Perseverance Rover captured audio of the Ingenuity flying on Mars, adding another new dimension to the historic Mars 2020 Mission.
Drone helps disinfect Churchill Downs before Kentucky Derby
The race was on – safely – for more than 50,000 spectators Saturday at the 147th Kentucky Derby in part thanks to Pittsburgh-based AERAS. The company used its patented charged-electrostatic drone technology to sanitize Churchill Downs against COVID-19. This in part helped allow fans to return to the oldest sporting event in the United States.…
Ingenuity Helicopter prepping for new demo phase on Mars
Ingenuity could soon embark on a new operation, exploring how aerial scouting could benefit future exploration of Mars and other worlds.
Exyn drones achieve Level 4 autonomy
Exyn drones are now capable of free-flight exploration of highly complex spaces like mines with no necessity for fallback-ready human operators. This capability opens up new markets including search and rescue operations.
Ingenuity Helicopter flies faster, farther on 3rd Mars flight
Ingenuity flew faster and farther than any tests that took place here on Earth.
Watch: Ingenuity Helicopter completes historic first flight on Mars
Ingenuity Helicopter became the first aircraft to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Ingenuity Helicopter needs a software update before first flight
Update will modify the process by which two flight controllers boot up, allowing the hardware and software to safely transition to the flight state.
First flight attempt for Ingenuity Helicopter delayed
During a high-speed test of the rotors, the command sequence controlling the test ended early due to a “watchdog” timer expiration.
Ingenuity Helicopter touched down on Mars
NASA is one step closer to achieving the first flight on another planet as the Ingenuity Helicopter touched down on Mars over the weekend.
NASA preparing for Ingenuity Helicopter launch on Mars
NASA is targeting no earlier than April 8 for the launch of Ingenuity on Mars . But before that happens, it must hit a series of milestones.
Small drones team up to carry heavy packages
Many parcel delivery drones of the future are expected to handle packages weighing five pounds or less, a restriction that would allow small, standardized UAVs to handle a large percentage of the deliveries now done by ground vehicles. But will that relegate heavier packages to slower delivery by conventional trucks and vans? A research team…
Soft actuator enables smaller, more agile drone design
New soft actuator can flap nearly 500 times per second, giving drones insect-like resilience.
Skydio 1st U.S. drone maker to reach unicorn status
Skydio, a Calif.-based drone developer, has become the robotics industry’s newest unicorn after closing a $170 million Series D funding round. This brings Skydio’s total funding to date to more than $340 million. Skydio is the first U.S. drone maker to be valued at more than $1 billion. Skydio’s drones are best known for their…
Q&A: Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief engineer Bob Balaram
Balaram described what it took to develop the helicopter and what to expect on Mars.
6 facts you need to know about NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter
Ingenuity’s four carbon-fiber blades spin in opposite directions at around 2,400 rpm – many times faster than a helicopter on Earth.
DroneDeploy raises $50M in Series E funding
Enterprise drone data company DroneDeploy raised $50 million in Series E financing. The round was led by existing investors Energize Ventures and AirTree, with participation from Bessemer, Scale, Emergence, Angelpad, Uncork and Frontline Ventures. This funding brings DroneDeploy’s total fundraising to date to $142 million. The investment will be used to expand the company’s products…
Wingcopter raises $22M Series A for commercial drones
Wingcopter, a German developer of commercial drones founded in 2017, raised $22 million in Series A funding. Wingcopter will use the funding to scale its presence in the drone delivery space, with a special focus on healthcare-related applications. The Wingcopter 178 Heavy Lift drone can cover distances up to 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) and offers…
What the FAA’s landmark approval means for commercial drones
Welcome to Episode 31 of The Robot Report Podcast, which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us each week for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community. You can subscribe to The Robot Report Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Spotify and more. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave us a…
FAA Drone Advisory Committee selects new members
About one week after issuing two rules that could finally open up the commercial drone industry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has appointed new members to its Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). The committee gives the FAA advice on key drone integration issues by helping to identify challenges and prioritize improvements. The new mmbers are executives…
Teledyne acquiring FLIR for $8B in major merger
Both companies make cameras, sensor systems and unmanned systems, among other products, but there is not much overlap.
Long-awaited FAA rules clear commercial drones for takeoff
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued two new rules for U.S. drone operators, a potential significant step forward for the commercial drone industry. The FAA will allow small drones to operate at night and over people and will require remote identification of the drones. Remote ID will be required for all drones weighing 0.55 lb…
Robotics investments recap: November 2020
While investment in robotics and automation continued apace in November 2020, the total amount was about half of what it was in the same month a year ago.