Monday, May 20, 2013
** NEW **
Add search-and-rescue to the list of Multi Rotor Capabilities!
A Saskatchewan man, lost, alone and hypothermic, was found by an RC quadcopter that spotted him from the sky using an infrared camera. The 25-year-old had wandered away from where his car rolled on Highway 5 near St. Denis, about 40 kilometres east of Saskatoon, early Thursday morning.
Emergency crews arrived at the accident scene after midnight, but couldn’t find the driver. “He had suffered a head injury in the crash and became disorientated and wandered off,” said emergency crew corporal Doug Green.
Two hours after the rollover, the man phoned 911 and said he was lost and cold wearing only a t-shift, pants and had no shoes. The GPS on his phone was used to narrow down the search area. A STARS helicopter used night vision and a search light, but couldn’t find him.
That’s when Green came in with the Dragan Flyer X4-ES, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that weighs just over four pounds, with an infrared camera. “When I put the Dragan Flyer up, I put it up in a hover mode … and just did a slow rotation,” Green said. The infrared camera identified three heat signatures within five minutes – one was the missing man, the other two were likely animals, Green explained. “Something hot will be white, whereas cold is dark. So, it’s very easy to spot animals and human beings.”
Volunteer firefighters from the Vonda and Prud’homme fire departments then went to that spot where they found the man curled up in a ball at the base of a tree next to a snow bank. He was unresponsive and taken to hospital with hypothermia. Green said he’s now in stable condition, but this could have turned out much worse without the Dragan Flyer. “We wouldn’t have found him until later on today and he wouldn’t have made it,” Green said. Green has been operating the Dragan Flyer for about a year-and-a-half and said it is typically used to take pictures from the air of accident scenes. He said this is the first time it has ever been used to find a missing person.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apEnf-0Rzb4&feature=player_embedded
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 8:30:27 AM
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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Air Age Media Announces New Editorial Leadership
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May 15, 2013
Wilton, CT— We are pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Vieira to the position of Editorial Director, Surface Group.
In this new role, Peter is responsible for content direction and management across a number of platforms including print and digital publications, e-newsletters, websites, and ancillary Air Age Media products within the surface RC category.
Peter is a familiar face at Air Age, having lead the
RC Car Action editorial team as Executive Editor from 1997 to 2008. For the past five years, Peter has lent his creativity and insight to Traxxas' marketing department, and now looks forward to new opportunities with Air Age Media.
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"My time at Air Age was very fulfilling professionally and personally, as I worked with a talented and inspired creative team supported by engaged and enthusiastic owners and managers," said Peter. "I couldn't be more pleased about returning to the company and brands that have been such an integral part of my life, from my first exposure to the hobby with RC Car Action in 1986, to my decade-plus experience as a member of the Air Age team. Exciting things are ahead!"
Air Age Media CEO and Publisher, Louis DeFrancesco, shares Peter's enthusiasm. "We are very excited to have Peter back at Air Age. His experience and knowledge of the market, along with the time he spent at Traxxas, will be a great asset here."
Join us in welcoming Peter to Air Age Media. You can reach Peter at peterv@airage.com.
About Air Age Media
Air Age Media is the largest multimedia publisher of content dedicated to radio-control cars, planes, and helis. In addition to six market-leading publications devoted to RC, aviation, and diecast, Air Age Media produces a full line of ancillary products including books, special issues, DVDs, a network of 7 websites, RCX—the world's largest radio control expo—and The Radio Control Show—the only weekly RC show. Air Age Media''s network of assets reaches more than 1 million enthusiasts and consumers of all ages and levels of expertise.
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Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 1:24:00 PM
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Phantom Prop guards have been ordered and we expect them May 27th.
SKU is 100014362
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 7:12:28 AM
Monday, May 06, 2013
The new DJI iOSD MARK II Firmware 2.00, Assistant Software 2.00 and User Manual 2.04 has just been released.
What’s new?
- iOSD MARK II Firmware- Naza-M is supported by PMU V2 (Naza-M V2 Accessory);
- Naza-M V2 is supported;
- iOSD MARK II Assistant Software- Added compass data recording;
- iOSD MARK II User Manual- Added instruction note that the NAZA-M is supported;
Note: NAZA-M Firmware Version SHOULD be upgraded to V3.10, with the same assistant software V2.10 of Naza-M V2.
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 10:19:03 AM
Monday, May 06, 2013
DJI has released today new Naza-H firmware version 2.00 and assistant software 1.20.
What’s changed?
- Fully optimized Flybarless algorithm.
- Optimized brake feeling of tail gyro.
What’s new?
- Added two new parameters — “Star Para.” and “Stop Para.”, and deleted one parameter — “Stick Boost” for FBL in Advanced of Common page.
- Added “Brake Gain” for tail gyro under "Advanced" of the "Common" page.
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 10:18:37 AM
Monday, April 22, 2013
Positive progress in the state of UAV legislation
by Justin Toland | April 18, 2013Airborne scanning using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is widely recognized as a potentially huge opportunity for the private sector. However, it has also been widely noted that legislation is lagging behind technical capabilities and end-user demands (see myreport from the last SPAR Europe, for instance).
However, things may be starting to move in the right direction, as explained to SPAR International 2013 delegates by Nick Palatiello, Assistant Executive Director for External Affairs with the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS).
"There are 36 [US] states that have introduced or have some sort of UAV legislation in the state legislatures. MAPPS is working to make sure that the private sector is able to use UAVs in the commercial market. Right now it's limited only to law enforcement agencies, to universities, but we are trying to make sure that the private sector is able to use these for commercial purposes," said Palatiello.
He noted that two states have already had UAV legislation signed by their Governors – Virginia and Idaho. In the case of the former it is "a two-year moratorium that starts July 1st. It really goes after law enforcement being able to use UAVs." In the case of Idaho, which passed last week and also goes into effect in July, "it targets mostly state law enforcement, however, it does have an exemption specifically for mapping or resource management," explained Palatiello. "That's a big deal - that's one of the first states that has an exemption for mapping. It does allow for the private sector - when the FAA finally allows the private sector to use UAVs – for mapping not to be restricted, so that's a big win for us."
He added that another state (Georgia) has a similar provision in its legislation and that a number of states are now addressing the issue.
http://www.sparpointgroup.com/News/Vol11No17-Positive-progress-in-the-state-of-UAV-legislation/
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Creekview High School students, of Canton GA are now celebrating after placing in the top 100 in the world’s largest student rocket contest after months of preparation. They will now be competing to win the 2013 Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) on Saturday, May 11 at Great Meadow in The Plains VA. The students representing Creekview will be the only ones to represent Georgia. TARC is the world’s largest student rocket contest that aims to inspire students to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Local club, the Georgia Model Aviators (GMA) is very excited for the team, which has earned a spot as a national competitor three times. The Georgia Model Aviators encourage the student’s hobby and regularly support the program by sponsoring the team and allowing the students to use their facilities.
The amateur rocketeers on the team have worked hard to earn their spot by designing, building, and perfecting the model rockets so that can safely carry one raw egg up to an exact altitude of 750 feet up in the air and return to the ground within 48-50 seconds.
The Aeronautics Team program at Creekview began in 2008 under the direction of Tim Smyrl and Todd Sharrock, both science faculty members at the school. Says Todd, “Tim and I are so proud of how hard our students have worked to compete in this year’s competition and qualify for the national finals. These are truly exceptional kids who are destined to do great things through their creativity and innovation.”
Creekview’s team will compete for the national title which includes a great prize package of $60,000 worth of scholarships and prizes and a chance to participate in NASA’s Student Launch Initiative. Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and more than 30 industry partners, TARC annually brings together more than 5,000 students from across the country. Participants represent a diverse group of students from urban and rural America, with a breakthrough number of all girls’ teams and teams from underserved schools.
Click here to learn more about the Georgia Model Aviators.
http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amaclubs/2013/04/17/georgia-model-aviators-place-in-top-100-in-the-worlds-largest-student-rocket-contest/
Saturday, April 13, 2013
The latest WooKong-M Firmware 5.22 and assistant software v2.00 as well as the new LED-BT-I (Bluetooth indicator) has been released from DJI.
What’s new with the Firmware?
Added the Bluetooth assistant function. You will be required to have the new LED-BT-I hardware.
New in the Assistant Software
New UI design, simple and easy to use.
Bluetooth LED firmware support.
Support for the iOS mobile device assistant, download this on the App Store.
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 3:27:29 PM
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
SEE Video at bottom of page
DJI, one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers in UAV systems, today launched the revolutionary Zenmuse HERO, a gyro-stabilized gimbal built specifically for the GoPro HERO3. Optimized for installation on the popular PHANTOM consumer quadcopter, the Zenmuse HERO combines the versatility of the award wining GoPro with industry leading stability for truly cinematic aerials not previously possible within a consumer package.
The Zenmuse HERO was designed for consumers seeking a cost-effective means of producing high quality aerial cinematography, without the issues plaguing consumer systems. With the Zenmuse HERO’s advanced algorithms and instant-response direct drive motors the GoPro remains perfectly level and steady during nearly all flight conditions. This combination allows consumers to produce high quality HD video that rivals productions from systems costing nearly ten times more.
Features of Zenmuse HERO
- First fully integrated gimbal for GoPro
- Built in GoPro control module for power, video output and start/stop capability
- Independent IMU for professional level stability during flight
- Accurate to +/- 0.08 degrees
- 2 axis (pitch and roll)
- Integrated iOS app for camera control
Features of DJI iOS App
- Low latency video monitoring (downlink)
- Full remote camera control
- Wireless synchronization
- Social Media sharing
- First person viewing (FPV) functionality
When the Zenmuse HERO is combined with DJI’s PHANTOM quadcopter, anyone can create cinematic aerial content at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.
The Zenmuse HERO will be available for purchase at the end of Q2 2013.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9duHPk4B730
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 9:47:32 AM
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
NAB news, DJI shows new prototype prop guards for the Phantom.
Posted By: Cliff Whitney @ 8:56:04 AM
