Drones

Express delivery of small packages by drone is now a reality. GeoPost has launched the first regular commercial line and Amazon has just delivered to its first customer. Forget Father Christmas, the drone postmen are beginning their rounds.
 

A fleet of 500 “Shooting Star” drones flying simultaneously has just set a new world record. American company Intel, specialising in the manufacture of microprocessors, accomplished this feat near Munich, Germany. Watch the video without comment. Read the article.
 

The curiously-shaped Chinese drone, PowerEgg, has just arrived on the market. It’s been developped by PowerVision and is equipped with many state of the art high-tech innovations. Which ones, you might ask? Watch our news report, all is revealed.
 

Aquila, Facebook’s solar-powered drone just carried out its maiden flight. Facebook’s goal is to bring the internet to the 4 billion people on the planet who don’t have access to it. Watch the video without commentary. Read the article.
 

Airbus is currently using drones to carry out A330 fuselage inspections. This means it only takes ten minutes to check for any faults, such as dents or scratches.
 

Finnish farmers have just developed the "Killer Drone". An octocopter to which a chainsaw is attached, giving it the capability of doing a lot of damage. Watch this terrifying video, and read the article.
 

In late January, the first drone certified to operate in explosive environments, delivered a parcel to the crew of a Maersk group liquid gas tanker. A world first. Watch the video, and read the article.
 

The start-up Sunbirds, has just developed a drone capable of long duration assignments with wing integrated solar cells; a solar drone designed with agriculture and monitoring of large infrastructural networks in mind.
 

The PowerEgg is another Chinese drone whose design should not leave anyone indifferent. Its marketing is expected within weeks. Read the article. Watch the video.
 

With the rise of the military UAV market through the world, the need for drone operators will increase. To train them, Silkan, a French SME, has developed a high-tech flight simulator that adapts to all types of drones.
 

After two years’ competition, it is ultimately the Sagem tactical UAV Patroller, which will enter service with the French Army from 2018. Thales was vying with their Watchkeeper, and thus loses out on a contract of 300 million euros.
 

Last November, in Germany, Intel, the US microprocessor specialists, established the world record for the largest number of drones flying simultaneously. One hundred drones flew in formation, and to music. Read the article and watch the video.
 

On the occasion of the "Drone Experience Festival" for civilian drones, we looked at the latest innovations in their autonomy, which is in fact one of the major weaknesses of these flying machines.
 

GeoPost, a subsidiary of the French La Poste Group, has developed the first delivery drone terminal, with the main interest of reducing risks to the maximum for operators.
 

The French start-up Airborne Concept has developed the Drop n' Drone, a drone capable of being launched from an airplane. What’s the point? How does it work? Watch the video to find out.
 

The start-up, Xamen Technologies, has just developed the world’s first ATEX certified drone, which means that the machine can be operated safely in hazardous environments where the slightest spark is prohibited.
 

The US Navy recently completed the world’s first successful in-flight refuelling of a drone, the X-47B, on 22nd April, off the East Coast of the United States.
 

The FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) has just awarded Amazon an experimental airworthiness certificate for the drone they have developed. Parcel deliveries by drone tests will soon begin.
 

On February 15th the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) published its recommendations concerning the flying of civilian drones for professional use. At present there is no law governing this activity in the US, whereas since 2012, France, already has regulations in place; so what are the main similarities and differences between the two countries ?