Drone News

INTRODUCTION Want to boost the performances of the Eachine E010S ? Four minutes and more can be obtained relatively easily by: 1) Swapping the microLOSI lead connector for a 1.25microJST model 2) Trimming the battery tray 3) Transforming the four blades prop into a two blades model 1g can be saved so approximatively 5% of the original weight … not so bad This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 55USD at http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E010S-65mm-Micro-FPV-Raicng-Quadcopter-with-800TVL-Came-Based-On-F3-Brush-Flight-Controller-p-1119427.html Cet article DIY: Pimp my Eachine E010S est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights represent a huge area of opportunity for the drone industry. BVLOS refers to drone flights performed beyond the pilot’s line of sight (as opposed to Visual Line of Sight, or VLOS flights, which are performed within the pilot’s line of sight). Using First Person View (FPV) and other approaches, BVLOS is hypothetically possible right now with the technology available, but in most countries it’s either not allowed at all or highly restricted. If and when BVLOS is allowed on a wide scale, we can anticipate a corresponding boom (that’s right—a further boom in addition to the current explosion of applications and growth we’re seeing in the drone industry). This is why BVLOS is top of mind for most everyone in the industry, and why we’ve been seeing so much reporting on the topic from all over the world. As most everyone knows, the FAA’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (or Part 107) don’t allow for BVLOS operations. But that doesn’t mean BVLOS will never be permitted, simply that the FAA wanted to proceed with some caution when it released its newest regulations for commercial drone operators back in August 2016. In this article we’ll take a close look at the applications that require BVLOS, the current BVLOS regulations in place in a number of countries, and the approvals that are starting to crop up, both internationally and in the U.S., to allow for BVLOS flights. Commercial and Government/Public Applications Almost any commercial drone application could conceivably benefit from BVLOS, but some are almost impossible to execute effectively without it. “There are still many restrictions in place for [the] commercial use of UAS, even for VLOS. Having said that, inspection applications in areas such as bridges, roofs, cell towers, buildings, and real estate can be accomplished much easier, safer, and cheaper with a UAS operating VLOS.” – Tony Albanese, President of Gryphon Sensors But what are those applications that require BVLOS to be done well and efficiently? Here’s a list: Commercial Applications Package Delivery Railroad Inspections Pipeline inspections (oil, but also natural gas and other types of long pipelines that stretch over great distances) Powerline Inspections Windmill Inspections Agriculture (crop and soil inspection over great distances) Mapping Government/Public Applications Search & Rescue Firefighting Police work Conservation management Border patrol It’s no surprise that every single one of these applications requires a great distance to be covered for useful, actionable knowledge to be gathered. Under current U.S. regulations, all of these applications are encumbered by the physical location of the pilot. And while it’s still faster to use a drone within the small area that VLOS allows (versus simply walking around to do your inspection or other work), or to work with a partner to extend that range, it’s readily apparent how being able to fly beyond what you can see would make the flight much, much more valuable. Another consideration, in addition to large distances, is that there are areas where dense tree cover or mountains and other topographical variation make it impossible to see very far. These challenges presented by the landscape would probably apply in the most desperate scenarios, such as Search & Rescue and Firefighting, where information might be urgently needed to find a lost person before they die of hypothermia, or to locate victims during a forest fire. You could also imagine a manhunt for an armed criminal that would require BVLOS to find out where someone is, especially if it’s believed that he’s hiding nearby and might pose an imminent threat. BVLOS Regulations & Approvals Below is a list of 13 countries and their existing BVLOS regulations, as well as the approvals they’ve made for BVLOS flights. (Hint: The U.S. is all the way at the bottom, so just click here if you want to hop down.) Australia Regulations Allowed with prior approval “The operation of any type of UAS in Australia usually requires that the operator maintain a VLOS unless prior approval is granted.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Approvals and Related News Although BVLOS isn’t generally allowed, the Association of Certified UAV Operators (ACUO) in Australia is calling for the creation of a continent-wide Unmanned Traffic Management system (UTM). “The proposed UTM system would facilitate transparent and harmonised integration of all forms of RPAS into Australian skies, resolving already significant and growing safety problems posed by unsafe and non-compliant operators.” The creation of a system like this would, by definition, allow for BVLOS flights, and also make Australia one of the most drone-friendly places to operate in the entire world. In addition, it could push Australia to the front of the drone industry by opening up new applications, testing, and fast-tracking drone-related advances that may be slower to come in other countries. Canada Regulations Allowed with prior approval “For BVLOS operations . . . specific weather requirements . . . are determined on a case-by-case basis. The minimum meteorological conditions must be suitable to allow the safe departure and arrival of the aircraft.” – Transport Canada Approvals and Related News Although the wording of the regulation makes it seem like BVLOS might be permitted in Canada in certain instances, to date Transport Canada has not actually allowed any BVLOS flights. Commercial operators can apply for permission to conduct BVLOS flights on a mission-by-mission basis, but so far these applications have been roundly denied. One such denial published by commercial UAV operator AeroVision Canada quoted Transport Canada as stating that (among a list of other reasons): The way ahead for BVLOS operations will include a need for UAV operators to conduct modeling and simulation tests and/or conduct BVLOS testing and evaluation under an SFOC at the UAV “test ranges” (e.g. restricted airspace) being developed at Foremost, AB, and Alma, QC. In other words, the UAV operator will need to have demonstrated their sense and avoid capability at one of the test sites before being considered for a BVLOS commercial operations. This makes it seem like each individual operator may need to first conduct their own testing to demonstrate their ability to fly BVLOS operators safely before giving permission. And even then, there is not guarantee that permission will be granted, since there isn’t yet a precedent of an operator having been given permission following such testing. News came out just last month that Transport Canada approved a new testing site for Drone Delivery Canada, where BVLOS flights will be the main subject for tests, so things could be accelerating for some companies (though we still wouldn’t hold our breath). China Regulations Allowed with restrictions “The flight specifications are separate for the operation of UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and within visual line of sight (VLOS). UAS flying within VLOS must be operated in the daytime, and air route priority must be ceded to other aircraft. In the U.S. and France, there are similar rules prohibiting the flights of UAS at night. However, under the Chinese rules, the prohibition only applies to UAS operating within VLOS, and not to UAS operating BVLOS.” – Hogan Lovells Global Media Watch Denmark Regulations Allowed with prior approval BVLOS flights may only be performed with prior permission from the Danish Transportation Authority. –Danish Transportation Authority Approvals and Related News Denmark was recently in the news for being close to granting drone operator Heliscope and inspection software developer Scopito permission to conduct BVLOS flights, following a series of highly successful tests conducted in collaboration with the government. If permission is granted, this will be the one of the first instances of a private company being granted a permanent BVLOS license by a government (it would be the very first, but it looks like senseFly just beat them to it in Switzerland). Germany Regulations Not currently allowed “The maintenance of VLOS between the operator and the UAS is generally required in Germany, where UAS cannot weigh more than 25 kilograms and must be kept within VLOS at all times.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Japan Regulations Not currently allowed. “Japan requires operators of all UAS that weigh over 200 grams to monitor the UAS and its surroundings with their own eyes at all times.” – U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis New Zealand Regulations Allowed with a UAV pilot’s certificate “In New Zealand, UAS may be flown without the need for an operating certificate if they weigh less than 25 kg and do not exceed certain operating limits. The operating limits include a requirement for the operator to maintain unaided VLOS with the aircraft. Flying any aircraft BVLOS requires an operating certificate.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Poland Regulations Allowed with a UAV pilot’s certificate “In Poland a certificate of competency for UAS flight operators can allow for operation in VLOS or BVLOS conditions. If the weight exceeds 25 kg a permit to fly is required and operational restrictions may be applicable (e.g., VLOS only and/or minimum distance from populated areas, people, and property).” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis South Africa Regulations Allowed with prior approval “In South Africa a BVLOS operation is permitted only by special approval based on certain requirements, which vary depending on whether the operation is in or outside of a controlled airspace.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Sweden Regulations Not currently allowed (although there may be room for special permissions) “Swedish rules generally require UAS lighter than 7 kg that do not create more than a specified level of kinetic energy to be flown within visual sight of the operator.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Switzerland Regulations Allowed with prior approval “The operator of the drone must always maintain a direct visual line of sight to the drone. Interpretation of “direct visual line of sight” between the operator and the drone is strict . . . Special permission for the operation of the drone beyond visual line of sight (BLoS) may only be granted if other users of airspace and third parties on the ground are not endangered. Granting of such authorisation is very restrictive and applicants must meet strict requirements –Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) Approvals and Related News senseFly was just given permanent (as opposed to mission-by-mission) permission to operate BVLOS flights in Switzerland on February 9, 2017. senseFly’s BVLOS approval has been granted under strict specific conditions. These include the company’s eBee drones being operated at a maximum flight height of 500 feet above ground level (or 1,000 feet over urban areas) and the use of visual observers. These observers must each monitor a section of airspace—with a radius of 2 kilometres—for other aircraft. They must also be able to communicate instantly with the drone’s operator in the case of any potential issues. “This country-wide, anytime BVLOS authorisation is a first for Switzerland and we are delighted to be working closely with FOCA to pioneer this kind of flexible, extended use. While this permission is valid only for senseFly, it opens the door for our Swiss eBee customers to apply for, and enjoy, similarly flexible flight conditions. This will, in turn, allow them to grow their businesses by taking on larger, more complex projects.” -Jean-Christophe Zufferey, CEO of senseFly This is HUGE news for BVLOS flights in general. The more countries that lead the way by granting these permissions, the more likely it is that other countries will follow suit. United Kingdom Regulations Not currently allowed “In the United Kingdom UAS weighing less than 20 kg are required to maintain a direct, unaided, visual contact that is sufficient to monitor the flight path of a small unmanned aircraft in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels, and structures in order to avoid collisions.” –U.S. Library of Congress Comparative Analysis Approvals and Related News Although the official regulations in the U.K. don’t allow BVLOS flights, AmazonAir recently completed their first test delivery flight, which required BVLOS. This would lead us to think that not only is the U.K. open to BVLOS testing, but may eventually be open to regulated BVLOS flights in general, if they can be convinced of their safety. United States Regulations Not currently allowed “You must keep your drone within sight. Alternatively, if you use First Person View or similar technology, you must have a visual observer always keep your aircraft within unaided sight (for example, no binoculars). However, even if you use a visual observer, you must still keep your unmanned aircraft close enough to be able to see it if something unexpected happens.” – FAA.gov Approvals and Related News Although Part 107 currently forbids BVLOS flights, back in May of 2015 the FAA Pathfinder Program’s Focus Area Initiative allowed BNSF Railway to team up with drone manufacturer Insitu to experiment with BVLOS for railroad inspections. BNSF and Insitu announced successful BVLOS operations a little over a year ago, in January of 2016: “The exercise demonstrated how, in addition to a railway company’s traditional methods of track monitoring, unmanned aircraft can not only improve inspections, but keep employees out of harm’s way and harsh conditions.” And it looks like that research is bearing fruit. Just last month FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced at the annual CES conference that the FAA was starting to work on draft regulations to issue rules for BVLOS operations. Two of the main elements that need to converge for this important milestone to be crossed involve new detection and avoidance technology, as well as further testing for safety. Though there are a variety of tests that need to take place to ensure BVLOS flights are safe and reliable, that testing is already being conducted, and the number of test sites and testing parties continues to grow. Recently NASA has been conducting BVLOS test flights in Reno, a site has been approved for BVLOS testing in North Dakota, and there are sure to be many more to come in the near future. New Technology that Could Help Hasten BVLOS Approval Companies such as Gryphon Sensors and AirMap have been working to create fully functional Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems (the proposal of a continent-wide UTM is mentioned in the Australia section above, fyi). These systems could do a lot to hasten the general arrival of BVLOS approvals in all of the countries listed above. UTM, or Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management, is the system by which drones safely and efficiently integrate into different national airspace systems. UTM includes things like universal drone registration standards, open identification systems, tamper-proof flight data recorders, accurate and trustworthy 3D mapping data, dynamic weather information, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. – AirMap.com UTMs are a huge piece of the BVLOS puzzle because they present a way to conduct BVLOS flights safely by allowing all of the drones in a given area to fit into a network (as opposed to the current BVLOS requirement in place for senseFly in Switzerland, for instance, which still requires people on the ground watching the sky for other aircrafts, even if they’re not watching the drone in flight itself). UTMs present possible solutions to related challenges too, such as easing the operation of UAVs across national borders via shared flight information, as well as making it easier to share information across various sUAS-related platforms. Currently Switzerland and Denmark are leading the BVLOS pack, with their first permanent permissions to senseFly and Heliscope/Scopito (respectively). In many ways this makes sense, because they both are geographically smaller, and therefore their airspace is potentially easier to regulate. It will be interesting to see whose next in issuing permanent BVLOS permissions—it could be here in the U.S. for all we know. What we do know is that these changes are coming, and that they are sure to shake up what is already a volatile, churning industry. The post Inside BVLOS, the Drone Industry’s Next Game-Changer appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

A new racer from Emax is announced in the 200-220mm category: http://www.banggood.com/Emax-Nighthawk-Pro-200-200mm-F3-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-with-5_8G-48CH-25-200mW-VTX-600TVL-CCD-Camera-p-1126618.html. This machine is a direct competitor of the Eachine Wizzard X220 and the RealAcc GX210. In the menu, we will find strong 2205 motors, SPF3 board, 25A BLheli_S ESC and a 600TVL but CCD camera. The VTX is a 48CH model where the output power can set to 25mW or 200mW values. The machine can accept 4S LiPo obviouslty. The carbon frame coupled to the moulded pastic elements should offer strong durability to crash. Versus the two other competitors with more or less similar electronics, the little plus is the presence of a CCD camera. No builtin buzzer or builtin buzzer mentioned. Brand Name: Emax Model: Nighthawk Pro 200 Item Name: Emax Nighthawk Pro 200 200mm FPV Racing Drone WheelBase: 200mm Camera 600 TVL CCD Camera Flight Control SP Racing F3 Acro Motor RS2205 2300KV CW Thread ESC Lightning_S Blheli_S 25A FPV Transmitter 5.8G 48CH 25-200mW Switchable VTX Propeller T5050 3-Blade Propeller Flight Weight 370g (not including battery) Recommend Battery 3-4S Lipo battery (Not included) Dimension (LxWxH) 207x165x43mm (not include antenna) Features: -High quality 3k Carbon fiber mainframe for maximum structural integrity. -600TVL CCD Camera for high quality image through FPV. -5.8G 48CH 25-200mW Swithchable FPV Transmitter -Integrated Power Distribution Board (PDB) to supply regulated power for all electronic components -Adjustable camera mount to suit faster (high camera angle) or more stable (low camera angle) flights -Top cover to accommodate an HD camera -Full LED coverage to help gauge orientation in the brightest of days and darkest of nights -Plastic molded motor guards and bottom shell for increased durability and protection of electronics in the event of a crash Package Included: 1x Nighthawk Pro 200 1x Antenna 4x T5050 3-Blade Propellers ( 2CW & 2 CCW) 1x Manual Cet article NEWS: Emax NightHawk 200 Pro est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

Yuneec recently announced the launch of a new commercial drone, the H920 Plus, which was built for broad commercial applications. The H920 Plus is a multirotor aerial photography and videography platform that has applications in engineering/architecture, broadcast, law enforcement, and commercial/industrial inspections. A New and Improved H920 The H920 Plus improves on the existing H920 with updated features, including: Task Modes (Orbit Me, Point of Interest, Journey, Curve Cable Cam, Waypoints) Refined ST16 Pro Ground Station with downloadable aerials maps for Waypoint Cache Advanced Camera Settings Quick-disconnect propellers A CGO4 camera, developed with Panasonic which is compatible with 3 lenses Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm F2.0 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.8 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ ProAction Grip – dual-grip ground handle that extends the CGO4 camera from sky to ground, capturing ultra-stable and steady footage Want to see more photos of the H920 Plus? No problem. The H920 Tornado The original H920, whose general model has been retained in the H920 Plus, is a hexacopter that was created for commercial applications. One of the most notable aspects of the H920 Tornado is its versatility. It can be used in various commercial applications, from those that require high quality imaging to those that require quick, reliable positioning mid-flight. The H920 Plus has taken this versatility even farther, most notably in its imaging improvements—the Plus comes with with an improved camera and lenses as well as advanced camera settings, and downloadable aerial maps. What This Means for Yuneec Just last month Yuneec made the news for it’s launch at CES of the H520, a new focus customer service, and the upcoming launch of a software developer kit (SDK) platform, which will be available in Q2 of 2017. The back-to-back launches of the H520 and H920 Plus, both hexacopter drones created for commercial applications, clearly position Yuneec as making a big play in the commercial sector. Both of these hexacopter drones are designed for wide-ranging commercial applications. With long flight times, increased load capacity, and increased sensor technology, the H520 is built for tougher industrial applications, while the H920 Plus is aimed at very high quality imaging and overall precision. Starting at around $2,500, the H520 is a less expensive option for commercial drone applications, while the H920 Plus runs higher, with prices starting at about $3,500. In addition to launching these two hexacopter drones, Yuneec’s new customer service improvements, which include 24/7 customer service as well as a new 1 year warranty (which will be effective retroactively as well), make it clear that they’re going after hearts and minds. This kind of close support will help Yuneec grow their novice and solopreneur customer base, as well as helping them gain ground among bigger corporations, where real-time support may be crucial for executing work. Along with DJI and Parrot, Yuneec already has some of the best camera drones out there. The release of the H920 Plus is just one more iteration in their continued fight to stay on top. Clearly, Yuneec is committed to staying at the head of the pack. We should expect lots more news from them soon. More Photos of the H920 Plus Can’t get enough of the H920 Plus? Here are a bunch more pictures of it, with a closeup of the camera and grip as well as some shots of the Plus in action on a construction site. Enjoy! The post Yuneec Launches the H920 Plus appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

After the Eachine “Bat” QX105, IMHO, a model not to recommand due to weak FET not compatible with 1020 motors, here is the Eachine “Vtail” QX110: http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Vtail-QX110-w-AIOF3PRO_Brushed-OSD-Betaflight-600TVL-CAM-Micro-FPV-Racing-Quadcopter-BNF-p-1126256.html. Here, bye bye 1020 motors and welcome back 0820 motors but on steroids (black edition) !!. More with the QX110 we have a Vtail architecture expecting to offer much more yaw authority during fast u-turns. I really hope the Vtail system is not simply installed via plastic pads like for the big brother Eachine Vtail 210. More arms seems to be 1mm of thickness only and the landing gear a bit fragile too. Anyway, all other ingredients sound really good. A F3 board including a builtin betaflight OSD, strong motors, builtin buzzer, programmable rear LED lights, basic 600TVL 1/4″ CMOS AIO camera and as usual three choice of receivers: FrSky D8 (RSSI & Vbat telemetry working),FlySky (AFHDS ?) and Spektrum DSM2/DSMX. Announced to be 47g w/o battery so add 12g with… the machine should turn below 60g so clearly 26g less than QX105. Description: The Eachine Vtail QX110 is a New Design Micro FPV Racing Drones built-in OSD for Indoor FPV. The Vtail design that can make the FPV flight and traversing more flexible. The QX110 comes with Betaflight firmware which can bring you an amazing FPV flight experience. The Black Edition 8520 Coreless motor provide more powerful output which makes the QX110 more stable and faster. The adjustable angle of camera, The OSD , The LED_Strip, The carbon fiberglass frame, The buzzer , All that you can thought of the equipment for the FPV flight, it has all ready. Specification: Brand Name: Eachine Item NO.: Vtail QX110 Wheelbase: 110mm Size: 112*106*43mm Weight: 46g (Without Battery) Flight controller: Eachine AIOF3PRO_Brushed built-in OSD Firmware of Flight controller: Betaflight 3.0.1 (Target:Omnibus) Motor: Coreless 8520 Black Edition CW/CCW Propeller: Ladybird 55mm CW/CCW 2-blades propeller Camera: 600TVL HD CMOS 1/4inch VTX: 5.8g 25MW 48CH NTSC/PAL Video transmitter OSD: Betaflight OSD Battery: 3.7V 600mah Lipo battery Flight time: 5 minutes (Battery voltage at 2.8v) Features: More powerful Coreless motor Jaw-dropping flight performance Airmode/Angle/Acro mode support Adjustable Angle of Camera (0°~15°) Built-in Betaflight OSD Radio Stick to control PID Tunes LED_STRIP Ready Buzzer Ready Telemetry RSSI Output ready V-bat Detector Receiver Option: -Frsky D8 mode SBUS Output 8ch With RSSI output (OSD display or X9D telemetry) -Flysky compatible 8ch PPM receiver(AFHDS 2A Mode) -DSM2/DSMX compatible Receiver Compatible: 1. Frsky Receiver compatible with FRSKY X9D/X9D PLUS(D8 mode),and XJT (D8 Mode),DJT DFT DHT. 2. Flysky Receiver compatible with FS-i4, FS-i6, FS-i6S, FS-i6X, FS-i10, FS-GT2E, FS-GT2G, FS-GT2F. 3. DSM2/DSMX compatible Satellite receiver Package included: 1 x QX110 Frame kit 6 x 8520 Black Edition Coreless Motor 1 x AIOF3PRO_BRUSHED Flight Controller Built-in RX 1 x 5.8G VTX w/Camera antenna 8 x 55mm Propeller 2 x 3.7V 600mah Battery 1 x LED_STRIP 1 x Buzzer 1 x USB Charging cable 1 x Paddle propeller Cet article NEWS: Eachine QX110 “Vtail” (~60g, AIOF3pro, 0820/dark edition, 600TVL-1/4″ CMOS AIO camera) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

Last week we wrote about Lady Gaga’s impressive Super Bowl performance, in which 300 drones created a light show to provide the backdrop for her performance, and later morphed from the Intel to the Pepsi logo. Before that performance Intel had already set two Guinness world records with their drone swarms, first with a light show of 100 drones, then more recently, in November of 2016, with a swarm of 500 drones. But both of those records were just blown out of the water by Chinese-based drone manufacturer Ehang. And it appears they might to have done so not because they want to go head-to-head with Intel in creating drone swarms, but to use the attention as leverage for announcing the launch of their taxi drones in Dubai this summer. In a fifteen-minute long light show featuring a swarm of 1,000 quadcopter drones, eHang beat Intel’s world record for a drone swarm light show by double—double—the number of drones. Check out the video below from Russia Today, who first broke the story. About the Record-Breaking Light Show The Ehang quadcopter used to create the light show is called the Ghost Drone 2.0. During the light show they formed the Chinese character “福,” which means blessings; a map of China; and both the numbers 1,000 and 2017. The show took place to mark the end of the Lunar New Year. The end of the Chinese new year, which takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month (in 2017 this falls on February 11 on the Gregorian calendar), is typically celebrated with a lantern festival. This year, the southern city of Guangzhou decided to use drones in place of lanterns. The drones took off from the square by Guangzhou Tower, operated by remote control. They flew as high as 120 meters during the show while the Yellow River Piano Concerto, which first premiered during Mao Zedong’s reign, played over loudspeakers. You can watch the video to try and recreate the experience, but we can only imagine how marvelous the live show must have been, with all its pageantry, while 1,000 drones created various shapes in light in the night sky. The specific Guinness world record that Ehang won with this light show is for Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously. Given the timing of the show, right on the heels of Lady Gaga’s performance at the Super Bowl, it seems reasonable to assume that Ehang wanted to ride on the buzz about drone swarms and achieve their world record at a time when it would give them the most attention across the globe. After all, what a coincidence it would be if Ehang didn’t know about Lady Gaga’s performance before planning their record-breaking one. Ehang and the Quadcopter Taxi Ehang made major waves last year with an impressive announcement that they had developed a quadcopter drone called the 184 that was big enough to carry a person. The 184 was first presented at CES last year. It’s a 440-pound quadcopter with an enclosed seating area for human passengers. As reported at the time, the 184 can carry a person up to 10 miles, or up to 23 minutes, at speeds around 60 miles per hour, according to Ehang cofounder and chief marketing officer Derrick Xiong. And just like a small drone, it’s capable of flying at heights of up to 2.15 miles, though drone regulation would likely keep it at just several hundred feet. But at $200,000-$300,000 each, the 184 seems pretty cost-prohibitive. Add to that the regulatory hurdles that will surely accompany any attempts to actually fly the 184 at all (let alone operate it commercially), and it might quickly seem like more of a neat idea than something that will actually be shaping the future of transportation. Here’s a video of a flight test for the 184: Just a few months back ago, in December, Ehang announced that it had already completed around 200 test flights in China, and that they were hard at work on a fully operational flight command center. So What Does Ehang Make? Drones, of course. But should we see this world record as a pivot for Ehang, or something else? From an outside perspective, it seems like Ehang created this 1,000 drone swarm in order to get themselves into the drone lime light, and not to try and edge Intel out of the race to be the top drone swarm manufacturer—at least not outside of China. One reason we say this is that there isn’t much information out there about the 1,000 drone swarm, even though it apparently happened three days ago. If Ehang wanted to leverage their record-breaking drone swarm performance to pivot into a new sector of the drone industry, they would have issued press releases and media—images and videos and more—about this new “swarm” application for their Ghost Drone 2.0 (as they have done in the past for the 184). But they didn’t do anything like that. Instead, the story was broken by Russia Today, and news has slowly filtered through to us in the U.S. and elsewhere. Nationalism could be one more reason for the motivation to break Intel’s world record. It’s no secret that the Chinese government backs many private companies in ways that wouldn’t be permitted in the U.S., and simply one-upping U.S.-based Intel, especially right after they had a big, public success at the Super Bowl, could be motivation enough to put together the swarm of 1,000 drones and break Intel’s record. A telling aspect of this story is that, if you visit Ehang’s website right now, there is no mention of the world record anywhere in sight, not even on the Ghost Drone 2.0 page. Compare this to Intel’s drone-focused webpage, where their Shooting Star drone and related information on drone swarms are one of the very first things you see. But the fact is that just yesterday, two days after breaking a world record with their drone swarm, Ehang announced that they would be launching their 184 taxi drone for actual use in Dubai in a matter of months, making it clear where their primary focus lies. In such a loud space as the drone industry you have to do something to stand out, and it appears that breaking a world record might be Ehang’s ingenious way to have done this. We can only wonder, what drone-related record will be broken next, and toward what end? The post Ehang Blows Intel’s Drone Swarm World Record Out of the Water, Uses the Buzz to Promote Taxi Drone Launch in Dubai appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

A new revision of probably the most popular large screen FPV goggles in the market: http://www.banggood.com/Headplay-SE-V2-5_8G-40CH-FPV-Goggles-Video-Glasses-Headset-With-DVR-p-1126187.htmlNow with the SE V2 edition we have a low latency 7″ LCD screen (announced to be < 15ms) without black/blue screen when the FPV signal is lost. They include a new Fresnel lens with a narrower FPV but more accurate and precize, more adapted for FPV racing.HDMI input is still here but the general confort have been improved. Main introduction of a builtin DVR !!! that's great to record your favorite FPV session. The 5.8G part have been also improved with a 40CH receiver with higher sensitivity, an autoscan function.... but no diversity yet. The goggles can be powered directly from a 2S up to a 4S LiPo battery and they changed their main lead connectors as well. Wait & See. Description: Brand Name : Headplay Item Name: Headplay SE V2 Frequency :5.8G Channel : 40CH Voltage Input : 2s-4s LiPo XT60(not included) Latency : 15ms Features: Low latency LCD -best racing performance 15 ms low latency video- even during active DVR recording Never blue or black screen during FPV HDMI-in for HD FPV Smart design prevents cable from snapping if pulled by accident Plug-and-play with HD FPV links Patented ergonomic design Light weight Classic Headplay design spreads weight evenly on forehead and cheeks Superior comfort, materials, fit and finish Three point adjustable straps with silicone ant-slip belt Five new colors : Monster Green, Platinum Silver, Battleship Gray, Headplay Blue, Matte Black Rubber texture resists scratches and keeps new appearance longer Headplay F220 mm lens For a cinematic immersive feeling HPRO lens HPRO lens is included and offers a much more narrow FOV for fast FPV racing action AV-in for connecting to FPV base station Connect the Headplay to your existing FPV receiver AV-in and AV-out are connected to the DVR, but it’s possible to disconnect the DVR and DIY connect AV-in (i.e. 1.3 GHz video Rx) to the AV-input ; and if you keep the AV-out connected to the DVR, you can record the external AV input with the DVR XT60 battery input for all day run time Simple and smart battery holder for standard 2S-4S racing packs with XT60 connector OSD voltage display with low battery warning Voltage display can be moved to any corner of the screen or turned off New 5.8 GHz receiver with autoscan channel finder Design by Hawkeye Improved sensitivity over previous Headplay Rx 40 channels with Raceband channels Band and channel indicator LED Band and Channel selection Package Included: 1 x Headplay SE 1 x XT60 power harness/DVR harness 1 x Face foam 7 mm 1 x Face foam 15 mm Cet article NEWS: Headplay SE V2 FPV goggles (7″ HD 15ms low latency screen, builtin DVR, improved RX) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

INTRODUCTION 2017 will be probably the year of FPV HD systems, i.e. a full video transmission with at least 720p resolution and low latency. The AOMWAY Nexus V1 is the first product from AOMWAY. We have a bundle including a transmitter, a receiver and two antennas. Only HD sources are accepted via HDMI connexions. This bundle integrates optimized QAM+OFDM modules transmiting the HD signal with the lower latency as possible. Officially any 1080p@30fps or 720p@30fps sources are accepted and the announced latency is 80ms, not really compatible with FPV racing. Let’s discover this HD system. I will update this review with more Advanced testings. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Nexus transmitter + 1 x Nexus receiver + 1 x USB charging cable + 2 x DC power cable + 2 x 5.8G linear antennas No instruction manual…. :(, probably I received a pre-release version directly from AOMWAY factory. OVERVIEW The system is no more based on analog modulation, typically AM to transmit the raw video for most 5.8G system. Here, the video is first compressed via efficient technics and only reconstruction coefficients must be transmitted. At reception, when coefficients are well decoded, the video is resynthetized. The coefficients are transmitted thanks to QAM+OFDM technics. QAM stands for Quadratic Amplitute Modulation, an efficient way to transmit twice more data or to divide by two the occupied bandwidth. OFDM represents a second layer where each previous codes are simultaneously transmitted on several carriers orthogonal each other. Like this if a noise, an adjacent transmission, etc. occurs at least for some of these carriers, the signal will be probably sill present/less impacted and will be reconstructed by simple inverse discrete Fourier transform. Two blue metallic casing with similar size for both the transmitter and the receiver. HDMI connectors can be found on the bottom side. For the Transmitter, it’s an HDMIin, an HDMIout for the receiver. I regret the absence of light HDMI to microHDMI cable to connect the transmitter with a GoPro camera. Transmitter The transmitter includes a FAN to cool all the system. The list of 10ch is printed front. First evidence, the first channel is announced to be centered on 500Mhz while the last one on 572Mhz, so in the UHF band. The HDMI input connector on the left. In the central part a 4 DIP switches Vfreq selector and finally a DC port to power the transmitter officially from a either a 3S or 4S. In practice, it’s working also for a 2S battery. The 10 Vfreq have a bandtwitdh of 8Mhz and in fact have the same bandwitdh as for the DVB-T system. The unique difference is the central frequency shifted by only two MHz from the original DVB-T channels [24-33]. Clearly the Nexus can interfere with DVB-T system. It means potentially, you can also collect the signal on your HD TV on one of these cited channels. It’s obvious that in most of countries is completly illegal to transmit in the UHF band. Antenna must be plugged via SMA connector. Impedance must match 50ohms. Two leds. One red for power status and a blue status one. Blinking during synchrinuzation and stay solid during transmission. Surpringly, 5.8G antenna are given in the bundle as depicted here (courtesy Arxangel/RCgroups) If these antennas are correctly matching the 50ohms impedance, the efficiency of an antenna 10 times smaller (535Mhz vs 5.8Ghz) is far to be optimal. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna, especially for short-dipoles, we have: where we can see a quadratic factor (L/λ). So since here we have L«λ, the emitted power is clearly limited by the short size of the antenna. Emitted power is measured around 500mW. This value is probably not super accurate since the RF sensor was expecting more a 433Mhz source than a 500Mhz (lower supported Vfreq). When the metallic casing is opened, on the upper side we can find a Power Amplfier unit feed with a coaxial cable. On the lower side, another shielded large module, probably the main QAM/OFDM modulator. We can guess also some traces for a USB and a UART ports probably here for the debug. -WEIGHT Standalone, the transmitter is super heavy… No miracle with a metal casing. This latter is here to cool and shield more efficiently electronics The main PDB board indivually should scale around 40g. The 5.8G antenna attached add an extra 20g…. to the system and with the DC cable !!!! we have already 143g… It’s a a lot. and we have to add the HDMI cable to the GoPro camera and the camera itself…. so a full HD FPV system around 250g !!!!! Out of the box the solution can’t be really carried with Phantom class quadcopter. Some weight must be saved absoluptly. Receiver For the receiver, same casing but no fan is present. Now the DIP Vfreq selector is installed on upper side -WEIGHT 20g less for the receiver A simple heatsink is glued on the MCU to cool the system. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND FIRST TESTINGS Before to measure the latency of the system in practice, we have to measure the latency introduced by the HDcamera (here a blackview Hero2) + FPV monitor Here in average we have 200ms of latency. It means also, for FPV racing a HD camera with a faster HDMI output is a must to have. In practice, the Vfreq selection must be done with both TX&RX off. You can’t change the Vfreq on the fly. You need to power off all the system. When turned on, the system boot in less than 7-8s…. the blue light is blinking. Then the video appears… during a 4-5s. At this moment, the image is freezing and “no signal” appears. Don’t panic. Wait less than 10s and the video link is back. Now no more break. In term of video quality, don’t expect to reach the native quality of your HD cam. No free lunch, in order to reduce the bandwitch, the initial HD flux is first compressed with a huge compression factor. You can notice the effect of this compression especially for oblique shapes, high contrast color changes. More the color quantization scale is also reduced, especially for uniform background parts. But in anycase, the rendition quality is far superior to any analog NTSC/PAL FPV system :). Ok the moment of Truth ….. In average 400ms … so it means the AOMWAY system introduces 200ms of latency so far from the announced/advvertized 80ms value…. Well as you can see with the last test, the FPV link is broken after crossing one large wall …. No more whitesnow like in analog solutions but directly a black screen…I don’t think it’a problem of the emitted power but clearly more a direct limitation of the given antennas. I need to update the same testing with antenna more adapted to the 500Mhz band. I observed also a frame rate drop versus the distance/SNR degradation. Nothing catastrophic, something around 20fps. CONCLUSIONS Well the AOMWAY Nexus V1 is effectively a first edition of an HD FPV system and main certainly a V2, V3 will be introduced later. So yes the HD rendition despite the high compression level is far superior to any analog old school NTSC/PAL solutions. That’s great. I like also the general quality build and it’s working immediatly out of the box. But many things can be improved for the V1: i) provide better antennas more adapted to the 500Mhz/UHF band for better range; ii) reduce the weight of transmitter casing (3D printed ?). Probably around 50g can be saved at least; iii) provide a HMDI to microHDMI lightweight cable for FPV applications. More the latency must be improved…. 200ms is not compatible with FPV racing applications. Finally and probably the more important remark…. the system works in the UHF bands where exist in most of contries severe limitations to emit inside this band… In practice, this module is an out of law system. PROS + HD FPV kit CONS – Working in the same band than DVB-T/UHF (500Mhz) – 5.8g antennas not fully adapted – Heavy transmitter – 200ms of latency – Frame rate drop versus distance – Poor wall’s penatration with default antennas – No lightweight HDMI-microHDMI cable provided. This HD FPV kit have been courtesy provided by AOMWAY in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 240USD at http://www.banggood.com/Aomway-NEXUS-V1-FULL-HD-1080P-10CH-AV-FPV-Transmtiter-Receiver-TX-RX-Combo-p-1099344.html Cet article TEST: AOMWAY NEXUS V1, HD FPV kit est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

A microFC based on F4 board ? yes with this new model: http://www.banggood.com/Micro-Betaflight-3_1_0-Revo-F4-Flight-Controller-2020mm-Built-in-PDB-5V-1A-BEC-p-1125680.html. This new FC integrades super powerfull F4 ARM processor twice faster than F3 ancestor model. With last Betaflight OS, you can ajust Loop time set to 8Khz and main probably even to 16khz for even smoother on the “rail” flights. Notice that with last Betaflight release looptime can be already ajusted to 8khz with F3 processors. Description: Item name: Micro Betaflight 3.1.0 Revo F4 Flight Controller Size: 27*27mm Mounting size: 20*20mm Weight: 4g Master control: STM32F405RGT6 Sensor: MPU-6000 Support receiver: PPM, SBUS, DSM2/DSMX LED_STRIP port With buzzer port Blackbox: 128Mb Flash(16M Byte) Built in PDB Built in BEC 5V 1A LC filter Support DSHOT ESC Package included: 1 x Micro Betaflight 3.1.0 Revo F4 Flight Controller Cet article NEWS: Micro Revo F4 FC (<4g, 27x27mm) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

JXD 515V palm sized mini drone with HD camera JXD 515V description: Item name:JXD 515V Mini Quadcopter Color: Black green, Black blue Quadcopter Size: 13.8*13.8*5 CM Box Size: 33*19.5*8.5 CM Gyro: 6-axis Frequency: 2.4G Channel:4CH Battery:7.4V 350mAh(included) Camera:200W Flight time: 6 minutes Charging time: 90 minutes Flying distance: 50 meters above Flight function: up / down / left turn / right turn / forward / back / left side fly / right side fly / speed file/ 360 ° flip/ a key return / memory function JXD 515V Package content: 1x Quadcopter 1x Transmitters 1x USB charging cable 1x manual 4x propeller 4x Protective ring The post JXD 515V Mini Avatar drone with camera appeared first on Drone News. View the full article

JXD 515V palm sized mini drone with HD camera JXD 515V description: Item name:JXD 515V Mini Quadcopter Color: Black green, Black blue Quadcopter Size: 13.8*13.8*5 CM Box Size: 33*19.5*8.5 CM Gyro: 6-axis Frequency: 2.4G Channel:4CH Battery:7.4V 350mAh(included) Camera:200W Flight time: 6 minutes Charging time: 90 minutes Flying distance: 50 meters above Flight function: up / down / left turn / right turn / forward / back / left side fly / right side fly / speed file/ 360 ° flip/ a key return / memory function JXD 515V Package content: 1x Quadcopter 1x Transmitters 1x USB charging cable 1x manual 4x propeller 4x Protective ring The post JXD 515V Mini Avatar drone with camera appeared first on Drone News. View the full article

Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Pocket Drone with WiFi FPV Eachine E55 description: Brand name: Eachine Item name: Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter Frequency: 2.4G Channel: 4ch Gyro: 6 axis Material: Alloy ABS, PEO Product battery: 3.7V 300mAh 25c(Included) Charging time: 40mins Flying time: 6-8mins R/C distance: about 50m Camera: 30W (720*576 30FPS) Product size: 6.5×6.5×2.5cm (the arms are folded) Package size: 16.5×6.1×21.5cm Product weight: 45g Package weight:265g Transmitter: Mode 2 Transmitter battery:3*AAA(Not included) Color: Balck/White/ Red Eachine E55 Main Features: * With foldable arm, small size, easy to carry * With high hold mode function provides stable flight. * With wifi function can be connected APP, APK system to take pictures, video, real-time transmission through the phone camera image. * Wifi real-time transmission FPV system which can capture photos and record videos for your great memory. * With Headless Mode,no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying . * It has 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and be easy to control. * 4 Channel which can do ascend, descend, forward, backward, left sideward fly, right sideward fly and rolling 360° * Remote control with anti-interference protection, the aircraft has a low-current protection over-current protection, aircraft flight flexibility and smooth; fine tuning by remote control to fine-tune the performance of the aircraft to ensure normal function Flight function: Rise, Fall, Hover, Forward, Backward, Turn Left, Turn Right,Headless Mode,Four Sides Roll Function Package content: 1 x Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter 1 x 3.7V 500MAH battery 1 x USB charger 4 x Propeller 1 x User manual 1 x transmitter 1 x Phone Holder 1 x screwdriver The post Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Pocket Drone appeared first on Drone News. View the full article

Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Pocket Drone with WiFi FPV Eachine E55 description: Brand name: Eachine Item name: Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter Frequency: 2.4G Channel: 4ch Gyro: 6 axis Material: Alloy ABS, PEO Product battery: 3.7V 300mAh 25c(Included) Charging time: 40mins Flying time: 6-8mins R/C distance: about 50m Camera: 30W (720*576 30FPS) Product size: 6.5×6.5×2.5cm (the arms are folded) Package size: 16.5×6.1×21.5cm Product weight: 45g Package weight:265g Transmitter: Mode 2 Transmitter battery:3*AAA(Not included) Color: Balck/White/ Red Eachine E55 Main Features: * With foldable arm, small size, easy to carry * With high hold mode function provides stable flight. * With wifi function can be connected APP, APK system to take pictures, video, real-time transmission through the phone camera image. * Wifi real-time transmission FPV system which can capture photos and record videos for your great memory. * With Headless Mode,no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying . * It has 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and be easy to control. * 4 Channel which can do ascend, descend, forward, backward, left sideward fly, right sideward fly and rolling 360° * Remote control with anti-interference protection, the aircraft has a low-current protection over-current protection, aircraft flight flexibility and smooth; fine tuning by remote control to fine-tune the performance of the aircraft to ensure normal function Flight function: Rise, Fall, Hover, Forward, Backward, Turn Left, Turn Right,Headless Mode,Four Sides Roll Function Package content: 1 x Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter 1 x 3.7V 500MAH battery 1 x USB charger 4 x Propeller 1 x User manual 1 x transmitter 1 x Phone Holder 1 x screwdriver The post Eachine E55 Mini Foldable Pocket Drone appeared first on Drone News. View the full article

A new cheap “ersatz” of the Dobby is introduced by Eachine, i.e. the E55: http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E55-Mini-WiFi-FPV-Foldable-Pocket-Drone-With-High-Hold-Mode-RC-Quadcopter-p-1125513.html. We have the same system of foldable arms limiting dimensions during transportation to a 6.5cm square. Here we have have a basic machine with a 2.4G non-specialized WiFI link for the FPV part. The camera can offers the maximum of 720×576 for resolution. Promised control range is about 50m but probably without the FPV link turned on … The machine can be controlled either by a radio or by the app. Altitude hold is present. Clearly this machine targets the first beginner machine. Well in practice nothing really original in this bundle. The camera is a pinhole model with a super narro FOV Description: Brand name: Eachine Item name: Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter Frequency: 2.4G Channel: 4ch Gyro: 6 axis Material: Alloy ABS, PEO Product battery: 3.7V 300mAh 25c(Included) Charging time: 40mins Flying time: 6-8mins R/C distance: about 50m Camera: 30W (720*576 30FPS) Product size: 6.5×6.5×2.5cm (the arms are folded) Package size: 16.5×6.1×21.5cm Product weight: 45g Package weight:265g Transmitter: Mode 2 Transmitter battery:3*AAA(Not included) Color: Balck/White/ Red Features: -With foldable arm, small size, easy to carry -With high hold mode function provides stable flight. -With wifi function can be connected APP, APK system to take pictures, video, real-time transmission through the phone camera image. -Wifi real-time transmission FPV system which can capture photos and record videos for your great memory. -With Headless Mode,no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying . -It has 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and be easy to control. -4 Channel which can do ascend, descend, forward, backward, left sideward fly, right sideward fly and rolling 360° -Remote control with anti-interference protection, the aircraft has a low-current protection over-current protection, aircraft flight flexibility and smooth; fine tuning by remote control to fine-tune the performance of the aircraft to ensure normal function Function: Rise, Fall, Hover, Forward, Backward, Turn Left, Turn Right,,Headless Mode,Four Sides Roll Function Package Included: 1 x Eachine E55 RC Quadcopter 1 x 3.7V 500MAH battery 1 x USB charger 4 x Propeller 1 x User manual 1 x transmitter 1 x Phone Holder 1 x screwdriver Cet article NEWS: Eachine E55, the Dobby for poors est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

A new micro DSM2/DSMX really working in DSMX ?… maybe, probably with the new announced Redcon R720X: http://www.banggood.com/Redcon-R720X-2_4G-20CH-DSM2-DSMX-Compatible-Micro-Receiver-p-1125397.html. A least a good and cheaper alternative of the Orange R616XN. 1.3g for this model so similar to the Hobbyking model. Description: Brand Name: Redcon Item Name: R720X Band: 2.4GHz Channel: 20CH Modulation: DSM2/DSMX Dimensions (W x Lx H): 22x15x5mm Weight: 1.3 g Color: White Input Voltage: 3.3V Antenna Length Main RX: 6cm,9cm,15cm (optional) Control Range: 1000M Wire Definition: Yellow – Positive, Black – Negative, Gray – Signal Line Compatible Flight Controller: NAZA32,CC3D,KK2,F3,Multiwii-APM,V-Bar-5.3 Compatibility (Spectrum and JR DSM2/DSMX): DX6I,DX7,DX8,DSX7,DSX9,DSX11 Features: Super mimi, Micro receiver ServoSync (feature does not work with module systems) Preset failsafe system QuickConnect General Notes: 1) This is not a Spektrum DSM2/X product, nor is it a copy of a Spektrum DSM2/X product. The Spektrum and DSM2/X brand is a trademark of Horizon Hobbies USA. 2) This is not an underground black market fake Spektrum product. 3) Only one bind procedure is required on a new receiver. Repetitive binding provides no extra security. Always remember to remove the binding harness after successful bind is completed. Package Included: 1x Redcon R720X receiver 1x Bind Plug Cet article NEWS: Redcon R720X, a working DSMX nanoreceiver ? (1.3g) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

Lady Gaga’s incredible drone-packed performance at the Super Bowl last weekend went a long way toward proving that the drone industry is going mainstream, as does the recent news that InterDrone has just been selected as one of the “Fastest Fifty”—an elite list of the top fastest growing trade shows in the U.S. in any industry—by Trade Show Executive magazine. Being named to the list at all is a distinction to be proud of it, but InterDrone was also one of only 14 trade shows in the country to be named in three categories: 1) Fastest Growth in Exhibit Space; 2) Fastest Growth in Number of Exhibitors; and 3) Fastest Growth in Attendance. Can we just say: Woot woot—that is fantastic! One of the great things about this recognition is that it’s awarded based purely on the numbers. InterDrone killed it in 2016, with attendance up 26% and exhibit space up an impressive 48% from 2015, and a total draw of 3,518 attendees from 54 different countries on 6 continents, as well as 155 exhibitors and sponsors in 222 booths. That is to say, this recognition is well earned. “We are honored to be recognized by Trade Show Executive for our rapid growth reflecting both the exciting growth of the commercial drone market and the hard work of our team. More than 260 media and association partners have helped build InterDrone into the largest dedicated commercial UAV event in the world.“ – Ted Bahr, Chairman of InterDrone InterDrone was the only drone-focused trade show named to the “Fastest Fifty” this year—you can see the full list of trade shows that were recognized here. A Reason to Celebrate InterDrone’s success is something all of us in the drone industry can celebrate, because it’s a bellwether for where we’re all headed. That is (pun intended)—UP. In 2016, when FAA Administrator Michael Huerta gave his keynote at InterDrone, he noted that in the first month of the Section 333 sUAS regulations there were only 7 authorized operators, whereas the new Part 107 regulations and certification process boasted thousands of participants. Further, he noted, 3,000+ people studied for and took their Aeronautical Knowledge Test the very first day the regulations went into effect, on Monday August 29th, 2016. We can only imagine what those numbers will look like this September. We’ve talked on here before about helping to change public perception of drones and the people who fly them, and certainly the larger the drone community grows, the more there are drone ambassadors doing this work across public and private sectors. Kudos to InterDrone for leading the way, and for all of their success. Below is Michael Huerta’s keynote last year. Even though this was only five months ago, we feel like the industry has come so far since then. InterDrone 2017 InterDrone 2017 is shaping up to be even bigger and better than 2016. The conference will be held at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from September 6-8, 2017. The conference has gotten so big that some drone companies are choosing it as their venue for launching new products, which has historically been done at CES. We can’t wait to see what surprises are in store this year. Regarding professional development at InterDrone 2017, there are three tracks to support UAV pilots: Drone TechCon for drone builders, developers, OEMs, and engineers; Drone Enterprise for enterprise UAV pilots, operators, and drone service businesses; and Drone Cinema for pilots engaged in aerial photography and videography. Find out more about attending and exhibiting by visiting the InterDrone website. And make sure to join their email list to get all the updates as the conference approaches. Last year FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta (quoted and featured in the video above) and Yuneec CEO Tian Yu gave Grand Keynotes. Wonder who will kick things off this year…? The post InterDrone Listed in “Fasetst Fifty” appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

INTRODUCTION With the Eachine Aurora 90 we have a direct clone of the AXC Halo90 . A 90mm brushless machine relatively light with 1306 motors, 2S powered, with a F3 compact board including a builtin betaflight OSD, a 4-in-1 ESC BLheli_S/Dshot600 compatible board and a 48CH 5.8G 25mW AIO 600 TVL camera. The main originality is probably a prop guard full carbon based super strong to impacts. Let’s discover this bundle. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Eachine Aurora 90 (with a 2S 450mAh LiPo with JST connector) + 1 x Charger Emax B3pro + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Screwdriver + 1 x Allen key + 1 x Velcro band + 1 x Instruction manual (English) The instruction manual is fully detailed printed in color. All informations you need can be found there. OVERVIEW A 90mm machine. The main lower square carbon structure is 1.5mm large while the carbon prop guard is only 1mm -FRONT VIEW On the top of front side, the bind button is available for the FrSly D8 receiver. We have a minitower of electronic with the FrSky D8 receiver on top, the F3 omni in the middle and the PDB/4-in-1 ESC at bottom. -SIDE VIEW Harg !!!! the microUSB port is not directly available. The microUSB insertion is completly blocked by the front left prop guard. If you remove two screws, you can rotate the prop guard and access to the port. More the 2.4G antenna is connected to the receiver via a uFL/IPX connector. Check before the first take off if the antenna is fully inserted into the connector. If you observed some drop out in the signal…. check this point particulary. -REAR VIEW 4 lights not fully programmed with the LED strip capacity of betaflight. A JST connector…. I strongly advise to install more a XT30 connector. but bright enough for racer Just above installed on the FC, a large buzzer relatively loud -UPPER VIEW -BOTTOM VIEW A thin battery strap… not enough to fully attach the battery. You will need to use the velcro band to secure everything -WEIGHT 106.7g in total … Motors 1104 brusless redstar motors announced to be 7500KV. Unfortunatly they spin probability too fast for the 3S comptability, at least to not damage them quadriblade props relatively flexible M2x8mm hexscrews A major drawback in the design is the tiny clearance between prop and the red aluminium standoff, less than 1mm in practice !!!! Especially in fast forward mouvement in combinaison with the flexibility of the prop, you can have a fatal contact breaking mid-air the prop. If you are interested by the EA90, it’s also strongly advised to instal such spacers: https://www.axc-drones.com/axc-halo-spare-carbon-hoop-5.html LiPo A 450mAh 2S LiPo with 80C of discharge rate !!!! it’s a lot but I am suprize of the usage of a JST connector. A XT30 connector would have a been much choice in term if peak current supported. Camera module The AIO FPV camera is installed out of the box by a simple tape and in practice the installation is far to perfect as soon as the tape is dried. Definitively the installation must be secured with a zip-tie a rubber band. If not some little jello will be present. The lens thread is in M7 format. Installed a 170 DFOV lens, probably too wide for fast outdoors applications. The VTX part is based on a 48CH module (raceband supported). a RHCP cloverleaf antenna well protected Two buttons are located on top of the AIO element. The frontal one selects NTSC/PAL and the rear one select the Vfreq (short press) and the Vband (long press). Two small lights indicate the current Vband and Vfreq up and down respectively All the camera support can be tilted from 10degrees up to 30-35 degrees by unlocking the top M2 hexscrews A raw sample of the performance of the FPV camera The behaviour in term of light sensitivity is correct, with average performances. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, BINDING, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT No doubt the Eachine Aurora 90 can fly superbly thanks to powerfull motor and efficient BLheli_S ESC. Punchout for a 2S system are really good so definitively acro compatible. The FPV link is good too at least comparable with all recent 25mW AIO FPV combo. The OSD informations are a real positive element. Unfortunatly despite these positive points, there are some négatives ones. First, especially in angle/horizon modes, the machine drift a lot in the left direction despite all calibration precedure. Maybe a a faulty gyro… but some other users already reported this problem. Another issue is the lost of thrust for the rear right motor after a right turn at high speed. Maybe also linked with the gyro or by the battery sag. Flight duration also are poor, only 3min in practice. CONCLUSIONS Despite being on the paper a super machine with great elements, some minor details are considerably limiting the interest of the Aurora 90. First, some spacers and eventually a soft mounting solution (with electrical tape) must be installed to avoid a crash caused by the contact of props and the red aluminium standoffs. The builtin gyro or the battery are probably also guilty…. introducing drifts and motor thrust losts mid-air at high speed. It’s really annoying. PROS + Strong machine + Prop guard in carbon + F3 board with builtin Betaflight OSD + Nice acro flyer + Protected AIO FPV camera + Color printed instruction manual CONS – <1mm of clearance between props and red aluminium=>need spacers installation – USB port not directly available – Drift observed in angle mode – Rear right motor thrust lost mid-air – 3 min of flying duration This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 146USD at http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Aurora-90-90mm-Mini-FPV-Racing-Drone-BNF-wF3-OSD-10A-BLheli_S-Dshot600-5_8G-25MW-48CH-VTX-p-1114799.html Cet article TEST: Eachine Aurora 90, the AXC Halo90 clone (F3 omni w/ betaOSD, 1104/7500Kv motors, 4-in-1 BLheli_S/Dshot600, 48CH 600TVL 1/3″ CMOS AIO FPV cam) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

A new super compact microFV machine in 2S setup is announced here: : http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Flyingfrog-Q90-Micro-FPV-Racing-Quadcopter-BNF-with-F3-5_8G-200mW-VTX-1000TVL-Camera-p-1124456.html 200mW VTX, F3 board, 110 DFOV 1000 TVL cam… wind resistant …. I like Should be around 60g with the 2S LiPo. Really I like the spécifications. As usual come for the BNF version with three choice of receiver: DSM2 (spektrum), FrSky D8 and FlySky Specification: Brand Name: Eachine Item NO.: Q90 Wheelbase: 98mm Size: 88mm*88mm*40mm Weight: 41g (without battery) Flight controller: F3 Brushed Flight Controller Receiver: Frsky receiver/ Flysky receiver/ DSM2 receiver (Optional) Motor: 8520 2S Brush Motor Prop Size: 55mm Camera: Micro 7mm 1000TVL HD COMS Camera AV Wireless Transmitter: 5.8g 200mw 40CH Batterry: 7.4V 2S 350mah 30C Lipo battery Flight time: 8 minutes Features: Using the F3 brushed flight controller, control is more sensitive and the fligh is more active With Ultra-miniature receiver, have 3 opotion can be choose, Frsky/Flysky/DSM2. With 2S 8520 14000KV coreless motor and 350mah 30C 2S battery, super power. With detachable propeller protection sleeve, make your fligh safer. The user only need to be equipped with a remote control to experience the indoor FPV flight. Strong wind resistance, indoor and outdoor can fly. Package included: 1 x Q90 Frame kit 4 x 8520 2S Coreless Motor 1 x F3 Flight controller 1 x Receiver 1 x 5.8G 200mw VTX 1 x 1000TVL Camera 8 x 55mm Propeller 1 x 7.4V 350mah Battery 1 x White body shell 1 x USB Charging cable 4 x Paddle protection sleeve Cet article NEWS: Eachine FlyingFrog Q90 (88mm, 200mW VTX, 1000TVL/110 DFOV FPV CAM, F3, 2S 350mAh) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

The drones that appeared at the Super Bowl yesterday, both as a backdrop to Lady Gaga’s halftime performance (pictured above), and later for a 10-second spot where the Intel logo phased into the Pepsi logo, were not actually flying live. At the start of her halftime performance Lady Gaga appeared in front of a swirling background of light, standing on the roof of Houston’s NRG Stadium. She then jumped into the air, seeming to dropping down to the stadium to start her show. But the drones didn’t follow her down to the stage. And in fact, they weren’t physically present at the time she was performing. The drones were not allowed to fly over NRG stadium due to restrictions placed on the airspace over it by the FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions will prohibit certain aircraft operations, including unmanned aircraft operations, or drones, within a 34.5-mile radius of NRG Stadium in downtown Houston, Texas on game day. The restrictions will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5. How Did They Pull It Off? The FAA was reportedly open to lifting the drone ban for the Super Bowl performance itself, but it turns out those in charge of the performance decided not to take them up on it. The reason those in charge decided not to do the drone show live had to do with a combination of factors, including the weather and environmental issues. Wind speeds in February were thought to be potentially unpredictable, and the possibility of rain was also a factor in the decision. Despite the fact that the drone show wasn’t done live at the Super Bowl, Lady Gaga was in fact on the roof of the stadium for the filming, so that aspect of the performance was done “live” in the sense that she was present while the drones were being flown behind her. Intel worked on the drone light show over several days, using 300 of their Shooting Star drones, with the main shot done on January 30. “We were on site for nine days, so we got the proper waivers to fly in Class C airspace up to 700 feet. We got the waivers to do this at night with multiple drones per pilot through the FAA. We were testing out our drones, tweaking our animations throughout this whole process, and we filmed for one night, and it was perfect.” – Natalie Cheung, General Manager at Intel Drones In case you missed it, here is the second drone appearance from last night, where drones first create the Intel logo then phase into the Pepsi logo. About Intel’s Shooting Star Drones The light show was done using Intel’s Shooting Star drones, which have made headlines recently by being used at Disney in place of fireworks. (Disney has moved pretty quickly in their partnership with Intel—not too long ago they were talking about using 3DR drones to do light shows using “flixels” or flying pixels.) The Shooting Star is a quadcopter drone created by Intel strictly for the purpose of putting on light shows. In November, Intel released a video of 500 Shooting Star drones putting on a light show in Sydney, a big advance from previous efforts that had included only 100 drones. The Shooting Star comes with software created to automate the live animation process, so that the “drone horde” or “drone flock” flies as one single entity, despite being fragmented into hundreds of discrete machines. According to Intel, light shows that used to take weeks to plan and orchestrate can now be ready in a matter of days using the Shooting Star. The logistics for execution are also much simpler, since only one pilot (that’s right—just one!) is required to run everything. The LED light embedded in each drone can shine in any of 4 billion combinations, so the possibilities are basically endless when it comes to the types of light shows these new drones can enable. By taking the lead with these lightshow-focused drones, Intel has again set itself at the head of the pack when it comes to industry innovation. A Historic Night Although Intel had already logged a historic flight with the Shooting Star drones in November, the use of drones in the Super Bowl is historic for a few reasons. For one, we’ve never seen this kind of show before, and we can only imagine that mainstreaming these kinds of lightshows by using them in a venue as huge as the Super Bowl is going to usher in a new age of drone light shows. Maybe in several years these kinds of shows may even seem old hat, but for now they are brand new, and exciting. Two more reasons last night was historic have to do with the FAA yet again setting a precedent regarding the reasonable application of regulations, and with the general acceptance of drones by the public at large. Due to privacy concerns, to their use by the military, and to a general lack of education, drones have been vilified in some public discourses. Last night showed the world that drones can be used to do some pretty neat stuff. And it also showed that the FAA, yet again, is more than willing to be reasonable when it comes to applying its regulations. We say huzzah to that, and to helping everyone understand that drones are used to help—and to delight—all the time. We’ll close this article out with the full video of Lady Gaga’s performance last night. Gaga, you can take it from here. The post Super Bowl Drones Weren’t Flying Live, but Still Made for a Historic Night appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

If you google “FAA Pathfinder Program” or variations of these keywords the search results will include links to the “Focus Area initiative Pathfinder Program,” speeches about the launch of Pathfinder initiatives, and a link to a page on the FAA website for “Programs, Partnerships and Opportunities.” But you won’t find a link to an FAA page about the Pathfinder Program itself, because no such page exists (to the best of our sleuthing—if you manage to track one down, please let us know.) The lack of a page devoted to the Pathfinder Program, or any language at all on the FAA website that defines the program (and not just one of its initiatives) makes it tricky to figure out what the program is. (We did find this dead link to a page that looks like it was supposed to be devoted to defining the Pathfinder Program and the legislation that birthed it; the link came from a blog post on the Redbird website.) But if you read up on the available links, you can deduce that the program is, in essence, a series of initiatives launched by the FAA in collaboration with private companies to test various uses of drones toward creating better regulations and enabling the growth of the drone industry. The great thing about the Pathfinder Program, from everything we’ve read, is that its objective is not simply to regulate for the sake of regulating, but to gather actionable data on real drone applications and safety scenarios to inform smarter legislation. We’ll dive into the Focus Area initiative (the first initiative launched by the Pathfinder Program) in just a moment, but it’s important to note that it seems clear from the different applications it was created to explore—flights over people and BVLOS—that the FAA wants to gather data from private companies in order to understand how existing Part 107 restrictions could be made more nuanced in order to allow for reasonable, useful UAS applications that are currently prohibited. The Two Initiatives of the FAA Pathfinder Program To date, only two initiatives have been launched by the Pathfinder Program. These initiatives are listed on the FAA website, on that same “Programs, Partnerships and Opportunities” page mentioned above, but they’re mixed in with a number of other non-Pathfinder items so you wouldn’t necessarily understand they were Pathfinder-related unless you’d already done some research elsewhere. The two initiatives that comprise the Pathfinder Program are the Focus Area Initiative, which launched in May of 2015, and the UAS Detection Initiative, which launched a year later in May of 2016. The Focus Area Initiative The Focus Area Initiative was the first effort of the Pathfinder Program. This initiative is a collaboration with three partners (CNN, PrecisionHawk and BNSF Railway) to investigate flight over people and Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAS as two possible commercial UAS applications. The original goal of the initiative was to explore “incremental expansion of UAS operations in the National Air Space (NAS).” As noted above, some eventual outcomes from the Focus Area Initiative could be more nuanced rules regarding flights over people and BVLOS flying, as opposed to the current rules which simply forbid both of these items altogether. The three focus area for this first initiative are: Visual line-of-sight operations over people CNN is exploring how UAS might be safely used for newsgathering in populated areas. This project was an expansion of a pre-existing collaboration between CNN and the FAA. Even though it’s been active for over a year and a half, there doesn’t seem to be much information out there about how the project is going thus far. Extended visual line-of-sight operations in rural areas PrecisionHawk is exploring how UAS flights outside the pilot’s direct vision might allow greater UAS use for crop monitoring in precision agriculture operations. Beyond visual line-of-sight operations in rural/isolated areas BNSF Railway is exploring command-and-control challenges of using UAS to inspect rail system infrastructure. Back in June of 2016 BNSF announced its first BVLOS flight for railway inspections in New Mexico. The flight was done by an Insitu ScanEagle. By providing hardware and related support, Insitu has become another collaborator in the Focus Area Initiative. The UAS Detection Initiative The UAS/Drone Detection Initiative is the second initiative of the Pathfinder Program, and was first announced in May of 2016. In an effort to keep airports safer and anticipate possible future threats to safety, the FAA announced its Drone Detection Pathfinder Program. The focus of the program is to detect and identify UAS systems flying too close to airports. “Sometimes people fly drones in an unsafe manner. Government and industry share responsibility for keeping the skies safe, and we’re pleased these three companies have taken on this important challenge.” – Marke “Hoot” Gibson, FAA Senior Advisor on UAS Integration. Drone detection at airports and how to deal with rogue drones in controlled airspaces has been in the news a lot lately, and we can anticipate hearing even more about it as the creation and use of drones continues to grow. FAA Drone Detection Partnerships Central to the Drone Detection Initiative are three industry partnerships the FAA has made with Gryphon Sensors, Liteye Systems Inc. and Sensofusion. Every one of these companies has a long track record working in the anti-drone space, which makes it clear that the FAA is aggressively pursuing both technology and strategic planning around how to identify and control rogue drones, whether they be accidentally or intentionally present in controlled airspace. As part of this initiative, the FAA signed individual Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRDAs) with each of these companies. Details about the CRDAs are included in the partnership details listed below. Gryphon Sensors provides drone detection systems and safe UAS integration. Gryphon is a trusted partner of NASA, FAA, and U-Safe, and has worked with the Department of Defense for several decades. Regarding their CRDA, Gryphon’s website reads: “Gryphon Sensors will deploy its Skylight system in the spring of 2017 as an operational proof of concept, showcasing it’s capabilities as a drone security system in an airport environment. In cooperation with the FAA, Gryphon Sensors will demonstrate Skylight’s detection, identification and classification system in multiple scenarios in which normal airport operations are commencing. Radar and sensor data will be provided to the FAA from all testing and live scenarios for development of minimum performance requirements and lessons learned.” Liteye Systems Inc. creates AUDS, a system designed to disrupt and neutralize Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) engaged in Hostile Airborne Surveillance and potentially Malicious Activity. The AUDS system combines electronic scanning radar target detection & classification, Electro Optic (EO) tracking and directional RF inhibition capability over three independent RF bands. Their CRDA was issued on May 10, 2016. Regarding their CRDA, Liteye issued a press release in May of 2016 that reads: “The AUDS system will be evaluated at airports selected by the FAA. The agency and its federal government partners – particularly the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – will work with Liteye to study how effective their technologies are, while ensuring they do not interfere with the safety and security of normal airport operations…The CRDA with Liteye expands upon collaborative efforts with industry to develop system standards to identify unauthorized UAS flights near airports, which could pose a hazard to manned aircraft.” Sensofusion is the creator of AIRFENCE, which can automatically detect, locate, track, and take over UAV controls all on full auto. In addition, AIRFENCE can locate the operator with pin point accuracy in real time. Regarding their CRDA, the CEO of Sensofusion said: “We first developed the technology to detect, locate, track, and gain control over UAS three years ago as a military project and operated it with three European armies under NATO. Fast forward to the present time, and AIRFENCE is now protecting various customer sites in Europe, including prisons, high profile government buildings, police, and military sites. Since the technology is software based, it improves with over-the-air updates, ensuring that we are always ahead of the commercial UAS market.” The FAA certainly seems open to other new initiatives, and generally expanding the Pathfinder Program. You can find links on their website to explore experimental aircraft certification, and also to contact a UAS test site. The post Inside the FAA’s Pathfinder Program appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

A new version of the WLToys Q383A including a 5.8G FPV solution is announced here: http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_609788.html. It’s a minihexacopter integrating a 720p/25mW FPV cam combo. Well IMHO, it’s almost the same machine introduced one year ago, i.e. the Q282 (I reviewed the non FPV version here: http://www.drone-maniac.com/test-wltoys-q282j-a-microhexacopter/). I can see here only the introduction of the a builtin propguard…. that’s all…. Unfortunatly still the same narrow lens and downtilted…. WLtoys !!! are you listening what we want ????? I guess their stock of the Q282 was so high that they need to rebrand it with tiny cosmetic changes… I am so disapointed by WLtoys …. Was one of my first brand who introduced me into this hobby…. Well by the way, the machine was not so bad but the narrow FPV lens killed and FPV performances. General Brand: WLtoys Type: Hexacopter Model: Q383 – A Features: 5.8G FPV,Brushed Version,Camera,Radio Control Motor Type: Brushed Motor Functions: 3D rollover,Forward/backward,Headless Mode,Hover,One Key Automatic Return,Turn left/right,Up/down,With light Built-in Gyro: 6 Axis Gyro Material: ABS/PS,Electronic Components Kit Types: RTF Level: Beginner Level Age: Above 14 years old Connectivity Remote Control: 2.4GHz Wireless Remote Control Channel: 4-Channels Mode: Mode 2 (Left Hand Throttle) Radio Mode: Mode 2 (Left-hand Throttle) Detailed Control Distance: 60-80m Compatible with Additional Gimbal: No FPV Distance: 50 – 70m Transmitter Power: 6 x 1.5V AA battery(not included) Battery Battery: 3.7V 500mAh lithium-ion ( included ) Flying Time: 5~6mins Charging Time (h): about 90mins Camera Video Resolution: 720P HD Dimension and Weight Product weight: 0.049 kg Package weight: 0.740 kg Product size (L x W x H): 17.30 x 17.30 x 5.30 cm / 6.81 x 6.81 x 2.09 inches Package size (L x W x H): 32.00 x 9.00 x 25.50 cm / 12.6 x 3.54 x 10.04 inches Package Contents Package Contents: 1 x Hexacopter, 1 x Transmitter, 1 x FPV Monitor, 1 x 3.7V 500mAh Li-ion Battery, 6 x Spare Propeller, 1 x Card Reader, 1 x 4GB Micro SD Card, 2 x USB Charging Cable, 1 x Charger Box, 1 x Chinese-English Manual Cet article NEWS: WLtoys Q383A, a micro 5.8G hexacopter with an air of “Déjà Vu” est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

INTRODUCTION “Smaller and smaller, brushless racers will be …” can be the leitmotiv of 2017 especially with all weight restrictions/new laws concerning our favorite hobby spreading around the world. Here with the Eachine Chaser 88 with we have a 2s brushless racer under 100g equiped of a compact F3 mini board, 1103 motors and a 800TVL AIO 5.8G 25mW FPV cam. Actually only the ARF version is sold. You will need to feed it with your RX&TX solution (PPM/SBUS/IBUS connexions supported). Let’s discover this candidate. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Eachine Chaser 88 (with a 2S 450mAh LiPo with XT30) + 1 x USB charging cable + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Rubber band For the ARF version, the strict minimum is given…No dedicaced packaging and even no instruction at all…. OVERVIEW A 88mm brushless racer with 1103 motors /10 000 KV with a general X-design. Clearly FPV racing is targetting….. No propguard is present in the bundle. Even if IMHO, the Chaser88 is too heavy for indoors applications, I regret the absence of the propguard. Good news at least, the protection is now sold separatly: http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Chaser88-FPV-Racer-Upgrade-Spare-Part-1_0mm-Protection-Circle-cover-p-1123790.html In term of FC, we have a compact F3 board with betaflight 3.0.1 pre-installed. One of the main positive element is the presence of the 4-in-1 6A ESC board compatible with Dshot600 protocol representing the last ESC’s technology. A unique lower carbon frame with 2mm of thickness covered bottom of 1mm of foam Compared to the Eachine X73S (73mm), the Chaser88 is bigger for sure but not so so much more but in practice twice more heavier -FRONT VIEW A large metal antenna guard is protecting relatively well the cloverleaf antenna of the AIO cam. Beware, the metal can be bent during a crash and be in contact with the CL antenna droping drastically the FPV range and creating RF interférences. With the battery installed below… as you can see the battery will play the role of landing gear and will be sadly potentially impacted during a crash at full speed. With a microreceiver installed laterally -SIDE VIEW Lead cable ends with a XT30 connector, a much better choice IMHO to handle high current. The receiver connector is a 4 pads 1mm model, in practice directly compatible with the FlySky FS-A8S: http://www.banggood.com/Flysky-FS-A8S-2_4G-8CH-Mini-Receiver-with-PPM-i-BUS-SBUS-Output-p-1092861.html Can be directly installed on the left side The FPV camera is installed on a 3D printed mount. The camera have no uptilt angle and to apply one, you can install a small spacer. No large prop clearance so no hope to install a longer prop model -REAR VIEW As a lot of recent eachine model (EX120, QX105 QX95, etc…), you have a light bar with 6 LEDs and installed centrally a small buzzer !!! great A microUSB port located rear no difficulty to plug your cable -UPPER VIEW -BOTTOM VIEW With the battery attached via the strong rubber band -WEIGHT With the FS-A8S installed, the total weight is 93.2g Some weight can be saved by installing a Eachine TX02/TX03, probably around 3-4g. Motors 1103 motors announced to be 10000KV Two M2 hexscrews tp lock each quadriblade props 2030 props LiPo A 450mAh 2S LiPo with XT30 connector. The discharge rate is announced to be equal of 45C. I doubt about this value since the LiPo is strictly identical to the Eachine EX120 model Camera module A 40CH 25mW AIO 800TVL FPV camera with DFOV of 170. The model is well seatled in the camera mount by a strong rubber band. A unique button when shortly pressed select the current Vfreq (among 8), the current Vband (among 5) when longly pressed. Two small lights indicate the current Vfreq and Vband. As you can see bottom both the selection button and the power connector are limiting the maximum uptilt angle. A raw video of the FPV camera. The video in proximity flight is rather sharp and precize with a relatively good light sensitivity Beyond 30-40m, a lot of statics start to emerge…. Clearly far to reach the performances of the best AIO 25mW FPV. If you want to obtain better FPV range and save some little grams, you can for example install a Eachine TX02/TX03: http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-TX03-PAL-Super-Mini-025mW50mW200mW-Switchable-AIO-5_8G-72CH-VTX-600TVL-FPV-Camera-p-1122363.html But be aware with such FPV camera model, you will need to invert wires on the camera’s plug to invert polarity if you don’t want to cook your FPV cam. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND TESTING First warning, the default flight mode selected is the acro mode, so be aware if you are a beginner. The middle position of a 3-way switch represents the angle 6-axis stabilization flight mode. Out of the box, the default betaflight PIDs settings are simply pretty bad, the machine is full of wobbles, almost inflyable especially in angle/horizon. In acro, the situation is slightly better but no real pleasure to fly with this machine …. Ok after increasing D terms to 50, the situation is improved a lot !!!! wobbles are almost no more here … much more enjoyable. Be aware with high D values, in general it’s stressing much more brushless motors and by consequence warming much more. Punch out for a 2S/93g machine are good, at least compatible with acro applications. The FPV camera don’t offer super great range A lot of statics come beyond 30m …… The buzzer start to ring after a couple of seconds. Clearly under load, the battery performances is considerably impacted and some voltage thresholds ajustement must be done too. Flight durations are in average around 3min-3min30, clearly not enough. Ok here are my last settings: It’s not yet perfect but now the Chaser88 is much more fun to fly with especially in acro. The machine is strong and durable, I crashed it many time…. nothing broke. CONCLUSIONS Well out of the box, the chaser88 requires some important ajustements in term of flight mode and PIDs settings, a must to check before the first flight. After this important check, the chaser88 is a pleasant acro machine more adapted for acro outdoors flights in tiny spaces. The FPV camera is probably the weakest point with a poor range despite being sharp and precize. Anyway this machine is strong and durable, the antenna guard would help a lot so I regret its absence in the original bundle. PROS + 88mm brushless machine + Strong machine + Dshot600 supported + SPF3 board + Buzzer + Programmable lights + Antenna’guard + Sharp FPV video + Plug & Play with FlySky FS-A8S receiver CONS – Bad default PID settings – Default Acro flight selected (not adapted for beginners) – 3min-3min30 of flying duration – Poor FPV range – Buzzer not very lound – No prop guard This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 121USD at http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Chaser88-F3-FPV-Racer-ARF-with-4-In-1-6A-ESC-5_8G-40CH-VTX-800TVL-13-Cmos-Camera-2-3S-p-1120343.html Cet article TEST: EACHINE CHASER88 (88mm, 93g 2S brushless, 1103/10000, F3 mini, 800TVL AIO 25mW) est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!. View the full article

Without much fanfare (or really much promotion at all) GoPro has quietly added the Karma back to its website. If you remember the recall of the Karma that happened a few months back due to in-flight battery issues that caused it to crash suddenly, you might understand why GoPro wouldn’t want to do a lot of shouting about this relaunch. Why open themselves up for sniping? What Difference Does a Few Months Make? At the time of the recall, we wrote about how GoPro was doing the right thing by those who had purchased the Karma, and not only providing refunds but also giving a free Hero5 Black camera to those who bought the defective drones. Which certainly was great for demonstrating their values, and appeasing frustrated customers. Nonetheless, it may be a stretch for those same people to want to buy (or rebuy?) the new Karma after the experience they had. And the price point doesn’t help. The Karma is being relaunched in a very different drone market from that of a few months back. We’re thinking here of the recent sweeping layoffs at both Parrot and Autel Robotics, but also of DJI’s simultaneous launch of the Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro back in November. The layoffs signify a volatile market, and DJI’s launches signify stability in the midst of that volatility. While the Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro are priced far outside of the Karma, and don’t go head-to-head with it, their successful launches have helped further secure DJI’s position in the mind space of drone consumers in general. Think about it. If you’re going to spend $1,000 on a drone, you want to make sure you’re getting a reliable machine. The Karma costs $799 without a camera. After you add a Hero5 Black Camera (or camera of comparable quality), you’re looking at $1,099. But for $999 you can buy a DJI Mavic with a camera included. $1,000 is a lot of money, and most drone consumers at that price point may not want to take the risk on an unvetted product, which is what the Karma still is. Lingering Legal and Financial Troubles for GoPro Add to the PR nightmare of Karma’s recall the fact that a class action lawsuit was filed against GoPro related to the Karma recall back in November, when the recall was first announced. The suit seeks to recover damages against GoPro for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). The lawsuit claims that GoPro made “materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational and compliance policies,” by failing to inform people that the drone would fail. Yikes! The lawsuit is still being fought out in court, and certainly won’t help GoPro’s uphill climb with establishing the Karma as a viable alternative to drones manufactured by big industry players like DJI and Parrot. And add to this the fact that GoPro released its quarterly earning yesterday and they are not good. In fact, they are terrible. In yesterday’s report, revenue was down about $40 million of what had been projected by analysts. Back in November GoPro had to layoff 15% of its workforce, and yesterday’s earnings report led to their stock being 10% down by the end of the day. This is not good, to say the least. Despite all this doom and gloom, we do want to say that we’re excited to see another player trying to elbow its way into the crowded consumer camera drone space. DJI makes great drones, but what a dull world it would be if we only had one option when it came to choosing which drone we could fly for aerial videography. So here’s to diversity, and the hope that the Karma may have a great rebirth. We’ll be curious to see what unfolds from this relaunch in the coming months, and we’ll be certain to keep you posted with updates. The post Soft Relaunch for GoPro’s Karma Drone amid Lawsuit, Terrible Quarterly Earnings Report appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article

FPV Race Drone for the Beginner I won’t lie when I say that I’ve been eagerly eyeballing the fast-growing Drone market. I’ve raced some fast cars but taking my skills to the air, well, my biggest fear with jumping into drones is my shear lack of successful flights; I don’t want to spend time and … View the full article

Recently we wrote about Lily Robotics closing the day before the San Francisco District Attorney filed a lawsuit against them. Now there is news that Lily Robotics has been raided for a possible criminal investigation. The original lawsuit filed by the San Francisco DA alleges Lily Robotics committed fraud by promoting a video that was actually shot with DJI and GoPro products, but claimed to be shot using Lily’s semi-autonomous drone. The video helped drum up $34 million in pre-sales, and generated huge buzz in the drone industry (also leading us to add Lily to our list of 70 Drone Companies to Watch last year), so the claim is a big one if in fact people were misled into pre-purchasing something that didn’t exist. Here is the video (which has over 12 million views on YouTube): Now the allegations made in the DA’s lawsuit seem like they may be further substantiated, with breaking news that Lily Robotics has been raided by the police to gather evidence for a potential criminal investigation. The San Francisco police have not issued any details about the raid, and will not even confirm that it took place. We can only speculate that, if fraud was intentionally committed, there may be further evidence stored on computers and elsewhere at Lily Robotics that the police would like to investigate. One point on which a criminal investigation could hinge is whether there were funds used inappropriately, or embezzled—it’s important to note that in addition to the $34 million of pre-sales, Lily had also raised over $14 million in startup funds, so if any of those funds are missing that could be another piece of this puzzle. The San Francisco DA’s case against Lily was a consumer-protection civil suit, which could go after Lily’s assets but would not end up with anyone facing jail time. If a criminal investigation is launched as a result of evidence found in this raid, Lily personnel may in fact be facing charges that could put them behind bars. Some Background Lily Robotics, which had managed to collect $34 million in pre-sales, sent out an email on Wednesday, January 11 announcing that they were closing shop and issuing refunds due to a cashflow problem. Basically, according to their email, they didn’t have the funds to actually build the drones that had been ordered by about 60,000 people. The very next day, Thursday, January 12, the San Francisco DA filed his lawsuit. As we’ve written, the timing was incredibly suspicious, and led us to believe that Lily might actually be closing because they were being sued. Part of the story was that an email had been discovered in which Lily’s CEO, Antoine Balaresque, wrote to the filmmaker who made the contentious promotional video: “I am worried that a lens geek could study our images up close and detect the unique Gopro lens footprint. But I am just speculating here: I don’t know much about lenses but I think we should be extremely careful if we decide to lie publicly.” According to an unnamed source for Forbes, the company who made the promotional video, CMI Productions, still has not been paid in full for its work. Regarding refunds and whether they have actually started to be issued, the news is that users from North America, Europe, Asia and elsewhere have said they have received their reimbursements (this is according to a survey of 2,000 Lily customers conducted by Forbes on Facebook) We’ll keep you posted as this story continues to unfold. We can only imagine that, if the raid surfaced anything, criminal charges will be the next step for San Francisco authorities. The post Lily Robotics Raided by Police, May Substantiate Rumors of Fraud appeared first on UAV Coach. View the full article