies collection, a library of images composed with the intention of "accurately representing women’s bodies, diversity, and the experiences that women face in their everyday lives." Women are looking for body positive and authentic images to identify with and this collection is meant to be an answer. Another collection conceived expressly for the empowerment of women is their Lean In collection which currently features around 6,000 curated images. Pam Grossman, Director of Visual Trends at Getty Images, states that part of her job is "broadening what beauty and power can look like." As a result, Grossman collaborated with the non-profit Lean In to launch the collection with the goal of these images changing the current perception of gender roles. Together in 2014, they curated a collection of stock media that reflects the diversity of backgrounds and careers of everyday women and girls, describing their collection as "a library of images devoted to the powerful depiction of women, girls and the people who support them." Ultimately, this collaboration serves as an addition to the growing media presence of women and girls in diverse roles in society. Media influences much of our perception from an early age. We encounter many forms of media in our daily lives, and what we see can become what we expect from the world. The increasing visibility of female professionals normalizes women working in roles typically shown to be occupied by men. Visit our Getty Images collection here. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: #Getty #GettyImages #WWD #WomenWhoDrone #WomenWhoDroneXGettyImages #DronePhotography #DroneVideography #DroneCinematography #AerialContent #LeanInCollection #Refinery29 #NoApologiesCollection #WWDBrandAmbassadors #platforms #UAVIndustry

The commercial drone industry has had to fight negative press since its inception. Five years ago, when drones were just starting to be sold widely for aerial photography and videography, public opinion commonly held that drones were either aerial killing machines or creepy tools for invading your privacy. Since then drones have become more mainstream, but public opinion has been slow to fully catch up. Until now. With the advent of the coronavirus, drones have rocketed into the public eye as a useful tool for fighting its spread. In recent weeks we’ve seen articles in major news outlets describing the various ways that drones are being used to fight the spread of COVID-19, bringing drone technology thoroughly into the mainstream as a public good. In this article, we’re going to look at seven different ways drones are being used to fight COVID-19 throughout the world. The list is roughly organized from the most common to the least common use cases, based on the amount of coverage we’ve seen of each one. 1. Flying Loudspeakers One of the most common use case for drones in the COVID-19 fight is as flying loudspeakers. While the approach taken has varied from one country—or even one county—to the next, the general idea is that drones can fly over a crowd and share information via a loudspeaker about the importance of social distancing without requiring a person to walk up and speak, thus keeping public safety officers out of harm’s way while still conveying important messages. In Wuhan, China, drones have been used as a loudspeaker to fly over people congregating or not wearing masks and ask them to go home, or to put on masks. In Chula Vista, CA, where the police department is a member of the federal UAS Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP), the police plan to use drones to broadcast social distancing information among vulnerable homeless populations. Here is a list of just some of the countries we’ve heard of that are using drones as loudspeakers to fight the spread of COVID-19: Belgium Brazil China France Portugal Spain United States 2. Enforcement of Curfews and Quarantines In addition to using drones to broadcast messages about key safety practices to avoid the spread of COVID-19, public safety agencies throughout the world have been using drone technology to help with curfew and quarantine compliance. Image Credit: XAG The most common use case here is for those in public safety to utilize drones to find out about large gatherings of people—that is, gatherings that pose a high risk of spreading the coronavirus—and then try to break them up using drones as a loudspeaker or simply driving by with a megaphone. This is another use case that has seen widespread adoption, with countries as diverse as Morocco, the Netherlands, France, and Spain using it. 3. Medical Drone Delivery When people talk about using drones to fight the spread of the coronavirus, medical drone deliveries are often top of mind. Image Credit: UPS We’ve seen drone deliveries picking up speed in the last three months, since quarantine efforts have been implemented throughout the world. Terra Drone’s Antwork has been conducting medical drone deliveries in China to help minimize human contact and reduce the chances of spreading the virus. And in the U.S., companies like UPS and Zipline have started ramping up medical drone deliveries to help with anti-COVID-19 efforts. Similar medical delivery work is underway throughout the world. 4. Package Drone Delivery Package delivery by drone is another way that drones are helping reduce human contact, and thus contributing to containment efforts during the global pandemic. Wing’s commercial drone delivery program in Christiansburg, VA has grown exponentially since quarantine efforts began, making a record 1,000 deliveries within two weeks in April alone. Image Credit: Wing Two other drone delivery programs have been recently launched in the U.S.—both within the line of visual sight (VLOS)—one by Flytrex in North Dakota, and one by UPS in Florida for prescription medications. 5. Spraying Disinfectant One of the more novel uses for drones in the COVID-19 fight has been retrofitting agricultural drones, made to spray substances like insecticides to help with farming, so that they can spray disinfectant instead. Image Credit: DJI In China, both DJI and XAG have made changes to their ag drones so that they can be used to spray disinfectants. DJI’s Agras drone has been used to spray a chlorine alcohol-based disinfectant in areas potentially affected by the coronavirus, covering over 3 million square meters with disinfectant in Shenzhen, where the company is based. The company says that spraying disinfectant is “50 times faster than traditional methods.” In addition to outfitting its drones to spray disinfectant, XAG has established a fund of 5 million yuan (about $715,000) to support volunteers who want to use the company's agriculture drones to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. 6. Carrying Banners A less common use case for drones in the COVID-19 fight is outfitting them as flying banners, carrying important information about how to prevent the spread of the virus. 7. Taking Thermal Readings When the coronavirus first hit the global stage there was a lot of talk about how drones outfitted with thermal cameras could help prevent its spread. Image Credit: Draganfly The two primary use cases for thermal drones in the COVID-19 fight are 1) To take temperatures remotely so those who might be infected can find out without having to leave their homes, and 2) To identify those in a crowd who might be sick with COVID-19 so that they can be removed them from the crowd in order to avoid spreading the virus. The first thermal use case has seen some traction in China, as you can see in the video below. However, the second use case seems to be mostly hype. Although some companies have talked a lot about the value of remote thermal readings for security at large events in the new world of the coronavirus, the truth seems to be that thermal technology is better suited for temperature readings in crowds by being placed in a static location on the ground, not flying overhead.

As the drone industry exits its infancy and moves into full adulthood we’re seeing more and more drones being created for specific applications. The Parrot Bluegrass is made just for agricultural use cases, while Impossible Aerospace’s US-1 is made for public safety uses (with a special emphasis on law enforcement applications). Even when you look at the commercial drones created by DJI, the largest drone manufacturer in the world, they’re starting to be focused on more narrow use cases. In advertising its latest drone in the Matrice line, the M300, the company has focused more narrowly on the public safety and inspection sectors, including several features made just to support those two areas. Image Credit: DJI Following this trend in commercial drones, Flyability’s Elios 2 is a drone made just for flying indoors. It sits in a cage designed to allow the drone to sustain collisions while in flight, making it ideal for flying in confined spaces where crashing is likely. The most common uses for an indoor drone like the Elios 2 are for industrial inspections in industries like Oil & Gas or Mining, where being able to collect visual data is a crucial part of operations, but can also pose many hazards and challenges. Image Credit: Flyability Drones are a great way to collect visual data without harming or even needing to touch an asset, since they can fly close to it and film without ever having to touch its surface. Collecting data in this manner, where the object being examined isn’t physically affected in any way, is called Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) by inspectors—NDT can refer to a drone filming the inside of a chimney during an inspection or even to a doctor taking an X-ray to better understand a patient’s injury. Using a caged indoor drone, you can fly into a huge boiler, pressure vessel, or stope (a mining term for an excavation) and get high quality video on its condition. As drones continue to improve, they’re starting to be able to fully replace the need to send people into these dangerous, confined spaces. Here are five ways that indoor drones are improving inspections today. 1. Safety Using an indoor drone to collect video and images inside an asset can replace the need for an inspector to physically enter it. This means a huge reduction in exposing inspectors to hazardous situations and a big increase in safety. 2. Savings Indoor industrial inspections can be incredibly expensive because they often require inspectors to build single-use scaffolding just to reach everything inside the object being inspected. The materials and labor alone that are required to build this scaffolding can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Also, the time taken to erect and take down scaffolding means longer downtimes for the thing being inspected. In the case of a boiler or some other piece of equipment essential to an industrial process like refining oil, this downtime can represent as much as a million dollars a day in lost revenue. Using an indoor drone to remove the need for scaffolding can reduce downtimes by several days, which means huge potential savings for companies that require these types of inspections. Image Credit: Flyability 3. Higher Quality Videos and Photos As drones improve, so do the cameras they use. In some cases, using a drone to collect video and stills during an inspection can mean a higher quality visual output for inspectors than they might get using either their naked eye or the cameras otherwise available to them. 4. Increased Frequency of Inspections In addition to savings, indoor drones can help improve the overall efficiency of inspections by removing all of the extra steps that must be taken when a person has to physically enter a confined space. Because of the reduction in expenses and increase in efficiency enabled by indoor drones, many companies that use indoor drones have started increasing the frequency of their inspections, performing inspections even three or four times more often a year than they had when conducting them manually. This increased frequency means that potential problems in assets get revealed more quickly, thus further enhancing the safety on site. Increasing the frequency of inspections can also help reduce harmful emissions and increase the longevity of a company’s assets, since potential problems can be uncovered and addressed even earlier in the maintenance process. 5. Improved Record of Past Inspections Video captured by indoor drones like the Elios 2 can be reviewed for specific measurements inside of an asset, allowing inspectors to see where exactly a flaw is located. This information can be saved as a historic record of an asset, a kind of visual footprint of the asset's condition at a specific moment in time, allowing inspectors to return to that data later to see how a problem might have developed. Image Credit: Flyability

Image Credit: Drone Racing League First, what is Drone Racing? Drone racing is unlike any other speed competition, and it's probably more than what you would expect it to be. Rather than simply flying a quadcopter from point A to point B, drone racing is an FPV sport that challenges its pilots to fly at high speeds through obstacle courses. FPV means that the pilots have a first-person view of their drone camera footage through FPV goggles. Thus, the racers are immersed in a high-flying competition of speed and strategy. About the Drone Racing League The inklings of drone racing popularity can be traced back to Australia. There, amateur underground circuits were starting to boom in popularity. In the United States, the professional Drone Racing League was founded in 2015 by Nick Horbaczewski and launched its first season in 2016. As of 2018, the DRL is on its 3rd season which will start airing September 6th on ESPN. Each season consists of races in many iconic locations around the world including Atlanta, Munich, and London, and the League engineers custom built drones specifically for racing for their pilots to use. Currently, the DRL’s roster consists of 18 pilots from 6 different countries: Canada, The United States, Germany, The Netherlands, England, and France. Image Credit: Drone Racing League How to Stay in the Know Races are now available for viewing on iTunes, and you can find clips and announcements on the DRL’s official YouTube channel. They also have a Facebook page, twitter, and Instagram. For more information on The Drone Racing League and their events, check out their official website. There, you can create an account and sign up for their newsletter or apply to become a pilot. If you want to experience what it feels like to be a DRL pilot, there is an FPV simulator on their website. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: #DRL #DroneRacingLeague #TheDroneRacingLeague #DroneRacing #FPV #FPVRacing #ESPN #FPVSport #NickHorbaczewski #FPVSimulator #FirstPersonView #DroneRacingSimulator #DRLGame #DRLSimulator #TheDroneRacingLeagueSimulator #DroneRacingGame

Watch as Women Who Drone founder Elena Buenrostro shares her story about how she became interested in drones and what she has set out to accomplish with her company. Women Who Drone (WWD) is an online platform and community that inspires and educates women and girls using drone technology. Elena describes her job as being an aerial cinematographer and photographer who can pilot a drone to capture the world from above. She thinks that the Drone industry is exciting because it's growing and it combines technology and creativity. Before drones became commercially available, aerial cinematography previously had to be done by hiring a helicopter. Growing up, Elena aimed to be the first member of her family to graduate from high school and college. After graduating from high school, Elena wanted to accomplish her dream of taking a solo trip to China and hiking the Great Wall. She also wanted to make a video of it since she was interested in being a professional video producer. Researching how to do so led her to drones. Eventually, she fell in love with filming with drones, and it was this love that then led her to create Women Who Drone, a global community of women, connecting with each other, answering questions, and sharing content they’ve created. As a Latina and a woman, Elena notes that it is rare to see people like her working in the drone industry. When she goes to schools to teach girls about drone technology, she recalls that initially, the girls are uninterested, but when she tells them her story and shows them what she can do, they become intrigued. Elena ends her story poignantly by stating, “The more and more we reach out to younger girls, and we teach them about drone technology, but we also share with them our culture and where we grew up, the more inspired they will become by hearing stories that they can connect to from women like themselves.” I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: #WomenWhoDrone #WWD #ElenaBuenrostro #OurStory #AboutUs #Empowerment #Education #Women #Girls #DroneTechnology #DroneIndustry #STEM #WomenInSTEM #Cinematography #Photography

There are a few reasons why a pilot may want to catch their drone rather than land it, but catching a drone can be tricky and could pose a danger to the pilot attempting the catch. In this video, our founder Elena Buenrostro explains and demonstrates how to safely catch a drone. Catching a drone is a process that's best suited for more advanced pilots who may need to catch their drone in case of an emergency or if they are on a boat or ship. Elena breaks down this process into a couple of simple instructions. Lower your drone; Bring it as low as possible Firmly grab the drone from the bottom middle portion of the body; Go underneath and grab it very firmly from the middle so you don't get nipped by the propellers The third step is a recommendation; Elena recommends that you wear fireproof gloves to protect your hands from the propellers Elena concludes her demonstration by advising that you should only catch your drone if it's necessary and you should hold the left joystick down so that you can turn off the drone simultaneously. I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: #HowTo #Tips #InstructionalVideo #HowToCatchADroneSafely #HowToVideo #Safety #DroneSafety

Image Credit: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International The 5th Annual FAA UAS Symposium is right around the corner. Dubbed the “Remotely Piloted Edition”, this year’s conference will be held in the form of two unique remote episodes. This way attendees will still get to experience presentations, breakout sessions, and have the opportunity to network virtually. If you’re unaware, the FAA UAS Symposium is a conference where people from all corners of the UAS community —  including UAS operators, commercial and recreational remote pilots, and regulators — can connect with one another. Attendees will have access to government and industry representatives and the chance to discuss drone regulations, research, and current initiatives to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System, an ongoing effort that we have discussed before on this blog. The symposium will also feature experts that will be available each day to answer questions from their virtual support center. Image Credit: AUVSI Episode I of the Symposium will be held on July 8-9 and will mainly focus on topics related to airspace integration and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM). Episode II will be held on August 18-19 and will primarily focus on the Integration Pilot Program (IPP)  —  the FAA’s drone innovation program that aims to facilitate safe drone integration by pairing governments with the private sector on approved projects — and various topics related to public safety. Through this conference, the FAA is attempting to cultivate an environment where members of this community can engage with one another and work to contribute to the future of the drone industry. If you’re interested in participating, registration is now open. Attendees can register based on their affiliation: industry, government, military, public safety, or student. Passes range from $150 for one day to the $375 industry pass for both days. If you’re interested in past conferences, proceedings from 2017, 2018, and 2019 are freely available in PDF and video form on the FAA website. Image Credit: AUVSI I am a writer and an artist based in Georgia. Specializing in illustration, graphic design, and video art, I love to explore the new ways technology intersects with art. I think drones have done amazing things for photography and video art, making what would previously be costly and difficult more accessible. As a complete novice, it was only recently that I saw what independent artists could do with their drones, and I continue to be impressed by the sights that drones are able to explore and the images they can capture. Instagram: @tyesha.ferron Tags: FAA, UAS, NAS, FAA, UAS, Symposium, conference, drone conference, remote conference, remote pilots, UAS Integration Pilot Program, UAS community, National Airspace System, airspace integration, Unmanned Traffic Management, UTM, integration pilot program