Latest Drone News, Uses, Research And Innovation

Aircraft switched from helicopter mode to airplane mode and back in one continuous flight In

Redwire’s upgraded Octopus E140 MWIR is a next-generation gyrostabilized Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) aircraft payload that delivers

DroneShield, a global leader in counter-drone technology solutions, along with Defenture, an innovation-driven company specialising in

New FCC action removes certain toy drones from the Covered List and outlines the characteristics federal officials consider low risk. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has updated its Covered List to remove a narrowly defined category of foreign-produced “Toy Drones” and “Toy Drones that contain foreign-produced components.” The action follows a June 12, 2026 National The post FCC Creates New Toy Drone Exemption While Defining a Low-Risk UAS Category appeared first on DRONELIFE.

PDKINEMATICS, a Lithuanian defence engineering company, announced the close of a €2 million seed round

Shield AI, the U.S. the defense technology company building the world’s best AI pilots and

The El Dorado Hills company says it now serves more than 120 energy and utility organizations globally and has logged more than 63 million flights as operators prepare for FAA Part 108. AirData UAV has announced that it has surpassed 120 energy and utility customers worldwide, a milestone the El Dorado Hills, California company is positioning The post AirData Marks Energy and Utility Growth Milestone as BVLOS Rule Nears appeared first on DRONELIFE.

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill Faced with growing challenges posed by drones flown by malicious actors, Western European nations are working to ramp up their home-grown production of UAVs and counter-UAS technology and to shorten the supply chains needed to produce that technology. Recognizing the need to site UAS manufacturing in the regions where The post First DroneShield Products Roll Off Production Line in Europe appeared first on DRONELIFE.

If you’ve been watching the Antigravity A1 and waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger, that moment is June 23. Antigravity has announced its biggest sale of the year is happening in tandem with on Prime Day, the famous deal holiday invented by Amazon. Starting June 23, the A1 will be available for The post The Antigravity A1 Drone is up to 25% off for Prime Day —but the deal is actually sweeter if you make this move now appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Alpine Eagle, the European counter-drone defence technology company, and Origin Robotics, the Latvian developer of

Autonomous Power Corporation, doing business as “Powerus,” today announced a $30 million strategic investment from

With the rapid growth of the MatrixSpace business, John Knag joins as Vice President of Product. An

Law enforcement disrupted a complex plan to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn using explosive-laden drones and snipers, according to federal officials.

European companies combine detection, command-and-control, and interception technologies in layered air defense approach European counter-drone company Alpine Eagle and Latvian defense technology firm Origin Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate their technologies into a unified counter-drone system. The agreement will combine Origin Robotics’ BLAZE interceptor with Alpine Eagle’s Sentinel architecture. The companies The post European Defense Firms Partner on Sensor-to-Interceptor Counter-Drone Network appeared first on DRONELIFE.

As the planned attack on the White House highlights, drone threats are evolving faster than response capabilities. The reported disruption of a planned drone attack targeting a UFC event on the White House grounds is the latest event to focus attention on a long-running question in U.S. security circles: how quickly should state, local, tribal, The post From “Predictable Surprise” to Policy Priority: The Push for Faster Counter-Drone Deployment appeared first on DRONELIFE.

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.   A new report from Tokyo-based Market Research Center sizes Japan’s agriculture drone market at $104.8 million in 2025 and forecasts a 14.62% CAGR through 2034. Tokyo-based Market Research Center, Inc. has published a new report on the Japan agriculture drone market covering 2026 through The post Japan Agriculture Drone Market Projected to Reach $357.8M by 2034 appeared first on DRONELIFE.

72 teams invited to fly novel drone designs, compete for $6.5M in prizes, more invites

Many major manufacturers want to build a drone that weighs very little, fits into a small bag, and captures high-quality photos. The Skyrover X1 bundle is a new entry into this space. It aims at casual weekend flyers and photography hobbyists who want an alternative to the dominant brands. Rather than being a true rival, The post Skyrover X1 Review: looks like a DJI alternative, but it’s not appeared first on The Drone Girl.

June is a solid month for drone deals — and if you can hold out a few more weeks, Amazon Prime Day runs June 23-26, 2026, which historically delivers some of the deepest drone discounts of the year. I’ll be monitoring Prime Day deals closely and updating this page as they go live. In the The post The best drone deals of June 2026 appeared first on The Drone Girl.

As offshore energy assets move farther from shore, operators face growing challenges in inspection, maintenance, and emergency response. This week, maritime autonomous infrastructure developer WaiV Robotics announced its official entry into the U.S. market, bringing its autonomous drone launch and recovery technology to offshore operators across the country. The London-based company says its platform enables The post WaiV Robotics Brings Autonomous Drone Recovery at Sea to U.S. Offshore Operators appeared first on DRONELIFE.

New company reflects broader shift from commercial drone services to defense and counter-drone systems Japan’s Terra Drone Corporation has established a new company in Estonia, creating a European base for its growing defense business. The new subsidiary, Terra Defense Europe, will support sales, maintenance, logistics management, and local partnerships for defense-related unmanned systems across Europe. The post Terra Drone Establishes Estonia-Based Defense Subsidiary to Support European Expansion appeared first on DRONELIFE.

Study Examines Potential Role of Drones in Future Transplant Logistics All images, courtesy NASA. A new research collaboration between the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), NASA Langley Research Center, and LifeNet Health has demonstrated the successful transportation of human kidneys by drone beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), marking a significant step in exploring The post NASA, UNOS and LifeNet Complete Successful BVLOS Drone Flights Carrying Human Kidneys appeared first on DRONELIFE.

St. Louis-based aerospace manufacturer WingXpand announced this week its participation in the Verizon Community Disaster Resilience Innovation Accelerator powered by MassChallenge, and it’s a sign that WingXpand could grow its ability to support disaster response efforts. WingXpand has had its hands in a number of applications, including some military contracts. But with this accelerator program, The post WingXpand’s backpack drone aims to transform disaster response with one quirky feature appeared first on The Drone Girl.

From World Cup airspace restrictions to critical infrastructure rulemaking, several federal initiatives could shape the drone industry in the months ahead. Much of the drone industry’s attention remains focused on Chinese drone restrictions, supply chain policy, and the long-awaited Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rule. But several federal initiatives are quietly moving forward this The post 5 Federal Drone Policies Flying Under the Radar This Summer appeared first on DRONELIFE.

Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about drones for small business marketing content. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here. I own a permanent commercial/residential roofline lighting and landscape lighting design business. After installations we would hire a drone videography company, however the one we use basically charged us The post What’s the best drone for small business marketing? appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Walmart and Wing are making a major push to expand their drone delivery network, announcing seven new U.S. metro areas tthis week: Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area and Salt Lake City. The expansion brings Walmart and Wing’s total footprint to nearly 20 U.S. markets, which the companies say makes The post Walmart and Wing expand drone delivery to New Orleans, Philly, Phoenix, Bay Area and others appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Drone Industry Insights (DII) — the Hamburg-based research firm whose Drone Market Map 2026 I wrote about just last week mapping 1,413 companies across 70 countries — has officially opened the 9th edition of its Global Drone Survey. It’s the largest annual data collection effort in the drone industry, and it’s open to everyone whether The post Massive drone industry survey needs you’re opinion (yes, it helps!) appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Starting a drone cleaning business in the United States requires an FAA Part 107 certificate, a purpose-built cleaning drone (expect $50,000 for the drone system if you’re using a U.S.-made drone), commercial insurance, and a business entity like an LLC. Key takeaways: Drone cleaning business at a glance License required (U.S.) FAA Part 107 Remote The post How to start a drone cleaning business in 2026 appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Every few years, German-based drone analytics firm Drone Industry Insights publishes a visual map of the entire global drone ecosystem. The 2026 edition just dropped, and it offers some key insights into where the drone industry is headed into the years ahead. DII’s Drone Market Map 2026 lists 1,413 companies from 70 countries across hardware, The post This map of 1,413 drone companies tells a fascinating story appeared first on The Drone Girl.

SPH Engineering — the Riga-based developer behind UgCS flight planning software and a range of specialized industrial drone payloads — has launched a marketplace connecting enterprise clients with vetted operators and equipment rental partners across 38 countries. The platform launched in late May 2026 with more than 30 vetted partners covering applications most drone marketplaces The post SPH Engineering launches drone equipment marketplace, promising something you haven’t seen before appeared first on The Drone Girl.

SpaceX and the Pentagon reportedly argued over pricing for Starlink services used during the Iran war.

China's prototype orbital solar plant can now beam 143 watts of power to a drone cruising in mid-flight.

Combination Under Private Ownership Would Bring Together Two Complementary Portfolios, Creating a Scaled Platform Positioned for Growth NEW YORK, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that Apollo-managed funds (the “Apollo Funds”) have entered into separate definitive agreements to acquire Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) (“Emerald”) and Questex, LLC (“Questex”), with The post Apollo Funds to Acquire Emerald and Questex to Create Leading North American B2B Events Platform appeared first on Emerald.

The DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1 are like a DJI Mini, but for less. Good luck finding it in the U.S.

"The story of Apple and many of the world’s top companies began the same way," Zelenskyy said of Ukraine's bootstrapped war industry.

The inaugural Summit will take place May 3–5, 2027, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The post Emerald Design Group Launches Inaugural Workplace Design Summit appeared first on Emerald.

The drone has a 360-degree camera bolted to it, but once again Americans are being left out.

This breakthrough in precision timing is about the size of your fingernail and only loses one second every 30,000 years.

Maintaining the structural integrity of offshore oil platforms requires regular and detailed underwater inspections.

It's all about cost.

Powerus plans to go public through a merger with a Trump-linked golf course company.

For mobile network operators, digital twins have shifted from being an engineering aid to becoming a strategic operating layer. As networks densify, spectrum evolves, and ... Read more

FAA initially ordered the closure of airspace over El Paso for 10 days before backtracking.

A Peter Thiel-backed drone maker is also in the contracts.

Welcome to the future nobody asked for.

ED-209 to the rescue.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The space agency requested plans for a UAS detection system at its primary rocket launch site.

The end of the holiday season is a precursor to a weird, wacky, and chaotic 2026.

Merry Christmas, drone enthusiasts!

The U.S. military-backed project is now on the way to integrated system testing, the company said.

The Antigravity A1 drone offers an experience akin to being in a glass orb hovering 500 meters above the earth.

Unlike emergency vehicles, drones aren't limited by roads.

Strong Operational Execution Keeps Emerald on Track to Achieve its Full-Year Objectives The post Emerald Reports Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results appeared first on Emerald.

DJI is now getting robot vacuums, and it's making a splash with a transparent design.

Generis Group has been named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies for 2025 by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine. The post Generis Group Named One of Canada’s Top Growing Companies 2025 by The Globe and Mail appeared first on Emerald.

NEW YORK, NY – September 29, 2025 – Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) a leader in building dynamic, market-driven business-to-business (B2B) events and media platforms, today announced the appointment of Vincenzo (“Vince”) DiMaggio as Chief Accounting Officer. In his new role, Vince brings more than 25 years of accounting leadership across both public and private The post Emerald Holding, Inc. Appoints Vincenzo DiMaggio Chief Accounting Officer appeared first on Emerald.

Klimmen, Netherlands, 18 September 2025 – Women in Exhibitions (WiE) International is proud to announce that Emerald (NYSE: EEX) has joined its growing global network as an international member. As largest U.S.-based business-to-business event organizer, Emerald owns and operates a curated portfolio of B2B events – including trade shows, conferences, B2C showcases, and a scaled The post Women in Exhibitions International Welcomes Emerald as an International Member appeared first on Emerald.

NEW YORK, NY – September 10, 2025 – Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) is excited to announce the appointment of Danielle Puceta as Chief Digital Officer (CDO), effective immediately. In this newly created role, Danielle will spearhead Emerald’s digital strategy and business transformation, driving innovation and growth across the organization. As CDO, Danielle will oversee The post Emerald Holding, Inc. Appoints Danielle Puceta as Chief Digital Officer to Lead Digital Transformation and Innovation appeared first on Emerald.

You want a professional remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that fits your budget and still works when the water turns brown and silty.