Conservation

TORUS: Atmospheric Scientists Using Drones To Understand Tor…

During spring and summer supercell thunderstorms roam through the central United States, bringing with them lightning, huge hailstones and dangerously high winds. Some develop tornadoes, and a collective of atmospheric scientists led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are using drones to better understand why. The TORUS research project (Targeted Observation …

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UC Santa Cruz Researchers Want to Use Drone Imagery to Weigh…

Drones are increasingly being used in the field of marine conservation. In the past, we’ve featured organizations including Ocean Alliance and Parley – both of which have used the technology to gather whale data at sea. The Ocean Alliance team recently appeared on a BBC wildlife documentary to highlight the …

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Ocean Alliance SnotBot and EarBot Drones Featured on BBC’s B…

The BBC’s Blue Planet series, usually accompanied by the smooth tones of David Attenborough, remains one of the broadcaster’s most popular exports and has been inspiring conservation and awareness of the natural world for years. So it’s fitting that this year’s series – a special week of live programs celebrating …

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Drones At Sea: The Highs & Lows of a Parley SnotBot Expediti…

If you follow how drones are being used in the world of conservation, you will have heard about Ocean Alliance by now. The Massachusetts-based marine conservation organization has pioneered a new way of collecting biological samples from whales in the form of SnotBot. These adapted drones act as flying Petri …

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Air Shepherd Sends Update From Anti-Poaching Efforts in Bots…

When you think about organizations using drones for good in Africa, the first that springs to mind is probably Zipline. The California startup has been delivering medical supplies across rural Rwanda and is setting up a similar network in Tanzania. But drone technology is also being harnessed to save the …

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Regular BVLOS Operations Begin for Xcel Energy

Last week Xcel Energy made a historic BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone flight. On Wednesday, September 12 Xcel Energy, the largest utility company in Colorado, became the first U.S. utility to begin flying drones BVLOS as a regular part of ongoing inspections for power lines and other infrastructure. …

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India Announces Rollout of First Commercial Drone Regulation…

India just announced the rollout of their first ever regulations for commercial drone operations, which will go into effect December 1st. Image source The new rules lay out categories for different types of drone operations, and are scheduled to go into effect on December first. Up to this point India …

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Drones, Thermal Images and Koala Conservation

A forestry company in Victoria, Australia, is using drones and thermal cameras to spot koalas before trees are cut down or controlled burns take place. Hazelwood Forestry, in Latrobe Valley is regularly tasked with cutting down Hancock Victoria Plantations’ eucalyptus and pine trees. One complication is that carelessly harvesting – which …

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Delair Continues Expansion in North America with Increased F…

Our first meeting with Delair occurred in July, when we learned about their work with fixed winged drones, their record-setting beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, and their strategic partnership with Intel for the development of the Intel Insight Platform. We sat down with Delair again, this time …

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