Drone News Roundup: Epic Robot Shots with the Mavic 3 Pro, Van Gogh Drone Light Show, and More!

This week we’re covering a fun video showcasing the different kinds of shots you can get with the Mavic 3 Pro’s three different cameras.

We’re also covering a drone light show put on by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Wing’s new autoloader for faster drone deliveries, Skydio’s ongoing stock shortage, and the new U.S.-made IF800 Tomcat drone from Inspired Flight Technologies.

Now on to the links!

Epic Robot Shots with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Creator Stéphane Couchoud released this video featuring different shots captured by the new DJI Mavic 3 Pro shortly after its launch a few months back. The video has a futuristic but lighthearted framing, giving the impression that a robot in a secret facility picked up the drone and somehow collected a variety of aerial footage. A standout feature of the Mavic 3 Pro is that it’s the first ever tri-camera drone—it has 24mm, 70mm, and 166mm lenses—and Couchoud used all three to make this video.

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Van Gogh Museum Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Drone Light Show

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam recently put on a drone light show to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The light show recreated famous moments from Van Gogh’s paintings, using 200 drones to paint images in light on the night sky. The show was produced by Studio DRIFT, a media and art production house based in Amsterdam.

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Wing Unveils New Autoloader for Faster Drone Deliveries

Wing recently shared plans to create a decentralized network for drone deliveries. In the new model, delivery drones will stay in the field once they leave the warehouse, picking up new packages, making deliveries, and charging as needed. For this model to work, businesses will need a way to load the drones quickly that doesn’t require special training—and that’s where the Wing autoloader comes in. See how it works in the video above, and follow the link below to learn more.

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Why Is Skydio Out of Stock?

Credit: Skydio

The Skydio 2+ has been out of stock for quite a while. This is the case for all four kits Skydio offers, from the Starter Kit to the Pro Kit. So what’s going on? According to a Skydio spokesperson who spoke with Sally French of The Drone Girl, the stock shortage has been caused by high demand. But French speculates that Skydio might actually be preparing for a pivot away from selling its drones to a consumer market, and toward focusing only on enterprise, government, and military markets.

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Inspired Flight Technologies Launches NDAA Compliant Drone IF800 Tomcat

Credit: Inspired Flight Technologies

U.S.-based drone company Inspired Flight Technologies has launched a new, NDAA-compliant drone called the IF800. (The NDAA is the National Defense Authorization Act and it defines what the Department of Defense can buy.) The Tomcat has a 40 minute battery life, can carry payloads that weigh up to 6.6 pounds, and sells for $18,000 (or more, depending on add-ons). A big selling feature for the Tomcat is its NDAA compliance—this means the drone doesn’t contain parts made by non-compliant companies, such as those located in China or other foreign countries deemed to be untrustworthy.

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Remote ID Is Coming Soon

Credit: FAA

The FAA’s Remote ID requirements will go into effect on September 16. Skydio, DJI, and several other drone companies have been steadily rolling out updates for the drones to make them compliant. All drones, weather flown recreationally or commercially, will have to comply with the Remote ID requirements—the only exceptions are:

• If you fly a drone that weighs less than 250g AND you fly it only for recreation purposes.
• If you fly a drone at an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA).

If you’re on the market for a new drone, keep an eye out for whether the specific model you’re considering complies with Remote ID yet. If it doesn’t, see what the timeline is, and make sure the company you’re buying from is taking steps to ensure that its drones will be compliant by September 16.

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