Hexacopter

Although many fossils are simply lying exposed on the soil's surface, finding all of them would require a great deal of walking over varying terrain. A new autonomous hexacopter drone could help, as it uses a laser to hunt for fossils at night.

That little quadcopter of yours may be fine for shooting cool videos, but when it comes to industrial applications, a beefier drone is often required. That's where the Acecore Noa comes in, as it can lift up to 20 kg (44 lb).

Yuneec has taken aim at the industrial and commercial drone markets with a new hexacopter based on its consumer grade Typhoon H aerial platform. The H520 features new mission planning software and a range of upgraded cameras, including one with a 1-inch Sony Exmor sensor.

​Multicopter drones are breaking through the final restriction on their movement in the air: they no longer need to hover parallel with the ground. The Voliro prototype's six props can tilt 360 degrees, allowing a staggering 12 degrees of freedom in the air. It's mesmerizing to watch.

Yuneec created a buzz at CES this year by demonstrating an advanced drone with an impressive ability to steer clear of obstacles. Developed by Intel, this sense-and-avoid technology is now coming out to play, with Yuneec making its tree-dodging Typhoon H Pro available for preorder. ​

Yuneec International's Typhoon H hexacopter is designed to free up the camera with retractable landing gear and a folding design that makes the craft backpackable.​

If you're in the business of making drones for photography, these days it takes a bit to stand out from the crowd. But Freefly Systems is looking to flip things on its head, with a professional-grade UAV that can fly with a camera above its body.

Vancouver Aquarium and US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have begun using drones to keep tabs on endangered killer whales off the continent's west coast. The technology is giving the researchers a new perspective on the well-being of the animals.

We've seen drones designed to deliver all kinds of things, but music? That's new territory even for this rapidly growing technology. But Spotify and a Belgian mobile operator are marching to the beat of their own drum, using UAVs to deliver personalized music to festival goers in Belgium last month.

The HEXO+ hexacopter drone autonomously flies above its user, shooting video of them as they motorbike, snowboard, or perform other high-speed activities.

Inspired by a bird known as the swiftlet, scientists have created a robotic quadcopter that can extrude polyurethane foam while in flight. By targeting where that foam goes, it can build up simple structures, essentially becoming a flying 3D printer.

University textbooks can be expensive, so Australian startup Zookal now offers textbook rentals. The problem is, some of the money that students save by renting just goes into shipping charges. That's why Zookal has joined with Flirtey to offer free textbook delivery by drone.