AirVūz News: World of Drones 09/09/19

Published 09/09/2019 09:34

Hello and welcome to the World of Drones. You weekly news update on all things drone related. A drone video is showing the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas last week. The graphic aerial footage shows the damage and destruction left by the hurricane and the beginning stages of the cleanup process. As we reported last week the FAA warned drone pilots that they could face fines up to $20,000 for flying in areas affected by the hurricane. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is using drones to help send medical supplies and food to those impacted in Florida and the Bahamas. The Airborne International Response Team (AIRT) is also helping with relief efforts by having drone pilots doing search and rescue missions, damage assessments and sending supplies to hard to reach locations. The highly anticipated Drone Racing League race at Chase Field took place last night in Phoenix. Neon lights took over the fan-filled Arizona Diamondbacks’ stadium as 12 pilots competed in the first ever race in front of a live audience. Taking first place was Blake Sams who goes by the name @NubbFPV followed by @Gab707_FPV and Team AirVuz pilot @phluxyfpv. The event was a huge success. Stay tuned to see more from the DRL. Walmart is officially in the drone delivery race. Walmart filed for 97 new drone patents with the World of Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from June 2018 to June 2019. In that same amount of time E-commerce giant, Amazon,  filed for 54 patents for drone technology. Amazon has been in the news recently trying to get the FAA to ease restrictions for its planned drone-based delivery services, but now with Walmart vying for drone delivery technology, we could see quicker regulation changes. In other parts of the world, companies like Flytrex, Zipline, Flirtey and Matternet are already doing drone deliveries. And according to a report by BDO, businesses in China are way ahead of the US when it comes to drone patent filings. Serena Williams took down a drone with a tennis ball. In a book by Randall Munroe called “How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems” he breaks down mathematically which sports equipment would work best for hitting a drone out of the sky. He called in the help of one of the best tennis players in the world, Serena Williams. Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, hovered a DJI Mavic Pro 2 over the net while Serena served from the baseline. According to the book, her “third serve scored a direct hit on one of the propellers. The drone spun, momentarily seemed like it might stay in the air, then flipped over and smashed into the court.” This isn’t the first time drones have by athletes. We at AirVuz have taken part in a football taking down a drone and a baseball. Football season is here which means there are bound to be a few reports of irresponsible flying and here is one. Two people were arrested for allegedly flying a drone over the University of Michigan’s football stadium during the Wolverines’ home opener last week. The individuals arrested face misdemeanor charges and more consequences from the Federal Aviation Administration. Please remember to fly safe, everyone. Drones could be affecting the grey seal population in Pembrokeshire in the United Kingdom. Researchers at Swansea University say that breeding seals are being disturbed and scared into the water by drones flying near them. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has issued a code for drone use and experts are urging drone pilots to act responsibly in this area. Every week we hand out money to the drone pilot who uploads the best video to AirVuz.com based on your votes. Tune in tomorrow to see this week’s winner. The Drone Video of the Week contest is open to everyone! We'll keep you posted on drone news as it comes up.

 

 

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To watch the previous episode of World of Drones CLICK HERE

To learn more about the Drone Racing League CLICK HERE 

To learn more about our Drone Video Contests CLICK HERE 

To watch a football take down a drone CLICK HERE

To watch a baseball take down a drone CLICK HERE

 

SOURCES: 

amazon. “Amazon Prime Air's New Delivery Drone.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 June 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=3HJtmx5f1Fc.

Associated Press. “2 Arrested in Michigan Stadium Drone Incident.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 5 Sept. 2019, www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/27544814/2-arrested-michigan-stadium-drone-incident.

“Drones Warning over Breeding Seals in Pembrokeshire.” BBC News, BBC, 6 Sept. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-49595781.

Joe, Benjamin. “Walmart Challenges Amazon in International Patent Race for Drone Delivery Technology.” IPWatchdog.com | Patents & Patent Law, 6 Sept. 2019, www.ipwatchdog.com/2019/09/07/walmart-challenges-amazon-in-international-patent-race-for-drone-delivery-technology/id=113000/.

Munroe, Randall. “How Serena Williams Destroyed A Drone With A Tennis Ball.” Science Friday, 16 Sept. 2019, www.sciencefriday.com/articles/how-to-drone-serena-williams/.

Smirts, Alec. “MICHIGAN FOOTBALL STADIUM - 4K.” AirVūz, 22 Sept. 2017, www.airvuz.com/video/MICHIGAN-FOOTBALL-STADIUM---4K?id=59c51ab4e11f706b2591e915.

Spires, Josh, and Josh. “Hurricane Dorian Aftermath Shared in Bahamas Drone Video.” DroneDJ, 8 Sept. 2019, dronedj.com/2019/09/08/aftermath-hurricane-dorian-saddening-drone-video/.