Drone News Roundup: 2025 Scholarship Winners, DJI Could Be Banned in 6 Months, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
26 June 2025This week we’re covering the two winners of our annual Drone Technology College Scholarship, each of whom will receive $1,000 for their studies.
We’re also covering DJI’s recent statement about the potential the company will be banned in six months, a leaked release date for the Mini 5 Pro, a fun FPV drone tour of Puerto Rico, and inspection drone company Voliro raising $23 million in funding.
Now let’s get to those links!
Meet the Two Winners of Our Annual Drone Technology College Scholarship
We’re excited to announce that the two winners of our annual Drone Technology College Scholarship are James Meggitt and Paul Roberts. Each recipient will receive $1,000 for their college studies.
Meet the two scholarship winners:
- James Meggitt, Iowa State University. James is an electrical engineering student with a passion for avionics and DIY drone projects. His winning scholarship essay explored drones’ impact on everything from search and rescue to STEM education, and he’s already developing affordable quadcopter kits for classrooms. James plans to use the scholarship to focus more on research and hands-on drone innovation during his college years.
- Paul Roberts, Penn State University. Paul studies civil engineering with a focus on climate resilience and sustainability. In his scholarship essay, he highlighted how drones can address environmental challenges—like urban heat mapping and reforestation—and discussed their potential for both positive impact and misuse. Paul is using the scholarship to invest in his education and further his skills in drone mapping and green infrastructure.
Both of them plan to use their scholarship to further their education and drone industry ambitions. Follow the link below to learn more about our scholarship, and make sure to share it with any college students or high school seniors that you know.
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DJI Faces Automatic U.S. Ban as NDAA Audit Deadline Nears
Credit: DJI
Thought the DJI ban fears were over? Not by a long shot. Last year, there was a lot of concern that the NDAA would ban both DJI and Autel. In the end, the problem was just kicked down the road, with the NDAA mandating that DJI undergo a formal audit by the close of 2025 or face an automatic ban. Bottom line, if there’s no audit by December 23, DJI gets banned.
So far, no audit has been done, and none is scheduled. DJI recently issued a statement highlighting the urgency of the looming deadline: only six months remain before U.S. security agencies must complete a formal audit of DJI drones, or risk an automatic ban. If you’re concerned about this “passive” ban going into effect at the end of the year, we recommend reaching out to your representatives to share your opinion. Follow the link below to read DJI’s statement and go here for guidance on how to let your voice be heard.
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DJI Mini 5 Pro Launch Date + New Leaked Photos
#djimini5pro #dji #mini5pro pic.twitter.com/4RCeZC82ad
— Mauro Tandoi (@MauroTandoi) June 20, 2025
According to multiple credible sources, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is now expected to launch on August 7, 2025—a full month earlier than previously anticipated. Leaked images, reportedly snapped by a mountain biker in China, reveal a sleek, folding drone that looks close to production-ready. The photos confirm the absence of a propeller cage and hint at new features like vented motor housings and a front-facing LiDAR sensor—marking the first time advanced obstacle detection will be available in DJI’s Mini series. The Mini 5 Pro is also rumored to pack a larger battery and a 1″ camera sensor, promising significant upgrades for aerial photographers and content creators. So far, leaks have been sparse for the Mini 5 Pro. But if the release date is correct, we should start seeing more and more leaked photos and videos over the next month.
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Puerto Rico by FPV Drone
Over the last year, YouTuber Joshua Turner has become one of our go-to sources for great drone videos shot in farflung locations. In this new video he highlights a trip to Puerto Rico with fun, fast FPV footage of the island’s lush landscapes, beaches, and vibrant local scenes. The video was shot on an iFlight Nazgul V2 and a GEPRC Cinebot30, capturing cinematic shots with a GoPro Hero 11 mini and Hero 10 Bones. Turner shot the footage while working on a commercial project for InvestPuertoRico alongside Piro and Latitude18 Films.
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Voliro Announces $23 Million Raised in Extended Series A
Voliro’s 5T Inspection Drone
Voliro has secured $23 million in a Series A extension to accelerate the development of its innovative inspection drones. The funding, led by noa and supported by Cherry Ventures and UBS, will fuel advancements in Voliro’s flagship Voliro T platform. Voliro’s inspection drone stands out for its unique tiltable-rotor design, which allows it to make direct contact with vertical and overhead surfaces during flight. This capability enables precise, non-destructive inspections of hard-to-reach industrial assets like wind turbines, flare stacks, and storage tanks. Voliro’s drone is the only one in the world capable of performing advanced aerial NDT inspections using PEC, EMAT, and LPS.
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