<h1 id="isPasted"><br></h1><section><p>When you hear the word “drone,” you likely imagine an airborne device the size of a hat box that uses propellers to fly and is controlled remotely by someone in the immediate vicinity, perhaps in a park or another open area. Recreational drones like these have become increasingly popular in recent years.</p><p>But if you expand your definition of drones to include all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ranging from long-range drones used in military applications, to transport vehicles, to insect-sized drones, their potential applications expand exponentially. Imagine commercial airliners without pilots, drones capable of transporting shipping containers like those now delivered by trucks and ships, or even tiny, dexterous drones that fly into narrow gaps like insects.</p><p>While there are many obstacles for developers to overcome before these innovations can become a reality, the technology is evolving quickly – much faster than you might expect. This blog discusses where the technology currently stands and where it may go.</p><h2></h2><h3>High-Capacity Drones: Autonomy and Engine Innovations</h3><p>Scaling up drones to carry larger payloads, fly at higher altitudes, and travel greater distances presents major challenges for developers. Currently, semi- and fully autonomous large-scale drones (classified as UAVs that can carry a payload of greater than 1320 pounds and operate at altitudes greater than 18,000 feet) are most commonly implemented by military organizations to replace aircraft piloted by human operators.</p><p>Unlike smaller counterparts that rely on electric motors, larger drones use more robust internal combustion or jet engines. Not just a matter of size scaling, this means enhanced efficiency, reduced weight, and optimized fuel consumption, while also delivering precision control crucial in moving large loads.</p><p>By removing the human pilot and the various systems needed to support him, most large-scale drones are lighter and are usually built from lighter materials like plastics or carbon fibers. This increases the range of the vehicle. It can also reduce engine weight without compromising strength.</p><p>This is especially true for high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones. HALE drones must stay airborne for extended periods, sometimes days, at various altitudes and temperatures, and are often solar-powered. They are ideally suited for reconnaissance. In 2021, the U.S. Forest Service began testing HALE drones to locate and fight wildfires.</p><p>However, UAVs that operate at higher altitudes have more difficulty dissipating heat in the thinner atmosphere where they fly. <a href="https://www.macrofab.com/blog/overview-pcba-manufacturing-processes-technologies/" target="_blank">Printed circuit boards</a> for larger UAVs require additional heat transfer and use additional metal to connect to heat sinks to maximize performance at higher altitudes. This must be taken into consideration at the design stage. Simulating heat generation, flow, and dissipation in the development process is a valuable tool for these types of designs.</p><p>In terms of operational control, remotely piloted ICE (internal combustion engine) or jet aircraft aren’t significantly different from their traditional onboard piloted counterparts. A human operator guides the drone from a station with controls and monitors that are similar to the ones in airplane cockpits while cameras and radar-based imaging systems provide the visuals.</p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1714573625993-1714573625993.png" alt="Drone carrying package" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>“Flying cars,” or “air taxis,” are already a reality, with China approving the first self-driving air taxi late in 2023. <a href="https://www.faa.gov/air-taxis" target="_blank">Similar air taxis are being planned in the USA</a>, though they will initially require a pilot on board for safety.</p><p>However, a significant hurdle in designing UAVs for human transportation or valuable cargo lies in bridging the information gap. While current sensors can track weather conditions, altitude, and airspeed, they cannot do so with the speed and sensitivity necessary. Onboard pilots can sense subtle changes in an aircraft’s behavior intuitively, a nuance challenging to replicate with sensors. By 2030, 6G wireless networks should significantly alleviate this issue by enabling ultra-low latency and improved data reliability, enhancing sensor responsiveness.</p><p>Lastly, many UAVs today boast semi-autonomous features like the ability to return to their starting point unaided. Autonomous or semi-autonomous flight software must be capable of dynamically adjusting flight paths in response to changing conditions, akin to how commercial airline pilots maneuver to avoid turbulence. This capability underscores the ongoing evolution and increasing sophistication of UAV technology in adapting to complex operational environments.</p><h2></h2><h3>Compact Drone Engineering: Revolutionizing Small-Scale UAVs</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1714573626104-1714573626104.png" alt="Compact drone engineering" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>Every drone, from super large to shoe-box sized, relies on motors or engines to propel itself. In contrast to making drones larger, which requires increasing their power while reducing their overall weight, making them smaller necessitates removing motors altogether.</p><p>Using actuators to mimic how an insect flaps its wings plays a role in “micro drone” design. Early versions of this technology used ceramic materials to conduct and store electricity, but their inherent fragility made them unsuitable for repeated use.</p><p>The most recent innovations implement soft actuators composed of rubber cylinders surrounded by carbon nanotubes. Applying voltage causes the rubber cylinders to expand and contract repetitively and at high frequency (as much as 500 times per second), causing the drone “wings” to flap up and down.</p><p>These tiny drones, with their soft actuators, are resilient and capable of withstanding mid-air collisions, making them suitable for various tasks, including agricultural monitoring and pollination. Future uses may include structural inspection, search and rescue, surveillance, and data collection.</p><p><a href="https://www.macrofab.com/prototyping/" target="_blank">PCB designs</a> for smaller, more malleable devices have to consider factors like weight, rigidity, and resistance to impact and vibration. As in the case of larger UAVs, software simulation to test mechanical reliability in smaller UAVs is a valuable development tool.</p><h2></h2><h3>The Future of UAVs Great and Small</h3><p>In the future, UAV commercial passenger flights or large material transport using entirely autonomous flights still have some design challenges to overcome. Regulations, however, are more likely to hinder their long-term progress. Like self-driving cars, the adjustment period will require examining and discussing the risks and rationale of flying without a human pilot, with safety always taking precedence.</p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1714573626041-1714573626041.png" alt="Uav future" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>On a smaller scale, however, UAVs may have more immediate practical applications. With micro drones with cameras that relay images back to a human operator, inspecting intricate mechanisms is possible in small spaces that are otherwise impossible to reach without dismantling the entire mechanism, such as industrial motors or airplane engines. Drones can even be used during natural disasters to locate missing or injured people who cannot be reached by rescue workers.</p><p>As UAVs shrink and grow, it will alter how we define them. Along with providing previously difficult-to-obtain images and delivering small payloads, UAVs will become a practical and labor-saving alternative to traditional means of transportation, cultivation, and commerce.</p></section><h3>Need UAV PCBAs Manufactured?</h3><p><a href="https://www.macrofab.com/pcba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out MacroFab’s PCBA production services</a></p>

UAV technology continues to expand and become increasingly sophisticated. 

The Future of UAV Design: Very Big and Very Small

<p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lQNz_WEl2vQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe></span></p><div data-id="9908f31" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Materials for a sustainable future</h2></div><div data-id="69b735e" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>As an interdisciplinary research institute, <strong><a href="https://www.empa.ch/" target="_blank">Empa</a>&nbsp;</strong>sets standards in the field of sustainable and resilient solutions. Its mission is to turn away from a throw-away society and towards a circular economy – to ensure a greener future for our planet. The Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics, a department of Empa, focuses in part on the development of flying robot platforms.</p><div data-id="371df47" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Fire operations with drone technology</h2><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODMzOTE1MjQ5LUVNUEFfZmluYWxfZmlyZWRyb25lLmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Equipped with an infrared and a RGB camera, the fire drone is sending video data directly from the danger zone.</span></span></span></p></div><div data-id="a4a60e8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>"Every day, firefighters risk their lives going into unknown environment", says David Häusermann. The research engineer and his team spent around six months developing, constructing, and testing a fire drone. The drone is intended as reconnaissance equipment from a safe distance, literally providing a picture of the danger zone – by means of an infrared sensor as well as a conventional RGB camera. In this way, risks can be minimized and efficiency increased during firefighting operations.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODMzOTYzNDUzLTE3MTA4MzM5NjM0NTMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">Laser sintered on the Sintratec S2 system: components for the fire drone – for example the mounting frames of the polyamide aerogel shell.</span></span></span></p><div data-id="66f7fc8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Tolerating extreme temperatures</h2><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODM0MDA2OTkwLWNoZWNraW5nX2ludGVybmFscy5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">It took six months from design to building the final prototype of the drone.</span></span></span></p></div><div data-id="bc27b16" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>Usually, drones are not designed to function in extreme temperatures. The used materials tend to melt or even burn. "For the prototype of the fire drone we had to search for materials that could withstand high temperatures up to 200°C", David emphasizes. Thus, in cooperation with materials scientists at Empa, a polyimide aerogel heat shield was developed to effectively protect the drone’s internal electronics.</p><div data-id="af667bd" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>Too hot for FDM 3D printing</h2><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODM0MDU5NDQwLWNvbXBhcmluZ19wcmludHF1YWxpdHktU0xTX0ZETS5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">FDM components used at the beginning had to be replaced by SLS parts due to the high material requirements and heat resistance.</span></span></span></p></div><div data-id="5c13cdf" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>Additive manufacturing technologies such as FDM (fused deposition modeling) were used during the development phase as they offer great design freedom. Later in the project, the FDM components had to be replaced by laser-sintered <strong><a href="https://sintratec.com/pa12" target="_blank">PA12</a></strong> elements due to their improved accuracy, material quality and temperature resistance. Compared to the FDM technology, SLS offers another benefit of eliminating the need for support structures during printing.</p><div data-id="738f8b9" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h2>SLS parts prove themselves</h2></div><div data-id="8731b84" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"><p>The 3D printed parts sponsored by <strong><a href="https://sintratec.com/" target="_blank">Sintratec</a>&nbsp;</strong>were used for the mounting frames of the aerogel shell, fixing points for electronic components, clamps for the rotor arms, and the gearbox housings. "The parts Sintratec provided to us fulfilled all of our project requirements and performed as expected when tested in real-life conditions," explains David enthusiastically. For the engineer it is clear: «the SLS technology and its excellent material properties are perfect for drone construction – high quality, robust and heat resistant parts.»</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 768px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODM0MDg3Mjc1LTE3MTA4MzQwODcyNzUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">The housings of the motors and mounting clamps for the rotor arms are also made of strong and lightweight PA12.</span></span></span></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEwODM0MTE0MjI5LTE3MTA4MzQxMTQyMjkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p></div></div></div></div></div>

Equipped with an infrared and a RGB camera, the fire drone is sending video data directly from the danger zone.

The Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics of the Swiss Empa institute develops a special drone for firefighting operations. Lightweight, stable and temperature resistant parts manufactured with SLS 3D printing is the key to success.

Baptism of fire for Sintratec SLS 3D parts

<p>Drone delivery represents a groundbreaking shift in logistics, intertwining technology with the everyday need for fast, efficient package delivery. This innovation has spurred anticipation and speculation about its potential to revolutionize the delivery landscape, promising speed and convenience previously unimaginable. Yet, the path to its realization is paved with challenges and triumphs, reflecting a continuous technological evolution and adaptation journey.</p><h2 id="isPasted">Historical Barriers to Drone Delivery</h2><h3>Regulatory Challenges</h3><p>Aviation laws crafted for manned aircraft did not foresee the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has resulted in a regulatory landscape ill-prepared for drones' unique demands and operational characteristics. The variations in these regulations across different countries and regions further complicated the picture. In some areas, strict airspace control and stringent UAV regulations severely limited the operational freedom necessary for commercial drone delivery, leading to a slower pace of adoption and innovation.</p><p>These regulations often required extensive navigation through bureaucratic channels, delaying pilot programs and full-scale implementations. The struggle to fit the square peg of drone delivery into the round hole of traditional aviation regulations has been a defining aspect of its early development stages.</p><h3>Technical Limitations</h3><p>In their nascent stages, drones were plagued by restricted battery life, limiting their range and endurance. Early navigation systems were rudimentary, lacking the sophistication needed for precise, reliable delivery operations. Payload capacity was another critical issue, as initial drones could carry only minimal weight, rendering them impractical for most commercial delivery applications. Control mechanisms were also in their infancy, lacking the advanced features necessary for smooth and autonomous operation in varied environments.</p><p>These technical barriers impeded the practical application of drone delivery and posed questions about the reliability and efficiency of such a system in a real-world logistics scenario. Overcoming these hurdles required concerted efforts in research and development, pushing the boundaries of what was technically feasible.</p><h3>Safety and Privacy Concerns</h3><p>Safety and privacy concerns were at the forefront of drone delivery during the initial phases. Many people within the public and regulation boards were apprehensive of drones, envisioning only how they could lead to accidents and injuries rather than looking at the benefits. With fears of malfunctioning systems leading to collision damage and privacy concerns around unwarranted surveillance and intrusion, it was clear drones had obstacles to pass before they would be widely adopted.</p><p>These concerns were not untrue, as early models definitely lacked the sophisticated safety and privacy protocols that are now in development. This apprehension was critical in shaping public perception and regulatory attitudes toward drone delivery, often resulting in more stringent controls and slower adoption rates.</p><h3>Economic Viability</h3><p>Finally, the economic viability of drone delivery technology was a significant barrier to its adoption. The initial investment required for developing and deploying drones, especially given their technical and regulatory limitations, was substantial. Businesses and investors questioned whether its promised efficiency and speed could justify the cost of implementing a drone delivery system.</p><p>There were concerns about the return on investment, especially in uncertain regulatory environments and unproven technology. This economic skepticism was a major hurdle for early adopters and innovators in the field, who had to refine the technology and demonstrate its cost-effectiveness in a competitive logistics market.</p><p><ins cite="mailto:Jessica%20Miley" datetime="2024-02-27T08:42"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 769px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA5ODE2MzA2NjgxLWRyb25lMi5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 768px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner">A drone launches from drone delivery company, Zipline's California-based test facility By Roksenhorn</span></span></span></ins></p><h2> Technological Advances Overcoming Past Barriers</h2><h3>Advancements in Battery and Energy Efficiency</h3><p>One of the most significant drone technology strides has been battery and energy efficiency. Recent breakthroughs in battery technology have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the energy density and longevity of drone batteries. The result? Longer flight durations and extended operational ranges. This overcomes one of the primary limitations of early drone models.&nbsp;</p><p>The addition of alternative energy sources like solar power and hybrid systems has also opened up new possibilities for extended flight times. With these advancements, drones have become more practical for a wider range of delivery routes, including remote locations and those that require lengthier journeys.</p><h3>Navigation and Autonomy</h3><p>The integration of advanced GPS and more sophisticated obstacle detection systems has revolutionized navigation and autonomy for drones. With their state-of-the-art navigation systems, drones are able to precisely and reliably navigate complex and dynamic environments.&nbsp;</p><p>The systems have the ability to process vast amounts of data, allowing them to navigate around obstacles and adapt to changing conditions with ease. This results in a more autonomous delivery system that can operate successfully with minimal human interaction, therefore reducing potential human error and increasing efficiency.</p><h3>Safety Mechanisms</h3><p>The industry has responded to safety concerns by developing systems with advanced collision avoidance along with redundant design features. Drones have safety sensors and software that allow them to detect and avoid obstacles. They also have fail-safe protocols that kick in during emergencies along with robust structural designs to enhance durability. These improvements have played an important role in mitigating the risks of accidents and malfunctions while bolstering the public and regulatory trust in drone systems.</p><h3>Scalability Solutions</h3><p>With drone technology continuing to advance, scalability is becoming increasingly prevalent. Drone delivery is becoming more economically viable thanks to mass production and technological refinement. Advancements in the design and manufacturing of drones have led to cost reductions and improvements in their operational efficiency have increased the drone delivery value proposition. This scalability is an essential component of drones becoming widely adopted and transforming the logistics and package delivery landscape.</p><h2>Current State of Drone Delivery Technology</h2><h3>Latest Drone Models</h3><p>The landscape of drone delivery technology is characterized by a diverse range of models, each designed for specific delivery tasks. Compact and lightweight drones are being used for small parcel delivery. You’ll find them in urban areas where their agility and small size allow for efficient navigation through tight spaces.</p><p>Meanwhile, large drones are equipped to transport heavier weights over long distances. This showcases the versatility of drone technology in various delivery scenarios. Take, for example, the newest Prime Air drones, which are set to operate in select UK and Italian cities along with three U.S. locations by the end of 2024. The MK30, Prime Air's latest model, has been introduced as a notable addition to their fleet. This model stands out for its unique design and capabilities, positioning it as a frontrunner in package delivery drones.</p><p><span contenteditable="false" draggable="true" class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oy4GALqZlHA?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></iframe></span></p><h3>Infrastructure Integration</h3><p>The integration of drone delivery into existing logistics networks has marked an enormous leap in technology’s practical application. It takes a multifaceted approach, adapting to the current infrastructure and developing new systems designed specifically for UAV operations.&nbsp;</p><p>Logistics companies are experimenting with various models to accommodate drone delivery. This includes drone-friendly warehouses, dedicated air corridors for flights, and specialized launch and recovery systems. These adaptations allow drones to work to complement traditional delivery methods toward the goal of creating a hybrid system that offers greater efficiency and flexibility.</p><h3>Consumer Interaction</h3><p>A critical aspect of the current state of drone delivery technology is its interaction with consumers. Innovative solutions for end-point delivery include secure drop-off points where packages can be safely deposited for customer retrieval. There’s also precision landing technology to allow drones to deliver packages accurately to specific locations, whether than be in the backyard or any designated receiving area.&nbsp;</p><p>Customer interaction systems have also been developed to provide notifications and tracking options to enhance the overall user experience. The combination of these technologies addresses concerns around security and convenience while also recognizing the importance of customer experience within the broader adoption of drone delivery services.</p><h2>The Future of Drone Delivery</h2><h3>Expanded Regulatory Frameworks</h3><p>Regulatory frameworks are anticipated to evolve alongside maturing drone delivery. We can expect future regulations to be more finely tuned in accordance with the unique nature of drone operations. This will facilitate a more supportive environment for widespread use by developed nuanced airspace management systems. These systems will allow drones to operate safely alongside traditional aircraft while minimizing disruptions to air traffic.</p><p>We can also expect safety standards specifically tailored to UAV operations to address the unique risks and operational characteristics. These changes will promote a safer and more efficient integration of drones into the logistics ecosystem and provide clearer guidelines for enterprises utilizing them.</p><h3>Next-Gen Technology</h3><p>Technological advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), are set to redefine drone delivery even further in the coming years. AI enables drones to make complex decisions independently, adapt to changing environments with more effectiveness, and improve their overall navigation capabilities. This could include advanced coordination in swarm deliveries, dynamic route optimization in real-time, and improved interactions with customers.&nbsp;</p><h3>Market Integration</h3><p>We’re on the cusp of drone delivery becoming a standard feature among various sectors beyond parcel delivery. In health care, for example, drones offer the potential for rapid and timely delivery of medical supplies. That could be emergency medications, blood products, or anything directly impacting patient care. In the food industry, drones could revolutionize how we receive our meals, offering faster and more efficient delivery services than traditional methods. The flexibility and speed of drones make them particularly suited for urgent or time-sensitive deliveries across many market segments.</p><h3>Global Impact</h3><p>The global impact could be particularly profound. The most significant benefit is the potential for enhanced access to goods and services. This is especially important in remote areas where traditional delivery methods are less efficient or even unavailable. This will lead to greater equity in distribution along with improved access to essential items.</p><p>Drone delivery presents the prospect of substantial environmental benefits by replacing or supplementing traditional delivery vehicles. They can help to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion, contributing to a far more sustainable urban environment.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Drone delivery technology is a pivotal point, poised to transform the logistics industry fundamentally. Its evolution, overcoming initial barriers through continuous innovation, heralds a future where efficiency, speed, and convenience are paramount. As this technology progresses, it will reshape how we receive packages and exemplify the enduring importance of innovation in driving future progress.</p>

Drone delivery represents a significant technological advancement in logistics.

Looking Up for Your Packages: The Evolution and Future of Drone Delivery Technology

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Unmanned and autonomous vehicles have revolutionised mobility and the evolving passenger car market, driving billions of dollars in investments to the sector. Even after a series of setbacks in customer adoption, everyone agrees that the future of robotics in autonomous vehicles is bright. It has a massive potential to transform the transportation industry by generating hundreds of billions of dollars and creating massive job opportunities.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">But the influence of unmanned and autonomous vehicles (UAVs) isn't limited to roads alone. Space missions, environmental monitoring, surveillance security and infrastructure monitoring are some UAVs’ applications. Despite their live-changing uses, the lack of interoperability between these advanced mobile techs and their disparate platforms poses a significant challenge to future adoption, hindering multi-vehicle, multi-domain missions.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Interoperability: Enabling Swarm Intelligence</h1><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">For UAVs, interoperability is defined as a system's capability to work with other systems based on standards or reference models. This concept is crucial for connecting multiple platforms into a coordinated vehicle network, commonly called swarms. Swarms refer to a herd of autonomous vehicles that function as a single unit. Swarms represent the next level in autonomous vehicle technology, as they can multiply the benefits in coverage, time, efficiency, and resolution. Its practical uses are experimented with in firefighting, parcel deliveries, and disaster response. These advantages, however, are only possible if every element of the swarm works in harmony.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 758px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA5MDI2OTIxODA4LTE3MDkwMjY5MjE4MDgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="624" height="475" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner">Quadcopter drone. Image credit:<a href="https://dronebotworkshop.com/category/drone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;DroneBotWorkshop</a></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">The above would mean that interoperability trends must focus on better coordination among diverse robot fleets. These swarm-enabling technologies must be functional to make factors like task delegation, path planning, and autonomous communications among these UAVs seamless. This is what recent fleet management software advancements aim to achieve, enhancing communication between unmanned vehicles (UAVs) and enabling simultaneous control.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">In different UAV manufacturing sectors, the goals could be different. For example, robot-to-robot partnerships aim for cross-manufacturer cooperation in disaster relief and environmental monitoring. Cloud robotics integrates cloud computing, improving scalability and data exchange for multi-UAV systems. Integrating AI and ML equips UAVs with autonomous decision-making abilities, aiding adaptability and effective communication with other systems in dynamic scenarios.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Interoperability Trends</h2><p dir="ltr">The latest trends in interoperability focus on getting UAVs to work together seamlessly. Imagine a team of different robots, like drones, working in sync. Advancements in software design can help them communicate and be controlled simultaneously, regardless of their manufacturer. Another trend is UAVs that can autonomously communicate or 'talk' to each other, for example, teaming to handle disaster management or environmental tasks. Cloud computing is being integrated into robotics to further increase operations and data exchange scalability. Moreover, with the latest advances in AI and ML, UAVs and robots are being introduced to autonomous thinking to provide more efficacious responses in real-time scenarios.</p><p dir="ltr">One of the primary challenges in achieving interoperability is the development of standardised communication protocols and data-sharing mechanisms. Conducting research, developing standards, and designing frameworks is essential to ensure seamless data exchange and coordination among various systems, allowing them to operate effectively as a cohesive unit.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Welcoming Standards</h1><p dir="ltr">Like every new technology, unmanned vehicles require regulations and standards to control and integrate their operations into the existing transportation frameworks. In light of its growing popularity, governments worldwide are currently working on devising regulations and creating standard scenarios for UAV operations.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Standardisation is crucial for autonomous vehicles, like drones used in disaster relief and environmental tasks. It makes operations safe and reliable and helps different drones work together smoothly. This way, accidents are reduced, and coordination is improved. It also helps follow the rules set by governments, ensuring responsible and legal use.</p><p dir="ltr">Standardisation and regulations will also aid in developing UAVs, ensuring that they are built to last, tested, and utilised in a way that complies with safety requirements. These regulations will also influence the design, deployment, and operation of swarm-enabling technology - a combination of hardware and software that allow multi-robot platforms to perform responsive swarming. The technology is just as important as the hardware used in creating these UAVs, as it is the main controlling agent between the swarm commander and the vehicles in the swarm. So, these technologies would be under even more intense scrutiny as the situations in which these UAVs would be used in are likely to be intense.&nbsp;</p><h1 dir="ltr">Challenges And Solutions To Greater Uav Use</h1><p dir="ltr">The absence of standardised protocols presents a significant hurdle: UAVs from different makers cannot collaborate effectively. This lack of compatibility hampers the engineering aspects of missions involving multiple vehicles and domains. It also obstructs the advantageous prospect of integrating diverse UAVs into a synchronised network. Consider large-scale search and rescue efforts, where numerous UAV swarms, sourced from various suppliers and groups, must cooperate seamlessly. Comparable scenarios arise in endeavours such as maritime cleanup, environmental monitoring, and delivery operations.</p><p dir="ltr">Another issue arises when a UAV communicating with one remote pilot station needs to shift communications to another station. Situations like these require new standards and technologies that are not traditionally included in older regulations. The primary and most crucial step towards interoperability is establishing unified standards for UAVs. Nations around the world have recognised this need, and they are gradually integrating standards and scenarios for UAVs into existing transportation laws. Moreover, a cross-domain command, control, and communications paradigm for heterogeneous unmanned vehicle operations must be established. This paradigm should connect platforms across manufacturers, architectures, and interfaces, enabling seamless communication and coordination between various systems.</p><p dir="ltr">Collaborative research and development efforts, establishing partnerships between industry, academia, and government agencies, investment in interoperability research, and training and education in this domain will be essential for addressing the technical challenges associated with interoperability.</p><p dir="ltr">These solutions are expected to reduce the costs and complexity of unmanned systems drastically, minimise compatibility issues, lead to successful cross-domain missions, and encourage collaboration and technology development. Greater interoperability is also expected to enhance the operational capabilities of individual UAV systems.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Advanced Navigation and Interoperability</h1><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA5MDI2OTIyOTk1LTE3MDkwMjY5MjI5OTUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="624" height="416" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.advancednavigation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Advanced Navigation</a> is a leading provider of inertial navigation systems and GNSS solutions. The company operates in various industries, including aerospace &amp; defense, maritime, robotics &amp; unmanned vehicles, automotive, and mining. They offer advanced solutions aimed at enhancing the performance of autonomous systems through precise navigation and localisation technologies, making them suitable for applications like drone swarming, precision agriculture, and autonomous vehicles.</p><p dir="ltr">Addressing the issue of interoperability in uncrewed vehicle technology, Advanced Navigation recently unveiled <a href="https://www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cloud Ground Control </a>(CGC), an innovative SaaS product aimed to reshape how multiple users, vehicles, and domains can efficiently collaborate seamlessly across air, land, sea, and space operations.</p><p dir="ltr">CGC is designed to streamline the control and coordination of uncrewed vehicles, allowing pilots and mission planners to oversee a swarm of drones remotely via a simple web browser interface. This platform enables users to manage multi-vehicle operations, access real-time video feeds and telemetry, and efficiently manage collected data. However, what truly sets CGC apart is its capability to run sophisticated AI algorithms directly in the cloud. This enables functionalities like real-time object detection, tracking, classification, and thermal imaging, providing invaluable situational awareness during unfolding events.</p><p dir="ltr">One key application of CGC is in search and rescue operations, emergency response, and disaster relief scenarios. By offering complete visibility and control over unmanned vehicles in critical situations, CGC assists in making timely and informed decisions, ultimately saving lives and resources. Furthermore, the cloud-based nature of CGC ensures that essential data and processing power are accessible from anywhere, enhancing operational flexibility.</p><p dir="ltr">Advanced Navigation recently launched the CGConnect cellular micro-modem. This device utilises 4G/5G networks to connect UAVs and robotic vehicles to the CGC platform. CGConnect enables live streaming, remote command and control, and AI-powered data analysis through a web browser. It serves as a bridge, securely connecting vehicles regardless of their manufacturer or model, effectively creating a unified autonomous fleet capable of functioning across different domains.</p><p dir="ltr">To maintain interoperability among various autonomous vehicles, CGConnect is designed with adherence to industry standards. The platform operates as an open environment, unrestricted by the constraints of manufacturer-specific software. This feature unlocks a world of possibilities for enterprises seeking to manage diverse autonomous vehicles within their fleets. High-grade safeguards against data breaches and vulnerabilities and compliance obligations are maintained, allowing users to operate confidently within established regulations. The integration of edge AI further enhances CGConnect's capabilities, enabling intensive object identification and classification directly on the vehicle, a crucial feature for dynamic missions.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Future Challenges And Opportunities</h1><p dir="ltr">The major foreseeable challenges in interoperability lie with cybersecurity, scalability, cross-domain standardisation, integration of legacy systems, and customisation and flexibility of UAV systems. Increased connectivity and data exchange will make systems more prone to hacking. Hence, robust data security systems will be essential. Scalability concerns will arise as the number of UAVs grows, and managing and coordinating swarms will become more complex. Other challenges include adopting the same standards across different industries and integrating them into legacy systems. Lastly, with an increased demand for standardisation, it will become difficult for manufacturers to add customisation and innovation to their products.</p><h1 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h1><p dir="ltr">As autonomous unmanned vehicles (UAVs) shape the future of uncrewed expeditions, the keys to unlocking their full potential lie in advanced interoperability, autonomy, and command systems. Realisation of such advanced systems requires standardised communication protocols, ingenious data-sharing mechanisms, and collective endeavours by stakeholders. Amid this crescendo, Advanced Navigation's Cloud Ground Control (CGC) emerges as a pioneering solution to interoperability in UAV systems by transcending limitations and creating an open platform for diverse vehicles. With the integration of AI, ML, and cloud computing, CGC propels UAV operations towards a new era of collaborative and enhanced capabilities, carving a brighter horizon for the domain of autonomous vehicles.</p><p dir="ltr">This article was contributed by <span translate="no" tabindex="-1"><span name="Mayor Philemon (Google Docs)" data-hovercard-id="comments-noreply@docs.google.com" data-hovercard-owner-id="97">Philemon <span translate="no" tabindex="-1" id="isPasted"><span name="Mayor Philemon (Google Docs)" data-hovercard-id="comments-noreply@docs.google.com" data-hovercard-owner-id="97">Mayor and Fatima Khalid.</span></span></span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">References</h2><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">ASTM, 2022.&nbsp;Standard Specification for UAS Traffic Management (UTM) UAS Service Supplier (USS) Interoperability.&nbsp;[Online]. Available at:&nbsp;https://www.astm.org/f3548-21.html</p><p dir="ltr">Interoperability Definition. Available at: https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/interoperability#:~:text=Interoperability%20refers%20to%20the%20degree,transmission%20and%20cross%2Dorganizational%20collaboration</p><p dir="ltr">EU, 2017. Deployable SAR Integrated Chain with Unmanned Systems. [Online]. Available at: <a href="https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/92979-unmanned-vehicles-to-the-rescue" target="_blank">https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/92979-unmanned-vehicles-to-the-rescue</a></p><p dir="ltr">EU, 2018.&nbsp;Smart UNattended airborne sensor Network for detection of vessels used for cross-border crime and irregular entry.&nbsp;[Online]. Available at:&nbsp;https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/313243</p><p dir="ltr">Intelligence, M., 2022.&nbsp;Mordor Intelligence.&nbsp;[Online]. Available at:&nbsp;https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/unmanned-systems-market</p><p dir="ltr">Kim Mathiassen, F. E. S. P. B. A. T. G. D. C. M. B. J. G. R. K. T. N. J. R. J. P. a. A. V., 2021. Demonstrating interoperability between unmanned ground systems and command and control systems.&nbsp;International Journal of Intelligent Defence Support Systems,&nbsp;pp. 100-129.</p><p dir="ltr">LSTS, 2015.&nbsp;SEAGULL.&nbsp;[Online]. Available at:&nbsp;https://lsts.fe.up.pt/project/seagull</p><p dir="ltr">MassRobotics, 2021. Autonomous Mobile Robot Standards Published by MassRobotics. [Online] Available at: https://www.massrobotics.org/autonomous-mobile-robot-standards-published-by-massrobotics/</p>

Swarm of micro air vehicles create a network (SMAVNET)

Unmanned and autonomous vehicles are transforming mobility across various sectors by attracting significant investment and promising economic growth, despite challenges in interoperability and customer adoption.

The Future of Unmanned And Autonomous Vehicles: Advanced Interoperability, Autonomy, And Command & Control Systems

<p id="isPasted">This job, on occasion, stinks.</p><p>But it’s all in a day’s work for <a href="https://aerometrix.ca/" target="_blank">Aerometrix</a>, Canada’s only company specialising in methane detection using drones. It’s not the methane itself that smells – it’s actually an odourless gas – but it’s the locations where methane can be emitted.</p><p>Imagine flying a massive landfill on a hot day in California.&nbsp;Further imagine that, in order to keep the dust down, the landfill operators have recently sprayed the location with leachate – the slimy runoff juice created by the landfill itself. It’s very biologically active, and it smells really bad.</p><p>“It’s horrendous – horrible,” chuckles Eric Saczuk, who often carries out the complex flights.</p><p>“It just ends up just suffusing through you and anything that you’re wearing. It even seems like it goes into your skin.”</p><p>Thankfully, not all missions are like that. But all of them do achieve results.</p><p>And now, for multiple reasons, Aerometrix is poised to be taking on many more of them – branching out into detection at oil and gas refineries.</p><p><em>Below: Flight Operations Lead Eric Saczuk prepares for an Aerometrix flight</em></p><p><em><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2MjA1NTM0ODQwLU1pY3Jvc29mdFRlYW1zLWltYWdlLTUtMi1qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Flight Operations"></em><br></p><h3 id="isPasted">Why Methane Detection?</h3><p>When it comes to climate change, methane is an invisible threat. Though we often hear about CO<sub>2</sub>emissions, methane is a serious problem when it comes to greenhouse gases.</p><p>“Methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere,” <a href="https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight" target="_blank">states the Environmental Defense Fund</a>.</p><p>“Even though CO<sub>2</sub> has a longer-lasting effect, methane sets the pace for warming in the near term.”</p><p>So there’s increasing urgency to detect and mitigate methane emissions. At landfills, for example, once the emission points are detected, the gas can be trapped – and even used to generate electricity.</p><p>“The main emphasis recently has been on landfills, both in Canada and the US,” explains Aerometrix Co-Founder Philip Reece. “We flew 16 missions over the last 12 months.”</p><p>And these missions aren’t simply popping a drone up for a brief flight. Nor are they automated. Every Aerometrix flight has to be carried out manually.</p><p>“Over large sites like the Vancouver landfill, that took us three days of flying, six hours a day,” says Saczuk. “We fly these missions at five metres above the ground – and there’s lots of things that can get in the way at that level.”</p><p>Aerometrix flights deploy either the DJI M300 or M350 drone. But the secret sauce is not so much the drone as the sensors. (And it’s most certainly not the leachate.)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Sensors</h3><p>Aerometrix deploys two different sensors to detect methane. One of them is called an Open Path Laser Spectrometer (OPLS), developed by NASA for use on the Mars Rover. It was designed to detect trace gases. In the case of methane detection, the laser is tuned to a specific frequency that is absorbed when it encounters that particular gas. The greater the absorption, the higher the methane concentration.</p><p>The sensor requires “clean air” for accurate readings – meaning there can’t be any prop wash or turbulence caused by the drone itself. Aerometrix engineers built a brace that holds the sensor well forward of the drone for this purpose. Having that sensor and rod, of course, upsets the balance of the drone. In fact, Saczuk estimates the weight of the rod and sensor at roughly 800 grams, perched about 1.5 metres forward of the drone.</p><p>And while the flight controller is capable of compensating for that, Saczuk always performs a calibration once the drone is in the air.</p><p>“We take off to maybe three or four meters above the ground. Once the drone is airborne, we go into the controller and initiate the calibration. So the drone calculates its revised centre of gravity and knows what its steady state is. The two front propellers then spin a little bit faster to keep the nose from dipping.”</p><p>Flying manually, Saczuk uses Tripod Mode to limit the drone’s speed. The most accurate readings occur when flying at about five metres per second.</p><p>On an ideal flight day, there would be a steady wind at around eight metres per second. If the breeze is coming from the east and blowing over the landfill, this provides a couple of advantages. First of all, by positioning operations at the eastern end you can avoid most of the smell. But the real reason is because the drone will begin its flight in clean air not contaminated by methane. That will enable the methane, once detected, to really contrast with the surrounding environment.</p><p>“What we don’t like is no wind, because then the methane just goes up vertically and it’s variable – it just gets pushed around by a little vortices here and there,” says Saczuk.</p><p>The drone will make multiple passes (in this example, north and south) over the site. When the laser hits methane, some of those rays will be absorbed and some reflected, depending on the concentration. Flying multiple paths allows enough data to be gathered to create a visualization of methane in a vertical plane.</p><p>“<span dir="ltr">We’ll do this on the upwind and downwind side of the site as well as a full perimeter to understand where the main emissions source likely are,” he adds.&nbsp;</span></p><p>“We shouldn’t be seeing much methane on that eastern side, assuming the wind is coming from the east. And then as we fly the western edge, that would capture all of the methane that’s being pushed by the wind and that would be the downwind curtain.”</p><p>While Saczuk is piloting, there’s a second controller that displays the data. A Raspberry Pi onboard the drone takes the data from the sensor and merges it with the flight data from the aircraft. So Saczuk can see the invisible gas while piloting.</p><p>The goal is obtain a really good cross-section, as illustrated below. Feel free to try your hand at the equation.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2MjA2MjA4MzE2LUZsdXgtQ3VydGFpbi1zY2hlbWF0aWMuanBnLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Site Cross Section"></p><h3 id="isPasted">Sensor Two</h3><p>The second sensor deployed is called a Laser Falcon. The sensor, mounting hardware and accessories will set you back close to <a href="https://shop.sphengineering.com/products/laser-falcon-methane-detector-bundle" target="_blank">$60k CDN</a>. It is mounted directly on the drone and faces downward.</p><p>In this case, the laser is factory tuned for methane detection – it is the only gas the Laser Falcon can detect.</p><p>"It's an active sensor that will detect the amount of absorption that's happening. The scattering of the laser in the air tells the sensor how much methane there is not at a point – but through a column of air."</p><p>In both cases, the data is crunched to make the invisible visible. The result is called a "flux curtain" or "flux plane" – with differing colours representing different concentrations of methane, measured in parts per million. In the graphic below, the greatest concentrations are seen in the middle of the image, just below the centre.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA2MjA2Mzk0NDA4LTIwMjJfMDhfMTNfZjJfZmx1eHBsYW5lLTEucG5nLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 302px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Flux Plane"></p><h3 id="isPasted">Poised for Growth</h3><p>In December&nbsp;the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced draft methane regulations. These regulations aim to reduce methane emissions by 75 per cent by the year 2030, when compared with emission from 2012. The focus is on the oil and gas industry.</p><p>“Oil and gas facilities are the largest industrial emitters of methane in Canada—they release about half of total methane emissions,” <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2023/12/draft-oil-and-gas-methane-regulations-amendments-published-in-december-2023-to-reduce-emissions-by-75-percent.html" target="_blank">reads the draft</a>.</p><p>“These releases occur during normal operation of equipment and from leaks. To comply with Canada’s existing methane <em>Regulations</em>, industries had to adopt practices to monitor for leaks and ensure that repairs happen to reduce the amount of gas intentionally vented into the air.</p><p>“Under the draft methane amendments, the Government of Canada is enhancing the emissions-monitoring requirements through a risk-based approach to structure inspections for fugitive emissions—facilities with equipment that has greater potential for emissions must undertake more frequent inspections. All inspections must be conducted using instruments with a standard minimum detection limit, and repair timelines will depend on emissions rates. Further, the draft regulations introduce an audit system, requiring one annual third-party inspection to validate company program results.”</p><p>In other words, it won’t be long before oil and gas facilities will need to bring experts like Aerometrix onboard to verify that the reported data is accurate.</p><p>“Lowering methane emissions from our oil and gas sector is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways we can cut the pollution that is fueling climate change,” said Minister Guilbeault in <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2023/12/minister-guilbeault-announces-canadas-draft-methane-regulations-to-support-cleaner-energy-and-climate-action.html" target="_blank">this news release</a>.</p><p>“As the world’s fourth largest oil and gas producer, we have both the responsibility and the know-how to do everything we can. At this time of robust profit margins and high energy prices, there has never been a better time for the oil and gas sector to invest in slashing methane emissions.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>New Investment&nbsp;</h3><p>In creating Aerometrix, co-Founders <a href="https://aerometrix.ca/company/#founders" target="_blank">Philip Reece and Michael Whiticar</a> developed a solution to a significant and largely invisible problem. Now, with even greater emphasis on reducing methane emissions, Aerometrix has attracted a major new investor.</p><p>That investor is Omar Asad, the company’s new Director. He sees great potential ahead.</p><p><span dir="ltr">“The cutting-edge technology utilised by Aerometrix is unmatched and has already translated into significant savings for clients,” says Asad. “What’s more, we offer both a much-needed and innovative solution – while helping to reduce methane emissions at a critical time.”</span></p><p>Asad’s investment, in conjunction with Canada’s impending methane legislation, paves the way for accelerated growth.</p><p><em>Below: Eric Saczuk points to the second controller, highlighting real-time methane detection</em><em><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1706206889738-MicrosoftTeams-image-1-2-jpg-2.webp" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></em></p><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3><p>Philip Reece, of course, is also the Founder and CEO of InDro Robotics. And he’s clearly pleased with both the investment – and the growth trajectory.</p><p>“Landfill detection alone has kept Aerometrix busy and profitable,” says Reece. “With the pending legislation we are poised for significant growth in the oil and gas sector.</p><p>“Not only is using these sensors with drones more accurate than traditional hand-held walk-arounds, but Aerometrix has racked up years of experience in turning our findings into clear and actionable data. This company, particularly with Omar onboard, is ready for the next phase of growth.”</p><p>Interested in learning more about methane detection by Aerometrix? Contact them <a href="mailto:Info@Aerometrix.ca" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

Empowering Environmental Safety Through Advanced Methane Detection Solutions

Aerometrix Methane Detection

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Climate change is a pressing global challenge with severe consequences for ecosystems, economies, and societies. Human activities in the past decades have led to an unprecedented increase in greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating global warming and its destructive effects. Today, scientists across various technological domains are exploring ways to combat climate change and prevent the earth from a scorching future. Uncrewed vehicles have emerged as a promising solution to the managing climate change and expediting human efforts in containing its damaging effects.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles are autonomous machines operating without a human pilot or operator, and they come in various forms, such as aerial, ground, and marine. Applications of uncrewed vehicles in industries like agriculture, forestry, ocean monitoring, and disaster response can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy, and protect natural resources by reducing or replacing other technologies that have high carbon emissions. Drone technology is already being used in innovative ways around the world to combat climate change, by providing cheaper and more effective ways to document, monitor and tackle it. &nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">This article explores uncrewed vehicles and their role in combating climate change. The discussion focuses on the role of these vehicles in different industries, the challenges and limitations associated with their deployment, and their future in the fight against climate change.</p><h2 dir="ltr">What are Uncrewed Vehicles?</h2><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles, or autonomous vehicles, are machines operating without direct human intervention. They rely on sensors, artificial intelligence, and control systems for navigation and task completion with minimal human input. Autonomy is achieved by combining technologies like computer vision, machine learning, and advanced control systems, enabling the vehicle to perceive its environment and make decisions based on data.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Monitoring and conservation</h3><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles are increasingly being used for environmental monitoring and conservation efforts. These vehicles are equipped with various sensors to collect data on a number of natural parameters including air, water and soil quality, temperature, and animal and marine life. This data is then analyzed through AI to form conservation strategies, track the movement of endangered species, and identify areas of high pollution. Uncrewed vehicles also have the potential to protect ecosystems by reducing the pollution generated by conventional transportation activities. For example, uncrewed vessels can replace manned ships for tasks such as oceanographic surveys, oil spill cleanups, and environmental monitoring, reducing emissions and the risk of accidental pollution. Similarly, using aerial drones in place of surface vehicles can reduce carbon emissions and provide greater movement.</p><p dir="ltr">Drones are already being utilized globally for environmental monitoring and conservation. This is demonstrated by scientists of Imperial College London who have designed drones that can attach sensors to trees to monitor environmental and ecological changes in forests (1); in Costa Rica, drones have been used to monitor tree degradation and the impact of illegal logging (2); and Dendra Systems, a start-up from Oxford is using aerial drones to plant trees with an aim of achieving up to 100,000 trees a day at abandoned mines in Australia, and mangroves forests in Myanmar (3).&nbsp;</p><h3>Transportation and emissions</h3><p dir="ltr">Transportation is the fastest growing source of emissions worldwide, and accounts for 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1990, transport emissions have grown at an annual average rate of nearly 1.7%, faster than any other sector (4). In order to achieve the target of zero net emissions by 2050, innovative ways of reducing these emissions will have to be adopted.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Drones present a promising technology to assist in bringing these emissions down while still carrying out transportation activities. Uncrewed vehicles, particularly drones, and small ground vehicles, often use electric propulsion systems, which produce zero tailpipe emissions. As technology advances, electric propulsion becomes feasible for larger vehicles, like the autonomous electric cargo ship, Yara Birkeland, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%&nbsp;(5).</p><p dir="ltr">Fueled partly by the pandemic, uncrewed vehicle industry has made rapid advances in the past few years. Improvements in battery storage and reductions in costs have resulted in drones that can fly much longer distances, while advances in automation and AI have made it possible to develop drones that can communicate and deliver payloads effectively. Many nations are currently working on regulations governing drone usage and it is only a matter of time before drone technology can replace a proportion of delivery traffic and the associated carbon footprint. It will also create many new opportunities for organizations to boost productivity and efficiency while protecting the planet.</p><p dir="ltr">An example of a zero impact uncrewed vehicles is the Wave Glider by Liquid Robotics (6). This autonomous surface vehicle is used for ocean conservation and is powered by a combination of solar and wave energy, enabling it to conduct long-duration ocean monitoring missions with minimal environmental impact. Vehicles such as the wave glider can be designed with environmental monitoring sensors to detect various marine parameters.</p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704889524163-drone2.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Figure 1: Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider UMV works using solar and tidal energy and can be equipped with sensors to collect marine data (6).</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Smart transportation systems integrate uncrewed vehicles with existing infrastructure, optimizing routes, reducing travel times, and minimizing energy consumption. They also facilitate renewable energy sources' integration into the charging infrastructure for electric uncrewed vehicles.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Disaster Response and Recovery</h2><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles are increasingly being utilized in disaster response and recovery operations, providing valuable support to emergency responders and relief agencies. Drones can quickly survey disaster-affected areas, providing high-resolution imagery and data to help assess damage, locate survivors, and plan rescue operations. This rapid assessment capability can save lives by enabling first responders to prioritize their efforts and allocate resources more efficiently.</p><p dir="ltr">A real-life example of uncrewed vehicles in disaster response and recovery is the use of drones by humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross. In the aftermath of natural disasters, drones have been deployed to assess damage, deliver aid, and support search and rescue operations. For instance, during the 2015 Nepal earthquake, drones were used to provide aerial imagery of the affected areas, helping to guide relief efforts and assess the extent of the damage (7).</p><h2 dir="ltr">Cloud Ground Control: Making drone fleet management more accessible&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">As we have explored in this article, uncrewed vehicles are playing a pivotal role in the global effort to combat climate change. From monitoring forests and oceans to aiding in disaster relief, these autonomous technologies are proving to be invaluable assets in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving our natural environment. Their diverse applications in various sectors showcase the potential for significant, positive environmental impacts.</p><p dir="ltr">Traditionally, high-quality drone technology was the preserve of well-funded corporations or government entities. However, the software package, <a href="https://www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/" target="_blank">Cloud Ground Control</a>, serves as a catalyst in democratizing drone technology. The product lowers the barrier to entry of drone fleet management, allowing smaller organizations, local governments, and even community groups to deploy drone fleets for various purposes. This accessibility means that more players can contribute to climate change mitigation efforts, bringing diverse perspectives and solutions.</p><p dir="ltr">CGC enables pilots and mission commanders to configure, monitor, and manage multiple autonomous drones and robots securely. These fleets can be used in the applications mentioned above to tackle climate change.</p><p dir="ltr">In conclusion, uncrewed vehicles are not just futuristic concepts; they are current, active participants in the fight against climate change. As technology advances and their applications expand, these vehicles will continue to be integral in shaping a sustainable future, demonstrating the power of innovation in addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.</p><h3 dir="ltr">References</h3><p dir="ltr">1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Brogan C. Drones that patrol forests could monitor environmental and ecological changes | Imperial News | Imperial College London [Internet]. Imperial News. 2020 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/207653/drones-that-patrol-forests-could-monitor/</p><p dir="ltr">2. &nbsp; &nbsp;Lane K. Unmanned crop monitoring helps small farmers in Costa Rica [Internet]. Springwise. 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.springwise.com/innovation/agriculture-energy/drones-help-small-farmers/</p><p dir="ltr">3. &nbsp; &nbsp;Dendra Systems. Dendra | Restoration Ecology &amp; Ecosystem Services and Management [Internet]. Dendra Systems. [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://dendra.io/</p><p dir="ltr">4. &nbsp; &nbsp;IEA. Transport – Analysis [Internet]. Paris; 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.iea.org/reports/transport</p><p dir="ltr">5. &nbsp; &nbsp;Yara Birkeland | Yara International [Internet]. Yara None. 2021 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.yara.com/news-and-media/media-library/press-kits/yara-birkeland-press-kit/</p><p dir="ltr">6. &nbsp; &nbsp;The Wave Glider | How It Works [Internet]. Liquid Robotics. [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.liquid-robotics.com/wave-glider/how-it-works/</p><p dir="ltr">7. &nbsp; &nbsp;Armed with drones, aid workers seek faster response to earthquakes, floods. Reuters [Internet]. 2016 May 16 [cited 2023 May 14]; Available from: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-humanitarian-summit-nepal-drones-idUSKCN0Y7003</p>

A look at uncrewed vehicles' role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions with examples for forestry, ocean monitoring, and disaster relief. 

How Uncrewed Vehicles are Assisting in Combating Climate Change

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Urban Air Mobility (UAM) represents a transformative approach to city transportation, leveraging aircraft such as air taxis and drones. This concept is increasingly recognized globally, with countries like the United States, Germany, and Japan actively developing UAM initiatives. The primary goal of UAM is to establish safe, efficient city travel and cargo delivery using small aircraft, thus redefining urban transportation systems.</p><p dir="ltr">Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are central to the advancements in UAM technologies. These vehicles are gaining popularity due to their environmental benefits and efficiency. Key players in the aviation industry, such as Airbus and Volocopter, are investing in eVTOL air taxis for urban passenger transport. Integrating advanced air traffic management systems is crucial to accommodate the increasing number of UAM aircraft and ensure safe operations within existing airspace1.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Understanding UAM</h2><h3 dir="ltr">What Is UAM?</h3><p dir="ltr">UAM is a transportation technology designed for urban areas, utilizing low-altitude aircraft for moving passengers or cargo. This system can include both human-piloted and autonomous aircraft. UAM encompasses various types of vehicles, such as advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, autonomous aerial vehicles (AAV), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), personal aerial vehicles (PAV), and eVTOL vehicles. eVTOLs, being electrically powered, are integral to UAM and enable vertical take-offs and landings, distinguishing them from conventional helicopters2.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Global Trends and Urbanization</h3><p dir="ltr">The growing urban population, with an estimated 68% of people residing in cities by 2050, places increasing demands on urban transportation infrastructure. In this context, UAM offers a three-dimensional transportation solution, potentially alleviating ground traffic congestion using air space. UAM's ability to provide mobility as a service (MaaS) through electric air taxis is particularly suited for dense urban environments.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">However, studies indicate mixed outcomes for UAM implementation. While UAM introduces innovative on-demand transport possibilities, its integration into existing urban environments may only lead to significant time savings in some cases. For instance, a study conducted in Munich and surrounding areas showed that switching to UAM might not considerably reduce travel times or distances traveled by car. Nevertheless, the potential of UAM to revolutionize urban mobility remains significant, with a predicted substantial increase in the number of passenger drones in European skies by 20502. This surge necessitates the parallel development of unmanned air traffic management systems for safety and efficiency.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Technological Innovations in UAM and eVTOL</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Key Industry Players: Companies and Regulatory Bodies Shaping UAM</h3><p dir="ltr">In the emerging UAM landscape, several key players significantly influence the industry's direction. Among them, Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility is making notable inroads, particularly in Australia, where it has established partnerships with Nautilus Aviation in Queensland, Sydney Seaplanes in New South Wales, and Microflite in Victoria. Eve's approach to eVTOLs focuses on electrical power, offering advantages such as reduced noise and zero local emissions, making UAM more accessible and environmentally friendly.</p><p dir="ltr">The support of Embraer, a leading aircraft manufacturer with extensive experience in aerospace engineering, safety, and intellectual property, underpins Eve Air Mobility's advancements. This backing is crucial in meeting the high safety standards demanded by various global regulatory authorities, ensuring that eVTOL and UAM solutions are sustainably and safely scaled in the market.</p><p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">On the regulatory side, organizations like the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) play critical roles. These bodies are actively engaged in monitoring UAM developments and are working to establish regulatory frameworks that safely integrate UAM operations into existing airspace. This involves setting standards and guidelines to manage the unique challenges posed by UAM, such as air traffic control for low-altitude urban flights and ensuring the safety of autonomous and piloted eVTOL aircraft in densely populated areas.</p><p dir="ltr">The collaboration between innovative companies like Eve Air Mobility and regulatory bodies is crucial for the successful implementation and growth of UAM. Such partnerships ensure that the technological advancements in eVTOLs are complemented by appropriate regulatory measures, paving the way for a future where UAM is a safe, efficient, and commonplace mode of transportation in urban environments.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Challenges in UAM Adoption: Regulatory, Safety, and Social Barriers</h2><p dir="ltr">Adopting UAM faces several significant challenges, primarily in regulatory, safety, and social domains.</p><h3 dir="ltr">Regulatory Challenges</h3><p dir="ltr">The regulatory environment for UAM and flying cars is still evolving. A primary challenge lies in the certification of vehicles by local authorities, which may be civil or military. The lack of a cohesive set of rules fitting these new technologies means that countries must either establish new regulations or adapt existing ones. This process ensures that UAM aircraft meet stringent safety standards and are compatible with current air traffic management systems. Given the novelty of UAM technologies, regulatory bodies face the complex task of framing guidelines that adequately address the unique aspects of low-altitude urban flights, including air traffic control and integration into existing airspace.<sup>2</sup></p><h3 dir="ltr">Safety Standards</h3><p dir="ltr">Safety is a paramount concern in the large-scale deployment of UAM. This includes not only the physical safety of the aircraft but also the development of systems with redundancy in powering sources and ballistic parachute systems for emergencies. The challenge is ensuring these aircraft can operate safely in densely populated urban areas without harming people or property. The high safety standards demanded for UAM aircraft require advanced technological solutions and rigorous testing procedures to minimize the risk of uncontrolled failures.<sup>2&nbsp;<iframe id="656733333c6f4ac6484f7c50" width="250" class="specs-iframe" height="440" src="https://wevolver.com/iframe/specs/te-connectivity-unmanned-power-ump-connector-kits?iframe=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></iframe></sup></p><h3 dir="ltr">Social Resistance</h3><p dir="ltr">UAM faces social barriers, including privacy concerns, community acceptance, and the perception of safety and security. The operation of UAM vehicles at low altitudes over urban areas raises concerns about privacy and noise pollution. Gaining public trust and acceptance is crucial for successfully integrating UAM into daily life. This involves addressing concerns about the environmental impact, noise levels, and the visual footprint of UAM infrastructure like vertiports. Research into societal perceptions of UAM is essential to understand these barriers and develop strategies to mitigate potential concerns. It's important to balance commercial interests and technological innovation with the public good, ensuring that UAM solutions are technologically feasible, socially acceptable, and inclusive.<sup>3</sup></p><h2 dir="ltr">The Potential and Vision of UAM</h2><h3 dir="ltr">UAM's Vision for Urban Transportation: Integrated Mobility and Environmental Sustainability</h3><p dir="ltr">UAM embodies a transformative vision for urban transportation, aiming to enhance mobility while adhering to principles of environmental sustainability. The UAM concept envisions a future where special aircraft, notably eVTOLs, integrate seamlessly into city life, offering rapid transit solutions without contributing to air pollution. This vision promotes "integrated mobility," a concept that facilitates a seamless transition between different modes of transportation, including regular cars, air taxis, and public transit. The goal is to provide convenience and foster cleaner and more sustainable urban environments.<sup>1</sup></p><p dir="ltr">Recent developments in the Future Air Mobility (FAM) industry, which includes UAM, have shown considerable momentum. The industry has progressed from early-stage concepts to tangible prototypes and manufacturing facilities. In 2022 alone, companies like Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, Aviation, Joby Aviation, Lilium, and Volocopter achieved significant flight hours testing their aircraft. This progress signifies a shift towards a more integrated, efficient urban mobility solution prioritizing environmental considerations such as zero emissions and reduced noise levels.<sup>2</sup></p><p dir="ltr">Regulatory advancements have also been noteworthy. In 2022, regulatory bodies like the FAA and EASA made progress in creating frameworks to accommodate these new forms of air mobility. These efforts ensure that UAM integrates safely and efficiently into existing urban and aviation ecosystems, aligning with broader sustainability goals while addressing the complex challenges of urban air traffic management and vehicle certification.<sup>3</sup></p><h3 dir="ltr">Opportunities and Benefits of UAM: Advantages Over Traditional Transportation Methods</h3><p dir="ltr">UAM offers several advantages over traditional transportation methods, reshaping urban travel dynamics. A key benefit is the ability to provide faster, more efficient transportation, particularly in congested urban areas. UAM is designed to significantly reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and offer seamless transportation options. Using eVTOLs, a central component of UAM, introduces quieter, cleaner options for personal transport over short distances, which could greatly alleviate urban traffic issues.<sup>1,5</sup></p><p dir="ltr"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 302px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAwNjQ1MjQyMDU2LUxpbGl1bSBKZXQgNiBwYXNzZW5nZXIgdG9wLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Image credit: Lilium.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr">In 2022, the industry saw a surge in interest and investment, indicating a strong demand for these new modes of transportation. Approximately 6,700 UAM-related orders were placed, representing a value of $45 billion.7 This demand came from various stakeholders, including airlines, aircraft charter companies, and leasing companies. The development of tangible prototypes and manufacturing facilities, with companies like Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, and Joby Aviation leading the way, has further demonstrated the industry's commitment to bringing these solutions to market.</p><p dir="ltr">Regulatory progress has also been notable. Authorities such as the FAA and EASA are creating new frameworks to accommodate UAM. These developments are essential for integrating UAM into existing transportation systems safely and efficiently. The progress on the regulatory front is crucial in ensuring that UAM solutions are not only technologically advanced but also safe and compliant with global standards.<sup>7</sup></p><h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2><p dir="ltr">UAM is evolving rapidly, with significant strides in eVTOL technology, indicating a transformative future for urban transportation. Current progress shows a shift from conceptual models to tangible prototypes, backed by substantial investments and regulatory developments from bodies like the FAA and EASA. eVTOLs, integral to UAM, offer environmentally friendly, efficient, and quieter alternatives to conventional transport, aiming to alleviate urban congestion and reduce pollution. The success of UAM hinges on technological advancements, regulatory support, and public acceptance, positioning it as a pivotal element in future urban mobility solutions.</p><h1 id="isPasted">TE Connectivity: Bring Unmanned Vehicles with Power (UMP) Connector Kits</h1><p>TE Connectivity's (TE) <a href="https://www.mouser.de/new/te-connectivity/te-unmanned-power-connector-kits/?_gl=1*ubhmtk*_ga*MzkzMzM0NDIyLjE2OTg2NTE2ODc.*_ga_15W4STQT4T*MTcwMjQ3Nzk5Ny41LjEuMTcwMjQ3ODEyMy41MC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Unmanned Power (UMP) Connector Kits</a> provide a reliable contact interface that safely delivers power or power/signals to various parts of unmanned vehicles. These connectors offer up to 80A per contact and are available as power or mixed signal/power connectors. The UMP connectors are provided with the mating pair of connectors (both plug and receptacles). The connector kits are manufactured with stronger materials proven in harsh environments and reliable contact interfaces while considering weight and density. These connector kits can be sealed in wire-to-wire format for added environmental protection. The TE UMP connector kits can be used in high power in small form factor requirements. Typical applications include unmanned vehicles, ground defense, robotics, and factory automation. <a href="https://www.mouser.de/new/te-connectivity/te-unmanned-power-connector-kits/?_gl=1*ubhmtk*_ga*MzkzMzM0NDIyLjE2OTg2NTE2ODc.*_ga_15W4STQT4T*MTcwMjQ3Nzk5Ny41LjEuMTcwMjQ3ODEyMy41MC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more here.</a></p><p>Mouser Electronics sponsored this content in partnership with TE Connectivity.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAyNDc4NjUzOTk2LVRFIGNvbi5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p><br></p><h2 dir="ltr">References</h2><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://sustainablereview.com/exploring-the-future-of-urban-air-mobility-uam-key-concepts-and-innovative-technologies/" target="_blank">https://sustainablereview.com/exploring-the-future-of-urban-air-mobility-uam-key-concepts-and-innovative-technologies/</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/eng-2022-0379/html?lang=en" target="_blank">https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/eng-2022-0379/html?lang=en</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X21003788" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X21003788</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">&nbsp;<a href="https://rotorcraft.arc.nasa.gov/Publications/files/vtol-urban-air-2.pdf" target="_blank" data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">https://rotorcraft.arc.nasa.gov/Publications/files/vtol-urban-air-2.pdf</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/all-about-eve-behind-the-evtol-revolution" target="_blank">https://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/all-about-eve-behind-the-evtol-revolution</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2247858/Deakin-University-Mobility-Whitepaper-Advanced-Aerial-Mobility-and-eVTOL-aircraft-in-Australia.pdf" target="_blank" data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">https://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2247858/Deakin-University-Mobility-Whitepaper-Advanced-Aerial-Mobility-and-eVTOL-aircraft-in-Australia.pdf</a></p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/aerospace-and-defense/our-insights/future-air-mobility-blog/future-air-mobility-major-developments-in-2022-and-significant-milestones-ahead" target="_blank">https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/aerospace-and-defense/our-insights/future-air-mobility-blog/future-air-mobility-major-developments-in-2022-and-significant-milestones-ahead</a></p></li></ol>

Exploring the potential of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles in transforming urban transportation


Urban Air Mobility Takes Off

As the global adoption of uncrewed vehicles gains momentum in firefighting operations, it's evident that these technological advancements hold immense potential. 


Why drones are the next step to managing dire responses globally

<section id="isPasted"><p>Many envision drones in one of two ways: as tiny toys fluttering in the backyard or as menacing military machines soaring high above. Practical applications, however, are drones’ real future. Businesses worldwide, spanning diverse sectors, are discovering how drones can enhance their operations and deliver unmatched value.</p><p>In this blog, we’ll dive into what drones really are &amp; explore their current commercial applications. Plus, we’ll take a peek into the exciting future of where drones might take us next.</p><h2></h2><h3>What is a Drone?</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1697727859806-1697727859806.png" alt="What is a drone" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>Drones, often referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are aircraft that fly without a human pilot onboard. This label applies whether the drone is massive enough to carry a person or small enough to fit in your pocket. Typically, a remote pilot controls these robotic fliers, but fully autonomous drones are also available. Initially created to offer a safer, more cost-effective alternative to manned aircraft, drones soon found their way into commercial markets, enhancing operational efficiency and offering some fun as well.</p><p>Drones, regardless of their shape or size, consistently feature key components: sensors, motors, microcontrollers, and a fuel source. The significant reduction in commercial drone prices over recent years may be attributed to the inclusion of components common to smartphones, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cameras, and GPS modules. This cost efficiency has opened doors, making them more accessible for both businesses and individual consumers.</p><h2></h2><h3>Drone Market Size</h3><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1697727859736-1697727859736.png" alt="Drone market size" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>Over the past decade, the drone market has experienced remarkable growth across the consumer, commercial, and military sectors In 2022, the global drone industry was valued at $26.2 billion, with the military sector contributing a significant $12 billion.</p><p>Here’s where it gets interesting: the military sector projects a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 7% for the next five years.<br>However, the worldwide market is set to outpace it, targeting a growth rate of nearly 8% CAGR. If this momentum continues, we can expect the global drone market to reach an impressive $38.3 billion by 2027, with non-military drone projects slowly becoming ever-more dominant.</p><p>A significant part of the growth is driven not by drone hardware, but by how it is manipulated to perform dangerous or difficult tasks.</p><h2></h2><h3>The Value of Drones-as-a-Service(DaaS)</h3><p>With drone hardware now more wallet-friendly to manufacture and buy, the real game-changer in the industry is pivoting towards drones as a service (DaaS). It’s not just about the drones anymore—it’s the actionable data and efficiencies they bring that businesses are chasing. Dive into the numbers: <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/engineered-products-infrastructure-machinery-components-drones-go-work" target="_blank">Boston Consulting Group’s research</a> suggests that by 2050, value-added services could account for 73% of the drone market’s revenue. So, it’s clear: the value isn’t just in the flight, but in the insights they deliver.</p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1697727859681-1697727859681.png" alt="Exhibit2 components of value drone" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1697727859619-1697727859619.png" alt="Drone revenue" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><p>2050 Revenue Share of the Drone Market:</p><ul><li>Products<ul><li>Design, Sales, Marketing: 6%</li><li>Assembly &amp; Production: 8%</li></ul></li><li>Services<ul><li>Value-Added Services: 48%</li><li>Piloting &amp; Operations: 25%</li></ul></li><li>Other<ul><li>Maintenance &amp; Insurance: 13%</li></ul></li></ul><h2></h2><h3>Commercial Uses for Drones</h3><p>Drones have rapidly emerged as indispensable tools across numerous commercial sectors. As a result of their multifaceted applications, they have evolved from mere recreational uses to pivotal roles that improve safety and efficiency. Aside from their incredible video capabilities, drones offer groundbreaking innovations in delivery &amp; 3D mapping that are reshaping business operations for the better. Here are some of the ways drones are integrated into today’s businesses.</p><p><strong>Video Collection and Photography:</strong><br>From showcasing real estate properties to conducting wartime reconnaissance, drones are making their mark with video capabilities. Equipped with high-resolution and multi-spectral cameras, including RGB-NIR, NVDI, and UV NIR, drones have found a place in various sectors. They’re now used for tasks like mapping infrastructures, inspecting energy projects, &amp; monitoring agriculture. The value they bring is evident across industries.</p><p>For years, drones have captured breathtaking aerial photography images, offering us a unique bird’s eye perspective of cities, buildings, and sprawling landscapes. It’s become a familiar sight, yet the awe of seeing the world from that vantage point never truly fades.</p><p><strong>Inspections:</strong><br>Drones are becoming indispensable for inspection processes across a wide range of industries. The utility of these aerial tools is evident: they enable inspectors to gather essential data without ever leaving the safety of the ground. From navigating the tight confines of industrial tanks and boilers to assessing the integrity of towering structures such as wind turbines, cell towers, and amusement park ride supports, drones streamline the inspection process.</p><p>This not only reduces potential risks to human inspectors but also increases efficiency. Drones can often complete an assessment in the time it would traditionally take an inspector just to access the site. The adoption of drones marks a significant advancement in ensuring safety and operational excellence in inspections.</p><p><strong>Delivery:</strong><br>The concept of drone delivery, once viewed as futuristic, is rapidly becoming a part of today’s logistics landscape. Flytrex, for instance, has made significant headway, specializing in food delivery in targeted regions of Texas and North Carolina, completing tens of thousands of drone deliveries annually.</p><p>Additionally, it’s noteworthy to mention Zipline and Google’s affiliate, Wing, which have established themselves as the first and second largest drone delivery enterprises globally. The industry is evolving fast, and these companies are leading the way.</p><p><strong>3D Mapping:</strong><br>Drones, equipped with the ability to create 3D models, have revolutionized surveying methods, offering capabilities that traditional techniques can’t match. By capturing data with remarkable speed and accuracy, and then integrating this with advanced photogrammetry software, they produce detailed and accurate 3D models. Models like these can be meticulously analyzed, offering comprehensive insights into a variety of fields.</p><p>In urban planning, these 3D representations are invaluable. Architects and landscape designers use these models to guide their visions, ensuring public spaces evolve cohesively. Aerial models provided by agricultural drones provide a better understanding of soil composition, crop diseases, and crop yields.</p><p>Meanwhile, such models help track progress in the construction industry and inform site layouts. In order to make accurate comparisons, real estate professionals align properties with service titles using 3D maps.</p><h2></h2><h3>Future Drones: Smaller, Stronger, Autonomous</h3><p>The future of drone technology promises remarkable advancements. As the technology evolves, we anticipate the development of even smaller drones, surpassing even the compactness of today’s Black Hornet Nano. Conversely, larger drones designed for the transportation of goods will grow in size, endurance, and capability. It’s not far-fetched to imagine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIdc-BaD0T0" target="_blank">drone taxis</a> becoming an integral part of urban transportation in major cities worldwide.</p><p>The rapid development of drones is closely tied to advances in communication technology. 5G’s ultra-reliable, low-latency communication allows drones to make instant, real-time decisions, enabling them to become increasingly autonomous. With projections indicating the onset of 6G networks by 2030, offering unparalleled terahertz frequency bands and superior edge computing capabilities, autonomous drones are poised to revolutionize several industries.</p><h2></h2><h3>PCBA Production: The Heartbeat of Modern Drones</h3><p>Behind every sophisticated drone lies an intricate Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) that powers its operations. As drones become more advanced and versatile, the importance of high-quality PCBA production becomes paramount.</p><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1697727859861-1697727859861.png" alt="Pcba heartbeat drone" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><ul><li><p><strong>Complex Circuitry for Advanced Functions:</strong> Modern drones are not just about flying; they come loaded with sensors, cameras, and communication modules, all of which require meticulously designed PCBAs. These assemblies manage various tasks, from stabilizing the drone in the air and capturing high-resolution images to communicating with the remote pilot or base station.</p></li><li><p><strong>Miniaturization and Efficiency:&nbsp;</strong>As drones aim for sleeker designs and longer flight durations, PCBAs must be compact yet powerful. Advanced PCBA production<br>techniques allow for the integration of multiple functionalities on a single board, ensuring drones are lightweight without compromising on features.</p></li><li><p><strong>Durability and Reliability:</strong> Drones often operate in challenging conditions, be it varying temperatures, humidity levels, or physical impacts. The PCBA, being the electronic backbone of the drone, must withstand these conditions. Modern PCBA production emphasizes not just functionality but also durability, ensuring drones remain reliable across multiple flights<br>and environments.</p></li><li><p><strong>Cost-Effective Production for a Competitive Market:</strong> With the commercial drone market becoming increasingly competitive, manufacturers aim to produce high-quality drones at competitive price points. <a href="https://www.macrofab.com/pcba/" target="_blank">Advanced PCBA production techniques</a> play a pivotal role in this, ensuring that drones are both feature-rich and affordable.</p></li><li><p><strong>Customization for Specific Applications:</strong> Different drones serve different purposes, from agricultural surveys and real estate photography to delivery and emergency response. Custom PCBA designs are tailored to these specific needs, ensuring that the drone excels in its designated function.</p></li></ul><p>As the drone industry continues to grow and evolve, the significance of PCBA production will only amplify. It’s the seamless integration of sophisticated PCBAs that drives drones’ unparalleled capabilities, making them indispensable tools in today’s technologically advanced world.</p><h2></h2><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The evolution of drone technology demonstrates a significant shift from its early recreational and military applications to now serving as indispensable tools in various industries. Their wide-ranging uses, from enhancing business operations to enabling novel technological applications, highlight their transformative potential.</p><p>As we anticipate further advancements, especially with the forthcoming introduction of 6G networks, drones are poised to be a cornerstone of future technological innovations and commercial applications. Their continued growth promises to shape the way industries operate, underscoring the critical role they’ll play in our future.</p><a href="https://www.macrofab.com/pcba/quality/" target="_blank">GET THE QUALITY YOU NEED WITH MACROFAB</a></section>

Drone technology is changing service industries 

By 2050 value-added services could account for 73% of the drone market's revenue. 

How Drone Technology is Changing Modern Service Industries

<p dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires can cause immense damage to human life and property. In recent years, technology has evolved to the point where uncrewed vehicles can be used to help mitigate the effects of disasters. They excel in areas where human access might be limited or hazardous, enabling them to perform critical tasks such as pre-disaster monitoring, post-disaster assessment, debris removal, supply delivery, and environmental data collection.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Critical to utilising uncrewed vehicles for disaster relief is the ability to coordinate vehicles into autonomous fleets and leverage live video links for real-time observation. An example of this is <a href="https://www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cloud Ground Control (CGC)</a>, a platform that can elevate uncrewed vehicles to be effectively employed in managing and mitigating natural disasters.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Utilising uncrewed vehicles for pre-disaster preparedness</h2><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles can be leveraged pre-disaster, such as mapping risk areas and identifying changing environmental conditions as well as post-disaster, for example risk mitigation, rescue and relief.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">The foremost strategy to disaster mitigation is pre-disaster preparedness which refers to the monitoring of disaster-prone areas and detecting changes in environmental parameters. These changes help scientists in predicting when a climatic anomaly or disaster may take place and aid in taking preventive actions. Uncrewed vehicles use sensors to gather data in real-time. This data is then sent to software with special algorithms that automatically analyse it and trigger specific actions based on AI interpretation of the results.</p><p dir="ltr">CGC, for example, aggregates the data collected from multiple uncrewed vehicles and stores it in a centralised cloud-based platform. This central repository ensures that all relevant data is accessible to decision-makers and experts involved in disaster preparedness.<br><br>The sensors gather data across a wide spectrum of phenomena, such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric composition, electromagnetic radiation, and more. For instance, temperature sensors employ thermoelectric materials to convert thermal energy into measurable electrical signals. Electromagnetic sensors exploit interactions between electromagnetic fields and their target materials to discern properties like object proximity, material composition, or radiation intensity.<br><br>In the realm of pre-disaster preparedness, the utilisation of uncrewed vehicles equipped with these sensors brings substantial advantages. Firstly, the real-time data collection capability of these sensors enables the continuous monitoring of key environmental parameters that might serve as early indicators of impending disasters.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">For instance, sudden shifts in temperature, atmospheric pressure, or gas composition could signify the onset of natural events like wildfires, tsunamis, or seismic activities. By promptly identifying these anomalies, authorities and response teams can be promptly alerted, allowing for timely evacuation and mitigation measures. The robust data security measures offered by platforms like CGC ensure the safeguarding of critical environmental and situational data collected by uncrewed vehicles, enhancing the integrity and effectiveness of pre-disaster preparedness efforts.<br><br>Moreover, the automated relay of sensor-derived data to software integrated with specialised algorithms enables swift data analysis, extracting meaningful patterns and anomalies from the collected information. This analytical process aids in identifying potential disaster precursors, assisting experts in making informed decisions and predictions. The subsequent activation of specific actions through AI-driven interpretation further enhances preparedness.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">For instance, if a sudden increase in gas concentration indicative of a chemical leak is detected, AI can trigger the deployment of containment measures, thus minimising potential harm to human life and the environment.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Mapping an area post-disaster</h2><p dir="ltr">While preparing for natural disasters is key, once they strike, uncrewed vehicles can be on scene rapidly to provide a response. Uncrewed vehicles can be equipped with an array of sensing technologies to accurately map and analyse disaster-stricken areas. These maps are extremely helpful in aiding and increasing the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts. They allow relief workers to identify critical regions and prioritise response efforts. Thermal camera drones can scan a large area and fly over collapsed structures to identify people in distress. Drones can also be employed for pre-and post-disaster large scale 3D mapping of an area which can help in preventive measures before possible disasters and relief efforts afterwards.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Furthermore, uncrewed vehicles contribute to post-disaster mapping, surveying, and assessment. Utilising CGC’s cellular micro-modem CGConnect, uncrewed vehicles can be seamlessly linked to a cloud-based drone fleet management platform, enabling real-time live-streaming, command, and control from a web browser. Instead of having to collect data from multiple drones after they have conducted surveys, CGC allows for a simultaneous data collection and transmission from the entire drone fleet of up to 1000 uncrewed vehicles. This significantly enhances emergency response and disaster relief capabilities.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">Humanitarian Relief</h2><p dir="ltr">Another important use of uncrewed vehicles in disaster relief efforts is their ability to quickly deliver lifesaving supplies. Drones and other unmanned vehicles are currently being employed to directly deliver food, water, and medical supplies to people affected by natural calamities. Due to their maneuverability and flight capability, aerial drones respond much faster in many areas compared to crewed vehicles.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Additionally, uncrewed water vehicles (UWVs) can be used to transport supplies and people across flooded areas. These UWVs are equipped with GPS and obstacle detection systems to navigate submerged streets and obstacles effectively. Using their payload capacity, the UWVs travel through flooded neighborhoods, delivering supplies directly to doorsteps where people are stranded.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr">Technology plays a huge role in this, for example CGC can serve as a central platform for coordinating the delivery of such lifesaving supplies. It enables real-time tracking of multiple vehicles' locations, routes, and cargo status. Relief teams can monitor the progress of supply deliveries and adjust routes in response to changing conditions or emerging priorities.&nbsp;</p><h2 dir="ltr">An ongoing development&nbsp;</h2><p dir="ltr">Uncrewed vehicles have the potential to revolutionise the way we respond to natural disasters and save countless lives. By providing critical information and assistance in hazardous environments, uncrewed vehicles are becoming an increasingly important tool in the response to natural disasters. &nbsp;It is important to note, however, that uncrewed vehicles are not a panacea but rather an auxiliary tool in the effort of disaster management. While uncrewed vehicles offer substantial benefits, they complement a comprehensive disaster management approach, underscoring the importance of coordinated relief efforts that integrate emerging technologies like <a href="https://www.cloudgroundcontrol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CGC</a> to achieve optimal disaster response outcomes.</p><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">References</h2><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Qiu,Stephanie. Cloud Ground Control Empowers Emergency Response And Disaster Relief With 5G Drone Fleet Control. 5 April 2023. [Internet]. <a href="https://www.advancednavigation.com/news/cloud-ground-control-empowers-emergency-response-and-disaster-relief-with-5g-drone-fleet-control/" target="_blank">https://www.advancednavigation.com/news/cloud-ground-control-empowers-emergency-response-and-disaster-relief-with-5g-drone-fleet-control/</a> .&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">CORDIS EU Research Results. EU project successfully deploys robots following Italy earthquake [Internet]. <a href="https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/120405-eu-project-successfully-deploys-robots-following-italy-earthquake" target="_blank">https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/120405-eu-project-successfully-deploys-robots-following-italy-earthquake</a>&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. NOAA Saildrone Hurricane Observation [Internet]. [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/saildrone-hurricane/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Bateman J. China’s Launching Drones to Fight Back Against Deadly Earthquakes. Wired [Internet]. [cited 2023 May 14]; Available from: https://www.wired.com/2017/01/chinas-launching-drones-fight-back-earthquakes/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Armed with drones, aid workers seek faster response to earthquakes, floods. Reuters [Internet]. 2016 May 16 [cited 2023 May 14]; Available from: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-humanitarian-summit-nepal-drones-idUSKCN0Y7003</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Martin G. Drones aid SANDF disaster relief efforts in KwaZulu-Natal [Internet]. defenceWeb. 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/drones-aid-sandf-disaster-relief-efforts-in-kwazulu-natal/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Science and Technology Directorate. Feature Article: Unmanned Vehicles Could Lead in Dangerous Rescue Situations | Homeland Security [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/news/2022/06/09/feature-article-unmanned-vehicles-could-lead-dangerous-rescue-situations</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Covid in Scotland: Drones to carry Covid samples. BBC News [Internet]. 2021 Feb 23 [cited 2023 May 14]; Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-56154503</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Frey T. Using Drones to Eliminate Future Forest Fires [Internet]. Futurist Speaker. 2018 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://futuristspeaker.com/technology-trends/using-drones-to-eliminate-future-forest-fires/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Partheepan S, Sanati F, Hassan J. Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Bushfire Management: Challenges and Opportunities. Drones. 2023 Jan;7(1):47.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Drone Amplified. Fire Management System Embedded to Drones [Internet]. Ignis by Drone Amplified. [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://droneamplified.com/ignis/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Ocean Infinity. Our Technology - Ocean Infinity [Internet]. Ocean Infinity. 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://oceaninfinity.com/ourtechnology/</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Tabor A. Volcano-observing Drone Flights Open Door to Routine Hazard Monitoring [Internet]. NASA. 2022 [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/volcano-observing-drone-flights-open-door-to-routine-hazard-monitoring</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Bonali FL, Tibaldi A, Marchese F, Fallati L, Russo E, Corselli C, et al. UAV-based surveying in volcano-tectonics: An example from the Iceland rift. Journal of Structural Geology. 2019 Apr;121:46–64.&nbsp;</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">eBee X mapping drone - Drones [Internet]. AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. [cited 2023 May 14]. Available from: https://ageagle.com/drones/ebee-x/</p></li></ol>

Critical to utilising uncrewed vehicles for disaster relief is the ability to coordinate vehicles into autonomous fleets and leverage live video links for real-time observation. 


How Uncrewed Vehicles are Rising to the Challenge of Natural Disasters

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