Drones

Amazon has lofty and long-held ambitions when it comes to aerial deliveries and has today offered a glimpse of its latest Prime Air delivery drone, which it says will be lighter, quieter and capable of operating in the rain.

Imagine if someone such as a stranded mountain climber needed food, but could initially only be reached by drone. Scientists have developed a proof-of-concept system of getting that food to them, in the form of a drone with edible wings.

Last year, DJI collaborated with imaging titan Hasselblad for a dual-camera drone capable of 5.1K video. That Mavic 3 model has now been joined by a Classic flyer that boasts much of the original's feature set, but at a more affordable price.

You may have noticed that on some drink cup lids, there are small domes that can be "popped down" to indicate what sort of beverage is in the cup. Scientists now believe that similar domes could help drones monitor the air pressure on their wings.

While not nearly as expensive as full-on industrial ROVs (remotely operated vehicles), smaller underwater drones can still cost up to a few thousand dollars. The BentiX is designed to be different, as it could be yours for under US$500.

Building structures in difficult-to-reach locations is a daunting task, as bringing in the cranes, scaffolding and whatnot can be difficult. That's why scientists are creating a bee-inspired system, which uses flying 3D-printing drones to do the job.

Florida's "silent" flying dish-rack, powered by ionic propulsion, is on track for commercial rollout in 2024, according to Undefined Technologies, which has released new outdoor flight test video. We remain curious, but unconvinced it'll be viable.

Ordinarily, quadcopter drones have to tilt their front end downward when flying forward, increasing their frontal area and thus increasing drag. An experimental new drone gets around this problem, by only tilting its rotors.

Matternet M2 drone has received a Type Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, the first non-military drone to do so, which should help streamline its efforts to make drone delivery an accessible and everyday service.

DJI has launched its own cinewhoop-style drone, a stabilized flyer designed to capture crisp video footage indoors or out. The Avata boasts a 4K camera, shielded props, and ease of use with the new headset and controller.

Scientists working to expand the potential landing zones for drones have demonstrated a novel approach, which could enable drones to touch down on one of the more common surfaces in the urban environments – sloping roofs.

In most delivery-by-drone systems, cargo has to be packed into system-specific containers, or must fit inside a designated onboard compartment. The new RDS2 setup, however, can transport almost any shape or size of parcel, weighing as much as 10 kg (22 lb).

As any viewer of the Discovery Channel will know, the search for sunken treasure typically involves sifting through the sand, just hoping to find gold or silver. The SeaSearcher underwater drone, however, may soon point clients right to the booty.

There are now a number of systems in which "good" drones are used to disable "enemy" drones, such as those conducting spying missions. A new system takes a safer approach to the task, in that the captured drones don't simply plummet to the ground.

VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft are a popular choice for passenger-carrying "air taxis," but it's easy to forget that they also make for quite versatile consumer drones. One such beast, the Swan Voyageur, could be yours for US$1,299.