A new white paper at sUAS News by Leonard Ligon and Tim Adelman, Attorney at Law might be of interest to all here.

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/03/13397/the-law-and-operating-unmanned-aircraft-in-the-u-s-national-airspace-system/

This article addresses aviation law as applied to Unmanned Aircraft (UA) operating within the United States (US) National Airspace System (NAS). It further presents a review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) authority to regulate UA flight operations by a government user (tribal, local, State or Federal). In addition, it touches on the liability of conducting UA flight operations in the NAS.

The FAA obtains its authority to regulate the NAS through statutes enacted by Congress. Therefore, any analysis of the FAA’s authority should begin with a review of the United States Code (USC). Based on statutory authority, the FAA’s responsibility is to implement regulations which carry out Congress’s intent.
Title 49 of the USC relates to Transportation. Subtitle VII relates to “Aviation Programs” and Part A of Subtitle VII relates to “Commerce and Safety.” It is in this section wherein the FAA obtains its authority to regulate the NAS.
49 USC §40103(b) states that “The Administrator shall prescribe air traffic regulations regarding the flight of aircraft for:
(A) Navigating, protecting, and identifying aircraft;
(B) Protecting individuals and property on the ground;
(C) Using the navigable airspace efficiently; and
(D) Preventing collision between aircraft, between aircraft and land or water vehicles, and between aircraft and airborne objects.”

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/02/12471/double-o-drone-grasp-lab-plays-bond/

Quadrotors designed and built at the University of Pennsylvania perform the James Bond Theme by playing various instruments including the keyboard, drums and maracas, a cymbal, and the debut of an adapted guitar built from a couch frame. The quadrotors play this “couch guitar” by flying over guitar strings stretched across a couch frame; plucking the strings with a stiff wire attached to the base of the quadrotor. A special microphone attached to the frame records the notes made by the “couch guitar”.

These flying quadrotors are completely autonomous, meaning humans are not controlling them; rather they are controlled by a computer programed with instructions to play the instruments.

Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is home to some of the most innovative robotics research on the planet, much of it coming out of the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab.

This video premiered at the TED2012 Conference in Long Beach, California on February 29, 2012. Deputy Dean for Education and GRASP lab member Vijay Kumar presented some of this groundbreaking work at the TED2012 conference, an international gathering of people and ideas from technology, entertainment, and design.

Now with a loop at the touch of a button and USB port that allows you do grab your HD images.

The AR.Drone is beginning to be a useful platform, not long before every builder has one.

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/02/12433/pre-orders-to-open-march-1st-for-ar-drone-2/

Much better looking than the last tethered attempt, like the idea of a big coaxial pair in the centre to do the lifting. I knew a girl like that.

The HoverMast responds to the need for quick, mobile intelligence gathering. At the click of a button, the system autonomously deploys, rising to heights of up to 50 meters within 10-15 seconds. Secured by a cable, serving as a power supply and wideband data link, the highly stabilized HoverMast combines advanced flight algorithms and innovative materials to provide the highest payload-to-size ratio available today. Weighing only 10 kg, the platform is capable of hosting 9 kg payloads, such as electro-optic sensors, laser designators, radar, and sophisticated COMINT and ELINT systems. Its data link enables the transfer of critical data to selected recipients in real time.

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/02/12294/hovermast-sky-sapience%E2%80%99s-autonomous-hovering-platform-makes-its-debut/

You don't need to be a rocket scientist (I know I know several people here really are) to realise that UAS are beginning to take off (pun 1)

We are honored at sUAS News to have Brett Whalin contributing, recent UND graduate.  Brett is a commercial, multi-engine pilot with over 212 hours in manned planes, 70 hours on the ScanEagle/I-MUSE SIL, over 120 hours on the ScanEagle standalone simulator, 5 hours on the UAS DraganFlyer X6 manual controls, .2 hours on TigerShark manual controls, and .5 hours in the Predator SDS simulator.

Brett is looking after the education and training remit at sUAS News and has just added a paper which we hope will be joined by others from those of you that wish to submit any! All for the greater good you know.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ Remote Sensing Technology Used Against Bark Beetles in National Forests

If you have any papers you would like to be considered for inclusion on sUAS News then please let Brett know 

brett (at) suasnews.com

There is also some interesting news about Patrick Egan, but I am not allowed to tell you!

A very simple platform used for this an Exposure, long thread in RCG about them.

That river is blood red on the left!

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/01/11389/dallas-meat-packing-plant-investigated-after-drone-images-reveal-pollution/

This is the perfect reason to allow simple systems access to the NAS.

If you have quite a wedge of loose change down the back of the sofa this might be a fun thing to purchase!

Those long evenings hiding in a tree now in colour!

The Tau CNV color and monochrome cameras deliver near starlight-level imaging and are designed for security, military EO systems, hyperspectral imaging, and traffic monitoring applications. The CNV operates on less than 4 Watts of power, weighs less than 175 grams, and takes up approximately 150² cm of volume.

press release here

Let the battle commence, people will be getting bored of me pushing this issue. But if you ever want to turn a dime with a UAS in the USA or have sensible rules for flight you had better start making a noise.

Patrick Egan starts his article in sUAS News like this

RCAPA cites incongruities in the UAS ARC charter and what is transpiring as part of an alleged “public process”. The charter and membership roster FOIA requested by sUAS News is applicable and of concern to the small business, end-user and academic community stakeholders. This egregious oversight is yet another example of what many in the global airspace integration community view as subpar leadership and questionable administrative actions taken by the UAPO (Unmanned Aircraft Program Office.) These and other purported irregular practices have been highlighted and are not going unnoticed by elected officials. It begs the question, at what point do we as taxpayers say, enough.

A letter to the FAA which is so far unanswered is also there.

This is just the first step, the NPRM process is ever closer and louder noise will be needed then.

RCAPA is free to join find them here and perhaps consider a tweet if you do such things.

Here is a copy and paste tweet.

HEY FAA UAS in the NAS today the RCAPA way suasnews.com/2012/01/11217/… #FAA #UAS #UAV #diydrones #suasnews #AUVSI 

Join the Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/groups/317984811558233/ and add support

Finally LinkedIN http://www.linkedin.com/groups/RCAPA-4230773

Lets try and make this Friday the 13th an interesting one in Washington.

Its no wonder AV have been making lots of noise in the press about UAS in the NAS soon.

Their man has just been put in charge of the ASTM F-38 committee.

The rules might well be changing and it would seem almost certain that military standards will form the backbone. Best dust off your STANAGs

http://www.suasnews.com/2012/01/11090/ted-wierzbanowski-of-aerovironment-appointed-chair-of-astm-f38-commitee/

http://lnkd.in/Hwsd8c 

Lets hope the AMA are truly getting ready to fight your corner, they were not at the ARC 2.0 table.

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/11/10245/uas-arc-2-0/

I know most people think this is dull but unless you act your voices will be ignored. As soon as the NPRM is finally announced getting your comments in will be important, read the comments on that last link.

Helicopters, HTML & democracy: be a HACKER-JOURNALIST

Making software in the newsroom is the best job I’ve ever had.

It’s great work, and it’s for a purpose. We’re not here to “save journalism” (whatever that means) — we’re here to save democracy.

Requirements

• A passion for the news
• Serious programming skills
• An understanding of the inner workings of the web
• Attention to detail and love for making things
• A genuine and friendly disposition

On any given day you might implement a responsive web design w/ HTML5 + CSS3, explore a dataset with a reporter looking over your shoulder, or help invent new ways to report the news.

Bonus points for…

• Experience flying quad-rotor helicopters or mapping balloons
• Information / graphic design
• User experience / usability / empathy

Enter shameless link to sUAS News here 

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/12/10853/chicago-tribune-wants-a-web-developer-that-can-fly-a-multicopter/

Its interesting that they are doing cool things but not quite breaking out commercially

But the other side of the coin is lots of money is being thrown at UAS in Europe and America really is beginning to fall behind.

Maybe ETH will put out their own or an enhanced opensource AP one day

Some people will already be in it, some about to start and I guess for a few its ages.

Either way I hope you have been good and Santa brings what you were after.

Be safe everybody and have a great time with your friends and families.

If you are planning on flying commercially in the USA, ie take photos for money from your platforms. You really ought to be a member of RCAPA and follow their very simple guidelines. 

http://www.rcapa.net/guidelines.aspx

Of course right now you cannot turn a dime selling aerial photos but that might change soon.

I would suggest that all DIYD members use them and perhaps supplement with the excellent BMFA Up up and Away publication http://www.bmfa.org/publications/files/EUA.zip 

There is a Facebook page as well.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/317984811558233/

They are the only group fighting for sUAS in the NAS in America.

The others just don't care and are very busy throwing small companies under the bus!

2012 will be the year of some changes, unless you are part of the conversation and push for sensible rules you can expect some tough times.

This post will give you a flavour of what they are upto.

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/12/10564/rcapa-officially-ends-affiliation-with-astm-f-38-technical-committee/

We hope to be able to put out some information on proposed standards for airframes shortly.

All the fuss about rule changes by January is based on the NPRM process which was slated to start in January but if you follow sUAS News you will know that has been put back many many times. I abandoned the countdown timer on the top right of the home page as changing it all the time became dull.

sUAS News believes the process will now start April/May then go into 90 days of comments.

This may well change.

Now is the time to get ready. They cannot hold this process back many more times. The big boys are facing reduced sales to the military and they need to start the civil push.

Not sure if this is in the military category or not...

WASHINGTON, Dec 05, 2011 The Naval Research Laboratory Vehicle Research Section has successfully completed flight tests for the Autonomous Deployment Demonstration (ADD) program. The final demonstration took place Sept. 1 at the Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, Ariz., and consisted of a series of eight balloon-drops at altitudes of up to 57,000 ft, delivering sensor-emplacement Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA) vehicles within 15 feet of their intended landing locations.

The ADD concept is to enable small unmanned air vehicles (UAV) equipped with sensor payloads to be launched from aircraft (manned or unmanned)

Patrick Egan has recently made a freedom of information (FOIA) request to the FAA to find out who sat on the last committee that met to make rules for flight in the NAS in the USA.

It makes for interesting reading and should be of some concern if you are planning on commercial flight ops any time soon.

I am beginning to think that the genie might be out the bottle on this one and the process is so slow that many many people have just started anyway but it seems that its only big business that gets a say and the AMA as we had previously said was not at the table.

Patricks request and article is here http://www.suasnews.com/2011/11/10245/uas-arc-2-0/

Whats needed to satisfy the FAA are community based standards.

Having been sat in a country where rules have been proposed and adopted and commercial flight in the UK NAS is happening I can't help but wonder why its not so simple there.

This idea has been around for a while I have seen it done before but this is a more elegant solution than the previous one.

Just imagine not thinking about a pan and tilt set up.

The Gorgon stare on a budget.

http://jonaspfeil.de/ballcamera

Some pretty big goals as this competition evolves, rather puts the OBC in its place and considering how difficult that is one wonders how well the competitors fare in this one.

This is this years task

Homa Sazan (University Level) Missions and Goals:

1-Level 1 (2010-2011)

In this competition, participants must provide a UAV equipped with a Camera to search a 10 square kilometer area for at least 40 minutes to find 3 square meter marks on the ground with different English letters on them. Finding ground targets and reporting the geo location are criterion for choosing the contest winner.

No guts no glory though!

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/09/8080/iranian-national-uav-competition/

Technology with entertainment factor – this is the principal object of project Paraswift. During one year we develop a wall climbing robot, which doesn’t just climb down again after it reached the top! Instead, it opens a paraglider, drops off the wall and lands safely in front of the surprised audience.

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/09/8027/base-jumping-robot-paraswift/

“With more than four years of customer funding behind it, our new Shrike VTOL unmanned aircraft system is designed to address the need for a small, light-weight hovering aircraft that delivers unique surveillance and intelligence capability not provided by current solutions. Not only does Shrike VTOL hover for more than 40 minutes with a high resolution video camera, but its innovative design also allows for the transmission of several hours of live video as a remotely emplaced perch and stare sensor,” said Tom Herring, senior vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s UAS business segment. “This new solution adds an important set of new capabilities to our existing and battle-proven family of small unmanned aircraft systems that are saving lives in theater today.”

Full story

Tactical UAV design earns cadet team multiple awards

Mike Strasser, West Point Public Affairs

WEST POINT, N.Y., May 11, 2011 — Soldiers sometimes operate in remote locations where maps are either outdated, or lack adequate resolution. Mission success could weigh heavily on whether a unit relies on low-quality resources or waits indefinitely for higher-quality imagery.

A team of West Point cadets worked on this problem and developed a senior capstone design project which garnered three awards in recent weeks. Class of 2011 Cadets Mike Weigand, Anthony Rodriguez, John Rollinson and James Raub built STITCH, or “Supplying Tactical Imagery to Command Headquarters,” a low-cost, lightweight, fully autonomous unmanned aerial system.

http://www.suasnews.com/2011/05/5497/tactical-uav-design-earns-cadet-team-multiple-awards/