Drone News & Articles

Verizon, Parrot, and Skyward have announced an exclusive partnership to bring the first out-of-the-box 4G LTE connected drone solution to the United States.  The Skyward Connected Drone Solution, with Parrot’s ANAFI Ai, will be available in the second half of 2021 through Skyward.

Parrot ANAFI Ai has a lot to offer commercial drone customers.  ANAFI Ai features autonomous photogrammetry, an open source app, new levels of security, obstacle avoidance, and more.  ANAFI Ai is also “the first and only off-the-shelf drone to connect to Verizon’s 4G LTE network,” says the partnership announcement.

“Verizon 4G LTE connectivity is provided exclusively to Skyward subscribers at no additional cost. The Skyward Connected Drone Solution gives enterprises one complete experience for planning, flying, data transfer and processing data.”

What 4G LTE Connected Drone Really Means

“Parrot ANAFI Ai’s embedded Secure Element secures the 4G LTE link between the drone and the user’s device. Parrot’s implemented streaming software is adapted to the 4G situation to quickly optimize the definition and frame rate to the network quality,” says the announcement.

When Parrot ANAFI Ai pilots subscribe to a paid account  – or a free trial  – of the Skyward Connected Drone Solution, they can not only utilize Skyward’s airspace and fleet management tools, but transfer data during flight over 4G LTE: which means faster, more seamless live video streaming and data transfer.

Having the 4G LTE connection integrated into the drone solution provides ease of use – users don’t have to subscribe separately to a wireless service.

Once activated through Skyward, Verizon 4G LTE connectivity provides a seamless backup connection to the flight controller in case of interference or interruption. It paves the way for near real-time data transfer, remote deployment, and Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight operations — which are allowed today with a waiver from the FAA.

“Enterprise drone programs are pushing the limits of technology available today and advanced operators are ready for a connected, trusted, and capable drone to take their drone programs to the next level,” said Mariah Scott, Head of Verizon Robotics Business Technology. “Parrot ANAFI Ai connected to Verizon 4G LTE marks an industry milestone toward distributed, remote, persistent operations that lets users fly to anywhere from anywhere with near real-time data transfer.”

“Cellular connectivity is the new communications standard for the professional drone industry and Parrot ANAFI Ai seeks to set new standards for drones at work” said Henri Seydoux, Founder and CEO of Parrot.  “We designed ANAFI Ai’s 4G LTE connectivity, which enables precise, robust and secure control at any distance with a 4G LTE connection that avoids obstacles. Advanced artificial intelligence, autonomous flights, best-in-class imaging, photogrammetry accuracy and reliable 4G LTE connectivity on the Verizon network, put powerful new tools in the hands of professionals like never before and we truly believe it is a game changer for the professional drone industry.”

Written by Miriam McNabb | 4 Aug 2021

First responders and law enforcement agencies are increasingly relying on drone-captured live-streamed video to increase their ability to observe a rapidly unfolding situation, whether it’s from the scene of a large-scale disaster, or the venue of a giant, internationally viewed sporting event.

Dejero, a Canadian technology company that specializes in providing resilient connectivity for critical communications, recently provided its video transmission equipment to the San Diego Police Department to enhance its situational awareness at the site of the 121st US Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines South Course.

Less than a week later, the company provided a video platform through one of its drone company partners, to distribute real-time video data to first responders taking part in rescue operations in Surfside Florida, following the partial collapse of a condo tower building.

“Drones are becoming the second largest contributor of video information outside of body cameras. They’re adding a lot of video to the public safety environments in law enforcement and fire as well,” said Jehan Karim, business development manager at Dejero.

Karim said the 13-year-old privately owned Waterloo, Ontario-based company was founded as a video provider for the broadcast news industry. Then, about three years ago, the company began expanding its video platform service into the public safety and national defense markets. Since entering those markets, the business has grown rapidly, expanding by about eightfold.

“We’re on a strong trajectory, in the initial phases of growing business. We’ve identified our core strengths and our core partners,” he said.

Drone-Captured Live-Stream and First Responders

First responders — including emergency medical services, and fire and law enforcement agencies –demand high-quality streaming video services for surveillance and situational awareness and to help ensure the safety and security of their operations.

“We come from a practice of delivering video; it doesn’t matter if it’s coming from New York, London, Hong Kong, Afghanistan or Syria. It has to get there,” Karim said. The same expertise was critical in the company’s response to the situations in San Diego and Surfside, he said.

“In both situations, the need for reliability, the critical nature of the video and the tactical environment in which the network had to operate were very similar.”

In the case of the U.S. Open, Dejero provided its EnGo 260 mobile transmitter and GateWay 211 network aggregation device to San Diego P.D., enabling police officers and incident commanders to monitor live video and access mission-critical apps both from the joint operations center command post and police headquarters.

The technology allowed the police to eliminate the problem of network congestion common with high-profile sports event like the Open. By combining all available cellular networks into a single service during the event, Dejero was able to provide uninterrupted internet connectivity that enabled the police to monitor every aspect of activity taking place at the golf course in real-time.

Partnering with local network engineering experts AggreGateway, the Dejero connected its mobile transmitter to a drone base station and the transmitter fed the real-time video data back to the San Diego PD’s command post and headquarters over cellular.

Providing Drone Live Stream in Challenging Conditions

At the site of the tower collapse in Surfside, Dejero partnered with VolAero Drones, which flew a tethered drone over the disaster site, to provide a live video feed to the emergency operations centers of the multiple responding agencies. As in the case of the U.S. Open, the network environment was complicated, crowded with competing electronic signals from newscasters first responders and onlookers using the cell phones.

“It was very contested, congested, and even damaged networking environment and we were providing services there,” Karim said.

The demand from first-responder agencies for drone-collected video is exploding, as agencies see the usefulness of collecting images from a scene quickly and efficiently, without putting their personnel in unnecessary danger, he said.

“We see that the drones fit into the public safety environment very strategically. Not only is it improving the first response, it’s optimizing how information is being collected — less costly, more efficiently from a time perspective,” Karim said.

In addition to having the capability of transmitting live video, drones can be equipped with sensors to collect a variety types of data from a site — such as temperature, wind conditions and GPS coordinates – of great use to first responders.

For example, using drones supported by the Dejero video technology, firefighters arriving on the scene of a fire can quickly assess the extent and intensity of the fire and determine the best way to attack it. “When they’re responding to a fire the firefighters on the engine have just three or four minutes to collect every piece of information they can get. After that point, they’re going to be in the fire,” Karim said.

The technology also allows for the widespread dissemination of the video and data, another key to launching a coordinated response to a situation.

“Instead of the drone just sending the video to the pilot, now the drone can send video to anyone who needs to have access to that video. In under two seconds, anyone who’s got access to a web browser, whether it’s on phone, a laptop or a big screen at an operations center, as long as they can access an HTML web browser, they can get access to the live-stream video,” he said

Written by Jim Magill | 21 July 2021

You know that saying: Everyone’s talking about the weather? Well, these days people really are talking about the weather, but in much more urgent tones. There’s also another saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. And in this case, drone photos showing the results of what many scientists believe is climate change in California are shocking.

This story comes to us via the Los Angeles Times. Staff photographer Brian van der Brug took up a drone to document the current state of California’s reservoirs. As you may have heard, they are at very low levels. And the photos you’re about to see truly drive that truth home.

Let’s take a look.

Bone dry

Reservoirs are hugely important for California’s water supply. But the levels are exceedingly low this year. As of Monday, reports the LA Times, the state’s largest reservoir – Lake Shasta – was at 35% of its capacity. The newspaper quoted expert Jeffrey Mount, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center:

Everybody should be concerned… The reservoir levels we’re looking at are near-record low, with all the prospects that they will actually be record low by the end of the summer. The mountains are dried out. The sponge is completely dry.

It’s one thing to hear those words; quite something else to see the images that support it.

Shocking

And these pictures are. These drone photos reveal what many believe to be climate change. And, in our view, the more people that see them, the better. Here’s a tweet with just one of the images, and a link to the article. It comes from the account of the photographer/drone pilot:

And that’s not all.

We encourage you to read the full Los Angeles Times article, but another tweet gives you a better idea of the big picture.

This is serious

Between the drone photos showing climate change and the story, alarm bells should be ringing right now – even if you don’t live in California. The evidence that something serious is changing on the planet is, in our minds, incontrovertible at this point.

Kudos to the Los Angeles Times, and particularly Brian van der Brug, for bringing this front and center. The Times also points out this is one of the driest years since Los Angeles began tracking rainfall stats nearly 150 years ago:

The most recent rain year, which ended in June, was the seventh-driest in Los Angeles’ 144 years of records, according to Golden Gate Weather Services, and the third-driest on record in the Northern Sierra region.

Written by Scott Simmie | 21 July 2021

DJI released a new video today, providing a complete overview of a drone solar installation inspection in China. It’s pretty impressive.

Sustainable energy solutions like wind farms, tidal power generators, and solar installations are on the rise. And that, obviously, is a good thing. But solar installations require regular inspections, as sometimes panels crack or other components fail. Traditionally, such facilities have been manually inspected by a technician carrying a sensor.

Not these days.

Drone solar inspection

Drones have started to become the preferred tool for these inspections because they’re capable of covering large areas and detecting even tiny imperfections. Depending on the size of the facility, such inspections can sometimes be carried out in a single flight.

And that not only saves time but also saves workers from walking or riding small vehicles, sometimes over a period of days, to capture the same data. Some solar installations are also in rugged terrain or high on rooftops, which carries inherent risk for workers

The three “D’s”

That stands for Dirty, Dull, and/or Dangerous. Those are the kinds of tasks perfectly suited for Enterprise drones. Think about it: Would you really want to traipse around in hot, dusty conditions for three days with a handheld sensor, scanning each and every solar panel? Thought not.

Thus, drones like the Matrice 300 RTK can be a perfect tool for jobs like this.

From three months to five hours

The DJI video says that, in one instance, with a very large facility, using a drone brought about incredible efficiencies. Rather than one (we’re assuming) very bored person walking for three months, the inspection time was reduced to five hours of flying time. In the case of the video we’ll see in a second, the vehicle was the M300 RTK (Real-time Kinematic Sensor, for highly accurate geospatial accuracy) equipped with the Zenmuse H20T payload – which combines both optical and thermal sensors.

With a pre-programmed mission, the drone carries out the inspection on its own. The pilot simply monitors the progress and keeps the drone within Visual Line of Sight.

Software

Of course, you don’t want to sift through hundreds (or thousands) of photographs to find any anomalies. So DJI has partnered with Lifin Tech on an end-to-end solution. The software flags any defects so that the maintenance people (who still have to walk) can quickly locate and fix any bits requiring repair.

Written by Scott Simmie | 21 July 2021

As the military grapples with connecting more things over longer distances, recent flight reveals a way forward.

A new type of electric, fixed-wing drone last week achieved a world record for time in the air using thrust. 

The flight shows what combat support by electric drones could look like, as the Defense Department works to connect more hardware under increasingly difficult conditions. 

The 16-foot-wingspan drone, dubbed the K1000 ULE Rev-P, from Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, or KHA, completed a non-stop 26-hour flight under continuous thrust last week. It’s a world record for an electric drone in its size and weight category. The claim was independently verified by Mari Kooi of the tech advisory Gothams, which has no financial stake in KHA. 

The company plans to take part in the U.S. Army’s next Project Convergence exercise set for later this summer, according to Fatema Hamdani, one of the founders of KHA. 

​​Comparable drones flying up to 20,000 feet above sea level  boast a much lower endurance time under thrust, about 5 to 8 hours or so. But the K1000 ULE is designed to remain aloft much longer,  Hamdani said. Larger drones flying at much higher altitudes—where there is less gravity and air resistance—can stay up longer. But for smaller drones—which are harder for radars to pick up—staying aloft for long at 20,000 feet is very energy-intensive, hence the lower endurance.

The aircraft also can fly using the rising hot air called thermals, just as birds do. The drone’s avionics constantly measure the change in the environment and energy levels and decides which source of power is best given those conditions. Under the right environmental circumstances the drone can stay airborne for around 340 hours, fully autonomously, Hamdani said. She estimates that in regular flight, thrust is only needed about 20 percent of the time. 

They didn't need the soaring technology during the 26-hour flight and completed it using full thrust.

The company has no plans to try and arm the drone, but an all-electric drone with that endurance could still have big effects on the battlefield, not only collecting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data, but also potentially serving as a communication link between objects on the battlefield. It could serve as a sort of cell tower in the sky, as a link between Low Earth Orbit satellites and ground forces, or as an electronic warfare asset to block or disrupt adversary communications. 

The breakthrough comes as the U.S. military and the Army in particular struggles with connecting an ever-wider array of weapons, vehicles, and objects on the battlefield, part of an overall vision for transforming and accelerating operations called Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2. 

The military is also grappling with how to extend its range over the vast distances of the Pacific Ocean, and do so with limited runway space as it prepares to counter China. 

Written by Patrick Tucker | 20 July 2021

It’s a pretty interesting partnership, and it’s already been going on four years. Now, the United States Air Force and the Drone Racing League have announced they’re expanding the work they’re doing together, which is ultimately aimed at finding USAF recruits.

It’s a pretty interesting tie-in. And, you’ve gotta admit, it makes sense. First-Person-View pilots tend to like things that fly. And, as they become better and better pilots, they develop the kind of reflexes that one could reasonably assume would translate well to the cockpit. And so, with four years of working together already accomplished, the two organizations have announced that not only will the relationship continue – it will expand.

Let’s see what’s up.

USAF + DRL

We’re guessing you’ve heard of the Drone Racing League by now. It features both virtual and real competitions featuring some of the best FPV pilots on the planet. Here’s how DRL describes itself on its website:

DRL is the global, professional drone racing property for elite pilots. With custom built racing drones traveling 90 MPH, pilots race through the most insane courses across virtual and physical competitions. Merging the digital with the real, DRL delivers innovative drone technology, immersive content, and visually thrilling races on the best sports networks around the world, including NBC, NBC Sports, Twitter, Sky Sports, and Weibo.

And, well, we’re guessing you know about the US Air Force. It also attracts people who like things that fly, except we’re talking about machines much larger and faster than drones.

A strategic alliance

Drone pilots might not only have some reflexes and building skills that could come in handy with a USAF position: They’re also, says a DRL news release, more inclined to be interested.

The release states DRL fans as “23x more likely to follow the U.S. Air Force compared to the general U.S. population…” And Maj. Jason Wyche, Chief of National Events Branch at Air Force Recruiting Service, is pretty clear in spelling out the benefits of the partnership:

The U.S. Air Force is the world’s greatest air power, and we need the best and brightest Airmen on our team to fly, fight and win. Working with the Drone Racing League is critical to boosting our recruiting pool, reaching millions of young fans, who include top drone pilots, engineers and technologists, and we’re excited to continue our partnership with this innovative league.

Twitter

Some of the new shared initiatives started popping up on Twitter today, with Episode One of a new U.S. Air Force/DRL FPV 101 series. Today’s release is the first of 50 videos that will be rolled out during the year:

That’s pretty slick marketing, and highly focused on the target audience. DRL president Rachel Jacobson sees the partnership as a perfect fit:

The Drone Racing League reaches a coveted audience of Gen Z, tech-savvy sports fans who love discovering new career opportunities in technology, innovation and aviation. Our partnership with the U.S. Air Force will inspire our fans to aim high, learn to fly drones and experience the immersive thrill of high-speed drone racing.

DRL simulator gets onboard

The Drone Racing League’s simulator is even getting more involved with the cross-branding. Here’s what the news release says about that:

The game includes a newly released Night Mode version of the (US Air Force) Boneyard map, where players can fly through a deserted airport in the dark, featuring jet engines, blimps and branded gates along a long runway as obstacles. The day-time version of the Boneyard map hosted the highest-viewed 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season race, which saw 20 million fans tune-in on Twitter alone.

DRL SIM players will also discover some new options for building USAF-branded drones.

So… if you’ve checked out that first video in the FPV 101 series, stand by for 49 more of them. And if you’re already totally immersed in the thrill that comes from flying First Person Drones… well, there just might be a USAF career in your future.

Written by Scott Simmie | 7 July 2021

Okay, you all can go back to discussing the rumors about the Mavic Pro 3 or the Mini SE later. For now, let’s take a moment to celebrate this awesome news: You can now fly a Mini 2 with DJI Smart Controller!

In a critical update dropped overnight, DJI has made its sub-250 g drone, Mini 2, compatible with its ultra-bright display Smart Controller. And this is monumental for those of us who carry the nifty Mini 2 as a second drone and want to minimize the number of RCs while packing.

The Mini 2 is a great drone. But its huge controller/phone combo has been off-putting for those who are already familiar with the sleek, portable Smart Controller. And since both Mini 2 and the Smart Controller use DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 transmission technology, we all know that enabling support should be a non-issue.

And so, the community has also been quite vocal about the need for compatibility between the Mini 2 and the Smart Controller. Back in January, when drone YouTuber Aldryn Estacio confronted DJI’s support team on the issue, the drone manufacturer offered a glimmer of hope, saying that the request had been amplified to the R&D team.

We noted back then that, in any case, newly released DJI drones don’t receive Smart Controller support straight away. Following the Mavic Air 2’s lead, we anticipated that the Mini 2 would receive support for the Smart Controller only around May or June. And sure enough, in the firmware update v01.03.0000, which came out on June 16, DJI has announced the compatibility.

So, if you are one of those people who have been putting off buying the Mini 2 because of this compatibility issue, now is a great time to go grab one!

Do note that you will need to update the firmware with your stock Mini 2 controller before you can connect to the Smart Controller. Also, make sure that your Smart Controller is also using firmware v01.01.00.58 or later, and then connect the drone to it.

Written by Ishveena Singh | 17 June 2021

So, you think drones are revolutionizing surveying, mapping, and inspection tasks? That will start to sound like old news once you find out what researchers in New Zealand are teaching drones to do. Two University of Canterbury academics are enabling drones to use hazardous precision tools in midair for a variety of complex industries.

Computer science professor Richard Green specializes in artificial intelligence, while mechanical engineering professor Dan Zhao is an expert in aerospace engineering. The duo is collaborating on a project that could radically change the way drones are used in various industries.

As Green explains:

Our research will go beyond simple surveying and inspection tasks. We will build a platform for UAVs to use precision tools in changing dynamic environments, such as outdoors, around hazardous infrastructure like power pylons, or in construction or forestry, without ladders or scaffolding. Enabling UAVs to use precision tools is a new technological capability and a radical change in functionality. It will not only transform the way UAVs can be used, but also how and where.

The “where” part, for starters, could stem from end users in arboriculture, silviculture, electricity infrastructure industry, civil construction, as well as government and regulation bodies.

The “how” remains a puzzle for now, but we do know that to achieve this overarching goal, the researchers will need to solve different, interdisciplinary engineering challenges.

This would include turbulent flow rotor-to-rotor interactions prediction, precise control of a hovering drone, force trajectory control, and robust estimate of a drone’s position and orientation in a wide range of dynamic environments.

Drones with precision tools: A collaborative effort

Zhao elaborates the way forward, detailing that the duo is collaborating with national and international researchers, drone manufacturers, and users to teach drones to use precision tools:

Our novel approaches to solve these challenges include advanced aerodynamic modelling, new UAV airframe design methods, advanced UAV control methods, novel ways to optimize visual-odometry positioning and demonstration of different applications.

If successful, drones that can handle precision tools will be able to offer a wide range of benefits for different industry sectors, making even more inaccessible and hazardous tasks safer, easier, cost-effective, and efficient. We will keep you posted on the developments from the University of Canterbury.

Written by Ishveena Singh | 6 July 2021

Drones have become a lot more than just novelty toys. Sure, they’re incredibly fun to pilot and serve as basic entertainment, but they can also work brilliantly for professional and artistic purposes — including house inspections and construction projects, aerial videos and photos for realtors, amateur and serious filmmaking and much, much more.

Modern drones fit into several categories depending on their intended use. Small, less expensive models are geared toward children and beginners, allowing them to develop their piloting skills. Larger models equipped with cameras can be used for anything from aerial photography (amateur and professional) to home or work site inspections (construction work, realtors, and others), while some other, speedier models are designed for racing for fun and sport.

Though there are many models designed for different purposes, the most common drones are those that feature cameras and offer great versatility. Even drones designed for beginners and children often include cameras.

The most important consideration when choosing a drone (especially for beginners) is the number of safety and ease-of-use features that are included. Features such as altitude hold (which keeps the drone stable mid-air) and headless mode (which allows the pilot to steer relative to their position, instead of the drone’s) are common, and they significantly lower the barrier to piloting skillfully. Other features such as single button takeoff and landing further simplify the process of getting your drone in the air and back on the ground, without any hassle (or collisions).

Many starter and high-end models now come with obstacle detection and avoidance, making it even easier to keep your drone safe. Racing drones in particular — although not exclusively — often include a first-person view (FPV) mode to give you the sensation of piloting an aircraft, while making it relatively easier to pilot your drone.

Piloting a drone, even with ease-of-use features, requires attention to a few key details. Most full-sized drones — specifically any model that weighs over 0.55 pounds — require registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This means that FAA regulations apply to those drones, whether it’s a children’s model or a professional drone, and following the agency’s guidelines on where and how high drones can be flown is important to avoid fines.

Lastly, it’s important to always be mindful of hazards and other people when flying your drone. Even with the altitude hold feature, flying on windy days is not recommended, since the drone could get blown off-course into a tree, power lines or even other people. Considering that full-sized models don’t have any protective coverings around the propeller blades, it’s important to err on the side of caution to avoid serious injury to anyone or catastrophic damage to the drone itself.

Drones buying guide

Full-featured drones (not toy models) represent a significant investment due to their advanced features and components. Even a small pocket-sized drone like the DJI Mini 2 can cost over $400, while larger specialty drones (construction, real estate, etc.) can easily reach prices of over $1,500. (This story focuses on full-feature drones; we published a separate story on beginner drones aimed at kids.)

Whether you’re looking for a recreational or professional drone, the following features will guarantee that you get the most out of the model you choose:

• Altitude hold. Full-size drones usually require constant minor corrections to hover in place. However, models with altitude hold features will remain at the height and position where you last directed it to (in windless situations), which greatly simplifies the piloting experience.

• Headless mode. Normally, drones turn left or right based on where the device’s front end is facing. Headless mode allows for steering based on where the pilot is facing so that left and right stay consistent throughout a flight.

• Single-button takeoff/landing. Taking off and landing are piloting 101, but they’re hard skills to master. If you’re a beginner, a single button takeoff/landing mode will speed things along.

• Portability. While standard drones are not exactly compact, many models are capable of folding into themselves for easier transportation (DJI brand drones in particular). If your drone of choice takes up more space than expected, consider investing in a carrying case to prevent damage from bumps and the elements.

• Camera. Cameras are a common feature in both professional and recreational drones. If you specifically want to use the drone for photography purposes, make sure that it is capable of recording 4K video to get the best image quality possible.

1. Best overall: DJI Air 2S Drone Quadcopter UAV

DJI is a big name in drones, and it’s easy to see why. The brand’s drones consistently feature some of the best cameras on the market and frequently include essential ease-of-use features for pilots of all skill levels. The Air 2S is a great example of a 4K camera drone that is a good fit for amateurs and pros alike.

The DJI Air 2S is capable of recording 4K video at 60 frames per second (30 fps is more common), and it can even record 5.4K video at 30 fps. Its camera hardware is also packed with features designed to give the clearest possible image while flying, preserving most colors even when it gets dark outside. The obstacle detection features really stand out for working in four directions (up/down, front/back), whereas similar models can manage two, at most.

At $999, the Air 2S is an excellent deal for beginners and more advanced users, capable of recording incredibly detailed footage while keeping itself safe with obstacle detection. For an extra $300, you can opt for the “fly more” bundle common to DJI models, which includes spare parts and extra batteries. Be mindful of the drone’s internal storage space, which is only 8 GB and can easily fill up in a few minutes if shooting in 4K resolution. If this is a concern, consider purchasing additional storage in the form of microSD cards.

2. Editor’s pick: Parrot Anafi FPV Drone Set

Most full-feature drones include a camera for aerial photography and capturing mementos of your coolest flights. However, drone cameras generally only tilt 90° (front-facing and downward-facing), which can greatly limit the type of shots you can record. Parrot’s Anafi FPV drone features a camera with a full 180° tilt that can record from high up facing down, or close to the ground facing up.

As with many models in its price range ($700 to $900), the Anafi FPV is capable of recording 4K video. It features a zoom of up to 4x magnification, though many users report the video quality suffers if zoomed in past 2x. It also has a “dolly” mode, which allows you to take impressive Alfred Hitchcock-style videos with just the push of a button.

Given that this is considered a “budget” camera drone (under $1,000), it lacks some ease-of-use features that are helpful to beginners, specifically an obstacle-detection mode. This means that pilots will have to be extra careful when attempting elaborate video shots to avoid permanently damaging the drone. It’s also important to keep an eye on the drone’s flight time, since is up to 25 minutes. That’s on the lower end of flight time for comparable models (30 to 35 minutes).

3. Best for low prices: DJI Mini 2 Foldable Drone Quadcopter

A good camera drone can easily set you back over $500 and will likely require FAA registration. The DJI Mini 2 is a compact and affordable drone that’s ideal for beginners looking to polish their aerial photography skills, while staying under the FAA registration weight limits. For about $450, it sports a stabilized 4K camera and GPS features to help it return in case of emergency. And it is so small it can be folded to fit snugly in a jacket or pants pocket.

For such a small drone, it has a respectable flight time of roughly 30 minutes, though for an extra $150 (around $600 total), you can purchase the “fly more” combo that includes additional batteries. The Mini 2 comes with a number of “intelligent modes” for easier video recording, including a “trimmed download” feature that lets you use shorter segments of a long take for quicker uploading to online storage or social media.

For all its convenience, it’s important to keep in mind that the Mini 2 has no obstacle avoidance features, which is particularly relevant if you’re a beginner. The Mini 2 can handle wind speeds of up to 25 mph, though, so obstacles shouldn’t be too big of an issue as long as you’re flying outdoors.

4. Best racing drone: DJI FPV Combo

Drones can be considered successors to the remote-controlled planes and helicopters of the past (even though they are still very much around). It makes sense, then, that some people would want to test their piloting skills by racing their drones. DJI’s FPV (which stands for first-person view) drone is a speedy model that can scratch your racing itch while making you feel like you’re truly in the cockpit of an aircraft.

Like many of DJI’s popular models, the FPV is capable of capturing 4K video and has software-based video stabilization features to make sure your recordings look smooth and crisp. It also has basic collision detection to automatically dodge any obstacles in front or beneath it (as long as you’re not going too fast).

The most notable feature of the DJI FPV is its incredibly fast top speed. Reaching up to 87 mph, this drone is ideal for racing, although you will definitely want to fly it in wide open outdoor spaces to avoid potential injuries or damage to the drone. The FPV also includes its first-person view goggles, which considering the cost of the drone ($1,300) makes this a very good deal.

Written by Fernando Garcia Delgado | 4 June 2021

Scientists from the Center for Whale Research in Washington State, USA and the UK’s University of Exeter have published a study demonstrating the close and complex social structure that Orcas form.

The study was based on 651 minutes of drone footage of southern resident Orcas and showed that Orcas in a pod appeared to favor interacting with those of a similar age and sex within the pod. But they don’t treat all the other whales equally. Within the groups,  individuals favor other specific individuals, forming little friendship cliques.

Researchers also found that as the whales grow older, these bonds seem to break, and the friendship groups seem to grow apart.

The study lead author Michael Weiss from the University of Exeter commented on the new findings:

“Until now, research on killer whale social networks has relied on seeing the whales when they surface, and recording which whales are together. Looking down into the water from a drone allowed us to see details such as contact between individual whales.”

He added:

“Our findings show that, even within these tight-knit groups, whales prefer to interact with specific individuals. It’s like when your mum takes you to a party as a kid – you didn’t choose the party, but you can still choose who to hang out with once you’re there.”

Written by Sam Helmy | 27 June 2021