Drone News Roundup: DJI Launches the Avata 2, Drone Follows Cliff Diver from Air into Water, and More!

This week we’re covering the much-awaited launch of the DJI Avata 2.

We’re also covering a video in which a drone follows a cliff diver through the air and into the water, the NYPD’s use of drones to inspect infrastructure after the recent earthquake that hit New York City, 150 people arrested in a prison smuggling scheme that relied heavily on drones, and Ohio’s launch of the first ever state-wide UTM for drone operations.

Now on to the links!

DJI Launches the Avata 2 and Goggles 3

After several leaks revealed most of its specs DJI has finally released the Avata 2, the sequel to its popular cinewhoop drone. Along with the Avata 2, DJI has launched the Goggles 3, the newest version of its FPV goggles. The two come in a Fly More Combo that sells for just $999—a big drop in price from the $1,388 the original cost. (The drone itself sells for $489, also cheaper than the $629 the first Avata costs.) Standout upgrades on the Avata 2 include:

• Larger camera sensor. The Avata 2 has a 1/1.3″ sensor compared to the 1.17″ sensor on the original.
• Longer battery life. The Avata 2 has 23 minutes of battery life, which is four more than its predecessor.
• Longer range. The Avata 2 has 1.86 miles (3 km) more range than the Avata did.
• Greater range of gimbal tilt. The Avata 2 has five more degrees of gimbal tilt than the original.
• Lighter, more stable airframe. The Avata 2 weighs 28 grams less than the Avata, and has an improved airframe that provides greater stability in flight.

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Drone Follows Cliff Diver from Air into Water

In this short clip from Red Bull we see a drone follow a cliff diver through the air, diving briefly into the water as she goes beneath the surface. We’ve seen shots of other drones that can both fly and go underwater, but this one caught our eye for its practical use. Here, the drone’s ability to go underwater lets the pilot follow the dive all the way through instead of having to worry about pulling up early to avoid getting the drone wet. Red Bull has been pushing the limits of how drones can be used to shoot extreme sports for a while now, and from what we can tell these shots were practice runs. We can’t wait to see the extreme sports shots Red Bull puts out next using this up-close approach.

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NYPD Uses Drones to Inspect Infrastructure after 4.8 Earthquake

Last week an earthquake hit New York City, measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale—not enough to cause buildings to collapse, but enough to make people worry about long-term damage to bridges and other structures. The NYPD is using the Skydio X10 and other drones to assess the impact the earthquake may have had on city infrastructure. According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, “We are scanning the bridges up and down, looking for any type of anomalies, looking for any structural defects, looking for anything that’s out of the ordinary.” Personnel from both NYPD and the NYC’s Department of Buildings are looking closely at drone footage to identify any issues, and using AI-powered software to identify potential problems as well.

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150 Arrested in Drone Smuggling Prison Scheme

Authorities in Georgia recently arrested 150 people who were operating what’s believed to be the largest smuggling operation ever in the state’s prison system. The smuggling scheme relied on drones to carry contraband like drugs, tobacco, cellphones, and weapons into prisons. Eight prison employees were included in the operation, as well as the owner of a local drone repair shop called Thunder Drones. Called Operation Skyhawk, the investigation that led to the mass arrests took place over 16 months, revealing a large, sophisticated, and drone-supported smuggling ring. Over 1,000 criminal charges have been filed related to the arrests.

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Ohio Launches First State-Wide UTM for Drone Operations

Credit: CAL Analytics

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has launched the first ever state-wide low-altitude air traffic management system, or UTM, for drone ops. UTM stands for Uncrewed Traffic Management, a phrase that refers to managing the airspace when multiple drone and crewed operations are happening at once. Much has been made of UTM over the last decade. NASA led a UTM project from 2015-2019, which included several tests of complicated flight scenarios over four phases of technical capability. The FAA has continued the effort, conducting ongoing tests at seven designated test sites to work toward a UTM framework that could be adopted nation-wide.

And states like North Dakota and New York, where two of these test sites are located, have invested heavily in building out drone infrastructure to support UTMs. North Dakota has a state-wide network for drone flights called Vantis made to support BVLOS flights, and New York has established a 50-mile drone corridor between Rome and Syracuse to test and deploy UTM technologies. Ohio’s state-wide UTM launch is a first to be celebrated, and hopefully a sign that more of these systems will be coming soon to other states throughout the country.

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