Kespry, a drone-based aerial intelligence solution provider, says Midsouth Aggregates is now using the Kespry platform for inventory management and mine planning. With granite and limestone reserves located throughout Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, Midsouth Aggregates produces a variety of aggregate products, as well as concrete and asphalt sand, general construction sand and gravel. “Kespry’s drones and software really sped up inventory management,” says Jerry Adkins, senior production manager, Midsouth Aggregates. “Kespry gave us a consistent measuring tool, whereas in the past we’d ..read more

Element 84, a Virginia-based software engineering firm specializing in remote sensing data processing, says it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Public Safety & Disaster Response Competency status. This designation recognizes that Element 84 helps customers adopt rapid mapping, satellite and drone processing technology at the edge to help first responders leverage the power of AWS to protect the public, and prepare, respond and recover from natural or man-made emergencies and disasters. Achieving the AWS Public Safety & Disaster Response Competency differentiates Element 84 ..read more

UAS flight operator SkySkopes has spun off a new company for UAS-related oil-field operations called SkySkopes Oil & Gas LLC. With a significant amount of UAS flight experience in the Bakken and Permian basins, SkySkopes launches this new division as a single point of contact for all UAS-based oil company needs under one umbrella. UAS are successfully utilized for a seemingly unlimited number of use cases, and particularly in the energy sector as drones are proven to increase safety factors. SkySkopes is now turning its beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) experience in the direction ..read more

SkyGrid, a Boeing, SparkCognition company, has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a supplier of Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) services. Now a UAS Service Supplier (USS) of LAANC, the Austin-based company will accelerate its commitment to ensuring safe and secure integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the global airspace. LAANC is a collaboration between FAA and industry partners to help automate the application and approval process for airspace authorizations. The FAA service provides drone pilots with access to con ..read more

SimActive Inc., a developer of photogrammetry software, says a new LiDAR workflow is now integrated in its Correlator3D product. The capability allows users to import a point cloud in the software and to perform registration with an image dataset. Using LiDAR as control eliminates the need for traditional ground control points (GCPs) when processing photos. The registration occurs during aerial triangulation, leading to a precise alignment of imagery with the LiDAR data. Following this, Correlator3D can output colorized point clouds, as well as seamless orthomosaics. “Removing the nee ..read more

Acecore Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of professional-grade unmanned aircraft vehicles, has partnered with Robotic Skies Inc., a global maintenance network for commercial unmanned aircraft systems, to provide customers with full-service maintenance and field repair support for Acecore’s Neo and Zoe platforms. The certified repair stations that comprise the Robotic Skies network employ the quality, standards and practices of manned aviation maintenance in the unmanned aviation market. Robotic Skies services include routine and field maintenance, inspections, upgrades, and aircraf ..read more

Commercial UAV manufacturer Draganfly Inc. has updated its product line to include the Tango2+ fixed-wing drone. The Tango2+ features an innovative design that allows for lower airspeeds, which translates to lower altitudes and higher-resolution data capture. This high endurance, multi-battery, small RPAS is capable of carrying a wide array of payloads and is ideal for tactical operations, search and rescue, agriculture, industrial inspection, and surveying and mapping, including aerial 3D modeling. Draganfly says the continued development of the Tango2+ will incorporate a number of impr ..read more

Sony Electronics Inc. has released a version 2.0 software update for its Smart Agriculture Solution, aimed at providing agricultural customers with new AI-based imaging capabilities. These new features, based on industry feedback, provide expanded functionality and are planned for rollout in March 2020. Additionally, Sony Electronics, which currently offers its Smart Agriculture Solution in the U.S., expects to begin offering the solution in Australia starting next month to meet the diverse and demanding agricultural needs of the continent. With the launch of Sony’s version 2.0 softw ..read more

Drone services company Helios Visions has released its complimentary “Guide to Flying Drones in Chicago,” which was created to inform drone professionals on the best practices for safely and legally operating drones in Chicagoland. To create the guide, Helios Visions retained the services of Dr. Ryan Gibson, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with an extensive federal government career. “It’s a rewarding experience operating a drone, and the guide organizes key regulations for those considering flight operations in Chicagoland,” Gibson says. The gui ..read more

Ouster Inc., a provider of high-resolution LiDAR sensors, is introducing the OS1-32, a rugged, compact, 32-channel sensor. With a range of 120 meters, the OS1-32 maintains the smallest form factor and lowest weight of any commercially available high-resolution LiDAR sensor on the market, the company says. “Higher resolution sensors at an affordable price are critical for moving computer vision from simple obstacle avoidance to more advanced perception, and for moving projects from R&D to commercial viability,” says Ouster CEO and co-founder Angus Pacala. “The OS1-32 gives customers ..read more