Drones, Cameras, Computers Fighting California Wildfires

The plane —  at 10,000 feet, out of signal range — sends the information to a smaller aircraft below, which relays it to a UC San Diego research team running a lab known as WIFIRE. The lab’s supercomputer produces mapping and heat-detection data within minutes, and it generates a model of how the fire might spread based on a number of factors — Eventually, such information will go to a wildfire warning center created under a new state law.

The planes are part of a pilot program. In the state’s new landscape of more frequent and more ferocious fires, it takes a village to combat the menace: private technology, state and local fire agencies and computing know-how at California’s universities.

California has already signed the program’s first two contracts. One project will use advanced computing to predict a fire’s path; the other will fund a network of “sky sensors” to detect fires as soon as they ignite and send alerts to emergency officials.

In addition to the plane pilot program, UC San Diego operates the ALERT Wildfire system with the University of Nevada and the University of Oregon, a network of almost 300 high-definition cameras trained on high-fire-threat areas. The remotely operated cameras can see up to 70 miles in daylight and 100 miles with infrared at night.

CVS & UPS Join Together For Drone Deliveries

CVS announced on Monday 10/21/2019, it has teamed up with shipping specialist UPS to develop a drone delivery service for customers.

UPS Flight Forward, is a unit created by the shipping company in July 2019 aimed at the rapid scaling of drone delivery operations across various markets.

The CVS/UPS partnership wants to deliver prescription drugs and a range of retail products to the homes of CVS Pharmacy customers.

See Press Release

CVS and UPS made no mention of when it hopes to begin drone deliveries, or where they’ll take place.

 

Arrests made After Drones Flew Too close To London Airport

British authorities have arrested a married couple on suspicion of causing chaos with a drone at Gatwick Airport, forcing hundreds of planes to be grounded or diverted and delaying tens of thousands of holiday travelers.

The couple are suspected of disrupting civil aviation services and endangering people or operations — offenses that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the police. They have not been formally charged and are still in custody, but the police did not release further details.

Official said, the drone sightings had forced the cancellation or diversion of more than 1,000 flights over three days, affecting some 140,000 people. On Saturday, Gatwick warned passengers to expect still more delays and cancellations and to check their flight status before going to the airport.

 

 

Mishandled CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents

New report has described how a catastrophic failure on the part of the Central Intelligence Agency, combined with the Chinese government’s steadily more sophisticated internet monitoring capabilities, led to the dramatic collapse of an American intelligence network in China and the executions of dozens of spies and their associates. The incident is just one example of how authorities in Beijing are overseeing the creation of an ever more effective police state, complete with technology and tactics straight out of a certain genre of near-future science fiction movie.

It is considered as one of the CIA’s worst failures in decades: Over a two-year period starting in late 2010, Chinese authorities systematically broke up the agency’s network of agents across the country, executing dozens of suspected U.S. spies. But since then, a question has loomed over the entire debacle.

Foreign Policy revealed how Chinese state security officials were able to completely demolish a CIA-run intelligence operation over the course of two years, beginning in 2010.  The New York Times first broke the news of the debacle in 2017, but its sources either did not disclose or did not know exactly what had happened or the true scale of China’s response. In May 2018, U.S. officials charged former CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee with conspiracy to commit espionage over the affair, nearly five months after indicting him for retaining classified information.

The CIA turned to the FBI to help uncover the source of the leak, according to the report. That investigation helped turn up Lee, who allegedly received tens of thousands of dollars to deliver information to the Chinese Ministry of State Security, which oversees both foreign and internal intelligence operations.

Xinjiang, where Uighurs, a non-Chinese Turkic ethnic group that is predominantly Muslim, make up the bulk of the population, has been an ideal setting to test out new equipment and concepts of operation far from both Han Chinese and outside observers.

To help exercise social control, China has put into place one of the most elaborate surveillance architectures in the world, complete with omnipresent cameras connected to monitoring stations running advanced facial recognition software, checkpoints with paramilitary police, and a system of systems all tied to a government-issued identification card that includes a “score” of how much a threat an individual poses to the state. Authorities have also begun implementing mass biometric data collection, including blood and DNA samples, to go along with other official information on file. All this can limit a person’s ability to buy goods and services or get a job.

The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP

An archway with no less than seven cameras in front of the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgarin in Xinjiang.

After a spate of knife attacks in Xinjiang by alleged separatists, Chinese officials instituted a policy where cutlery vendors must physically laser-etch a QR code linked the buyer’s ID into the blade.

In July 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that some 11,500 Uighurs that the Chinese government had approved to go on the Hajj, the sacred Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, had to carry special cards with a GPS tracker inside on a lanyard around their necks. Ostensibly for their own safety in the event of some sort of crisis, this system would obviously be able to monitor their every movement and it seems likely that anyone who decided to leave it behind would, if nothing else, take a serious hit on their social scorecard.

The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP

A security guards man a checkpoint with a metal detector and an ID scanning system in a shopping mall in Xinjiang’s Kashgarin.

 Recently added in Xinjiang itself are small drones shaped like birds with realistically flapping wings, according to a June 2018 report from the South China Morning Post. These “Doves” can fly for thirty minutes and carry a small, color video camera and an ability to transmit the feed down to an individual on the ground. It reportedly has a GPS antenna and could be able to fly a pre-programmed route or operate under line-of-sight control.

The Chinese are “applying a very, very broad attempted solution to what they see as an ideological danger,” James Millward, who teaches Chinese history at The Georgetown University, told The Atlantic earlier in August 2018. “In Xinjiang, the definition of extremism has expanded so far as to incorporate.

Northwestern Polytechnical University

China’s “Dove” drone, a product of the country’s Northwestern Polytechnical University.

 

Imaginechina via AP

Chinese police officers and dogs, all with cameras, in Tiananmen Square.

China’s Police are now wearing Google Glass-style headsets with similar recognition capabilities to spot repeat offenders for crimes as minor as jaywalking. In the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, public restrooms use facial recognition software to give out only a specific amount of toilet paper per person. Even the police dogs have cameras.

 

 

The UPS TentativeDeal

 

A tentative deal for a new labor contract between UPS and the Teamsters union creates a new category of drivers to handle weekend shifts, as the increase in online shopping prompts increased demand for deliveries on the weekends.

The deal also calls for the company to review technological changes with the union six months before rolling out changes, such as the deployment of delivery drones, driverless vehicles or some other innovation, according to a document on the deal released by the Teamsters on Tuesday.

Cool Travel Tech Gadgets

 

Smart Luggage

CX-1 is at the top of the class. Introduced by ForwardX, this high-tech suitcase features facial recognition software and a wristband equipped with GPS. Put the two together and the luggage can follow you around through the airport, to the taxi stand, or anywhere else a suitcase can roll.

If someone tries to snatch the bag, the wristband is designed to alert you while helping you track the thief. Not physically having to lug a heavy suitcase through the airport is reason enough to love this new travel technology.

Recording Sunglasses

Spectacles sunglasses feature functional sunglasses with a small video recorder built into the frame. The recorder is designed to record 10-second snaps of your day, which are then sent to your smartphone using the Snapchat app. The snaps are relegated to Snapchat Memories, keeping a database of your most memorable moments.

The Mavic Pro travel drone

This drone features smartphone control, GPS, a 4K camera and video recorder, 11 flight modes, and nearly 30 minutes of flying time.

You can fly the drone up to a distance of 4.3 miles, recording video or snapping photos along the way. It even has tripod and selfie settings, letting you capture miles-wide moments of your travel with minimal effort. This drone elevates travel photography and video to a whole new level, both literally and figuratively.

Hi-Tech Hotel Features

Voice-activated devices are already in place at Acme Hotel in Chicago, letting travelers communicate with staff and glean information using an Amazon Echo device in the room. Instead of calling the front desk or heading to the lobby, all you need to do is ask Alexa about morning coffee hours, weather conditions, or setting a wake-up alarm.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another high-tech option hitting the industry, with an automated form of intelligence expected to replace human interactions in certain areas, like customer service. AI-equipped chatbots would be able to answer general questions and provide basic support faster, more conveniently, and 24 hours a day.

 

 

 

Drones As An Emergency Response Tool

On the island of Hawaii, Drone technology is being used right now to move people out of harm’s way as lava continues to pour from Kilauea volcano.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) this week described how live-streamed video from one of its unmanned aerial vehicles helped guide emergency responders to a resident whose home looked to be on the verge of getting swallowed up by the lava flow. Live footage from the flying machine was then assessed by a remote team so that it could direct the rescue group along the safest escape route.

The situation on the ground looks precarious to say the least, and it’s safe to say the resident must have been feeling pretty terrified as the lava flow closed in. The live data from the drone allowed the rescue team to follow a safe path, and if you look carefully you can see their flashlights scanning the scene when they make it to the property. Once they reached the resident, the team was then guided to an available evacuation route, safely removing them from the danger area.

Drone technology is clearly proving a real boon for volcanologists, as well as the emergency management teams that work with them. The remotely controlled flying machines offer a safe way to get up close to active volcanoes, providing geologists with up-to-the-minute data on the direction and extent of lava flows, and valuable information regarding developments on and around the volcano over a longer period of time.

When every second counts, real-time data is everything, and drones are proving to be an indispensable tool in the battle to protect lives on the Big Island as the lava continues to flow.

 

 

 

80 Million Dollars Worth of iPhones Smuggled via Drones To China

A smuggling ring has been using DJI drones to enable the transport of refurbished iPhones into Shenzhen, China. According to customs officials in the city, those responsible were caught after flying 500 million yuan ($79.8 million) worth of smartphones from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

Chinese authorities have arrested 26 people who were part of an iPhone smuggling operation between Hong Kong and the mainland city of Shenzhen. The criminals used aerial drones to connect two 660-foot cables between two high-rise buildings, and then passed as many as 15,000 iPhones per night across the border.

More here

Drone Crashes @ Apple Park

Ehang The Flying Taxi

The Chinese Company Ehang, says its aircraft can fly at cruising speed for 25 minutes at a time following a one-hour recharge of its electric motors, and that it can withstand force seven typhoon winds. Ehang already has an agreement with the State of Nevada to carry out testing there, and another with Dubai’s transport authority to do the same. But testing and proving the safety of the aircraft is only the first step. Getting them running for good is another.

 

 

Amazon’s Drone Can Self destruct In Emergencies

Image Credit: Amazon / USPTO

Amazon has been granted a patent for drone technology that allows the craft to strategically self-destruct in the event of an emergency.

A patent granted to Amazon reveal a self-destructing drone that is able to strategically disassemble in the air during an emergency to mitigate any potential damage from an otherwise fully-formed delivery drone, or as the patent describes it, “direct fragmentation for unmanned airborne vehicles.”

While programming a self-destruct sequence may seem like a curious safety feature, having a crashing drone break into pieces before impact can reduce the chances for significant property damage or injury to people on the ground. The feature would use the onboard computing system to analyze conditions to determine the best course of action.

Drone Tech

Amazon has big plans for its delivery drones that don’t involve ripping themselves apart in mid-air. The company was granted a patent in mid-October to allow drones to recharge electric vehicles, which would effectively give the world its first commercial roving fueling stations.

Facebook, is deploying drone technology to beam the internet to underserved areas, like rural regions around the world and even disaster-stricken places, which could allow enhanced communication for those who need it most. Another drone could similarly deliver much-needed help in a pinch by flying Automated External Defibrillators (AED) directly to the scene of an emergency, long before EMS crews would be able to arrive.

Google To deliver Burritos Via Drones In Australia

Delivering to a backyard in rural Australia.

Drones A Headache For Boarder Patrol Agents

Boarder officials face another challenge — how to stop smugglers using them to fly drugs over national borders.

Late one evening earlier this month, a Border Patrol agent spotted a drone flying over the U.S./Mexico border, heading toward San Ysidro in southern California, the LA Times reported.

A photo of the drone alleged to have been used in the crime appears to show a DJI Matrice 600, a powerful hexacopter costing around $4,500.

 

Police Department Upstate New York Has Drones

Western New York police department has purchased a drone for $9,994.99.

It will be flying the skies of West Seneca to help officers solve crimes and keep the community safe. The grant was secured by State Senator Patrick Gallivan.

West Seneca Police have been training for eight months on how to use this new technology, which officers say will assist in many different police missions including search and rescues, creek levels during flooding and crime scene analysis.

The drone is equipped to drop items to those in need, such as a during a hostage situation. They can put a cell phone in it for delivery to someone in need, during a hostage situation which will help our hostage negotiators maintain communication with them.The drone can travel up to 400 feet high, with a speed up to 50 miles per hour, with a rotating camera that captures video from all angles.

The drone also can give the investigators an indicator of where a fire started,” according to Lt. McNamara. “Accident investigation, that can be used to show the weather conditions at the time of an accident.”

The department is ready to start flying, but is waiting for final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the drone at night.

Look Out eSports-Now There’s Drone Sports

Drone Racing League (DRL) organizes drone races across the globe and films them using a mix of camera drones, stationary cameras and first-person-view (FPV) video. Since its launch in 2015–2016, its races have been viewed on YouTube, Twitch and Facebook over 43 million times. DRL events have also been on TV, and the organization expects the coming season to be viewable on TV screens in up to 75 countries.

Each drone is equipped with a camera that streams images in real time to first person view (FPV) goggles worn by the pilots. The pilot literally feels like he or she is sitting on the nose of the drone, as it flies around courses in venues like outdoor stadiums, factory buildings or tents.

“Drone racing essentially means that a pilot can shift their consciousness into the aircraft, flying through tiny gaps without any fear of physical danger.

When you wear FPV goggles you share the pilot’s experience, something that has often been compared to Star Wars or a computer game.

 

 

7 Eleven Says It Used Drones For Delivery Before Amazon

7-Eleven would like to reminded the world that it had already completed 77 drone delivery flights a month before Amazon completed its first one last week. 7-Eleven’s unmanned aerial deliveries are powered by a startup called Flirtey, which bills itself as the “world’s leader in the drone delivery industry. 12 shoppers were invited to participate in a trial. They ordered items via a smartphone app for a drone to drop off at their houses, and the merchandise included everything from hot and cold food items to over-the-counter medicines. Deliveries were completed an average of less than less than 10 minutes after the orders were placed, Flirtey says. Instead of landing on the customer’s lawn or roof, the drones hovered in place while lowering their payloads to the buyers. The 77 delivery flights were completed on weekends in November, and the company intends to continue flying 7-Eleven deliveries in 2017.

Drones Packing Insecticides

A company called Drone Volt has introduced the Drone Spray Hornet to locate and destroy the nests of Asian hornets that are becoming pests in parts of Europe.

The Asian Hornet is believed to have arrived in France in a shipment of pottery over a decade ago and has since spread itself over much of the country and other European regions. The predatory wasp preys on a variety of insects, including bees and other native pollinators. The species is also known to defend its nests by attacking perceived threats in swarms. Drone Volt collaborated with a beekeeper to develop a drone equipped with a tilting spray system and a Go Pro Hero 4 Black Edition HD camera to safely track down and eliminate the hornet nests.

Filming Movies & Drones

Drone Racing In Dubai

Drone racing is  set to take place this coming weekend, the World Drone Prix will play host to pilots from all around the globe battling for US$1 million in cash prizes. Drone racing was an underground hobby practiced by drone owners in abandoned warehouses, empty car parks and remote forests. Last year, California State Fair played host to an unconventional but increasingly popular type of sporting event last week. The first international drone racing contest invited budding pilots from all around the globe to battle it out for the inaugural US National Championship and a slice of US$25,000 in cash prizes. The World Drone Prix is open to pilots from all across the globe, who can submit “American Idol” type qualification videos meeting certain guidelines to gain entry to the competition. This breaks down geographical and financial barriers and has led to a field of 150 competing teams from around the world. Thirty -two teams  will battle it out in the knockout-style main event on March 11 and 12. The organizers also claim that the 591 m (646 yd) aerial course, which tempts more ambitious pilots with several Mario Kart-like shortcuts, is the first custom-built track designed specifically with drone racing in mind.

FAA Requires Registration

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now requires every drone owner to register each drone that is purchased weighing over .55lbs.  If not you and your drone will be in big trouble. Registration free until Febuary 19 2016. Failure to register your drone by that time will result in some potentially ridiculous fines, and even prison time. This only applies to people who already own a drone, and anyone who purchases a drone after December 21st will be required to register it before its first flight.

More Here

China Has Drones To Hunt down Cheaters For The Toughest Exam.

The National College Entrance Exam, commonly called “the gaokao,” determines access to higher education and is taken annually by up to 10 million students across the country.

The pressure caused by the exam can be enormous, so enormous in fact that some studies have linked the test to student suicides. On top of that, fear of failure has pushed some exam-takers into cheating, a serious issue the authorities appear to have trouble getting on top of, not least because of the increasingly sophisticated methods employed.

Some students, for example, have worn eye glasses with tiny cameras that relay images of the question paper to an accomplice outside the exam room. The answers are then fed back to the student via an earpiece.

In an effort to combat this high-tech cheating method, the authorities in Luoyan, a city about 400 miles south of Beijing, have come up with the idea of using quadcopters. The quadcopter will hover above the exam room. If it detects a signal, the information is then relayed to a teacher’s tablet. By flying the drone around the general area, that teacher can then use the system’s specially designed app to pinpoint the signal’s source.

It’s not yet known how effective the technology really is, but the authorities have made students well aware of its drone-based efforts to catch cheaters, hoping the mere sight of the remotely controlled copter will be enough to persuade students to leave their camera-equipped specs and earpieces at home

 

 

 

Amazon & UPS To Deliver Packages Via Drones

View Here

Amazon is excited to share Prime Air — something the team has been working on in their next generation R&D lab. The goal of this new delivery system is to get packages into customers’ hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles. Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as they advance the technology and wait for the necessary FAA rules and regulations.

World’s largest parcel service, UPS, also been experimenting with its own version of flying parcel carriers.

UPS has kept quiet about its plans, perhaps because any drone delivery project is years away from being legal and operational. UPS has a number of different ways it might utilize drones. It could offer something similar to Amazon’s Prime Air, or it might use them to help move packages around its own warehouses. In some ways, say industry experts, this is no surprise. “I would be shocked if a company like UPS wasn’t considering this,” says Ryan Calo, a law professor specializing in drones and robotics. “If you want to compete in logistics and delivery, drones and unmanned robots have to be part of the conversation about where things are headed.” Calo was skeptical of the video offered up by Amazon, where a drone drops off a package in a family’s suburban driveway. “I think from both a tech and a policy perspective, delivering to consumers in residential areas is going to be tough thing to accomplish any time soon,” says  Ryan Calo, a law professor specializing in drones and robotics. “But a company like UPS could use drones to bring packages quickly and cheaply from a major airport or city to pick-up centers in more remote locations, speeding up delivery for a lot of customers.”