Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- transportation:drones [2025/04/22 19:49] – [Walmart Drones] timb
+++ transportation:drones [2026/01/11 20:19] (current) – [Zero Zero Robotics] timb
@@ Line 627: / Line 627: @@
 https://gizmodo.com/drone-video-captures-the-moment-this-lost-dog-with-a-broken-leg-was-finally-found-2000546993
+==== 2025 Florida ====
+== Florida Fisherman Saves Drowning Teenager With a Drone ==
+Without his quick thinking, authorities say the teenage girl likely wouldn't have made it out of the rip current alive.
+Vanessa Taylor - May 21, 2025
+Rip currents have already killed 11 people in the U.S. this year, but last week, a Florida teenager managed to avoid joining that group after a quick-thinking shark fisherman used his drone to save her.
+On Thursday, Andrew Smith went fishing at Pensacola Beach after work. Per WSVN, Smith said, “I wasn’t even going to go out and then my friend convinced me to go.” Only 10 minutes after he arrived, a girl came running up asking if anybody could swim. About a hundred yards away from the shore, her friend was battling a rip current.
+Smith can’t swim due to a seizure disorder. However, that disorder is also why he uses a drone instead of a kayak to set bait for sharks. As the ocean continued dragging the teenage girl out, Smith said, “I looked down at the drone and I was like, ‘Well, the drone can swim but I can’t.'”
+After attaching a flotation device to his drone, Smith flew it across the water. The idea was to provide something for the girl to hold onto until first responders arrived. Unfortunately, the first attempt was a “terrible miss.” Per WSVN, Smith explained, “I released it too early, it was really windy. Like, it wasn’t close at all.”
+https://gizmodo.com/florida-fisherman-saves-drowning-teenager-with-a-drone-2000605593
@@ Line 756: / Line 779: @@
 ====== China ======
+===== Ban =====
 == US Considers Potential Rules To Restrict or Bar Chinese Drones ==
@@ Line 770: / Line 795: @@
 https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/01/02/1642245/us-considers-potential-rules-to-restrict-or-bar-chinese-drones
+== The U.S. Could Ban Chinese-Made Drones Used By Police Departments ==
+Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday December 21, 2025 08:05PM
+Tuesday the White House faces a deadline to decide "whether Chinese drone maker DJI Technologies poses a national security threat," reports Bloomberg. But their article notes it's "a decision with the potential to ground thousands of machines deployed by police and fire departments across the US."
+One person making the case against the drones is Mike Nathe, a North Dakota Republican state representative described by the Post as "at the forefront of a nationwide campaign sounding alarms about the Made-in-China aircraft." Nathe tells them that "People do not realize the security issue with these drones, the amount of information that's being funneled back to China on a daily basis."
+<blockquote>
+The president already signed anexecutive orderin June targeting "foreign control or exploitation" of America's drone supply chain. That came after Congress mandated a review to determine whether DJI deserves inclusion in a federal register of companies believed to endanger national security. If DJI doesn't get a clean bill of health for Christmas, it could join Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp.on that Federal Communications Commission list. The designation would give the Trump administration authority to prevent new domestic sales or even impose a flight ban, affecting public agencies from New York to North Dakota to Nevada...
+</blockquote>
+https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/12/22/042225/the-us-could-ban-chinese-made-drones-used-by-police-departments
+== FCC Bans Foreign-Made Drones Over National Security, Spying Concerns ==
+Posted by BeauHD on Monday December 22, 2025 05:40PM
+The FCC has banned approval of new foreign-made drones and components, citing "an unacceptable risk" to national security. The move will most heavily impact DJI but it "does not affect drones or drone components that are currently sold in the United States." Reuters reports:
+<blockquote>
+The tech was placed on the commission's "Covered List," barring DJI and other foreign drone manufacturers from receiving the FCC's approval to sell new drone models for import or sale in the U.S. In Monday's announcement, the agency said that the move "will reduce the risk of direct [drone] attacks and disruptions, unauthorized surveillance, sensitive data exfiltration and other [drone] threats to the homeland."
+FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement that while drones offer the potential to boost public safety and the U.S.' posture on global innovation, "criminals, terrorists and hostile foreign actors have intensified their weaponization of these technologies, creating new and serious threats to our homeland."
+The ruling comes as China hawks in Congress amplify warnings about the security risks of drones made by DJI, which accounts for more than 90% of the global market share. But efforts to crack down on Capitol Hill have been met with some pushback due to the potential impacts of curbing the drone usage on U.S. businesses and law enforcement. A wide variety of sectors, including construction, energy, agriculture and mining companies, as well as local police and fire departments across the country, deploy DJI-made drones.
+</blockquote>
+https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/12/23/0036201/fcc-bans-foreign-made-drones-over-national-security-spying-concerns
+== The U.S. Has Officially Banned New, Foreign-Made Drone Models ==
+Merry Christmas, drone enthusiasts!
+Bruce Gil - December 23, 2025
+The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Monday that it is banning new foreign-made drones and drone components over national security concerns. The move could disrupt the drone industry as it aims to keep popular Chinese brands out of the U.S. market.
+The FCC said the ban follows a review that determined drones and drone parts made outside the U.S. pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.”
+As a result, foreign-made drones and components have been added to the FCC’s Covered List, which includes communications services and equipment that are prohibited in the U.S. over security risks.
+https://gizmodo.com/the-u-s-has-officially-banned-new-foreign-made-drone-models-2000702978
+== Trump administration’s ban on foreign-made drones starts this week — you can say goodbye to new DJI models ==
+Lucas Ropek - 1:16 PM PST December 23, 2025
+On Monday, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission banned all new foreign-made drone models from distribution in the U.S., citing “national security concerns.” Americans who already own older foreign drone models will still be able to use those products, the government said.
+In a fact sheet published Monday, the FCC claimed that “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists” could use drones “to present new and serious threats to our homeland.” As a result, the agency said that it had updated its Covered List — which is a list of products that have been “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security” of the country — to include all “UAS and UAS critical components produced abroad.”
+The FCC’s chairman, Brendan Carr, said Monday that he approved of the policy. “I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign drones and related components, which pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List,” Carr said. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with U.S. drone makers to unleash American drone dominance.”
+The new rule will obviously impact many different companies, but it is destined to strike a blow against Chinese drone maker DJI, which is currently considered the dominant player in drone sales globally. Indeed, DJI is considered to be one of the most popular drone brands for American consumers.
+https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/23/trump-administrations-ban-on-foreign-made-drones-starts-this-week-you-can-say-goodbye-to-new-dji-models/
@@ Line 960: / Line 1044: @@
 https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/06/01/drone-cops-are-coming-for-small-town-america
+==  Shoplifters Could Soon Be Chased Down By Drones ==
+osted by BeauHD on Thursday September 25, 2025 08:30PM
+An anonymous reader quotes a report from MIT Technology Review:
+<blockquote>
+Flock Safety, whose drones were once reserved for police departments, is now offering them for private-sector security, the company announced today, with potential customers including including businesses intent on curbing shoplifting.Companies in the US can now place Flock's drone docking stations on their premises. If the company has a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly beyond visual line of sight (these are becoming easier to get), its security team can fly the drones within a certain radius, often a few miles.
+"Instead of a 911 call [that triggers the drone], it's an alarm call," says Keith Kauffman, a former police chief who now directs Flock's drone program. "It's still the same type of response." Kauffman walked through how the drone program might work in the case of retail theft: If the security team at a store like Home Depot, for example, saw shoplifters leave the store, then the drone, equipped with cameras, could be activated from its docking station on the roof. "The drone follows the people. The people get in a car. You click a button," he says, "and you track the vehicle with the drone, and the drone just follows the car." The video feed of that drone might go to the company's security team, but it could also be automatically transmitted directly to police departments.
+</blockquote>
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/09/25/2231203/shoplifters-could-soon-be-chased-down-by-drones
@@ Line 1055: / Line 1151: @@
-==== Walmart Drones ====
+==== Florida ====
-== People are shooting down Walmart delivery drones ==
+== Florida Bill Would Let Florida Men Shoot Down Intrusive Drones ==
-Shooting at any aircraft is charged as a felony with up to 20 years in prison as the recommended penalty.
+The new legislation flies against the FAA's own regulations prohibiting people from randomly shooting down aircraft.
-Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik - July 3, 2024
+Vanessa Taylor - April 22, 2025
-Walmart recently partnered with drone delivery startup Wing to offer packages shipped same-day by air. There is a laundry list of hurdles to overcome in order for this to be a reality, from regulatory approval, technological integration, and simply making it cost-effective to operate. One of the hurdles that Walmart and Wing have recently stumbled over is gun owners. Last week a Florida man admitted to shooting down a Walmart delivery drone, which he claimed was surveilling him, with a 9mm pistol as it flew over his home.
+Over the years, the increasingly ubiquitous use of drones in the United States has raised a lot of privacy concerns. But if a random drone is hovering around your home, what can you do about it? Well, a new bill in Florida’s Senate would let property owners use “reasonable force” against them.
-Lake County resident Dennis Winn saw the drone, went inside to get his gun from his safe and fired a single shot at the drone, which was “roughly 75 feet in the air.” Winn is apparently a crack shot, because he hit the drone in center mass, and a bullet hole was found in the drone’s payload area once it returned to a nearby Walmart store.
+The bill aims to expand Florida’s overall restrictions on “Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” redefining no-fly zones to include airports and prisons. But its proposal for property owners is generating the most controversy. Currently, it would let anyone with a “reasonable expectation of privacy” on their property use “reasonable force” to stop drones from conducting surveillance.
-https://qz.com/walmart-delivery-drone-shot-down-guns-1851575709
+What constitutes reasonable force, though? Chucking rocks? Or flat out shooting it?
+Your guess is as good as mine.
+Right now, the bill doesn’t put limits on what property owners can do to drones. The only thing that the bill does specify is that drones must be flying under 500 feet over someone’s property to take action. It’s not hard to imagine what some Florida man’s first choice might be, though.
+https://gizmodo.com/florida-bill-would-let-florida-men-shoot-down-intrusive-drones-2000592693
-==== Florida ====
-== Florida Bill Would Let Florida Men Shoot Down Intrusive Drones ==
+==== Walmart Drones ====
-The new legislation flies against the FAA's own regulations prohibiting people from randomly shooting down aircraft.
+== People are shooting down Walmart delivery drones ==
-Vanessa Taylor - April 22, 2025
+Shooting at any aircraft is charged as a felony with up to 20 years in prison as the recommended penalty.
-Over the years, the increasingly ubiquitous use of drones in the United States has raised a lot of privacy concerns. But if a random drone is hovering around your home, what can you do about it? Well, a new bill in Florida’s Senate would let property owners use “reasonable force” against them.
+Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik - July 3, 2024
-The bill aims to expand Florida’s overall restrictions on “Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” redefining no-fly zones to include airports and prisons. But its proposal for property owners is generating the most controversy. Currently, it would let anyone with a “reasonable expectation of privacy” on their property use “reasonable force” to stop drones from conducting surveillance.
+Walmart recently partnered with drone delivery startup Wing to offer packages shipped same-day by air. There is a laundry list of hurdles to overcome in order for this to be a reality, from regulatory approval, technological integration, and simply making it cost-effective to operate. One of the hurdles that Walmart and Wing have recently stumbled over is gun owners. Last week a Florida man admitted to shooting down a Walmart delivery drone, which he claimed was surveilling him, with a 9mm pistol as it flew over his home.
-What constitutes reasonable force, though? Chucking rocks? Or flat out shooting it?
+Lake County resident Dennis Winn saw the drone, went inside to get his gun from his safe and fired a single shot at the drone, which was “roughly 75 feet in the air.” Winn is apparently a crack shot, because he hit the drone in center mass, and a bullet hole was found in the drone’s payload area once it returned to a nearby Walmart store.
-Your guess is as good as mine.
+https://qz.com/walmart-delivery-drone-shot-down-guns-1851575709
-Right now, the bill doesn’t put limits on what property owners can do to drones. The only thing that the bill does specify is that drones must be flying under 500 feet over someone’s property to take action. It’s not hard to imagine what some Florida man’s first choice might be, though.
-https://gizmodo.com/florida-bill-would-let-florida-men-shoot-down-intrusive-drones-2000592693
@@ Line 1311: / Line 1407: @@
 https://gizmodo.com/djis-popular-chinese-drones-get-temporary-reprieve-may-still-be-banned-2000540839
+== DJI says it ‘welcomes’ imminent US drone ban review – here’s why ==
+A genuine in-depth evaluation could clear up lingering suspicions over security risks
+Sam Kieldsen - June 4, 2025
+According to reports in the US, the Trump administration may be about to issue a total ban on US sales of Chinese-made drones. While that might sound like disastrous news for the likes of DJI, it may in fact provide it with an excellent opportunity to finally clear up any lingering doubts over security risks.
+The Washington Post claims that, as early as this week, the White House will issue multiple executive orders that could lead to companies like DJI being effectively barred from selling any new models in the US.
+Assuming the reports are true (and bearing in mind that Trump has U-turned on some proposed tariff and trade policies) this would be the latest development in an ongoing cold war between the US government and Chinese drone companies.
+https://www.techradar.com/cameras/drones/dji-says-it-welcomes-imminent-us-drone-ban-review-heres-why
@@ Line 1458: / Line 1566: @@
 https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/dji-neo-review
+== DJI’s Tinniest, Cheapest Drone Is Coming Back to Terrorize Your Neighborhood ==
+Or at least, it will if you can actually import one into the U.S.
+Kyle Barr - October 24, 2025
+Dronemaker DJI is hinting that we could be in store for one last drone launch before the end of the year. However, leakers already have spoilers for what appears to be a sequel to the small, cheap, and incredibly loud DJI Neo drone. The little drone could scream as loud as a banshee’s wail, which makes it the perfect doohickey to bring us frights before All Hallows’ Eve. However, it likely won’t be coming to the U.S. anytime soon over the government’s own fears of Chinese surveillance.
+Drone and action camera leaker Igor Bogdanov posted numerous images on X showing off what is clearly a successor to the DJI Neo, likely to be called the Neo 2. Bogdanov has a relatively accurate track record for leaks, so the images may be coming from DJI’s upcoming official announcement. Judging purely by the pics, the new Neo drone sports an updated propeller cage and an expanded antenna on the back. It still appears to be the same small size as the first Neo, though it apparently has additional sensor bars on the front panel.
+https://gizmodo.com/dji-neo-2-drone-leaked-specs-features-2000676633
@@ Line 1710: / Line 1828: @@
-====== Zero Zero Robotics ======
+===== Voltair =====
+== Self Charging Drones ==
+Voltair - Winter 2026
+Voltair builds drones that ‘perch’ like birds to recharge on power lines. For this first time, this allows for drones with infinite range. Removing battery swaps is the last step to deploy UAVs autonomously at scale. After building drones for the Air Force and DARPA, Ronan realized this was both practical and technically feasible.
+Power utilities are the perfect first customer. Drone inspections identify maintenance concerns before they cause faults. Faults cause power outages, and spark wildfires - like the Eaton Fire in early 2025 where 19 people lost their lives and nearly 10,000 structures were destroyed. Fires bankrupt utilities and make them uninsurable. Autonomous drones can deliver over 20x the inspection coverage for the same cost.
+Since June, we’ve validated our core charging tech on a power line, built 5x flying prototypes, and inspected ~2000 poles.
+After power companies, we will service rail, road, telecom, real estate and other inspection markets. Insurance and grid traders also want our data product. At scale we are a new infrastructure layer for data on the physical world.
+https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/voltair
+===== Zero Zero Robotics =====
 == HOVERAir X1 Review: A Fun Self-Flying Drone For the Selfie Lover ==
@@ Line 2022: / Line 2160: @@
 https://gizmodo.com/drone-flight-through-wrigley-field-will-make-anyone-a-c-1849614644
+====== Show / Drone Show ======
+== From festivals to weddings: Why drone shows are booming ==
+Chris Baraniuk - 10 June 2025
+The wedding ceremony was almost over when newlywed Bobby Underwood stepped on a napkin-covered glass to break it, as is Jewish tradition, and everyone shouted "Mazel Tov!".
+But as he and his new wife Siobhan turned to walk back down the aisle, their wedding officiants said, "Wait." There was a surprise.
+"All of these drones started rising up," recalls Mrs Underwood. "It was honestly remarkable, very overwhelming – and incredibly emotional for us."
+Around 300 drones appeared in the night sky, displaying lights of various colours, and forming images chosen to represent the bride and groom.
+These included a baseball player hitting a ball – as Mr Underwood is a big baseball fan – and a diamond ring being placed on a finger.
+The couple were married on New Year's Eve 2024, in New York State. Mrs Underwood's mother had arranged the surprise drone show with help from the couple's wedding planner – who had suggested it as a "wow factor" component of the day. It seemed to have the desired effect.
+https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c79ewz7qej4o
@@ Line 2139: / Line 2302: @@
 https://www.wired.com/story/drone-accessories-weapons-of-war/
+==  17-Year-Old Student Builds 3D-printed Drone In Garage, Interests DoD and MIT ==
+Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday June 15, 2025 08:34AM
+"Cooper Taylor is only 17 years old, but he's already trying to revolutionize the drone industry," writes Business Insider:
+<blockquote>
+His design makes the drone more efficient, customizable, and less expensive to construct, he says. He's built six prototypes, 3D printing every piece of hardware, programming the software, and even soldering the control circuit board. He says building his drone cost one-fifth of the price of buying a comparable machine, which sells for several thousand dollars. Taylor told Business Insider he hopes that "if you're a first responder or a researcher or an everyday problem solver, you can have access to this type of drone."
+His innovation won him an $8,000 scholarship in April at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, funded by the Defense Department. Then, on May 16, he received an even bigger scholarship of $15,000 from the US Navy, which he won after presenting his research at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair...
+It all started when Taylor's little sister got a drone, and he was disappointed to see that it could fly for only about 30 minutes before running out of power. He did some research and found that a vertical take-off and landing, or VTOL, drone would last longer. This type of drone combines the multi-rotor helicopter style with the fixed wings of an airplane, making it extremely versatile. It lifts off as a helicopter, then transitions into plane mode. That way, it can fly farther than rotors alone could take it, which was the drawback to Taylor's sister's drone. Unlike a plane-style drone, though, it doesn't need a runway, and it can hover with its helicopter rotors.
+</blockquote>
+Taylor designed a motor "that could start out helicopter-style for liftoff, then tilt back to become an airplane-style motor," according to the article.
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/06/15/0148202/17-year-old-student-builds-3d-printed-drone-in-garage-interests-dod-and-mit