US Senator John Boozman, a Republican, has teamed up with Democratic Senators Jacky Rosen and Richard Blumenthal to sponsor a bill to increase drone usage. The legislation, known as the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, proposes the provision of $100…
Zipline, an ambitious drone delivery enterprise, has earned the 25th spot on CNBC’s prestigious Disruptor 50 list this year. With operations spanning seven countries — Rwanda, Ghana, the US, Nigeria, Japan, Kenya, and Côte D’Ivoire — the firm has made…
Welcome to the Weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: DJI loses $279 million in a lawsuit, Autel Robotics is potentially releasing a new drone called the Autel Alpha, an Arkansas country of origin ban…
Florida lawmakers have allocated $25 million to aid Police in replacing their aerial drone fleets following Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration’s Chinese drone ban, that prohibits local governments from using Chinese-made drones earlier this year. Law enforcement agencies can now apply…
A new Arkansas law, Act 525 of 2023, prohibits law enforcement agencies from purchasing small drones from “covered foreign entities,” such as DJI drones, starting in 2027. According to Act 525 of 2023, a “covered foreign entity” is defined as…
In a recent filing, drone delivery company Zipline disclosed a $330 million Series F financing round in April, which is notable in a market where few startups have managed to secure funding at such elevated valuations. Based in South San…
With apologies to Howard Beale, “We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take this anymore.” On April 5th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved a change in Florida Statute 934.50, simultaneously flushing over $200 Million in state-purchased drones down…
Drone delivery pioneer, Zipline, revealed its latest aircraft, Platform 2, on Wednesday. Platform 2 combines fixed-wing flight with hovering propellers, allowing a small “droid” to lower packages from 330 feet onto driveways, sidewalks, or other open areas. Since 2016, the…
Walmart said that with 4,700 stores spread across 90% of the US population, it can now offer “drone delivery at scale” because 90% of the US population lives near at least one of its stores. Over the holidays, Walmart’s drone…
People living in a peaceful neighborhood near 59th Avenue and Bell Road in Glendale, AZ, were in for a rude awakening when Walmart began testing its large delivery drones in the area. The residents have reported hearing something that sounded…
In August, wildfires burned in the steep mountains around Chongqing, a Chinese city with 31 million people. The fires threatened to spread to the city’s tall business towers and high-rise homes. The most advanced drone army in the world attacked…
Recently, when employees were doing a check at Boone County Regional Airport in Arkansas, a recreational drone was discovered just 15 feet off the runway. The diameter of the toy drone was around six inches, and the airport staff believed…
