Vatn Systems founders Nelson and Freddie Mills spent their childhood cruising over turquoise waters, doing their homework on a sailboat off the coast of Caribbean islands. While their surroundings were idyllic, their vessel of choice was decidedly not. “The first boat I remember, I think our parents bought it for like five, ten grand,” Freddie […]
Exosonic, a startup developing supersonic commercial air travel and UAV tech, is winding down after five years of operation. In an update posted to its website, Exosonic said it was unable to find the traction necessary to continue operations. “Although the founders and team still believe in the need/desire for quiet supersonic flight and supersonic
Supersonic aircraft startup Exosonic is shutting down Read More »
Last week, police surveillance startup Flock Safety announced that it had bought drone startup Aerodome. The acquisition price was over $300 million, according to sources in the venture world. The number has not been previously reported. Both Flock Safety and Aerodome are backed by Andreessen Horowitz and have raised over $680 million and $28 million,
Flock Safety paid over $300M for 17-month-old drone startup Aerodome Read More »
When Hurricane Helene hit Asheville, North Carolina in September, the city’s police department reached out to public safety drone startup Paladin for help. The startup’s 30-member team jumped into action working nights and through the weekend to assist Asheville’s police department with locating people and dropping off supply. Asheville was a Paladin customer and its team
How Paladin’s drones helped Asheville during Hurricane Helene Read More »
Drones and sidewalk delivery robots promise to make last-mile delivery cheaper and more efficient, but they both have their limitations. Drones have trouble touching down in dense urban areas, and sidewalk robots tap out after a couple of miles. Uber-backed Serve Robotics and Alphabet’s Wing are betting that combining forces might just create the ultimate
Serve Robotics and Wing to trial robot-to-drone delivery in Dallas Read More »
As part of a new, joint pilot program by U.K. startup Apian, Alphabet’s drone company Wing, and the U.K.’s National Health Service, drones will soon be used to fly urgent blood samples between two hospitals in London. As part of the six-month pilot program, drones will deliver urgently required blood samples for surgery patients —
Londoners will soon see drones ferrying blood between hospitals Read More »
One of the biggest questions looming over the drone space is how to best use the tech. Inspection has become a key driver, as the autonomous copters are deployed to dangerous or remote spaces like power plants and oil rigs. Inventory drones are a promising subset of the category that has emerged in recent years.
Ikea expands its inventory drone fleet Read More »
As deep-pocketed companies like Amazon, Google and Walmart invest in and experiment with drone delivery, a phenomenon reflective of this modern era has emerged. Drones, carrying snacks and other sundries, are being shot out of the sky. Incidents are still rare. However, a recent arrest in Florida, in which a man allegedly shot down a
What happens if you shoot down a delivery drone? Read More »
Amazon has received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly its delivery drones longer distances, the company announced on Thursday. Amazon says it can now expand its Prime Air service, which uses delivery drones to fly individual packages, to more customers. The FAA requires that operators maintain a line of sight to
Amazon gets FAA approval to expand US drone deliveries Read More »
If you’ve spent any time in Los Angeles, you’re no doubt aware that police helicopters are a permanent fixture in the skies above. The LAPD has been monitoring the City of Angels since the mid-1990s. But in recent years, LA and other metropolitan areas have been increasingly turning to drones as a significantly smaller and
Aerodome is sending drones to the scene of the crime Read More »
