UAV Industry News

The Draganflyer X6 UAV Helicopter was recently featured on defensetech.org, a website that writes about current military technologies and applications. One of the defensetech.org reporters was in Farnborough England and found our reseller, Air2Air Ltd. was demonstrating the Draganflyer X6. The following video was taken on the site of the demonstration:

The defensetech.org news article notes that the Draganflyer X6 can by flown by practically anyone with only a few hours of flight training. Although the Draganflyer UAV helicopters are highly maneuverable, they have a sophisticated flight computer and 11 onboard sensors that allow pilots to focus on getting outstanding aerial pictures and video.

You can learn more about the Draganflyer UAV helicopters on our website. You can also read the defensetech.org news article.

The Draganflyer X4, Draganflyer X6 and Draganflyer X8 UAV RC helicopters will be featured at the 2010 AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) conference. We will be demonstrating all of our UAV RC helicopters live in the conference hall and will also have an information booth with staff available to answer questions. A prototype for the upcoming Draganflyer X8 UAV helicopter will be flown as well. We will be located in booth #2025 and will be demonstrating for the duration of the conference which runs from August 24 to 27 2010.

The AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) was formed in 1972 when the use of unmanned target drones in the Vietnam War prompted the creation of the National Association of Remotely Piloted Vehicles (NARPV). NARPV eventually grew as the industry expanded, leading to the creation of the modern AUVSI organization. The AUVSI is dedicated to promoting the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) through education, communication, and leadership. This year’s AUVSI conference is expecting record attendance in excess of 5000 visitors from over 30 different countries. There will also be more than 100 international speakers giving presentations on the UAV industry and latest developments. This years tradeshow will feature live demonstrations from a wide variety of exhibits. Draganfly Innovations Inc. was the first company to demonstrate live at the AUVSI at the 2009 conference, blazing the trail for other live demonstrations in the following years.

Draganfly Innovations Inc. staff will be flying all of our UAV helicopters indoors, and we will demonstrate our UAV helicopters features including aerial photography, aerial videography, and the computer controlled base station with wireless telemetry and an HUD display. Because we will be flying indoors we will not be able to demonstrate the GPS hold feature. The following AUVSI promotional video shows some of the technology that will be present at this years conference.

You can learn more about the Draganflyer UAV helicopters on our website. You can also visit the AUVSI website for scheduling, hotel, transport, and entrance fee information.

northStudio.com has recently launched an innovative new aerial tour web product, that uses the Draganflyer X6 RC helicopter UAV for high resolution aerial photography. northStudio is a web design agency that uses state of the art technology to deliver professional grade web design services to organizations such as:

• The University of Delaware
• The University of British Columbia (UBC)
• The Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Center (VIATEC)
• The British Columbia Integrated Land Management Bureau
• The Kinsmen Home Lottery

northStudio’s latest product is a Java application that delivers high quality aerial virtual panoramic tours. The new technology allows web visitors to “fly through” properties, and click on ground features for an eye level view. A clean and simple user interface provides a beautiful and crisp image of the entire site, with click-able ground markers showing locations where high resolution ground views are available (just pan up to see the Draganflyer X6 UAV hovering overhead). These interactive tours give visitors much more information than simple still pictures and descriptions do, allowing companies, resorts, golf courses, and real-estate agents to advertise their properties more effectively.

The interactive, online Java application can be used in full-screen mode, giving you a seamless view of the entire surveyed property.  Smooth transitions between views add to the elegance of the user interface and allow you to “fly” over the featured site. The web applications works in multiple browsers on both Windows and Mac OS, so you can demonstrate your location to all your site visitors. Pictures are taken in high resolution allowing you to zoom in by a huge amount, even from the sky.

Project features include:

• Up close aerial views from the Draganflyer X6 UAV RC helicopter
• Aerial Mapping
• Multi browser compatibility – works with common web browsers
• Support for both Mac and Windows
• Transitions between views that simulate a moving camera
• Full screen view
• Intuitive navigation interface – click and drag to move around.
• Hotspots – you can label important ground positions and click to zoom in to an eye level view.
• Zoom capability
• Thumbnail  navigation – click on the thumbnails at the bottom of the application to visit all featured Hotspots.

While viewing the aerial tour, you can right click on the northStudio icon in the upper right corner of the application to see viewing options. Be sure to check out the Fisheye, Stereographic, Architectural, and Planet views.  Click the monitor icon in the lower right hand corner to go to full screen mode.

northStudio was using full size, expensive helicopters and camera equipment prior to the Draganflyer X6, but were unable to get close enough to the ground for the high resolution images their latest tours feature. The Draganflyer X6 is the perfect solution, allowing northStudio photographers the opportunity to get clear aerial pictures at an altitude suited to the project at hand. With the Draganflyer X6 and the Panasonic Lumix 10.1 mega pixel digital still camera, northStudio’s latest product is a functional and very attractive addition to any website that needs to show visitors their properties or facilities.

Take your website to the next level using the Draganflyer X6 UAV helicopter for aerial photography and northStudio’s 360 degree aerial tours to present the results. You can learn more about the Draganflyer X6 UAV RC helicopter on our website, and you can also check out northStudio’s Virtual Tours for more information about their services.

The Draganflyer UAV RC helicopters will be featured at the 2010 International Conference for Police and Law Enforcement Executives. The event, which runs from May 2 to 4, will consist of both a trade show and a conference where an international panel will discuss this year’s topic: “Strategic Policing: The Future in the Present”. The conference will focus on the growing importance of utilizing a strategic approach in leading your organization and in managing your career. The speakers will also highlight recent case studies.

The Draganflyer X6 UAV RC helicopter is already used by several police organizations, including the:

• Ontario Provincial Police Department (OPP)
• Mesa County Sheriffs Office
• Saskatoon City Police

By attending the 2010 International Conference for Police and Law Enforcement Executives, Draganfly Innovations will demonstrate our latest products and innovations to police organizations around the world.

The 2010 International Conference for Police and Law Enforcement Executives runs from May 2 to May 4 at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill Ontario.

The Draganflyer X6 UAV RC helicopter was recently featured at the Blue Line Police Tradeshow as part of the Ontario Provincial Police Department’s (OPP) display. The Blue Line Tradeshow runs annually and provides a forum for companies to demonstrate their products and innovations to the various Canadian Police Services including:

• Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Police Agencies
• Parks Canada
• Customs Canada
• The Ministry of the Environment
• Correctional Services

Other security services for hospitals, transit systems, universities, and even private business also attend the Blue Line Tradeshow to keep up with the latest law enforcement technology developments.

This year’s tradeshow included demonstrations of ambidextrous assault rifles, new generation gas masks, and even color-coded handcuffs. CTV Toronto reports: “It (The Blue Line Tradeshow) comes as the city prepares for the G20 convention and the arrival of some of the world’s top leaders – giving officers a glimpse of how the latest technology can combat everything from rowdy crowds and bomb threats to outward acts of terrorism.”

Security is about more than just weapons though, as forensic officer with the Ontario Provincial Police Department (OPP) Richard Cunningham explains: “It’s about all the tools that are available to keep the public – and the officers – safe.” Officer Cunningham is one of the Ontario Police Departments two pilots authorized to fly the Draganflyer X6 helicopter UAV. The Ontario police use the Draganflyer X6 UAV helicopter as a stable, secure UAV aerial platform to take pictures and video of crime scenes.

Officer Cunningham goes on to say that the Draganflyer X6 UAV may see other future applications, including those which directly endanger police officers (such as a bomb threat).

You can learn more about the Draganflyer X6 and X4 UAV RC helicopters on our website, or read the CTV Toronto article.

Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada December 23 2009 – Draganfly Innovations operating under the approval of Transport Canada was called to the scene of a traffic accident in order to assist Saskatoon Police in gathering evidence for their investigation.

The weather was extremely cold with winds blowing at 20kmh/12.4mph creating a wind chill of -37°C / -34.6°F . The Draganflyer X6 and held hand transmitter unit performed extremely well in these harsh conditions. The only limitations that were encounter were that of the operators’ hands becoming too cold to fly. In order to remedy this, the operators switched off. While one operator was flying the Draganflyer X6 the other operated sat in a warm vehicle to warm their hands.

The Draganflyer X6 UAV RC Helicopter was used to take aerial photos of the scene of this urban traffic accident. The aerial of photos of this accident will be used by the Saskatoon Police to provide clear evidence for use in their investigation of this traffic accident.

Draganfly Innovations operating under approval of Transport Canada is able to provide assistance to police agencies with Draganflyer UAV helicopters day or night with in a 250 km radius of the city of Saskatoon in rural or urban environments. This 250 km range covers 10 of the 15 cities in Saskatchewan.

The Ontario Provincial Police (Kenora and Thunder Bay) operating under transport Canada approval is able to operate Draganflyer UAV helicopters in the province of Ontario. The Draganflyer X6 represents the first federally approved, commercially produced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by an emergency service in North America.

August 12 and 13, 2009 – Draganfly Innovations Inc. has completed the first-ever indoor, live flight demonstrations hosted at the AUVSI (Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) conference in Washington, DC. With a 20×20-foot exhibit (booth #856), both the recently launched Draganflyer X4 UAV and the larger Draganflyer X6 UAV were flown in a 10-foot octagonal cage so that visitors could see each UAVs flight performance and features.

The AUVSI was founded in 1972 when the use of unmanned target drones sparked the interest of a group of U.S. Air Force officers. By the end of the Vietnam War, technology had become advanced enough to allow for the design of the first primitive UAVs for aerial photography. Because of the economical and tactical usefulness of this technology, UAVs have continued to evolve. New developments in UAV technology are featured annually at the AUVSI conference, helping to promote UAV awareness and education.

Unlike conventional UAVs, both the Draganflyer X4 and X6 can be flown indoors and outdoors. Featuring a low weight and nearly silent electric power, our helicopters can be transported and used almost anywhere.

The Draganflyer X6 is currently our largest and most sophisticated UAV helicopter. Featuring a six-rotor design and a GPS autopilot, the X6 is the best helicopter for large projects and government organizations requiring aerial photography. A choice of five different cameras allows the X6 to be customized for a particular project and the quick change camera mount allows for cameras to be swapped at the field. A wireless video transmitter is included with each of the available cameras allowing you to see, in real-time, what the camera is seeing.

The Draganflyer X4 is a smaller UAV helicopter designed for projects with tight budgets or users who do not require all the features that the X6 has to offer. Although it lacks a GPS enabled autopilot, the Draganflyer X4 features barometric altitude hold and uses the same SteadyFlight technology as the X6. Able to carry five different cameras, including a thermal infra-red and a low-light sensitive model, the X4 is the perfect UAV for smaller projects and organizations who need aerial photography and videography.

Check out this  video, which shows the Draganflyer X4 UAV flying at the AUVSI conference: