Little Flying Machines - IUAS Biz Direct

Drone Jobs, UAV, UAS - Careers (part 2)

2015-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Advanced Tactics is presently showing 1 job posting for a Software/Controls Engineer. The posting is not dated, no idea how long it has been out there. The requirements are a bit stiff (advanced education plus pilots license), but even if you partly qualify give it a shot. Employers typically are asking for the perfect candidate which they may never find, so why not you?

Click on the logo above to go to the Advanced Tactics Career Page.

Please comment with your results if you do apply.

Aerovironment is presently showing 7 job openings posted in the past 2 weeks for Software, IT and Test Engineers, along with Program Management. These are advanced degree positions also. Same advice as above, give it a try, you won't know until you apply.

Click on the logo above to go to the Aerovironment Career Page.

Please comment with your results if you do apply.

Aeryon Labs is presently showing 22 job openings posted for Engineering, Accounting, Administrative, Human Resources, Product and Marketing, Operations and Strategy/Operations. They are located in Waterloo, Ontario. Check out the sUAS Robotics Test Pilot position. Not too heavy on the educational requirements, sounds like a fun job. These postings are not dated, so you will only find out if they are still available by applying.

Click on the logo above to go to the Aeryon Labs Career Page.

Please comment with your results if you do apply.

Job Opportunity: Drone Pilot - Videographer

2015-11-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

I have a job opportunity for a person who has experience flying drones and creating videos to post to the internet. These videos would document flying a collection of multirotor drones in a comparison test. Besides being an avid drone pilot, good video production skills are a must, along with a real interest in drones. Location: SE Michigan, Detroit area preferred, or someone within a few hours drive. The drones will be provided by IUAS Biz Direct, if you have previous videographer and drone pilot experience, this is your chance to learn to fly and document some new drones. It should be a lot of fun along the way. Please forward a link(s) to your photo or video collections, videos posted on the internet, or a link to your website. Detail your experience with flying drones as well. I look forward to hearing from you. You can comment here on the blog, or send email to james@iuasbizdirect.com.

Jobs in Drones, UAV, UAS - Careers (part 1)

2015-11-02T12:28:00.002-05:00

With all the hype about drones, is there true growth in the industry? A good indicator will be when these companies need to expand their staff and start hiring talent. Here is a sampling of Drone Manufacturers with career opportunities:

3D Robotics has many jobs listed on their Career Page. Technical positions such as Software Development and Engineering, plus Program Management openings, to name a few. I don't see posting dates on these positions, makes me wonder how current they are. Give it a shot, besides, who wouldn't want to work in Berkeley and live in the Frisco area? Click on the logo above to go to the 3DR career page. Please comment with your results if you do apply.

Insitu has a lot of postings, a large variety from Engineers to UAS Operators and Technicians. These postings are dated, there are some that are only a few days old! Locations are very desirable, Bingen, Vancouver and White Salmon, WA......Hood River, OR.....San Mateo, CA. All great places to live. Click on the logo above to go to the Insitu career page. (I may apply myself). Please comment with your results if you do apply.

Get Involved: Voice your Opinion to the FAA for UAS UAV Drone Registration

2015-10-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

The FAA has assembled a task force with the sole purpose of product registration for UAS in the US. Below are the questions they pose, and are looking for comments on their website. See the link at the bottom to take you there and register your comments. This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard as we march toward the new rules to be published next year in 2016.

FAA - UAS REGISTRATION TASK FORCE QUESTIONS:

1. What methods are available for identifying individual products? Does every UAS sold have an individual serial number? Is there another method for identifying individual products sold without serial numbers or those built from kits?

2. At what point should registration occur (e.g. point-of-sale or prior-to-operation)? How should transfers of ownership be addressed in registration?

3. If registration occurs at point-of-sale, who should be responsible for submission of the data? What burdens would be placed on vendors of UAS if DOT required registration to occur at point-of-sale? What are the advantages of a point-of-sale approach relative to a prior-to-operation approach?

4. Consistent with past practice of discretion, should certain UAS be excluded from registration based on performance capabilities or other characteristics that could be associated with safety risk, such as weight, speed, altitude operating limitations, duration of flight? If so, please submit information or data to help support the suggestions, and whether any other criteria should be considered.

5. How should a registration process be designed to minimize burdens and best protect innovation and encourage growth in the UAS industry?

6. Should the registration be electronic or web-based? Are there existing tools that could support an electronic registration process?

7. What type of information should be collected during the registration process to positively identify the aircraft owner and aircraft?

8. How should the registration data be stored? Who should have access to the registration data? How should the data be used?

9. Should a registration fee be collected and if so, how will the registration fee be collected if registration occurs at point-of-sale? Are there payment services that can be leveraged to assist (e.g.PayPal)?

10. Are there additional means beyond aircraft registration to encourage accountability and responsible use of UAS?

Comments received by November 6, 2015 would be most helpful in assisting the UAS registration task force in developing its recommendations. The comment period will remain open after this period and the Department will consider the comments received, in addition to the UAS registration task force's recommendations, in developing a stream-lined registration process for small UAS, including model aircraft.

Regulations.gov-FAA-2015-4378-0022

Has the FAA Delivered a Death Blow to SkyPan International and their Drone (UAV, UAS) company?

2015-10-06T18:30:00.003-04:00

For those of you flying illegally, take notice. The FAA has not fired a warning shot across the bow for violations of regulations, they have dropped an Atomic Bomb.

Press Release – FAA Proposes $1.9 Million Civil Penalty Against SkyPan International for Allegedly Unauthorized Unmanned Aircraft Operations

"The FAA alleges that the company conducted 65 unauthorized commercial UAS flights over various locations in New York City and Chicago between March 21, 2012 and Dec. 15, 2014. The flights involved aerial photography. Of those, 43 flew in the highly restricted New York Class B airspace."

What is really interesting here is that Skypan received their FAA 333 Exemption April 17th, 2015, after all these alleged violations occurred. (the FAA 333 exemption provides a set of rules to follow for legal operation of drones, uav, uas in the national airspace) I've always heard ignorance of the law is no excuse, this is a great example of that. After the dust clears with all of the upcoming legal battles, will Skypan even have the resources to continue? Looking at the Subpoena from the FAA, the contracts were quite lucrative, but hardly enough to cover $1.9M

Subopena

Macklowe Properties contracted SkyPan for the photo shoots, yielding some impressive photos.

Drone Photo of the Day - Drone Promotions

2015-08-26T18:11:00.002-04:00

Beautiful photos (Lake Tahoe?)

visit Drone Promotions here

Website Photo of the Day - Eric Silberg Photography

2015-08-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

Came across this photo of Eric while searching thru drone, uav, uas websites:

Check out his website, full of stunning photos...He is also FAA 333 Exemption approved!

Video of the day: Top 3 Drones you should buy (BE CAREFUL)

2015-08-23T10:01:00.001-04:00

There are plenty of choices for drones, in a lot of different price ranges. Of course, most importantly is the reason why you want to buy a drone...for fun, starting a business, etc. etc. Below is a good video piecing together 3 UAV videos. Make sure to take your time and research the products. HEXO+ has made deliveries, I am still not sure Plexidrone is delivering at all. Then watch the second video from the not-so-happy Plexidrone buyer. Personally, I would never buy a UAV until it had been on the market for awhile and proves itself with a lot of positive feedback.

HEXO+:

Advertised as a "flying camera", $1,349 from their website.

PHENOX:

Very Creative, check it out. $1,250 for the complete drone, there are DIY options to save some cash.

PLEXIDRONE:

Probably the worst website I have ever seen, nothing there to see, after tapping Pre-Order Now you are directed to the IndieGoGo crowdfunding site. The snap together features look like some cool innovation. It was obvious to me that the vehicle in the video is a rapid prototype, with the white rough surfaces. Then I found the video below, which makes me doubt the whole Plexidrone thing. Have any Plexidrone Multirotors been delivered?

Drone video of the day: Helicam Aerial Cinematography

2015-08-14T23:59:00.003-04:00

Cool Video of the Day

Check out this Progressive Forward Thinking Drone Company: Matternet

2015-07-31T11:52:00.001-04:00

I have looked at a lot of Drone UAV UAS websites in the past few months, some stand out like this company from Menlo Park, CA, USA. The site design is very intriguing to say the least. Their multirotor is intended as a Delivery Vehicle, not advertised as a "do it all" as so many say about their product. They have a vision for the future, and it is to help people in need, specifically 3rd world countries lacking infrastructure. Below is a capture from their video, showing a ground station, where the drone will refuel and continue on it's mission.

Re-Fueling Station: Matternet (click for site access)
Company Vision: TED Talk with Andreas Raptopoulos

Go on the site and look around, I look forward to see how they progress.

NASA'S 'FLYING SAUCER' LAUNCH USED RAVEN BALLOON

2015-07-29T12:09:00.003-04:00

Photo: Courtesy NASA; This artist’s concept shows the test vehicle for NASA’s low-density supersonic decelerator, designed to test landing technologies for future Mars missions.

NASA's so-called flying saucer launch Monday had a super-sized connection to Sioux Falls-based Raven Industries Inc.

The balloon used in the launch was a high-altitude balloon from Raven Aerostar. It has a volume of 34 million cubic feet, measuring 460 feet wide and 396 feet tall. By comparison, the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol is 1.2 million cubic feet.

NASA's low-density supersonic decelerator project completed its test flight Monday when the saucer-shaped craft splashed down safely off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The decelerator, a flying-saucer shaped craft designed to slow spacecraft in thin atmospheres such as on asteroids and on Mars, launched from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility using the Raven balloon. After it was carried to an altitude of almost 120,000 feet, the test vehicle separated from the balloon. An on-board rocket motor ignited and continued to carry the vehicle to almost 180,000 feet.

NASA tested two technologies — a supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator and a supersonic parachute. The decelerator deployed and inflated. The supersonic parachute also deployed but didn't inflate.

The decelerator is designed to help land spacecraft and, someday, humans on Mars.

Raven considered the launch successful in terms of its products. The balloon was able to carry the 8,000-pound payload to its float altitude for a test to start. While the supersonic deceleration parachute tested didn't inflate, a recovery parachute for the balloon, which Raven made, worked well.

SOURCE Sioux Falls Business Journal

Scientists of DLR (German Aerospace Center) successfully performed a stratospheric flight with a small sized UAS being launched in 20km altitude.

2015-07-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

Check out this video of this high altitude flight. Do you just go and do this or do you need approval first??

Michael Waller, RIT - Interview

2015-07-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

It was my pleasure to sit with Michael during the AUVSI show in Atlanta earlier this year and talk about his Doctoral research at Rochester Institute of Technology. His official title is Fuel Cell & Solar Energy Engineer (right off his business card). Michael did a nice job speaking in terms that I could understand and hopefully make sense to my readers.

Michael: I live in Rochester NY, currently attending RIT. We are developing a fuel cell system that can be use in unmanned applications. The System takes propane on one end and generates electricity on the other end. (I know he is trying to dumb it down for me, and that is OK). It is capable of being much more efficient than a combustion engine, with a much higher energy density, or specific energy, than batteries.

Me: You mentioned this will be used in small UAVs....how small?

Michael: We are targeting drones up to 55 lbs. (aha, right within the FAA rules). It would produce 250 Watts to 5KW. We are working on a prototype that is a 55W system that can run on a 1lb propane tank that you can buy just about anywhere. This would give you about 5 hours of flight time.

Me: Flight Time is a critical factor with these UAVs, straight battery powered vehicles seem very limited currently.

Michael: Yes, Run Time is a big limiting factor, but what has surprised me after talking to many people here at the conference is the concern over Ease of Use.

Me: I have flown RC fixed wing craft, enough to know that is can be difficult while flying line of sight. They move so fast you don't have a lot of time for corrections. The multi-rotors tend to be easier to fly out of the box. Which airframe are you pursuing with this technology?

Michael: It is nice to start with a Fixed Wing because they consume only about 1/4 of the power of a Multi-Rotor. There will be an ease of integration with our system onto any vehicle though.

Me: I come from an Automotive Design background, where fuel cells have been under development for quite some time. Is there any knowledge to be gained from their advancements?

Michael: There is quite a bit of overlap whether it is membrane technology or fuel cell stack design. (you're losing here a little Mike, sorry).

Afterthoughts: Very bright young man, he is the type of thinker/scientist that will help advance the UAV UAS Drone industry for years to come. Michael hinted that the main "buzz" right now is all about the vehicles themselves, but once that dies down a bit you will discover that other technologies such as this will rise to the top and become the main industry focus. If you would like to learn more about this topic, here is a link to RIT and their Fuel Cell Research: Propelling Fuel Cell Technology

IdeaFly, Drone UAS UAV company from Schenzhen, China sites Honor

2015-07-15T18:07:00.002-04:00

Interesting drop down in this Drone company from China, a tab called Honor. That is a good thing to advertise for any business. The english translation is not 100%, but you get the idea. I have never worked for a company that claimed to Honor it's employees.

IdeaFly

40 Uses for Drones UAVs UAS

2015-07-14T11:42:00.004-04:00

A nice chart from Opspeculate, there are probably more uses they didn't think of. Can you?

Insitu offers 3D modeling capability from imagery captured by airborne surveillance systems

2015-07-11T08:46:00.001-04:00

IRVINE, Calif. June 19, 2015 - 2d3 Sensing, an agile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology provider specializing in the improvement, processing, exploitation, and dissemination of motion imagery and metadata, introduces a 3D modeling capability as part of the latest release of its enterprise full motion video (FMV) PED software suite that extracts information from imagery captured by airborne surveillance systems.
2d3 Sensing’s suite of motion imagery software provides the capabilities operators and analysts need to effectively process and manage FMV for tactical ISR operations – from enhancing and improving image quality, to extracting and sharing GEOINT data. This latest capability leverages the company’s long history in the field of computer vision to accomplish 3D scene reconstruction based on a video sequence or a set of still images. The modeling tool can generate a 3D reconstruction from uncalibrated sensors within minutes, a differentiator in this competitive field. Users can then leverage these models to facilitate tactical planning by providing better target understanding and situational awareness.
“Some tactical operations require a thorough understanding of the scene beyond information gleaned from 2D aerial imagery,” commented Jon Damush, VP and GM of Missions Systems Programs at Insitu Inc. and former CEO of 2d3 Sensing. “With this 3D capability, users can now perform operational planning tasks that were difficult to accomplish without 3D data, such as planning maneuvers on mountainous terrain or analyzing line-of-sight to a target, and have a more holistic perspective of the operation prior to launch.”

For more information visit here

Hilarious Drone Video of the Day - Roman Candle Drone Attack!

2015-05-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

You know I've always said, if you live somewhere that has real winters, you have to learn to love the snow and ice. Check out these Canadian guys in their shorts running around on a frozen lake:

Run For Your Life!

UAV Factory, interview with Yu-Min Pang (UAV UAS Drones)

2015-05-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

I had an interesting conversation with Yu-Min Pang, at the AUVSI 2015 show in Atlanta.

Pang: UAV Factory is located in Latvia, with sales and service here in the US. We offer this complete fly-out-of-the-box system, which includes a Launcher. This UAV you are looking at (Penguin C) is set up for military use, but can be used be used in a number of commercial applications.

Me: What is the advantage of the Catapult? (I ask obvious questions a lot, but sometimes I am surprised by the answers).

Pang: Most fixed wing need a runway, this can launch in a 50 sq. meter diameter area. It can be set up in 15 minutes.

Me: Advantages to the parachute system?

Pang: Weight and aerodynamics, much more streamlined with no landing gear. Also, we have a 20 hour endurance with this gas powered vehicle. We are under the FAA 55 weight limit also.

The Penguin B platform is a Do It Yourself system. It has a huge payload area that is very customizable. The gas motor includes an electric generator, which provides power for the servos and autopilot. You can build your own compartments, etc. It is a heavily modified 3W 28 cc motor, fuel injected.

Me: Very Cool!

Me: I am amazed by the fuel injection system...

Pang: 2 years in the development of the system. Also, there is a super silent silent muffler, very quiet while in the air.

Me: Ok, (I was ready to wrap up it when he interrupted me, he really is proud of these UAVs!)

Pang: So the Penguin B is primarily a runway take off and landing system, but it can be mounted on the launcher. The Penguin C is full turnkey. We use our own gimbal, with a live HD data link. Right now we are flying this UAV in Latvia, LIVE during the show.

Me: (I can see the monitor to the right, what the UAV is seeing, looks like farm land in Latvia).

Pang: After the Parachute is deployed, there is an airbag which is deployed for the landing. The chute also detaches from the vehicle upon landing, so the wind doesn't pull it around on the ground.

Me: This is a serious machine! Thats not a Takata air bag is it? (laughing). Just a joke.....

Pang: (He didn't laugh at all and kept right on going)...

Me: Size of your company, and always my last question, are you hiring?

Pang: Around 70 people, and yes we are looking for a sales rep in the US. I am the Asian Rep.

Trevor Briggs, Silent Falcon UAS UAV Drone interview

2015-05-23T09:45:00.003-04:00

Here at 2015 AUVSI show in Atlanta, speaking with Trevor Briggs. Their booth is right across from the FAA booth, which is Very busy (everyone loves the FAA!). Check out their site:

Silent Falcon UAS Technologies

We are from Albuquerque, running an all electric, solar enhanced aircraft. Our data shows we can get 8 hrs of endurance, under perfect conditions, plan for 5-6 hrs under normal conditions. Range of up to 100 km, using Persistent Systems radios for our comms, we use one of their tracking antennas.

Me: What about the ground control station, is it something you have developed?

Trevor: We use Micro Pilot as our auto-pilot manufacturer, and they have their command and control interface which is included. We set that up on 2 laptops, one for auto-pilot and one for payload, with a big monitor between the 2 for situational awareness. We have had to do some programming on it for customization.

Me: how would you describe the size of this vehicle? I would call it Mid-Size, compared to most fixed wing that I have seen at the show so far.

Trevor: That sounds right, it weighs 30 lbs..

Me: I heard you just had a sale?

Trevor: Yes, the company is called Osprey View, a service provider in Maryland. Their will be doing a mining mission.

Me: What is the benefit you derive from the solar assist on the wings?

Trevor: We get quite a bit, 2-4 hours without solar, 5-6 with the solar assist.

Me: Are you hiring?

Trevor: We are looking for additional manufacturing staff in the next few weeks, please visit our website for more details.

What Drone UAV UAS should I buy? (Part 2)

2015-05-21T21:29:00.001-04:00

I can tell you what the 333 exempt fliers are using, based from their declarations in their petitions with our beloved FAA. DJI, in a word. See the charts below for more information. But the question is, will this out of the box solution meet the needs of your commercial business here in the US in a few months, in a year? As your business evolves, your equipment needs may evolve as well. For an interesting take on this, see my interview with Derek Lyons, Prioria Robotics:

Derek Lyons, Prioria Robotics Interview - IUAS Biz Direct

I would like to hear from commercial fliers who have already upgraded or simply changed to more specific UAV UAS Drones to meet their business needs.Please post a Comment Below.

Much Thanks to Lisa Ellman for the graphics (and research behind it):

AUVSI 2015- Interview with Derek Lyons, Prioria Robotics

2015-05-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

Derek: I am V.P. of Marketing and Sales for Prioria Robotics, a small UAS Manufacturer out of Gainesville, FL. We transitioned technology from the Univ. of Florida Air Force research lab and NASA to create the Maveric, a 2.5 lb, backpack portable UAS, which can fold up into a 6" tube. The goal of it was to help in the Military space do the dull, dirty, and dangerous work and to see what is over the hill without putting a person at risk. We wanted a small compact, very light system.

Me: Are you selling this commercially?

Derek: Yes we are, we have sold to and helped with local Law Enforcement and the product is being sold domestically and internationally.

Me: DJI has a stranglehold on the commercial side here in the US, you mentioned in the panel that there is more that goes into a product like this than an out of the box product. Can you shed some light on that?

Derek: I'll give you an analogy: When you first play golf, you don't care what your clubs are like, you go out and hit, and those clubs fit your needs while you are learning. Sooner or later you will want new clubs which are more specialized, or a whole new set of clubs as your game develops. DJI has a great out of the box product, which provides quality imagery, cost effectively. Our products have gone through the DOD testbed and can perform in extreme temperature, wind and humidity conditions, whereas out of the box solutions typically cannot. When you pay more for a system, you are asking for more, and that is what we offer.

Me: With the advent of 3D scanning and printing and different laws in international countries, how valid are patents anymore to protect your products?

Derek: What is most important is not just the UAV, or the vehicle itself, it is the whole system, or the UAS. That is what needs to be protected. It is the way information is delivered, the way the interface works. These are the patentable items, a systems approach. We want to embed intelligence into our systems that allows you to have a unique interaction in a systematic way.

Me: I've noticed a lot of companies coming into the picture very recently in this mad scramble of UAV UAS Drones. Can you give me a brief history of your company and products?

Derek: We have 35 people on board, 13 years in the business. We started in embedded engineering, one of our earlier jobs to help this small company Phillips, detect and correct an error in their MRI machines. (we both laugh about the "small company" remark). The rush and growth in this market has lead to some products which are not particularly safe and cause concern outside the industry. Our system approach provides a very safe product.

Me: Ok, my last question, or 2 questions actually. Are you hiring, and what field of study would you recommend young people get into to get a job in UAV UAS Drones?

Derek: 1) we are always hiring, the right people 2) study engineering, math, but also be inquisitive, know how things work together. Start asking "how and whys" for everything that interests you. We have helped a couple of teams do robotics challenges and we want to foster this type of thinking in kids. This is where great research comes from, this inquisitive approach.

For more information visit: http://www.prioria.com

AUVSI 2015, Interview with Liquid Robotics and Joanne Masters

2015-05-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

Joanne Masters- Corp Communications for Liquid Robotics:

The founder of the Wave Glider, Joe Rizzi, liked humpback whales. He wanted to record the whale's songs, sacred in the hawaiian culture. He needed a system that could stay on the water for long periods of time, and not leave a footprint (fin print?)

He asked his friend Derek Hine, and his son Roger, to figure this out.

It has no fuel, looks like a surfboard, with an umbilical cord down to the "wing rack", where the up and down motion of the waves are converted into forward motion.

The wing rack is purely mechanical. On the surface of the water, the wave glider has 3 solar panels which power the onboard sensors and computing. The chief software architect is the inventor of Java, Dr. James Gosling. Solar also powers the communications. It can be out at sea for a year at a time, only needs to come in occasionally for cleaning. The Wave Glider is very cost effective when monitoring for smugglers, seismic activity, control fleets, looking for oil leaks and submarine detection, to name a few.

Me: Any other market segments?

Joanne: Defense, Oil and Gas, Environmental Monitoring. We worked the BP spill in the Gulf. Have a partnership with Slumberger where we are performing seismic survey for oil exploration. It can also detect signatures of submarines, vessels, etc. and can relay this information to an airborne UAV. This coordination can greatly decrease cost compared to a completely manned mission.

Me: How does it navigate, how is it's course plotted?

Joanne: It has a sophisticated nav system. It is autonomous, with only a rudder on the rear. An app can be downloaded when the mission changes. Because it is wave powered, it loves bad weather. It is not fast, has been thru 17 hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons.

Me: It sounds like it flourishes in the bad weather.

Joanne: We did a job at Loch Ness, in climatology, not mammal detection (or lizard). It is good at predicting storms, where heat exchange takes place on the ocean surface to monitor and predict the development of storms. It can also monitor fish population with acoustics.

Me: Are you hiring?

Joanne: Look on our website, a diversity of careers. Go to liquidrobotics.com/careers

Comments from the Author: This was by far my favorite "Non-Flying" vehicle at the show, I love the fact that it harnesses energy from the Ocean Waves and the Sun and is non-polluting...James Schmid

Joanne Masters
Public Relations
Liquid Robotics

AUVSI 2015 Drones UAV UAS- Interview with R.J. King - Detroit Aircraft Corp.

2015-05-17T09:36:00.000-04:00

Here is one that I was looking forward to, a company with a rich history in aviation, in my own backyard of Detroit.

R.J.: We are based at Detroit City Airport, 2^nd floor, former passenger terminal. DAC was

started by Edsel Ford, William Stout and others. They developed the Ford Tri-Motor as

well as Ryan Aircraft which built the Spirt of St Louis. In 1929 DAC acquired 87% of

Lockheed Airplane Co. and in 1932 Ford family pulled out of aviation and Lockheed was

sold for $40,000. In 2011 DAC was re-started, we are an authorized manufacturer and

distributor for Lockheed-Martin and their Indago VTOL quad-rotor. A 36” dia drone which

folds up to the size of a football, and goes inside a carbon fiber case. Very portable and

comes with a control module which offers over 200 waypoint opportunities. It is semi-

autonomous and has a return home feature. We are serving 3 main markets;

1) Law Enforcement/First Responders/Fire/Police/Border Patrol/Homeland Security.

2) Precision Agriculture with a multi-spectral camera. Can determine water content of soil,

nitrogen and chlorophyll levels of plants. Also, insect infestations and sick plants will be

detected. Increasing a farmers yield is the focus.

3) Infrastructure inspections: Bridges, railroad, power lines, etc.

Me: There is an obvious quad that is very popular from overseas that seems very multi-use

and non-specific…

R.J (interrupts): It’s a toy.

Me: you could say that….you just said that… (we both laugh). People that are serious about

starting a commercial drone enterprise here in the US, will such a vehicle fit their needs?

R.J.: That all depends on your mission and the vehicle which is suited to accomplish that.

This product targets the upper end of the commercial mkt , developed by the largest

defense manufacturer in the world in Lockheed-Martin, in partnership with Procerus

Technologies. DAC is an authorized manufacturer and distributor for the Indago platform,

which are assembled at the Detroit City Airport.

Me: I have seen here at the show many companies starting at the ground level to build

commercial drones, and also many companies with extensive defense aviation experience

developing product to fit commercial US needs. This is an interesting arrangement,

partnering with Lockheed-Martin and building the drones in Detroit. Why didn't LM

simply develop their own vehicle with their own resources?

R.J.: LM realized the commercial potential for the Indago platform, DAC is really helping

them fit the vehicle to the 3 primary markets we discussed earlier.

Me: It seems you guys have a direction, where I have seen a lot of startups

targeting everything. What about when the Line Of Sight requirement is lifted by

the FAA, do you have a leg up on the competition when this happens? (based on the defense

partnership).

R.J.: We are trying to be as visionary as possible; you will be seeing autonomous aircraft.

For example, in the future a couple may want to travel to Chicago from

Detroit, they could start at the Troy airport, board a drone, leave at a scheduled time,

pilot-less…entertain themselves in Chicago for the evening and return to Detroit,

completely autonomous. Much easier than today….

Me: With the serious development taking place today with autonomous road vehicles, it is

just a matter of time isn't it?

R.J.: Autonomous aircraft will be communicating with ground vehicles as a system.

Me: What about your command center?

R.J.:Yes, something we developed, a very sophisticated Flight Control Unit. (see description

from earlier).

Me: Parting thoughts?

R.J.: We look forward to dominating this industry.

Author's comments: R.J. exudes confidence and swagger when discussing DAC!

R.J. King - Detroit Aircraft Corp.

High Eye, Drone UAS UAVs from The Netherlands, Esther Hackert and Marijn Van De Ruit

2015-05-08T21:08:00.000-04:00

High Eye is a manufacturer of unmanned helicopter systems for the international civil market. The company designs medium sized, gas driven VTOL UAVs. High Eye had on display it's HEF 30 single rotor helicopter. Following are excerpts from my conversation with Esther (Compliance Officer) and Marijn (Design Engineer & Pilot).

Esther: In the last 2 years there have been a lot of changes at High Eye, new Investor, CEO, Staff, Building and Helicopters.

Me: What was your previous product focus?

Esther: Model Helicopters, RC. All new design in this HEF 30.

Me: This is gas powered?

Esther: Yes, it is a 32cc 2 stroke engine, EMC shielded with complete auto-pilot. The customer can select the Gimbal of their choice, the display model sporting a DST (Sweden) gimbal. It has infrared and HD sensors. Fully autonomous and can perform Auto Take-Off and Auto Land as well as Way Point Navigation.

Me: And what about the Ground Station?

Esther: We build our own, it comes with a lap top and joy stick device.

Marijn: The operation of the Ground Control Station is really quite simple, and designed for remote operation with a 5 hour independent power source. Flying the helicopter is very automated, including waypoint and follow-me modes. The gimbal connects through the auto-pilot, so you can use the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) from the auto-pilot. If you want to have geo-tracking and geo-locking functionality, you don’t have to buy a separate IMU from the gimbal manufacturer, you can use High Eye’s. This can save the customer 10’s of thousands of dollars. Because the gimbal and auto-pilot are communicating, the auto-pilot knows where the gimbal is pointing at. The UAV will fly in the direction the gimbal is targeted.

Me: What markets are you looking to enter here in the US?

Esther: Civil inspections, mining operations, border patrol, law enforcement and security.

Marijn: With our 2 ½ hour flight time we can cover a large area. We have even done work for the Tuna industry.

For more information, go to:

www.higheye.nl/

Notes from AUVSI Conference 2015 - Interview with Dillon Schickli - Sensurion Aerospace

2015-05-06T09:40:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Dillon Schickli, investor and board member for Sensurion Aerospace. Go here to the website, and see the Magpie:
http://sensurion.com/

He is an investor because of his confidence in Joe Burns the CEO and their success in obtaining their 333 exemption and operating commercially legal in the US. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:

Me: How do you see the state of the commercial industry at this time in the US?

Dillon: Right now it is a bit of a struggle, you need to obtain the approval from the FAA. There are many applications for UAVs and the technology is expanding rapidly. You should see a huge increase in commercial business, it is projected as an $80B business in 10 years. (Dillon laughs at this number, it seems a bit mind boggling!)

Me: What business sectors are you (Sensurion) currently involved in?

Dillon: In partnership with Blue-Chip Unmanned Aerial Solutions, we are currently performing seismic monitoring and have plans to perform animal monitoring, training, oil and gas infrastructure inspection....we are really just at the tip of the iceberg right now.

Me: Are these UAV specific for each customer?

Dillon: Payload is different for each customer and application. It may or may not include an Intel processor, depending on usage. Wingspan can be adjusted to compensate for varying payloads.

Me: What about all the hype with the Multi-Rotors, out of the box flyers from overseas which are so popular right now? Are MR's limiting if you want to run a serious commercial business here in the US?

Dillon: It depends on the type of application. A Fixed Wing can perform over a much larger area and longer than a MR. They are different tools for different jobs, MR vs. FW. We are trying to develop and win contracts which in the future will allow us to go beyond the Line-Of-Sight. Our aeronautics and auto-guidance systems give us that ability, we have to wait for the FAA to define those rules for beyond LOS operation.

Me: So you are really developing technology ahead of the current regulations?

Dillon: We may actually help shape regulations with our development, remember the Magpie was a pioneer receiving the first SAC approval by the FAA. A gut wrenching process, but Sensurion got through it. The experience and expertise that the Sensurion team possesses is one of the main reasons I came on board the company.