A single destination for timely, editor-curated robotics news from around the world.
Hermeus said Northrop Grumman will provide integrated mission-systems design, development, integration and sustainment for its Quarterhorse drone. The companies’ work is intended to equip the aircraft with sensing, communications, navigation, and command-and-control capabilities. Northrop Program Ma...
Japanese drone manufacturer ACSL has teamed up with the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) to create a specialized training and certification program for the SOTEN drone platform. This initiative aims to equip operators with comprehensive training on the SOTEN aircraft, including its payloads, accessor...
The University of North Dakota (UND) has entered a groundbreaking partnership with the Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) to assist in evaluating counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS). This collaboration, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed at...
Engineers at the University of Cincinnati are pioneering a sound-based system to detect drone damage for NASA, focusing on identifying issues with motors and propellers before flight. By recording the sounds produced by drones with damaged components, the team aims to alert ground stations about una...
Evolver DFR, a new initiative from Drone Nerds and XTI Aerospace, has launched an integrated Drone as First Responder (DFR) program aimed at public safety agencies. This program, announced on October 22, combines aircraft, autonomous docking, flight management software, and operational support to fa...
Evolver DFR, powered by Drone Nerds, has introduced its Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, designed for police, fire, and emergency agencies. This innovative solution integrates Parrot ANAFI UKR aircraft, a DBOX autonomous docking station, and SkyfireAI software, providing essential tools for e...
The U.S. Army has officially established the Merops interceptor drone as a formal program in just 142 days, marking a significant acquisition milestone aimed at enhancing the military's response to emerging threats. The Merops has gained recognition for its effectiveness in countering Iranian Shahed...
The Defense Department has chosen four vendors for its directed energy pilot program, aimed at enhancing high-energy laser and high-powered microwave capabilities domestically. This initiative, mandated by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, will be managed by the Army-led Joint Inte...
Tianjin University has been officially approved for China's first doctoral program in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), marking a significant milestone in the development of this interdisciplinary field. This approval signifies a new phase in the construction of BCI disciplines and talent cultivation...
The USAF's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program has significantly influenced discussions about the future of the Air Force since its announcement. The USAF aims to procure 500 CCAs by 2032, while also seeking a successor to the MQ-9 Reaper, planning to acquire hundreds of these drones in the...
Organizations are finding that the true challenge of drone programs arises after initial success. As demand for drone data increases, the reliance on a few trained experts can hinder scalability. This issue is prevalent in various sectors, including public safety and construction, where the need for...
Robinson Unmanned has progressed to the next stage of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Program, marking a significant shift in defense procurement practices. The program now assesses not only drone performance but also the ability of manufacturers to produce reliable and cost-effecti...
Cleveland Clinic has launched a pioneering drone delivery program for prescription medications, marking the first long-term initiative of its kind in the U.S. health system. This program, in collaboration with Zipline, currently serves eligible patients in the east side suburbs of Cleveland, enhanci...
DoorDash has announced that it has received Part 135 air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, enabling the launch of DoorDash Air, its proprietary drone delivery program. This certification allows the company to operate as an air carrier, expanding its delivery capabilitie...
Ukraine's defense technology cluster Brave1, in collaboration with NATO, has launched a new innovation program aimed at funding defense companies. This initiative, which opened on Tuesday, focuses on developing counter-drone systems specifically targeting FPV and Shahed-type drones. The program allo...
The Indigenous-led drone program in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory has gained recognition for its effectiveness in public safety. Initially met with skepticism regarding costs and privacy, the program has proven invaluable by locating missing persons and assisting first responders in emergencies. Th...
In April 2023, Tsinghua University's assistant professor Xu Huazhe co-founded a home robotics company called 'Kuaike Robotics,' which recently secured significant angel funding. On July 21, Liu Shuo, former head of drone commercialization at Meituan, joined Kuaike Robotics to lead its commercial ope...
The Royal Air Force has announced plans to develop two new drones: Storm Chrome, an electronic warfare drone, and Storm Fire, a long-range, one-way attack drone. This initiative was revealed by Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth, highlighting the RAF's commitment to advancing its drone capabilities. The...
Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs are revolutionizing how law enforcement agencies collect information and respond to emergencies. Former police chief Mike Moulton emphasizes that DFR represents a significant advancement in police situational awareness, akin to the introduction of the police r...
Researchers at Jeonbuk National University developed a wearable interface that combines hand gestures for sending drone commands with abdominal vibrations that indicate the aircraft’s position relative to the user. The approach is intended to support drone operation without continuous visual feedbac...
China's Air Force Medical University has unveiled a military drone capable of locating casualties and delivering emergency medication remotely. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) employs a dart-like projectile to inject medicine directly into the muscles of injured soldiers, potentially stabilizing...
Purdue University’s Windracers ULTRA became the first autonomous aircraft to complete a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight in the Indiana Drone Corridor, covering over 50 miles during its inaugural event at Terre Haute Regional Airport. This milestone is significant as it showcases the poten...
The US Army is progressing with its Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program, aimed at developing high-energy laser weapons to combat drone threats on the battlefield. This initiative focuses on creating modular systems that can be easily transferred between various military vehicles, enhancing ai...
Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have created an AI system that allows a racing drone to navigate complex courses at high speeds using just one camera. This innovative technology has enabled the drone to outperform former world champion human pilots in a competitive r...
The US Department of War has chosen four directed-energy systems, including high-energy lasers and high-powered microwaves, for a counter-drone pilot program. This initiative aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing homeland defense capabilities against uncrewed aircraft...
The US Defense Department has chosen four companies to participate in a pilot program testing directed-energy weapons for homeland defense. This initiative will evaluate high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems in operational settings to counter emerging drone threats. The program aims t...
Swarm Defense Technologies has secured a contract from the US Department of War for 4,000 Kiwi one-way attack drones, valued at a minimum of $25 million. This order is part of the Drone Dominance Program, which evaluates small uncrewed aircraft through military testing before prototype orders are pl...
The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) successfully conducted a test flight carrying chilled human blood samples over a distance of 1,000 kilometers for the International Testing Agency (ITA). This 8-hour, 47-minute round trip from Nenana aimed to assess the viability o...
Researchers at Delft University of Technology have created a lightweight tactile sensor inspired by animal whiskers, enabling tiny autonomous drones to navigate in low-visibility environments. This innovation allows drones to explore areas filled with darkness, dust, or smoke without relying on heav...
Researchers at Durham University have created an innovative drone navigation system that allows autonomous aircraft to navigate through cluttered environments more efficiently. This advancement enhances the speed, smoothness, and safety of drone operations in areas filled with obstacles. The signif...
ORSO has launched a new feature called 'PC Connection Mode' for its programming drone, DRONE STAR PARTY, allowing users to develop control programs through interaction with generative AI. This feature is now available for free distribution, along with a collection of sample applications showcasing i...
The U.S. Navy has updated its requirements for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, indicating a shift towards advanced uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAVs). This change suggests the Navy is seeking capabilities similar to those explored in the X-47B and UCLASS programs, which were previ...
The Pennsylvania National Guard's UAS Training and Innovation Facility at Fort Indiantown Gap has been chosen as the primary training site for the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program. This selection follows the recent Drone Gauntlet competition, where the top 11 drone systems were identified for mili...
The University of Florida has initiated a program to teach students how to use robotics in construction, addressing the state's significant housing shortage of over 121,000 units. On August 5, the university opened a new Autodesk Design and Manufacturing Lab, funded by a $1 million donation from Aut...
A team from Tsinghua University and Beihang University has developed a programmable artificial musculoskeletal actuator inspired by biological systems. This innovation allows for dynamic adjustments in morphology and stiffness, enabling robots to switch between different forms and functions. Two pro...
Cleveland Clinic has initiated the first long-term medical drone delivery program by a US health system, partnering with Zipline to deliver prescription medications. Initially, the service will cater to patients within a five-mile radius of the Beachwood Administrative Campus, allowing eligible pati...
DoorDash has received FAA Part 135 air carrier certification, enabling the launch of DoorDash Air, its in-house drone delivery program. This milestone marks DoorDash as the eighth drone operator in the U.S. authorized for commercial drone delivery services, indicating a significant shift in logistic...
The US Air Force (USAF) is advancing its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, aiming to select up to six companies from a pool of nine competing for the next generation of AI-enabled combat drones. These drones, designed to operate alongside crewed fighter aircraft, will enhance capabilities...
DoorDash has received an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate and launched DoorDash Air, its proprietary drone delivery initiative. This certification positions DoorDash as the eighth drone operator in the U.S. to achieve Part 135 approval, enabling the company to conduct commercial drone deliveries...
BAE Systems has introduced the Brontanax, a new collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drone designed for the U.K. Royal Air Force. This unveiling coincides with the launch of the Storm Fighter program, aimed at establishing Europe’s first sixth-generation air force. The Brontanax prototype was showcas...
Northwestern University has unveiled the 'Phantom Twist,' a drone designed to achieve low visibility by spinning at speeds of up to 25 times per second. This innovative approach creates a motion blur that allows the drone to blend into its surroundings, rather than achieving complete invisibility. M...
At the RSS 2026 conference in Sydney, Northwestern University showcased the Phantom Twist drone, which is significantly harder to see in flight compared to traditional quadrotors. This drone achieves its stealthy appearance by spinning rapidly at 15 to 25 Hz, leveraging the limitations of human visi...
Tesseract Ventures, a Kansas City-based robotics and drone company, has been chosen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to participate in a prototype program aimed at enhancing the U.S. military's use of autonomous drones. This initiative, known as the Containerized Autonomous Drone Delivery System...
Boeing announced that the U.S. Navy's MQ-25A Stingray has successfully completed its second test flight, marking significant progress in the development of the Navy's unmanned refueling aircraft. This flight confirmed the drone's flight controls and performance, moving closer to its intended carrier...
The Commercial UAV Expo has introduced a new two-day program management training course as part of its Public Safety Summit. This initiative focuses on various applications of drones in public safety, including their use as first responders, in fire services, crash-scene management, and shared-airsp...
The US Army selected Kraus Hamdani Aerospace’s (KHA) K1000ULE unmanned aircraft system for a major Program of Record. The California-based company will supply Group 2, fully electric aircraft for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions. The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) d...
Echodyne has received a contract valued at up to $250 million to assist in counter-drone operations as part of the Joint Interagency Task Force 401's Domestic Shield programme. This contract is significant as it underscores the growing need for advanced counter-drone technologies in national securi...
From August 25 to 27, 2026, UK RAS STEPS organized a Micromaze Robot Hackathon at the University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy. Participants worked in teams to design, build, and program autonomous robots that could navigate complex mazes using a custom Raspberry Pi Pico W platform. The even...
Adelaide University's Computer Science Education Research (CSER) Group has initiated a new program aimed at enhancing teachers' understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This initiative is designed to equip educators with the necessary skills to effectively integrate AI into their teaching prac...
Teledyne FLIR OEM has been chosen to support the U.S. Army's Delivering Unmatched Thermal Capability Hastened (DUTCH) initiative, which aims to enhance uncooled thermal imaging technology. This program, led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and the U.S. Army C...
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