Report warns of ISIS developing drones for chemical attacks (Jamie Crawford, 10/20/2016)
According to a report from the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at the US Military Academy at West Point, in an attempt to develop and implement new uses for drone technology in warfare at least four terrorist groups have programs in place to find resources and infrastructure to build drones. Among the possible developments in progress is the ability to deploy chemical warfare agents from drones. Although the CTC currently considers the ability for terrorist groups to commit lethal attacks with drones to be “low to moderate,” ISIS has already used UAVs to kill on the battlefield and it may not be long before drones are widespread amongst terrorist groups.
-Avery Conner
NASA is flying drones at a Nevada airport to test air traffic control systems (April Glaser, 10/20/2016)
NASA in partnership with the FAA is conducting research to develop an unmanned air traffic control system that would integrate the use of drones into the current air traffic control system. The research was originally ordered by Congress in 2012, and recently brought up again by the White House. The research on the 19th of October marked the second test of the system, which included tracking drones beyond line of sight, reporting flight paths, and alerting the drone to potential hazards. The first test in April involved flying twenty-two drones simultaneously around the country, and the third test scheduled for January of 2018 will test the system over populated areas. The final test is scheduled for 2019. The research is meant to be used to allow drones to safely fly in public airspace, including with the intention of delivering goods to people’s doorsteps.
-Avery Conner
Tech Inspired by Nikola Tesla Charges Drones in Mid-Air (Kelsey Atherton, 10/21/2016)
Researchers at Imperial College London have come up with an idea to recharge drones in flight using inductive coupling, a concept developed over 100 years ago by Nikola Tesla. Inductive coupling involves two copper coils that, through electronics, are tuned to each other and are able to wirelessly exchange power. Researchers were able to use this concept by attaching a copper ring to the drone’s electronics and using a transmitter on the ground to create a magnetic field. By hovering no more than four inches above the transmitter, the drone converted the energy of the field into direct current. The idea is currently limited by the distance necessary to charge the drone, but improvements could greatly change the use of technology in the future.
-Avery Conner
This is the Drone Helicopter NASA Scientists Want to Send to Mars John Wenz. November Edition, 2016
NASA is developing a drone that they plan to send to Mars with the next rover in 2020. This drone reportedly will have a one-meter, single blade that allows it to lift one kilogram in the thin Martian atmosphere. One of their largest problems was the ability to control the drone, as it cannot be directly controlled by a pilot due to the distance between Mars and Earth. Any operator would need to wait 4-24 minutes for their commands to reach the drone, and then wait another time period for a reply. They plan to have the drone autonomously piloted, and solar powered, so it will be able to fly and charge itself. NASA hopes to equip the drone with camera equipment to act as a scout and imager for the 2020 rover.
-Erik Mollinet
Amazon Gets Patent to Develop Drones as Bodyguards, Lost Child Locators Arjun Kharpal. OCTOBER 19, 2016
Amazon has acquired a patent for a pocket-sized, voice controlled drone for consumer use. The unmanned aerial vehicle will have a camera and microphone that will let it understand various commands, such as finding a lost child, locating a person’s parked car in a large parking lot, or recording stunts and other athletic activities, replacing current small helmet-mounted cameras. Amazon says the drone could act as a “assistant to the user,” so that people could carry the drone around with them to deploy and use at any time. They even claimed the drone could act as a bodyguard in intense situations, to deter attackers or record evidence of crimes for the police.
-Erik Mollinet
Modular drones teach kids to aim high Ben popper. OCTOBER 19, 2016
Airblock is a new drone from Chinese company Makeblock, which specializes in toys that double as learning tools. Case in point, this new drone comes as a set of hexagonal foam blocks containing rotors, to attach to a central controlling block. The drone can be controlled by a companion app, which can also be used to program specific rotor speed patterns, allowing users to create their own stunts or flight paths. The company is currently raising funds on Kickstarter, and has raised over $100,000 as of October 2016.
-Erik Mollinet
The best way to stop a rogue drone is with another drone Ashley Carman, Oct 14, 2016
There is a new company that is attempting to stop snooping drones that are in airspace they shouldn’t. this compony Airspace built to seek out a specific drone and capture it and carry it back to their location. The idea is to keep your property intruder free. The drone is still in its development but its prototype is promising. The company states that the drone can capture drones unharmed and carry them back. It can capture drones with a net canon that has a surprising amount of rage. Hopefully this drone can be implemented soon as commercial drones become more popular and go places they shouldn’t.
-Logan Rosson
China unveils its most powerful drone bomber JULIAN ROBINSON, November 3, 2016
China unveil their new military bomber drone. It their most powerful drone. It has a range of 15000 miles and is going to replace all their outdated drones. Its name is CH-5 unmanned aerial vehicle largest combat drone that china has ever manufactured. It has the capability to carry smart bombs and high tech combat radar jammers. It has been manufactured and designed for the past couple of years but this is the first time it’s been unveiled to the public. China wants to implement this drone into their military as quickly as they can. They claim its on eof the most powerful combat drones in the world.
-Logan Rosson
ARMY TRANSPORTS COULD CARRY LASERS BY 2018 By Kelsey D. Atherton, October 26, 2016
The U.S. Army is rolling out lasers mounted on top of their military vehicles. The idea is to provide a solution to the problem of drones flying above them. A gun is not accurate enough to take out a drone and a laser is the solution. They want to be able to take out a drone at a range of 5 miles. By 2018 they want the lasers to be at 18 kilowatts. Right now, the U.S. Army has 2 kilowatt lasers so this is a significant jump in a small amount of time. So far the lasers are quit successful and show high hopes for the future of military advancements.
-Logan Rosson
