Inflatable drone bounces and perches instead of crashing and hovering

If you've ever tried piloting a drone, you'll know that they end up running into walls, trees or whatnot … often getting damaged in the process. An experimental inflatable-body drone, however, just bounces off obstacles – plus it can grasp onto them.

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DJI’s latest cinema drone flies 8K full-frame gimbal camera

DJI has announced the launch of the successor to 2016's pro-grade Inspire 2 all-in-one cinema drone. The latest model comes with a full-frame gimbal camera capable of 8K video, more accurate positioning tech and improved obstacle detection.

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BMT Sparrow tech uses autonomous modules to steer drone-delivered goods

If a drone is large and powerful enough to carry packages long distances, then that drone is likely too big and noisy to be landing in amongst trees, houses and bystanders. The BMT Sparrow system could help, by autonomously steering lowered loads.

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Wing shows off AutoLoaders for its drone delivery network

Food vendors won't have to wait around for Wing's delivery drones to come pick up an order. The company has released video of new "AutoLoader" stations that'll hang onto boxes waiting for a skyhook-style pickup from the next available drone.

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SUCOM tech makes for better cellular comms with delivery drones

While short-range radio remote control may be fine for consumer drones, long-distance delivery drones often use cellular networks to communicate with their operators. A new mobile network system could make the latter method much more reliable.

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MightyFly’s new autonomous cargo drone carries 100 lb for 600 miles

Carrying up to 96 small USPS packages in its internal cargo bay, the new Cento needs nothing more than two parking spaces for takeoff, landing and automatic unloading. MightyFly is working with the FAA to expand its long-range flight authorization.

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Laser-charged Chinese drone can stay in the air indefinitely

Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xianyang, China, have demonstrated a drone that never needs to land, thanks to a remote charging system that delivers power via an adaptive, target-tracking laser on the ground.

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Top 10 drone innovations that caught our attention in 2022

The past year has been a big one for drones, both in terms of new models and new capabilities. Here's a list of our picks for the latter, including clever uses of drones and interesting developments in the technology.

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Autonomous P-Flap ornithopter uses a claw to perch like a bird

Flapping-wing drones may be more agile and energy-efficient than their fixed-wing counterparts, but most of them still can't loiter in one spot. A new model addresses that limitation by using a claw mechanism to perch in a bird-like fashion.

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DJI adds cheaper 4K camera drone to sub-250-g Mini family

We've known of the impending arrival of the Mini 3 ever since the launch of the Mini 3 Pro in May, but it still looks like it's been worth the wait. Though missing a few premium Pro features, the 4K camera drone flies with a much cheaper price tag.

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