Drone News Roundup: Journey to the Arctic with the Mavic 3, Holiday Gift Guide, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
7 November 2024This week we’re covering a journey to the Arctic shot entirely on the Mavic 3.
We’re also covering our newly updated drone holiday gift guide, Voliro’s launch of the T5 inspection drone, San Francisco’s DFR (Drone as First Responder) program, and LiDAR drones helping archaeologists find two ancient cities on the Silk Road.
Now on to the links!
Journey to the Arctic with the Mavic 3
Denis Barbas has brought us several world-class drone explorations over the last few years, including a tour of the Dolomites shot on the Inspire 3 and another of Iceland shot on the Mavic 3. Lately, he seems to be obsessed with icy destinations. In this video, Barbas takes us to Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The chain of islands is known for its stunning landscapes of glaciers, mountains, and fjords, and it’s home to the northernmost settlement in the world, Longyearbyen. This drone tour of the area was shot entirely on the Mavic 3 over four different trips, which were taken aboard different boats at different times of the year, letting Barbas get a variety of footage for this serene cinematic video.
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Looking for Drone Presents? Check Out Our Updated Drone Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for a drone present to buy a loved one? Or maybe for yourself? Just in time for the holiday season, we just did a complete update to our drone holiday gift guide. Gift ideas are listed by price point, ranging from as little as $9 and going up from there. Want to buy someone drone flying lessons? We got you covered. Looking for drone ideas? Here you go. The guide also covers online drone courses, drone travel accessories, and more. Follow the link below to see everything it has to offer.
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Voliro Unveils the T5 Inspection Drone
Fresh off the heels of a successful $12 million Series A fundraising round, Voliro just announced the launch of the Voliro T5, a completely updated version of its flagship inspection drone. Voliro’s drones have omnidirectional capabilities, allowing them to stabilize in air in a variety of positions to collect inspection data. (The stabilization Voliro has achieved is impressive—check out the shot at 1:11 to see what it looks like.) Voliro was the first company to develop an ultrasonic thickness payload for a drone, and it now offers swappable payloads for five different types of inspection methods.
Here’s what’s new in the Voliro T5:
- 5G connectivity. Enables real-time data transfer and proactive maintenance through the Voliro Cloud.
- Improved flight controller. Features triple-redundant IMU for enhanced stability and early motor issue detection.
- Enhanced propulsion. Increased wind resistance and responsiveness with upgraded tail motor and propeller.
- Weight reduction. Overall design is .55 pounds (250 grams) lighter, improving flight dynamics and extending flight time.
- Reliability and durability. Redesigned PCBs and high-quality materials enhance system reliability in harsh conditions.
- Operational benefits. Supports remote flexibility for immediate decision-making based on live data.
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San Francisco PD Drone Program Helps Catch Thieves in the Act
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has been seeing a lot of success with its DFR (Drone as First Responder) program lately. In a recent presentation, police officials in the city showcased the effectiveness of the technology, demonstrating how drones are being deployed immediately upon receiving reports of potential criminal activity. The department’s drones can reach any part of the city within minutes, often arriving at scenes before ground officers. One recent example that stands out is the case of a suspect breaking into a car and stealing bicycles. Using a drone, police were able to track and ultimately apprehend the suspect in real time.
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LiDAR Drones Help Find Two Ancient Cities on Asia’s Silk Road
Credit: SAIElab/J.Berner/M.Frachetti
LiDAR-equipped drones have helped archaeologists make a ground-breaking discovery—two ancient cities on the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean. The finding challenges the notion that mountains were barriers to Silk Road trade, showing they actually hosted major centers for interaction. These medieval cities, Tashbulak and Tugunbulak, are among the largest ever documented in the mountainous regions of the Silk Road, located at elevations of 1.2 and 1.4 miles above sea level (about the same elevation as Machu Picchu). The drone’s LiDAR scans provided detailed views of plazas, fortifications, roads, and habitations, revealing the urban structure of these highland communities from the 6th to 11th centuries. The high-resolution LiDAR images, made from multiple drone flights, are some of the most detailed ever published for archaeological sites.
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