Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) earlier this week issued draft regulation on civil use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drone) in India. This will enable commercial use of drones for tasks such as photography, doorstep delivery, medical uses and even passenger transport. The usage of drones will also help sectors such as agriculture, oil and gas. The draft regulation will be placed on DGCA's public domain for a month to seek comments and suggestions, including for commercial purposes after which the rules will be finalized. That said, various restrictions have been proposed as well to ensure that the drones are used only for valid and legal purposes, and not be a security threat. The highlights of the draft issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are mentioned below:
Drones have been classified into five categories based on maximum take-off weight: nano (up to 250g), micro (251g to two kg), mini (2kg to 25kg), small (25kg to 150kg) and large (over 150kg).
Drones under 250g (nano) won't need security clearance
Micro category (251g to 2kg) will get approvals in two day
Except for nano category and those operated by government security agencies, all other commercial categories of drones will be registered by the DGCA, which will issue it a Unique Identification Number
Whenever you operate a drone, you will need different approval. Apart from nano drones, all other categories will need an air defence clearance so that aviation as well as security authorities are aware of the flight path.
Remote pilots of the drones will have to undergo requisite training, except in case of nano and micro categories
There will be no-drone zones such as above operational aerodromes and within 5 km of Vijay Chowk in Delhi, within 500 metres from strategic locations, from mobile platforms such as car, ship or air craft, over eco-sensitive zones like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries (unless approved by Environment Ministry).
Drones less than 2kg and operating under 200 feet of height, once registered, can be flown without nods.
Drones could be used for tasks like wildlife photography, delivering medical supplies, e-commerce deliveries, inspection of pipelines, and even passenger transport
The final regulatory framework for the use of drones is expected by December 31. Source 1 | IANS
Popular drone maker DJI has announced Spark, an easy-to-use, fun-to-fly mini camera drone, that is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It can be controlled by hand gestures, and users can launch, guide, take photos, shoot videos and land the drone without using remote control. When Spark takes off from you hand, it automatically enters Gesture mode. It features a new advanced gesture controls like PalmControl, which lets users control Spark with hand movements. You can even simply send off the drone and take your selfie, and call it back with just your hands.
There's a new QuickShot Intelligent Flight Mode, that will allow the Spark to fly along a preset flight path while recording a short video and tracking a subject along the way. These modes include Rocket (sending Spark straight up into the air with the camera pointed down), Dronie (flying up and away from your subject), Circle (rotating around the subject) and Helix (spiraling away from a subject as it flies upward). Each QuickShot will enable the Spark to automatically create a 10-second video that is ready to be shared on social media.
DJI has also introduced two new modes for the Spark: Pano and ShallowFocus. In Pano Mode, the camera creates horizontal or vertical panoramas by automatically adjusting its gimbal and heading, taking a series of pictures and stitching them together. ShallowFocus allows you to put part of a picture into sharp focus while the rest of the image is softened, creating photographs with a shallow depth of field.It also features TapFly and ActiveTrack modes as well, that is found on DJI's other drone models.
The drone's FlightAutonomy system consists of the main camera, a downward-facing vision system, a forward facing 3D sensing system, dual-band GPS and GLONASS, a high-precision inertial measurement unit, and 24 powerful computing cores. These features allow Spark to hover accurately with vision system assistance at up to 98 feet (30 meters) and sense obstacles from up to 16 ft (5 m) away. It also allows for 720p real-time video transmission from up to 2 km away. In terms of specification, Spark includes two-axis gimbals that can help stabilize images, 1/2.3" CMOS sensor that captures 12MP photos and shoots stabilized 1080p videos. It packs high-energy density LiPo battery and has a maximum flight time of up to 16 minutes. It weighs 300g and is small enough to fit any bag. Using the optional remote controller, you can switch the drone to Sport mode, and Spark's speed potential go up to 31 mph (50 kph). It is also compatible with DJI Goggles for an immersive FFPV flight experience. The Spark will be available in five different colors: Alpine White, Sky Blue, Meadow Green, Lava Red, and Sunrise. Pricing starts at $499 for the basic package, that includes the drone, a battery, a USB charger and three pair of propellers. There's a Spark Fly More Combo priced at $699, and includes the drone, two batteries, four pairs of propellers, a remote controller, propeller guards, a charging hub, a shoulder bag and all necessary cables. It will be available for pre-order at store.dji.com, authorized dealers, and flagship stores in mid-June.
DJI has introduced a new version of its Phantom 4 drone called Phantom 4 Advanced and its offers some new features at a lower price tag. The DJI Phantom 4 Advanced looks is similar to the Phantom 4 drone but includes an upgraded camera if 1-inch 20MP sensor, that is capable of shooting 4K videos at 60fps. The video processing has also been improved and now supports H.264 4K videos at 60fps or H.265 4K at 30fps, both with a 100Mbps bitrate. The new drone also gets a larger 128GB microSD card support and up to 30 minutes flight time (battery life).
Like the Phantom 4 Pro, the new Advanced model also comes with a number of automatic flight modes like Draw, ActiveTrack, TapFly, Gesture and Tripod. The drone is also equipped with FightAutonomy system, that is made up of 5 vision sensor, forward-facing obstacle system, dual-band satellite positioning (GPS and GLONASS) and ultrasonic range finder. Thanks to the Flight Autonomy System, the drone can hover precisely in places without GPS and fly in complex environments. There's also a Advanced+ variant, that includes a controller with built-in 5.5-inch 1080p screen. DJI says that screen is more than twice as bright as conventional smart devices, making it ideal for outdoor use. The Phantom 4 Advanced and Phantom 4 Advanced+ are priced at $1349 and $1649 respectively, and will be available from store.dji.com from April 30. DJI also announced that the original Phantom 4 model will reach its end of life (EOL) on April 30, 2017, the day when Phantom 4 Advanced+ will go on sale. However DJI will continue to provide after sales support. Source
After three-month-long sales halt, GoPro's Karma drone is back on sale. GoPro in a press release stated that it is finally ready to sell the drone, as the company has fixed the issue that caused the drone fall from the sky mid-flight. GoPro Karma will be available through GoPro.com, and with select US retailers ―Best Buy, B&H and Amazon, and there will be no changes in the pricing. The Karma drone with no camera will cost $799, while the model with Hero 5 Black camera will set you back by $1099. The initial shipments will be limited and Karma will be available in other parts of the world later this spring. To refresh, 2,500 units of Karma drone were recalled, 16 days later after it went on sale back in November 2016, after a small number of drone lost power during operation when up in the air causing the drone to fall to the ground. According to The Verge, the problem was caused due to fault in the design of the latch that holds the drone's battery in place. This led to the battery getting disconnected and caused several drones to loose power while mid-air, resulting in crashes. GoPro says that it has solved the issue and the new Karma drones have a redesigned battery latch and the drone went through extensive test flights to prevent future failures and stay safely in the air. Source | Via
China based popular drone maker DJI has introduced two new drones ã…¡Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro ã…¡ aimed at professional filmmakers and photographers to create high-quality and creative aerial content. First up, the Inspire 2, has a new magnesium aluminum alloy body which increases stiffness while reducing weight. It delivers top speed of 67 mph and takes only four seconds to accelerate to 50 mph with a maximum ceiling of 16,404 feet above sea level and promises flight time of up to 27 minutes. The inspire 2 is equipped with new image processing system called CineCore 2.0 that allows it to capture 5.2K video at 4.2Gbps for Adobe CinemaDNG RAW videos, Apple ProRes 422 HQ (5.2K, 4K) and ProRes 4444 XQ (4K), H.264, and H.265. It also packs stereo vision sensor on front and back to detect obstacle. The drone currently supports two cameras ã…¡ Zenmuse X4S and Zenmuse X5S. The Zenmuse X4S sports a 1-inch 20MP sensor with 11.6 stops of dynamic range and 24mm equivalent focal length, while the Zenmuse X5S has a Micro Four Thirds sensor with 10MP, 12.8 stops of dynamic range and 8 lenses from wide angles to zooms.
Next is the Phatom 4 Pro, which is an upgraded Phantom 4 drone, that was launched back in March with obstacle sensing system. The DJI 4 Pro gets an improved camera, advanced obstacle avoidance system, improved battery life and new flight modes. The obstacle avoidance system of Phantom 4 worked only when it was going forward, but Phantom 4 Pro can avoid obstacles while moving in any direction, thanks to the four sensor on each sides. The Phantom 4 Pro packs an 1-inch 20MP sensor and almost 12 stops of dynamic range. It can capture slow-motion 4K video at up to 60fps at a maximum bitrate of 100mbps and offers H.265 video compression. It flies at 31 mph in P mode with obstacle avoidance in effect, and has a 45 mph top speed in sport mode. Its battery promises 30 minutes of flight time. Other features include ActiveTrack to recognize subjects such as people and bikes, then follows them from any angle while maintaining camera focus and avoid obstacles. It also includes three new modes ã…¡ New Circle, Profile and Spot light. It comes with a compact remote control which comes with an optional high luminance display, to offer live HD view from main camera, as well as essential telemetry. It feature built-in GPS, compass, microSD card slot and an HDMI port. The Inspire 2 starts at $2999 (Rs. 2,00,000). There's also Inspire 2 Combo which includes Inspire 2 aircraft, Zenmuse X5S, Cinema DNG and Apple ProRes Licensekey priced $6198 (Rs. 4,20,000). The Phantom 4 Pro on the other hand costs $1499 (Rs. 1,00,000), while the Phantom 4 Pro+ with high luminance display remote controller is priced at $1799 (Rs. 1,22,000). Both are up for pre-orders. Source | Via 1, 2
Intel has announced its first branded drone for commercial use called Falcon 8+, designed for industrial inspection, surveying and mapping. The drone comes with a fully electronic system that includes Intel Falcon 8+ UAV (drone), Intel Cockpit for ground control and Intel Powerpack battery (to power the UAV). The Falcon 8+ is equipped with AscTec Trinity technology, which is a triple-redundant auto pilot woth three redundant inertial measurements that works together to stabilize the drone from external factors such as electromagnetic fields or strong winds. It can shoot detailed images and even provide structural analysis to detect and prevent damage to infrastructure.
Users can control the drone with the water-resistant Intel Cockpit, a controller with twin joysticks and a tablet. The tablet is powered by Intel chip, and can be used for planning and conducting complex flight patterns as well as monitoring the live video feed via a low latency digital link up to 1080p resolution with a 1 km range. The drone is arrange in a V-form measuring 768 x 817 x 160 mm with a take off weight of 2.8 kg when loaded with a camera. It can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour and can fly for up to 26 minutes at a time on a redundant power pack. The power pack comes equipped with storage mode, automatic balancing and a set of LED lights to indicate battery status. No details on pricing and availability have been provided by Intel. Via
To compete with GoPro's first drone Karma, popular drone maker DJI has introduced Mavic Pro. Similar to Karma, the Mavic Pro can be easily folded, making it small enough to fit inside a backpack. It weighs just 743g. The DJI Mavic Pro can be controlled using its own controller with OcuSync transmission technology that uses the smartphone as a display. The controller has a range of 4.3 mile (7km). It has Stabilized camera with 3-axis gimbal stabilization. The camera is a 12MP unit with CMOS sensor and is capable of recording 4K video at 30fps, 1080p videos at 96fps and shoot stills with Adobe DNG RAW support.
The drone has a Flight Autonomy mode so that it can avoid obstacles and hover precisely with visual navigation system consisting of five camera, GPS+GLONASS navigation system, dual ultrasonic range finders and reduant sensor and 24 computing cores. It is backed by 3830mAh battery, which offers 27 minute of flight time.
DJI also introduced an optional DJI Goggles which can display an 85-degree view from the drone in 1080p resolution. It also has a built-in OcuSync technology, to provide live video feeds directly from the drone in the air. The DJI Mavic Pro is now up for pre-order and shipping will start October 15. It will also be available in mid-October at DJI"s three flagship stores in Shenzen, Seoul and Hong Kong. It is priced at $749 (Rs.50,000) without the remote control and $999 (Rs. 66,350) with remote control. Additional Mavic Pro Intelligent Flight batteries will cost $89 (Rs. 6,000). There's also a Mavic Pro Fly More Combo priced at $1299 (Rs. 86,000), which includes Mavic pro, two extra Intelligent Flight Batteries, extra propellers, a charging hub, an adapter, a car charge and a shoulder bag.
Xiaomi has expanded it product portfolio by foraying into the drone space with the Mi Drone, it's first UAV in China. The drone is part of Xiaomi's Mi Ecosystem and is made by Flymi. It comes in two models, the higher end that can capture 4K videos, while the other captures 1080p video. The Mi Drone sports a lightweight body made out of carbon fiber. The higher end versionis equipped with 12-megapuixel Sony Exmor R BSI sensor with 6P lenses, three-axis images stabilization, f/2.8 aperture RAW image and can capture 4K videos at 30fps. The other model comes with 16.35-megapixel CMOS sensor with f/2.6 aperture, 104-degree field of view and can record up to 1080p videos at 60fps.
It comes with microSD card slot (up to 64GB) and packs 5100mAh battery (LG or Grepow) that offer flight time of up to 27 minutes. The components of the drones including the are modular andcamera, landing gear and the blades can be easily dismantled and can fit a small bag as well.
It comes with a remote control that can besides controlling the drone, can capture photos and videos. The functions offered by the controller include auto take off, hover, return, descent and auto land. The drone has PCB antenna that amplifies the signal so that you can control the drone up to 3km. You can also trace the drone via GPS, and if the Drone fly out of the connected range, it will automatically return to the original position it took off from.
The controller has a built-in dock, where you can place your smartphone, and get live feed of the drone. Using the phone, you can monitor the Mi Drone's battery, and when the battery is low, it will show a warning alarm on the screen. You can also set the drone's destination on the map, plan the route to capture videos along the route or set a point, radius and height to capture video by circling that point. The drone can even automatically stop when it is about to enter restricted area or no-fly zone. The Xiaomi Mi Drone is priced at CNY 2499 ($380 | Rs. 25,640) for the 1080p model, and will be available for order via crowdfunding from May 26. The 4K model costs CNY 2999 ($460 | Rs. 31,000) and will be available for order via crowd funding by the end of July. Via
Popular drone maker DJI has introduced the Matrice 600, the most powerful drone DJI has ever made. The drone has the ability to carry 6kg, and is aimed at film makers who want to get professional rigs up into the sky.
The Matrice is a six rotor multi-copter fueled by six DJI Intelligent batteries and works with DJI's line of high-end Zenmuse gimbals and cameras, which can shoot 4K video and house Micro Four Thirds lenses. The drone is also dust proof and water resistance.
The M600 also has a new flight controller called A3. The pro version (optional) of A3 uses three Global Navigation Satellite System units and three inertial measurement units when paired with DJI's Real-Time Kinematic technology (optional) and provides centimeter perfect positioning.
It also features Lightbridge 2, an updated version of DJI's video downlink technology that allows for streaming of 1080p videos at 60fps from up to 5km (3.1 miles). This feature can be accessed via DJI Go app, which also includes battery monitoring and the ability to configure aperture, shutter speed and more.
Along with Matrice 600, DJI also announced an updated version of its Ronin stabilizing rig dubbed Ronin MX, designed to work with the M600, and offers best-in-class three-axis aerial video stabilization. The Ronin-MX has a built-in, independent IMU module, a Bluetooth module and a 2.4GHz receiver.
The rig is compatible with third party camera including Black Magic, Canon, Panasonic, RED, Sony and Nikon. It weighs around 4.5kg.
Flight time will depend on the camera the Ronin MX is carrying, but the drone features self-adaptive flight system that make adjustment depending on payload. The M600 will fly up to 36 minutes with a Zenmuse X5 camera attached and up to 16 minutes with a larger camera, such as a RED EPIC.
The Matrice 600 is priced at $4599, while the Ronin MX is priced at $1600, and are now available for purchase from the company website.
After spending a hefty sum on drones, you wish that it does not crash into a tree, moving object or building while flying. Drone maker DJI's Phantom 4 does exactly that and that too without human intervention.
The drone has its own set of eyes that see obstacles in the path and avoid them for safer flights. This feature is called 'Obstacle Sensing System' that uses the two front facing sensors and cameras, that detect anything that comes in its path — allowing it to avoid collisions. To do so, the Phantom 4 captures image using the camera sensor and these images run through the computer vision software that constructs a 3D model of the world around it, so that the it can intelligently navigate.
The Phantom 4 comes with features like ActiveTrack and TapFly. With ActiveTrack, the drone can track a moving subject without a separate GPS tracker. Users will have to tap on the subject on the screen, and the drone will lock on it and automatically start tracking the subject from a distance. The TapFly feature allows users to tell the drone where to go, just
double tap on a point on the live video feed in the controller and the Phantom 4 will fly there without
bumping into any obstacles. It also has a "Speed Mode" that offers a top speed of 45 miles/ hour.
As for the specs, the Phantom 4 comes with a 4K camera, 1/2.3-inch
sensor and can record 4K videos at 30fps and Full HD 1080p videos at
120fps for slow motion. It has a 5350mAh Li-Po battery that could last
up to 28 minutes of flight time.
The DJI Phantom 4 costs $1399 and is now up for pre-order through DJI’s website and on Apple.com. Shipping starts March 15. Via
Qualcomm's Snapdragon Flight is a development platform specifically designed for the rapidly growing consumer drone segment. The chip maker is now teasing the first drone powered by Snapdragon Flight processor. The video which is just 1 minute 20 seconds long shows the Snapdragon Flight powered drone in action and offers a sneak peek at some of its features. The video shows a drone autonomously dodging obstacles and mapping out 3D spaces with it built-in sensors.
The Snapdragon Flight is based on Snapdragon 801 processor with robust connectivity including dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. It supports 4K high resolution camera, 4K Stereo VGA, optic flow camera and Quick Charge technology.
Qualcomm states that Snapdragon Flight processor will bring down cost
of drones, improve battery life, and make advanced feature widely
available. The company estimates that the cost of a 4K camera drone could fall from
$1,200 down to $300 or $400. The drone is said to be manufactured by hardware partner Yuneec. Qulcomm will demonstrate the Snapdragon Flight at CES 2016, Las Vegas.
U.S based action camera makers, GoPro will be jumping into the drone market next year. The company is gearing up to launch a new drone called Karma in the first half of 2016. GoPro did not reveal much about Karma, but released a one-minute teaser video showing footage taken from the air using Karma. The video was captured with a developmental prototype of Karma. "The featured video was captured with a
developmental prototype of GoPro's quadcopter and stabilization system.
No post-production stabilization was implemented; this is an example of
the incredible image quality we are already able to capture at this
advanced prototype stage." While you wait for the launch, you can sign up here to receive the latest news about Karma which will give you a chance to win one of 100 drones, GoPro is giving away at launch. The winners will be selected by April 15, 2016, suggesting a launch date somewhere thereabouts.
Earlier this month, OnePlus started teasing a brand new product calling it a "game changer". The new product will be announced in April. The teaser images teased with phrases like 'You're in contol' and #OneGameChanger.
Now, during a AMA (ask me anything) session on Reddit, a OnePlus Official responded to a question regarding the upcoming product, saying that "it's a drone, the DR-1, and we will start selling it next month."
Unfortunately, OnePlus did not reveal any details on the design, specification and the pricing of the DR-1 Drone.
Also, three months back, OnePlus posted a picture taken by the drone on Instagram. The description reads "We've been playing with our new drone and shot this photo of our building at night. What do you want to see next? #OnePlusLife"
Given the magnitude, how OnePlus One shook the smartphone market, we expect to the OnePlus Drone do something pretty radical as well. The OnePlus Dr-1 Drone will start selling from next month.
