Drone Ban Update, Skydio Buys GoPro Patents, DJI Enterprise Leak

Welcome to Weekly UAS News Update! We have three stories for you this week: a Chinese drone ban update, Skydio buys a whole bunch of GoPro patents, and lastly, a DJI Enterprise prototype that leaked after a crash. Let’s get to it!

Chinese Drone Ban Updates

The election day is over, and most races have been called. We’re now entering a “lame duck” legislative session where Congress is expected to work on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Currently, the Senate bill does not include the Countering CCP Drones Act language, while the House of Representatives version does. While it’s unlikely the language will be included in the final bill, it’s not impossible. The timing remains unclear, though legislative leaders may use the upcoming holiday as a deadline to force certain actions.

To get involved, you can engage with your representatives and senators to educate them about how this bill will affect your business or livelihood. Visit droneadvocacyalliance.com to find your representatives and their contact information. Note that your representatives may have changed following the November 5th election.

Regarding the American Security Drone Act, which passed last year, this bill bans the use or procurement of UAS manufactured or assembled in China, with some exceptions for government purposes. An interim rule is now in effect, and a comment period is open until January 13th, 2025. This is an excellent opportunity to share how this rule will impact your operation if you’re a federal contractor or use federal grant money, including Public Safety operations. You can click on the link below to leave your comment.

Skydio Acquires GoPro Patents

Skydio has purchased 114 patents from GoPro. While GoPro is known for its action cameras, it briefly entered the UAS industry with the GoPro Karma in 2016. Due to numerous issues, including multiple flyaways, the Karma was largely unsuccessful, and GoPro didn’t pursue manufacturing other drones. It’s unclear how many of these patents relate to the Karma versus action cameras and other camera technology.

DJI Enterprise Prototype Leak

Images have surfaced of what appears to be a crashed DJI Enterprise drone featuring three cameras and a Laser Rangefinder. The crashed drone appears to have an integrated RTK module, SDK ports on top, and a body similar to a Mavic. Speculation suggests this could be a Mavic 4 Enterprise or similar aircraft. This is the first leak we’ve seen for new DJI Enterprise products, and with DJI rumors of a potential Mavic 4, things are starting to align. We’ll keep you updated if we hear more about this.

Join us later in the community for happy hour and on Monday for the live Q&A.