Category: Drones
Technology models falcon attack to tackle illegal drones
File photo of a drone flying in Hanworth Park in west London. (John Stillwell/PA) Technology is being developed to attack rogue drones just like a peregrine falcon hunts down its prey. The idea is part of a £2 million bid to avoid a repeat of the chaos caused by the gadgets at airports. Radar, electro…
Drone that cost council nearly £36,000 has never been used
A drone that has cost a county council nearly £36,000 has not flown operationally even ONCE since it was purchased more than a year and a half ago. West Sussex County Council became one of the first local authorities in the UK to buy a drone, in February 2018. Then council leader Louise Goldsmith hailed…
John Lewis stops selling drones due to airport chaos
John Lewis has stopped selling drones because of the chaos they caused at airports. The department store took devices off its shelves in May amid growing concern over their misuse. Drone sightings at Gatwick in December caused around 1,000 flights to be cancelled or diverted over 36 hours, affecting more than 140,000 passengers in the…
MPs demand clarity over drone risks
More must be done to understand the risks of drones to public safety and privacy, with clearer penalties, the Government has been told by a group of MPs. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has been looking into the rise of drones, in a bid to address increased fears following a number of…
Uber Eats tests out drone delivery with McDonald’s
Uber is looking to the skies for its food delivery service, carrying out a test using drones to speed up the delivery of McDonald’s meals. The company’s Uber Eats platform is working with the fast food restaurant in San Diego to see how drones could be used to improve deliveries in high-density urban areas, after…
CAA to charge drone operators £16.50 annual fee to join new register
Drone operators will have to pay an annual charge of £16.50 under plans to introduce a new registration scheme in the UK. From the end of November, operators of drones or model aircraft weighing between 250 grams and 20 kilograms will be legally required to register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A new online…
Google-linked firm Wing Aviation gets US go-ahead for drone deliveries
Google-affiliated company Wing Aviation has become the first in the US to be given a government licence for drone deliveries. The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) means Wing Aviation can operate commercial drone flights in part of Virginia, which it plans to begin later this year. The FAA said the company met the…
Aircraft seats manufacturer uses drones to transport spare parts
Collins Aerospace, one of the world’s leading aircraft seats manufacturers, is using drones to transport spare parts from its storage centre a couple of fields away when it would take too long to travel by road. Every minute that the production line in Kilkeel, Co Down, is delayed equates to a £100 loss. “It takes…
Scientists developing robots to clean train carriages
Robots that can clean train carriages and drones that can inspect railway bridge arches are being developed by scientists in two new research projects. The Heriot-Watt University researchers are working on robotised mobile inspection platforms that can operate in hard-to-reach areas such as between and under the seats of a train carriage. The robot platforms will detect…
Futuristic micro-robots could make roadworks a thing of the past
Image: Press Association The Government is investing millions of pounds in the development of futuristic micro-robots designed to work in underground pipe networks and dangerous sites like nuclear decommissioning facilities. It is hoped that devices developed in British universities will spell the end for many disruptive and expensive roadworks, as…
