Drones

Unmanned aerial systems, more commonly known as drones, are increasingly being used to inspect power infrastructure. The devices remove many of the potential hazards that accompany human inspections.

An ad campaign that began in late summer has been reupped to educate drone pilots about the dangers posed by electrical lines and power infrastructure. An influx of the devices is expected over the holidays.

Wing, a drone delivery company owned by Google parent company Alphabet, has opened a remote operations center in Coppell, Texas. The facility is part of a larger, undisclosed expansion plan in the state.

In July and August 2022, GovTech covered the public sector's growing interest in the metaverse, particularly in higher ed, plus we tracked how the government IT workforce has evolved over the last decade.

A bipartisan group of senators urged the Biden administration to reconsider its hesitancy to transfer advanced armed drones to Ukraine, describing the technology as critical for eroding Russian battlefield advantages.

Three companies were awarded a total of $260,000 from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform to advance technology in the areas of bridge construction, electric vehicles and drone-operated deliveries.

Following the addition of 11 classrooms to its Phillipsburg campus, a New Jersey community college has dedicated labs for GIS, photogrammetry, maintenance and repair, building and teaching people how to fly drones.

Sewer Equipment has donated a new search and rescue drone equipped with thermal imaging to assist the Dixon Fire Department in locating victims. The donation follows the August drowning death of the company's engineering manager.

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the unsupervised flight of drones within the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site airspace, otherwise known as the New York Drone Corridor.

Police officials have decided not to pursue approval to use lethal armaments on its robot. The department currently has a robot fitted with a percussion actuated nonelectric disrupter, which can fire lethal shotgun ammunition.

A program at Norman Public Schools gives high schoolers a chance to earn drone certifications as well as credit toward an aviation degree, including multiple semesters of college coursework in a variety of fields.

Police officials in the Bay Area city are asking to use robots fitted with military-grade percussion-activated non-electric disruptors — used to disable bombs. But the devices could also fire lethal shotgun ammunition.

Students at Chippewa Falls High School are using thermal and visual drones to study the school's facilities and carbon footprint, then using the resulting data to suggest ways for reducing energy consumption.

Advocates for esports and drone racing have appealed to the University Interscholastic League to officially sanction those activities at Texas high schools, which would help with the creation of rules and programs.

The city of Mankato purchased a public safety drone that's equipped with cameras to record photos and video. Although a public forum has been held, the public has had little comment on the drone.

After helping hundreds of people all across the West Coast get certified as commercial drone operators, an Ashland-based aerospace company is looking for new opportunities in its own backyard.

Volkswagen has modified its ID.4 model with a number of enhancements to allow TVA personnel to use the vehicle for its drone response team that helps inspect and maintain more than 16,000 miles of transmission lines.

Fire department officials say that drones are becoming an increasingly frequent impairment to fire and rescue missions. The devices pose the most risk to department helicopters, which are often forced out of the airspace upon an encounter.