Professional Documents
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5 QUESTIONS
WITH UAS EXPERT
GRETCHEN WEST
p.70
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MOUNT SINABUNG
ERUPTS
UAS advocate and humanitarian Rhianna Lakin captured
this amazing image during a
trip to Indonesia. Read how
she and likeminded women
are changing the UAS world
for the better on Page 70.
RIHANNA LAKIN
Drone360mag.com
Drone360mag.com
March/April 2016
Vol. 1 Issue 1
ON THE COVER
An MQ-9 Reaper, operated by
the 42nd Attack Squadron, flies
above Creech Air Force Base, NV.
U.S. AIR FORCE/PAUL RIDGEWAY
DEPARTMENTS
13 DRONING ON Drones in the news heres what you missed.
18 5 QUESTIONS Hogan Lovells Senior Advisor for Innovation and
Technology Gretchen West tells us about how she got into drones, the
opportunities for women in commercial UAS, and much more.
20 WHEN IT ALL GOES WRONG What should you do if you have a
midflight failure? This advice might save your drone! Oliver Volkmann
24 DRONE GEAR Drones, monitors, and a gimbal camera on a
pistol grip what more could you ask for?
84 ESSAY Negative stories about drones are good for getting attention, but there are so many better ways to use UAVs. Faine Greenwood
86 UP What do flamethrowers, downhill skiing, and dragnets have in
common? Up is back with a vengeance! Carl Engelking & Leah Froats
28
XIRO
XPLORER V
Drone360mag.com
FEATURES
DRONE WARS
ERIC BETZ
42
46
54
10
GOING DOWN
LIZ KRUESI
ELISA NECKAR
64
70
76
11
editors welcome
LET THE CONVERSATION CONTINUE!
After two special editions in 2015, you
Drone360
as a bimonthly publication. What does
that mean? It means that you can expect to
see a new issue every other month, keeping you informed about everything drone:
from the latest consumer and prosumer
has planned next, to emerging tech.
However, Drone360 is about much
more than telling you what weve discovered or what you need to know. Drone360
yet, its about generating many conversations, ultimately drone related, but covering so many subtopics that I couldnt list
them all and neither could you, because new ones are constantly emerging.
How, Tim? you might ask. How is
this a conversation? Im reading a magazine, and I wont talk to it. Ever.
Yep, you have a magazine, but look
at this as the reintroduction of the major
ideas, the visualization of the current big
picture, the regular meeting that sets the
agenda for the next 60 tomorrows. Thats
what youre holding. And the next issue
will do the same.
Editor
Timothy E. Kidwell
tkidwell@drone360mag.com
Chief Designer
Drew Halverson
dhalverson@drone360mag.com
Art Director
Thomas G. Danneman
Assistant Editor
Leah Froats
lfroats@drone360mag.com
Copy Editor
Elisa R. Neckar
Illustrators
Kellie Jaeger, Roen Kelly
Staff Writer
Carl Engelking
Photographer
William Zuback
Editorial Director
Diane M. Bacha
Production Coordinator
Cindy Barder
Timothy E. Kidwell
Editor
Christina Engh
COO UASolutions Group, UAS brigade
advisor to the U.S. Army
President
Charles R. Croft
Dan Gettinger
Cofounder of the Center for the Study of
the Drone, Bard College
Bob Gonsalves
President and CEO of the U.S.
Association of Unmanned Aerial
Videographers (UAVUS)
Michael Intschert
Vice president, AUV Flight Services
Lia Reich
Senior director of communications and
marketing, PrecisionHawk
Customer Service
Drone360@customersvc.com
Matthew Waite
Professor of practice, founder of the
Drone Journalism Lab at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln
Drone360mag.com
800-533-6644
813-910-3616
(Outside the U.S. and CAN)
12
Back Issues
Drone360.SingleCopy@customersvc.com
Director of Innovation
Jeanne Wieland
Digital
Drone360.Digital@customersvc.com
Jason McNally
Flight operations manager UAS, Raytheon
ADVERTISING
Ad Sales Representative
Jim Hagerty
262-796-8776 x549
jhagerty@kalmbach.com
droning on
Drone hobbyists in China often fly their wares with near-reckless abandon, wowing onlookers but also angering airlines and government officials
who fear mounting safety risks posed by the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles.
IMAGINECHINA/AP
Flying a drone may seem like a oneperson job, but the CAAC regulations
-
13
which has been delivery mixups and improper installation of sensitive electronics.
At the same time, Google is running
two other tech-heavy programs: Project
Wing and Project Loon. Using millimeterwave radio technology, the three are to
form the infrastructure backbone for
service providers to build on top of.
Despite the setbacks, Google appears
determined to continue forging a new
the world.
IF YOU PURCHASED IT
MODELAIRCRAFT.ORG/JOINAMA
CALL THE AMA (800) 435-9262
CAPE PRODUCTIONS
16
Drone360mag.com
the door for all of these enterprise and consumer clients all
around the country to have
game-changing permission.
Soll speculates that the companys open-kimono strategy
with regulators and rigorous
safety measures may have
helped the FAA approve this
groundbreaking amendment.
NEW
CONNEX.AMIMON.COM
5 questions with
HOGAN LOVELLS
GRETCHEN WEST
WHAT GOT YOU STARTED
IN DRONES?
Over a decade ago, I was
lucky enough to start working
with AUVSI and was immediately
fascinated by the potential for
drones, robotics and other unmanned systems, and the ability
to help shape the future of this
industry. I helped write the
associations vision statement,
which was about improving humanity by enabling robotics technology globally. Who wouldnt
want to be part of a statement
such as that?
My experiences in the industry only got better from there.
Ive had the pleasure of working
with the military, government
contractors, regulators, universities, startups, commercial
end-users, and more, and I look
forward to what this new chapter
holds for me with Hogan Lovells
as we continue to work with
various clients and industries to
break down the barriers for success in this marketplace.
Helping set the commercial UAS agenda: West delivers the kickoff
address at Drone World Expo 2015 in San Jose, CA.
DRONE WORLD
18
Drone360mag.com
EXPO
ZEMYA PHOTOGRAPHY
GRETCHEN WEST
HOGAN LOVELLS SENIOR
ADVISOR FOR INNOVATION
AND TECHNOLOGY
Gretchen has been a vocal advocate for commercial drones,
innovation, entrepreneurship,
and robotics for more than a
decade. Before joining Hogan
Lovells, Gretchen served as
vice president of business
development and regulatory
affairs at DroneDeploy, a UAS
startup, and was executive vice
president of AUVSI.
pro tips
WHEN IT
ALL GOES
WRONG
By Oliver Volkmann
DREAMSTIME.COM
21
FIXED-WING DESCENT
LOSS OF POWER can be more manageable
with a typical fixed-wing plane. Glide
toward the LZ using the elevator and
throttle sparingly to maintain airspeed.
Elevators
down
Wind direction
Elevators
up
Fig. 3
Landing using elevators
GET TO KNOW
OLIVER VOLKMANN
VOLKMANN HAS WORKED in the unmanned aerial systems industry for the
past five years. As the operations manager
for a UAV-based geospatial company
in Florida, he has traveled extensively,
building UAV operation capacities in the
private sector on six continents and in
over 10 countries. Oliver specializes in
the assembly, configuration, and operation of affordable and field-reparable UAS
mapping solutions.
22
Drone360mag.com
Time to replace a motor! You dont need to strap landscaping bricks to your drone to give it a
stress test, but whatever you use needs to be heavy enough to keep the aircraft from lifting off.
OLIVER VOLKMANN
with the situation. In this scenario, there is virtually nothing you can do to regain control.
Many midrange and higher-quality drones
come with flight controllers that have programmable failsafe settings for this type of failure.
Learn what the active setting is, and use the
appropriate one for your situation.
Three of the most common failsafe operations
initiated by flight controllers that lose radio link
communication are:
Return to Launch
Land
3 Continue Flying if in a preprogrammed
mission; if misson ends, Return to Launch
1
2
5. GUESS WHAT
CAUSES MOST CRASHES
THATS RIGHT, THE OPERATOR! Proper maintenance of your drone is essential, but knowing
how to fly and how to react in situations like
those weve talked about will not only improve
your chances of recovery, but will also lead to
more enjoyable, less stressful flights. Practice
makes perfect. Fly within your limits and gradually push the envelope. Practice emergency
maneuvers, such as
those needed to quickly and safely land your
drone, before you need
to perform them in an
emergency. Until you
become a skilled pilot,
fly only in areas and
up to distances within
which you know you
can recover and where
your crashing drone
poses minimal risk to
Take time to get to
people or property. Be
know your drone,
patient with yourself.
learn its limitations,
Develop your skills. In
and know your own.
the end, youll be
Itll save your UAV.
happy you did.
DREW HALVERSON
March/April 2016
23
drone gear
VOLTAGE 500 3D
T
24
Drone360mag.com
By David Moquay
tive nose, bright LEDs, and
larger size make it easier to
track across the open sky. You
remove the canopy by sliding
four O-rings on the carbon-fiber
arms, exposing the flight
controller sandwiched between
two G10 plates. The beefy
SYSTEM SPECS
Voltage 500 3D
Available: Tower Hobbies
(www.towerhobbies.com)
Rotor type: Quadcopter
Diameter: 19.7 inches
Weight: 2 pounds
Flight time: 8+ minutes
Price: $429.99
March/April 2016
25
VOLTAGE 500 3D
JACOB UECKER
HIGHLIGHTS
Fully assembled and
ready to fly
Reversible brushless motors
Super responsive
and fast!
Extra propellers
BEN FORD
26
Drone360mag.com
XIRO XPLORER V
28
Drone360mag.com
By Tim Kidwell
flight that, after a couple of uses,
I decided was an accessory I
wouldnt return to.
The transmitter is rounded
and covered with smooth, but
grippy, silicon rubber that makes
it comfortable to hold. You
control the cameras angle with
DREW HALVERSON
29
XIRO XPLORER V
TIM KIDWELL
SYSTEM SPECS
Xiro Xplorer V
Available: Tower Hobbies
(www.towerhobbies.com)
Rotor type: Quadcopter
Diameter: 13.75 inches
Height: 5.25 inches
(with legs extended)
Weight: 2.65 pounds
Flight time: 20-25 minutes
Price: $799.98
30
Drone360mag.com
DREW HALVERSON
HIGHLIGHTS
3-axis stabilized
14MP gimbal camera
with Panasonic CMOS
image sensor
5.8GHz Wi-Fi link
for live video feed
to iOS or
Android devices
App with a variety of
useful functions to help
automate flying
Safety features to keep
pilots from flying in
restricted airspace
Return Home, Intelligent
Orientation Control,
and automatic takeoff
and landing features
March/April 2016
31
ESTES PROTO-N
SYSTEM SPECS
Estes Proto-N
Availability: Tower Hobbies
(www.towerhobbies.com)
Rotor type: Quadcopter
Diameter: 1.2 inches
Weight: .32 ounces
ESTES PROTO-N
A
s strange as it sounds,
small quads almost
always get bigger smiles
than the big boys. Maybe
its the idea that something only
slightly bigger across than a quarter can fly. Maybe its our fascination with the miniaturization
of everything smaller phones,
lighter laptops, tinier tablets.
Whatever the reason, Estes
Proto-N is no exception to the
rule. As soon as I unboxed this
little green monster and plugged
it in, I had people poking their
heads into my office, as if they
could hear its fingernail-sized 1S
3.7V LiPo charging.
Measuring just a shade over
1.2 inches on the diagonal, and
weighing only .32 ounces, this is
close to the smallest quad Ive
ever flown. It also offered one of
the most unintentionally confusing battery-charging experiences
Ive had. The Proto-N uses a
HIGHLIGHTS
Does flips!
Durable airframe and props
Spare props
Three flight modes from
beginner to expert
Controller is also
a carrying case
32
Drone360mag.com
By Tim Kidwell
of altitude. Once youve flipped a
couple of times, youll know how
much loss to expect and automatically compensate.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What I love about the Proto-N
is that its exactly the sort of
inexpensive quad you could feel
good about giving to a complete
novice. The chassis is tough, and
four extra props are included. Its
charge lasts for about five minutes not terribly long, but not
unexpected. And thats plenty to
get a flight fix.
If youre wondering how to
transport a quad small enough
for grandmas shih tzu to scarf
down, never fear: The transmitter has a cozy compartment with
a clear lid to serve as a hangar.
Unfortunately, youll have to stuff
the USB charger in your pocket.
Just dont forget about it and put
it through the wash.
%) 10&,)
$,#+ )&+&)
LSLWN_WTYTWUWTNWHRRHI`LIWZXO`LXXLXJ*) *
Delivering swift response and steadfast
interaction with your multirotor, our Energy
5RWRU EUXVKOHVV FRQWUROOHUV OLIW \RXU \LQJ
H[SHULHQFHVWR+LWHFKHLJKWV2XWWWHGZLWK
the new generation MOSFETs, ONESHOT
pre-set synchronization and pilot-favored
%/+HOL UPZDUH WKHVH VL[ (6&V GHOLYHU
smooth and accurate throttle linearity.
Their wide RPM motor range offers the
best in comprehensive performance and
communication. Elevate your expectations!
ESC
Model
Part #
Continuous / Burst
Current Rating
Battery / Cell
Dimensions
(in)
Weight
(oz)
Energy Rotor
12 amp
61071
12A / 20A
5-12N / 2-4Li
0.28
Energy Rotor
18 amp
61082
18A / 30A
5-12N / 2-4Li
0.19
Energy Rotor
20 amp
61072
20A / 30A
5-18N / 2-6Li
0.81
Energy Rotor
30 amp
61073
30A / 40A
5-18N / 2-6Li
0.71
Energy Rotor
40 amp
61074
40A / 50A
5-18N / 2-6Li
1.09
Energy Rotor
60 amp
61075
60A / 70A
5-18N / 2-6Li
1.76
Hitec RCD USA, Inc. | 12115 Paine Street | Poway, CA 92064 | (858) 748-6948 | www.hitecrcd.com |
REALFLIGHT DRONE
SCREENSHOTS/TIM KIDWELL
HIGHLIGHTS
14 different drones to
choose from
Lots of skill-building
sessions
Nice graphics
Controller feels like
the real deal
34
Drone360mag.com
By Tim Kidwell
I picked a Hexacopter 780
and got right into the air. Of
course, its a blast seeing how
well the controls work and what
happens when you crash. The
simulated world is just as tough
on drones as the physical world.
I left pieces of copters scattered
across many locations, crashed
into the wall of soccer stadium,
and even got hung up on stairs in
a dilapidated hangar.
Once I worked the silliness
out of my system, I noted that
the simulator doesnt provide
you with a way to see both FPV
and fixed point, as if you were
flying with a monitor and line-ofsight. You can fly from a location
on the ground, from behind the
drone, off its front end, or from
the gimbal which is what
gives you the FPV perspective.
SYSTEM SPECS
RealFlight
Drone Flight Simulator
Available: Tower Hobbies
(www.towerhobbies.com)
Processor requirement:
Intel Pentium 1GHz
or better
RAM: 512MB minimum
Hard drive space: 3GB
Price: $129.99
March/April 2016
35
DROMIDA VERSO
SYSTEM SPECS
Dromida Verso
Available: Tower Hobbies
(www.towerhobbies.com)
Rotor type: Quadcopter
Diameter: 4.5 inches
Weight: 1.2 ounces
Flight time: 5+ minutes
Price: $39.99
36
Drone360mag.com
The idea is to make the transmitter sticks feel more like those of
a video game controller and keep
your fingers from slipping. This
hasnt been an issue for me, but I
put them on anyway. They look a
little weird, but I didnt find they
helped or hindered my ability to
pilot. Your mileage may vary.
BEFORE TAKEOFF
Take a moment to familiarize
yourself with the Q205 2.4GHz
transmitter. As usual in the U.S.,
throttle and yaw are on the left
stick and pitch and roll are on
the right. Youll notice a number
of buttons on both sides of a
By Tim Kidwell
LCD screen. Those on the left
change between three control
rates20%, 60%, and 100%.
The current rate will briefly
display on the screen.
The top two buttons on the
right side of the screen dont
do anything. (Dont know why. I
assume they will on another version or different quad.) But the
bottom one toggles the Versos
LEDs on and off. If theyre on,
youll see a lightbulb icon on the
screen.
On top of the transmitter are
two buttons. The one on the
HIGHLIGHTS
360-degree flips and rolls
2.4GHz SLT controller
Three control rates
Tough airframe and
extra props
March/April 2016
37
TACTIC FPV-RM1
MIKE INTSCHERT
38
Drone360mag.com
By Mike Intschert
SYSTEM SPECS
Tactic FPV-RM1
5.8GHz Video Receiver/
Monitor
HIGHLIGHTS
Good display
Locking sunshield
Built-in battery charger
Auto-scan lock onto
strongest signal
Transmitter: 5.8GHz,
600mW
Channels: 32
Range: 1,500m max.
Includes: heat sink
(installation and thermal
adhesive required)
39
TIM KIDWELL
HIGHLIGHTS
True 4K video
3-axis gimbal camera
Comfortable pistol grip
Compact and tough
carrying case
40
Drone360mag.com
By Tim Kidwell
you have a lot happening. We
took it go-cart racing, and it
made catching video of racers
blasting past a ton of fun, while
the slow motion option opened
up a world of options.
SYSTEM SPECS
Yuneec ActionCam
Availability: Yuneec
(www.yuneec.com)
Camera: CGO3 4K 3-axis
gimbal camera
Wi-Fi range: Up to 1640 ft.
Runtime: 90 minutes
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Price: $549.99
Check out the nearly 120-degree range of motion that the CGO3 has.
March/April 2016
41
CYD
(cover your drone)
By Mike Dries
THE
INSURANCE
COMPANIES
STANCE
ESTABLISHED
ILLUSTRATIONS ISTOCK.COM/KITTISAK_TARAMAS
STUFF HAPPENS.
ESTABLISHED
March/April 2016
43
44
Drone360mag.com
aircraft
COMMERCIAL
VS.
HOBBY
Coverage
most likely
required ...
IF YOU MAKE MONEY
WITH YOUR UAS:
Homeowners
insurance might cover
you, but make sure
to ask.
March/April 2016
45
ILLUSTRATION ISTOCK.COM/MOTO-RAMA
arrest, detention, malicious prosecution, libel, slander, and invasion of privacy. To be clear, personal
injury doesnt equal bodily injury.
It also is important to understand that insurance
policies, including homeowners policies, typically
exclude coverage for acts or operations that violate
laws or regulations. So its critically important to
understand what laws and regulations apply, and
to understand that while federal laws cover all 50
states, many of those states and indeed, some
municipalities have enacted their own laws and
regulations governing drones and their use.
46
Drone360mag.com
When drones
and manned aircraft
compete for airspace,
no one wins
March/April 2016
47
March/April 2016
49
The Solo drone from 3DR is installed with the AirMap app to indicate to operators if the drone is being operated within restricted airspace.
3D ROBOTICS
BY THE NUMBERS
Because manned aircraft fly at low altitudes, sometimes for several miles, while on final
approach and during takeoff, the FAA prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft within five miles
of any airport in the U.S. without permission from air traffic control.
DREAMSTIME.COM
50
Drone360mag.com
airport.
Prior to the meteoric rise in popularity
of consumer multirotor models and com
mercial drones, most of the unmanned
sky.
last only a couple of seconds or less, and
The prices for drones and drone tech has dropped substantially in the last couple of years,
boosting the number of consumer UAS flying in the NAS to unprecedented levels.
DREAMSTIME.COM
helicopter models.
drones do indeed pose a threat to manned other manned aircraft, the FAA calls such
aviation some claim that the threat is
contend that the problem is overstated
ing and mischaracterizing the data makes cases, the drone and the aircraft came
it impossible to assess the magnitude of
pilot used language that indicated that
the encounter had been a close one by
Oct. 7, 2015.
using phrases such as came really close.
To try and lay to rest some of these
yourself and the drone that you are trying
to avoid can be challenging, and yet if
a heightened possibility of a collision,
a pilot believes that a drone is too close
mere sighting.
March/April 2016
51
According to tests by the Virginia Tech CRASH Lab, a jet engine that ingests a drone could suffer from operational stability issues, at minimum, to catastrophic failure, at worst.
ISTOCK.COM/MSTROZ; INSET/VIRGINIA TECH CRASH LAB
engines.
Drone360mag.com
engine long enough to make an emergency landing, its a scenario that would
spell dreadful news for the UAS commu
agency told us, it will only take one such
incident to bring about a severe regulatory whiplash that could really hurt the
industry as well as hobby operators.
In December, the FAA started requiring all drone users to register any aircraft
that weighed more than half a pound in
the hopes that it would induce greater
accountability among recreational
users. But there has been pushback from
the hobby community, and it is unclear
whether registration would have been
much use in the incidents we studied,
given that law enforcement agencies were
often unable to locate the drones that
pilots reported.
In addition to possible policy remedies, a number of technological solutions
that could help integrate drones into the
airspace are currently being explored.
Geofencing systems such as DJIs
Geospatial Environment Online system, which bars the companys drones
from entering restricted airspaces, could
enforce the rules for those who arent
sure of how to abide by them, as well
53
cover story
54
Drone360mag.com
Drone360mag.com
HUMBLE ORIGINS
his Hacienda Heights home and set to
work building his dream machine. The
Albatross was no ones idea of a war
wingspan were built simply to soar its
go-cart engine could keep the craft aloft
for days at a time.
By 1984, the modest machine had
caught the eye of the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
which saw the value of such a constant
government research group soon helped
Albatross became Amber, which eventually led to General Atomics Predator. And
in 1995 during the Balkan wars, it wasnt
until after the September 11 terrorist
how much it needed drones.
militants in Afghanistan, and incinerate a terrorist training center in Somalia
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Drone360mag.com
The Washington Post
A Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk awaits a nighttime mission. The surveillance aircraft can hit altitudes up to 65,000 feet, stay aloft for
more than a day, and has a range of more than 13,000 miles.
JOHN SCHWAB/U.S. NAVY
Eritrea
An impromptu airstrip
outside Djibouti City is
now home to Americas
main drone operations
site in the Horn of
Africa. The military
moved from nearby
Camp Lemonnier
after five Predators
crashed in the densely
populated area. These
small and secretive
lily pad bases are
increasingly common
as the U.S. stretches
out to take on ISIS.
Chabelley
Airport
(detail)
Yemen
Gulf of
Aden
Djibouti City
Chabelley
Airport, see
detail below
Djibouti
Map
area
Africa
Somalia
0
Ethiopia
50 miles
Scale
Djibouti
N
GOOGLE
Gulf of
Tadjoura
Chabelley Airport
Djibouti
City
Chabelley Airport
See detail, right
Scale
3 miles
Scale
12 mile
March/April 2016
59
MQ-5 HUNTER
MQ-1 PREDATOR
RQ-7 SHADOW
SCALE
1
10
FEET
20
30
MQ-9 REAPER
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March/April 2016
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Drone360mag.com
million into contracting instructors and
purchasing the simulators and ground
control stations those operators will need.
RPA pilots will always be in demand,
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee
James said in a statement announcing the
bonus program for drone pilots in July
2015. Remarkable airmen have ensured
the success of the [Predator and Reaper]
programs. We now face a situation where
if we dont direct additional resources
appropriately, it creates unacceptable risk.
We are working hard to put solutions in
place to bring needed relief to our airmen
and ensure our actions show their value to
our mission.
single UAVs. The Air Forces former chief
scientist, Mica Endsley, envisions new
forms of warfare enabled by swarms of
together in formation, theyll share infor
or defense missions.
Other military minds see similar uses.
carried out test missions on its Low-Cost
UAV Swarm Technology (LOCUST) in
2015 using swarms of small, rocket-tube
launched Raytheon Coyote UAVs. The
agency plans to test launch a massive
UAV swarm made up of 30 aircraft from
a ship in 2016.
A team of students from the Advanced
Robotic Systems Engineering Laboratory
(ARSENL) beat that number in August,
to small UAVs. DARPA recently called
for help developing the technology to
allow existing unmanned aircraft to work
collaboratively through its Collaborative
Operations in Denied Environment
(CODE) program. Just as wolves hunt in
coordinated packs with minimal communication, multiple CODE-enabled
unmanned aircraft would collaborate to
Some proponents of fully autonomous weapons argue that the use of the
weapons would be acceptable in limited
circumstances, but once they are devel
LOCKHEED MARTIN
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Bringing order
to the
RED
R E GISTE
REGIS
TERED
REGISTERED
REGIS
TERE
D
TERE
EGIS
TERE
REGIS
REGIS
TERE
REGISTERED
March/April 2016
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FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, left, with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, center,
and ALPA President Tim Canoll, right, fields questions about UAS registration.
AP PHOTO/ANDREW HARNIK
Gyokeres says he and other commercial operators essentially self-regulated
tions or rolled out its regulation recommendations: The professional operators
are obsessive about safety, because we
pilots see non-commercial users as the
culprits those who arent subject to
nearly the same amount of regulation
and scrutiny, break the guidelines while
from creating new rules for hobbyists so
lines of a community-based organiza
tion with an organization, as a violation of
its fair to say that not all hobbyists are
approach for enthusiasts: sign up with a
nationally recognized hobby organization,
paying dues and obeying its guidelines, or
on data collection for enterprise and
the operation, distance from [airports], and
payload are more precise indicators of the
REGIST
REGISTERED
D
REGISTERE
ED
R E GISTER
REGISTERED
REGISTERED
R EGISTERED
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TERED
ED
R E GISTER
AP PHOTO/ALEX MENENDEZ
R EGISTERED
REGISTER
ED
ED
ISTER
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REGISTERE
March/April 2016
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to a drone operator does nothing to edu
to Drone360.
Sachs also argues that slapping a regis
ED
ISTER
R EG
REGIS
TERE
D
REGISTERED
to enhance their business.
tered would be available to the public
to the public, although addresses would
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REGISTERED
R EGISTERED
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ED
R E GISTER
reactive,
actively enforce
laws.
Police hats as the airspace gets more
and training program manager with the
that much.
ED
ISTER
R EG
REGIS
TERE
REGISTER
ED
dence up the chain to FAA regulators and
departments, the FAA may also launch
FAA Administrator Huerta reminded
However, the overall goal is total integration.
Defining model
aircraft and
operating safely
ED
R E GISTER
March/April 2016
69
At Rice Universitys
Drone Camp, half
the participants
were girls by
their own choice.
RICE UNIVERSITY/
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
BY ROEN KELLY
HEADED
RIGHT
DIRECTION
in
the
71
Women
48%
STEM WORKFORCE
Men
76%
Women
24%
RICE UNIVERSITY
AFTER A SUCCESSFUL first
year, the 2016 Drone Camp
will likely run as an extension
of a new Aerial Robotics
Club that the Rice Center for
Engineering Leadership is
launching at the university
in the spring. There has
been corporate interest
in expanding the camp
and requests from other
universities looking to model
the camp. To learn more,
contact:
CESARE WRIGHT
RCEL LECTURER / LEADERSHIP
& OUTREACH SPECIALIST
CESARE@RICE.EDU
WWW.RICE.EDU
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Lia Reich
Diana Marina
Cooper
Lisa Ellman
Debra Randall
policies, and procedures that are needed to
research to seamlessly
UAS PILOT
$85,000-$115,000
SYSTEMS ENGINEER
$72,350-$127,000
INSTRUCTOR/TRAINING SPECIALIST
$74,500-$93,000
INTEL/IMAGERY ANALYST
$57,350-$84,600
MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST
$59,500-$67,500
SENSOR/PAYLOAD OPERATOR
$69,300-$89,450
MANUFACTURING
$45,700-$67,890
CONSULTANT
$70,500-$145,000
Traditionally underrepresented in
STEM careers (opposite), women
have the opportunity to make
major inroads in the UAS field,
thanks to a variety of positions
(above) and an industry poised
for exponential growth.
March/April 2016
73
WWW.PRECISIONHAWK.COM
TRUMBULL UNMANNED
A BUZZING COMMUNITY
WWW.TRUMBULLUNMANNED.COM
RHIANNA LAKIN
WEBSITES
AMELIA DRONEHART
WWW.AMELIADRONEHART.COM
AUVSI
WWW.AUVSI.ORG
HOGAN LOVELLS
WWW.HOGANLOVELLS.COM
NASA
WWW.NASA.GOV
PRECISIONHAWK
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spent four months of last summer in Indonesia
and brought her DJI Phantom Vision+ to capture footage of the countrys incredible beauty,
as well as the terrible devastation and the
THE YOUTH
HATCHING A PLAN
Its one thing to recognize the potential of
Gretchen West
STEM PROGRAMS
STEM RESOURCES LIKE THESE
CAMPS AND PROGRAMS
offer new opportunities
to girls and stimulate
interest in STEM careers.
GIRLS INC.
Three programs are offered
across the U.S. and Canada:
- Eureka!
- Girls Dig It
- Thinking SMART
WWW.GIRLSINC.ORG
GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA
Imagine STEM engages girls
in a multitude of STEM-related
activities. Girls of all ages
can participate, and adults
can volunteer to assist in the
program. Program specifics
differ based on location.
WWW.GIRLSCOUTS.ORG
TECH TREK
Open to girls entering the
eighth grade, this summer
program is available at
eight California university
campuses.
WWW.AAUW-TECHTREK.ORG
TECHBRIDGE
With afterschool and summer
programs in California,
Seattle, and Washington, D.C.,
Techbridge also offers training
for adult role models and a
family resource guide.
WWW.TECHBRIDGEGIRLS.ORG
March/April 2016
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March/April 2016
77
ROV footage shows the bow of the HMS Ontario emerging from the
darkness 500 feet below the surface of Lake Ontario.
DAN SCOVILLE
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tion, while they became essential to the oil and gas industry
throughout the 1970s and 80s
for line inspection and repair.
began to use ROVs in that
timeframe as well, largely for
observation and specimen
deputy chief of the National
Park Services Submerged
Resources Center (SRC), says
ROV was in the 1980s, when
National Geographic brought
one to Isle Royale National
Park. At the time, the technology was bulky and expensive;
since the agency mostly works
Titanic
Alvin
Jason Jr.
Titanic
Mary Celeste
Arizona
Titanic
Star Trek
A DEEP DIVE
March/April 2016
79
The work-class ROV Hercules sits on the deck of the NOAA research vessel Ronald Brown during the 2004
joint NOAA-Ballard mission to the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
CENTER FOR EXPLORATION/UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND/NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION AND RESEARCH
Drone360mag.com
Orleans. It was, at the time,
the deepest wreck explored in
the Gulf.
Led by Texas A&M
University with a team of more
than a dozen archaeologists,
Gras projects goals were to
record the site and recover
artifacts for analysis. Work
was underway 24 hours a day,
live-streaming to a bullpen of
monitors on the ship so several
sets of eyes were always on the
work being performed.
destroyed, says Peter
Hitchcock, who was involved
as part of A&Ms Department
of Oceanography. Thats
John V. Moran
365 ft.
Conventional
scuba
diving < 130 ft.
USS Arizona
40 ft.
SS America
80 ft.
Technical scuba
diving < 350 ft.
HMS Ontario
500 ft.
5,000 ft.
Mid-sized or
light work-class
ROVs < 3,000 ft.
Mardi Gras
shipwreck
project
4,000 ft.
Observation-class
ROVs < 1,000 ft.
Heavy work-class
ROV < 10,000 ft.
RMS Titanic
12,500 ft.
15,000 ft.
As nautical archaeologists,
we realize more and more that
the tools ocean explorers were
using, we could use too,
Hitchcock says.
TIME CAPSULES ON
THE BOTTOM
Shallower waters call
Observation-class ROVs
rarely exceed depths of 1,000
feet. Lighter, smaller, and less
expensive than work-class
ROVs think 15 pounds,
rather than 300, and several
thousand dollars, rather than
several hundred thousand
observation-class ROVs
are more suitable for launch
name suggests, these vehicles
are generally intended for
25,000 ft.
Nereus hybrid
AUV/ROV lost = 32,800 ft.
35,000 ft.
excavation we document as
it lies in place. Simply moving artifacts is discouraged,
because not only what the artifacts are, but where they are
can tell archaeologists a lot.
While WUAA uses
observation-class ROVs to
document, other organizations
March/April 2016
81
Ontario
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John
V. Moran
opportunity to test its equip
Moran on the
can in turn teach them much
to the carferry Milwaukee
the schooner Rouse Simmons
83
84
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drones to monitor orangutan nests since 2012, while in Peru, the
Ministry of Culture funds the worlds largest drone archaeology
program, using drone imagery to create maps and 3D models of
hundreds of important historical sites.
Journalists and activists have taken to experimenting with
UAS as well. Back in 2013, many people
has constructed a thoughtful drone program that should serve as
a template for the FAA and the use of benevolent civilian drones
in the U.S.: drones working in close concert
with federal and local authorities, and as a
particularly useful tool for small communities without the budget for manned aircraft
or satellite imagery.
This will likely be a watershed year for
public opinion on drones. Unfortunately,
while more people are beginning to see drones as potential
Christmas presents or innocuous hobby aircraft, the technologys
public image has also taken some serious hits, from the White
pilot. The pilot requirement is especially problematic for cashstrapped, aspiring UAS operators, like freelance reporters and
private search-and-rescue groups.
Private industry Section 333 holders must also adhere to a
blanket COA, which includes a 200-foot altitude restriction, main
FAINE GREENWOOD
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INTEL CORP.
INTEL CORP.
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paper tubes jam-packed with
gunpowder, and when you lit the
Your child just wont
understand your old-timer refer
illuminated drones will have
INTEL CORP.
THINKSTOCK.COM
HOGWIT/YOUTUBE
of deploying a drone-mounted
AERODROME
AERODROME
87
BLADE RUNNER
Blender afficionados
love to debate whether
Vitamix or Blendtec
is the more superior
blender technology.
However, it seems
as though a new
competitor has entered
the ring: drones.
Speed Motion Films
had the clever notion of
putting drone-blending
capabilities to
the test by
dropping
grapes, eggs,
carrots, and even a
cucumber, into the
whirring blades of a DJI
Phantom.
The slow-motion
video captures the
carnage in all its glory
as the produce is
thoroughly pulverized.
The anticipation builds
as the fruits and
vegetables fall to their
inevitable destruction,
followed by the
complete satisfaction of
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
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the Hunter moves into retirement, the Gray Eagle
and neutralize it. Based on initial attempts, it appears to get the job done.
Officials had good reason to launch
their dragnet operation. In April, youll
remember, a drone carrying a plastic
bottle filled with radioactive sand
landed on the roof of Prime Minister
Shinzo Abes office.
Several days later, Yasuo
Yamamoto, a 40-year-old man from the
city of Obama, turned himself in to the
Fukui Prefectoral Police. He said he
planned the whole flight to protest the
governments energy policy.
What Yamamotos stunt did to
advance his political cause is
unknown, but it certainly didnt
endear drones to government officials.
We hope to defend the nations
functions with the worst-case scenario
JIJIPRESS/YOUTUBE
NICOLAS GARCIA/YOUTUBE
DITCH THE
SELFIE STICK
FLEYE (2)
The technology
and art of the selfie
has come a long
way. From remotecontrolled digital
cameras to modern
front-facing camera
phones, people today
are always on the hunt
for innovative ways to
capture self-portraits.
Say hello to the
ONAGOfly: a so-called
selfie drone that
automatically takes
photographs after
detecting a smiling
face. The drones Auto
Follow function also
allows the tiny peeper
to record your every
move, allowing for
selfie opportunities
never before imagined.
Its easy to get
those sweet shots from
your drone to your
phone. Pictures sync
automatically through
phone data or Wi-Fi.
DRONE
ONAGOFLY
As a result of these
user-friendly features,
the demand for this
adorable drone has
been overwhelming;
ONAGOflys
crowdfunding effort
has already been
funded over 1,000
percent of its goal, with
thousands of units
preordered.
Best of all, this little
drone is small enough
that it doesnt need to
be FAA registered.
Instagram will
never be the same.
March/April 2016
89
IAN FISHER
AMAZON.COM
Imagine a robotic insect, roughly two feet in length, that can climb
ALIEXPRESS.COM
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