Features | Drones

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Drones

Regulations need to adapt to evolving industry – drone specialist

By: Nadine Ramdass 29th March 2024 A collaborative approach between industry authority the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and drone operators is critical in further easing regulations for new and existing drone operators while achieving airspace safety, says drone-based services specialist RocketDNA quality... →

Drones deliver predator bugs for sustainable pest control

29th March 2024 Wine producer Vergelegen wine estate, in Somerset West, has partnered with collaborative venture SkyBugs to test the use of drone-delivered beneficial insects to control pests in its vineyards. SkyBugs, a partnership between integrated pest management provider FieldBUGS and agritech company... →

An image of SkyBUG's drone system for dispersing beneficial insects

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS Drone dispersal ensures more effective distribution and coverage of beneficial insects

Drones: Taking engineering excellence to new heights with RPAS and digital scanning

29th March 2024 In the fast-paced world of engineering and technology, Proconics is leading the charge, embracing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and digital scanning to push the boundaries of what is achievable. These are not just tools in our belt—they are transformative agents propelling us toward... →

Robert Theron

Flyability announces industry milestone

29th March 2024 Market leader in confined space drones Flyability has announced a new ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) payload for its flagship drone the Elios 3. This payload was developed in partnership with Cygnus Instruments, a global leader in ultrasonic testing (UT) technology, to create a product... →

Drone potential hindered by regulatory hurdles, lack of funding

By: Nadine Ramdass 29th March 2024 While the South African drone manufacturing sector could increase its participation in the international market, regulatory hurdles, as well as a lack of funding and government support, are some of the challenges hindering market growth. South Africa has relatively positive geopolitical... →

An image of Aerial Monitoring Solutions' Eagle Owl Drone

READY TO LAUNCH South Africa boasts a talented drone manufacturing industry that is impeded by lack of support

UAV expo set for September

26th May 2023 The organisers of Commercial UAV Expo, the world’s leading commercial drone trade show and conference, have announced an impressive list of more than 135 top unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) companies globally that have already signed on to exhibit at the upcoming edition. This year's conference... →

New breakthrough for defence company

26th May 2023 Defence and manufacturing company Airbus Defence and Space and its wholly-owned subsidiary Airbus UpNext, have achieved in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone using an A310 MRTT. In this first step towards Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air refuelling (A4R), the... →

Two aircrafts close to one another preparing to refuel

REVOLUTIONARY REFUEL Airbus boast its new in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone using an A310 MRTT for refueling mid air

Drones used in anti-poaching

26th May 2023 Various technologies, such as tracking tags, closed circuit television cameras and thermal cameras, Wireless Sensor Networks, mobile apps and drones, are being used for intelligence and communications in anti-poaching operations to protect wildlife. However, these technologies bring with them the... →

German developer, research centre form JV

26th May 2023 German developer Wingcopter, an operator of delivery drones, and Hamburg-based ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research have announced a development partnership. Together, they intend to explore the potential of green hydrogen to power Wingcopter's drones, which are already purely electric,... →

3 gents in a facility holding a large white plane like drone

FLY AWAY The Wingcopter already achieves higher ranges and speeds than most competitors' models

Advanced tech effective solution for inspection projects

By: Anna Moross 25th March 2022 Advanced drone technology has many benefits and can be used in various inspection projects. →

ADVANCED DRONE TECHNOLOGY This technology can capture high-resolution images or 4K videos that explicitly reveal cracks, damage, displaced wires and additional defects.

Drones used in measurement systems

By: Anna Moross 25th March 2022 Licensed remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) operator LS of South, under associate company RPAS operator LS Multi Copter Projects and Services, develops measurement systems which are integrated into drone technology. →

An image of a remotely piloted aircraft system

LS OF SOUTH AFRICA’S RPAS FLEET The integrated measurement systems that we provide include centimetre flight accuracy, with correction of roll, pitch and yaw parameters, while the line-of-sight paths from an aerial position allow for unobstructed absolute measurements

Tech company optimistic of drones future

By: Anna Moross 25th March 2022 Despite the drones and defence sectors being adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of the global slowdown it triggered, global aerospace and technology company Paramount Advanced Technologies is optimistic about the future. →

An image of drone technology used in defence

DRONE TECHNOLOGY Drone applications are diverse, with widespread acceptance of drone applications in surveying, photography, entertainment, the military and policing applications, Connolly points out

Company offers remote pilot licence training

By: Anna Moross 25th March 2022 Operating a drone legally in South Africa for commercial purposes requires complying with legal requirements, and obtaining a remote pilot licence (RPL), says leading training organisation Drone Safety and Legal (DSL) GM Bridgette Tucker. →

An image of the practical sessions for pilot license training

PILOT LICENCE TRAINING DSL is able to assist with this approval process and we train students for the RPL

Drones courses enrolments open

By: Darren Parker 19th March 2021 Training organisation Drone Safety Legal (DSL) – a subsidiary of drone services group Delta Drone International – has opened enrolments for its new South African Civil Aviation Authority- (SACAA-) accredited remote pilot licence (RPL) courses, which are being offered in partnership with the... →

Drone merger expands group offering

19th March 2021 The merger between Israeli drone safety company ParaZero and international drone services provider Delta Drone South Africa has resulted in the relisting of drones-as-a-service company Delta Drone International, based in Australia, on the Australian Securities Exchange to begin trading again from... →

Drone company ventures into niche solar market

By: Darren Parker 19th March 2021 Multinational drone services group Delta Drone International is venturing into drone inspections on concentrated solar power (CSP) thermal systems – which is “highly niche”, says Delta Drone South Africa group sales and marketing head Camron Pfafferott. →

CSP PLANT At a CSP plant such as this, any number of heliostat mirrors could suffer from cracks

Road map development for drone adoption under way

By: Darren Parker 19th March 2021 A roadmap package is being developed by mining technology platform Dwyka Mining Services to assist mining companies in developing a sustainable strategy for integrating drone technology into their operations over the medium to long term. →

UNDERGROUND INSPECTION Mining companies have approached Dwyka Mining Services for drone adoption and internalisation, including the capturing and processing of data

Drones used for maintenance, inspection

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 20th March 2020 Industrial rope access company Skyriders’ use of drones for on-site inspection has enabled it to gain access into confined spaces that might be too dangerous for its clients’ technicians. A drone can be used to conduct a visual inspection in a specific area. It will send live feedback, which is... →

NO TIME WASTED A visual inspection using a drone takes an hour and only requires the operator and their assistant

Companies collaborate to explore historic Finland mine

20th March 2020 Earlier this month, a pioneer in autonomous aerial robot systems for complex, global positioning system- (GPS-) denied industrial environments announced a successful mission in partnership with Canada-based gold exploration and development company Rupert Resources. By harnessing... →

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS Exyn Technologies’ fully autonomous aerial robots mapped 30 stopes in three days with a single drone

Real-time drone detection ensures safety at mines

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 20th March 2020 Owing to blast managers or team members working under dangerous conditions on mines, drone service provider Rocketmine will be releasing a new live object-detection system this year which will assist in managing pre-blast inspections and safety checks, says Rocketmine marketing and quality... →

SAFE AND EFFICIENT Drones reduce value chain costs, improve safety and enhance the turnaround times of data capturing

Rocketmine

20th March 2020 Rocketmine, a subsidiary of the listed Delta Drone Group, is Africa’s leading premier drone data service provider. Fully licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Rocketmine provides professional and cost-effective services while focusing on delivering safe, reliable and accurate data to... →

Drones a corporate espionage threat

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 20th March 2020 Although drones have been a positive business decision for various industries, such as agriculture, where drones are used for automated farming, drones can also pose a threat to companies when they are used for corporate espionage, says information and communications technology systems integrator... →

CALLIE VAN VUUREN Smartphone applications can also be used to detect and locate nearby routers that may have been flown in by a drone

Drones provide cost savings for plants

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 1st November 2019 Drone technology presents a major cost-saving opportunity for companies, compared to traditional methods of inspection, highlights industrial rope access company Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn. Skyriders’ Elios SkyEye drone is designed specifically for indoor application, enabling the... →

YING AND YANG Skyriders demonstrated the synergy between drone technology and traditional rope access during an inspection project

Remote pilot aircraft system used for firefighting

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 1st November 2019 Fire protection systems provider Industrial Fire and Hazard Control has introduced a single source solution for all remote pilot aircraft system (RPAS) solutions for fire, rescue, hazardous material and disaster-management environments, as well as incident command and control. Industrial Fire and... →

SKY MATIS Using the RPAS allows for live footage with a bird’s eye view of the current situation

iQlaser

1st November 2019 iQlaser is one of the leading suppliers of portable 3D measuring, scanning and photogrammetry solutions for both terrestrial and airborne applications. Established in 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa, iQlaser supplies the most cost-effective solutions for its customers by offering a wealth of... →

WiPo Wireless Power

1st November 2019 WiPo Wireless Power is an advanced technology startup company that produces wireless charging solutions for ultra-high powered industrial devices such as drones, electric forklifts and factory robotics. Wireless power is ideal for charging or powering devices in areas where water, dust, hygiene... →

Bigger turnout anticipated at DroneCon

By: Erin Steenhoff-Snethlage 11th May 2018 This year, DroneCon will have more than 40 keynote speakers made up of international and local experts, discussing different topics and issues within the drone industry. DroneCon and Centurion-based company United Drone Holdings CEO Sean Reitz states that the conference, taking place for the... →

Drone industry to expand in 2018

By: Erin Steenhoff-Snethlage 11th May 2018 Any sector has the potential to adapt drones to its purposes, owing to drones being versatile, relatively low cost and on an upward trajectory in terms of technological development, says United Drone Holdings CEO Sean Reitz. “Mines have adopted drones for aerial surveys, which is a cheaper,... →

YEAR OF THE DRONE The versatility of drones make them adaptable for a variety of industries

First use of drone for inspection in Namibia

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 11th May 2018 Rope access specialist Skyriders has used a drone to undertake inspection for an undisclosed mining company on its operation in Namibia, marking it the company’s first use of a drone in this regard for an African country outside of South Africa. Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn informs... →

DRONE ZONE As part of its turnkey solution, Skyriders used the Elios drone to conduct a general visual inspection for a client in Namibia

Increased demand for locally manufactured drones in Africa

By: Erin Steenhoff-Snethlage 11th May 2018 South African fixed-wing drone manufacturer and supplier Aerial Monitoring Solutions (AMS) has seen the biggest demand for its Eagle Owl drones in Africa, mainly for mining surveying and security. The Eagle Owl is perfect for the three Ds of industrial work: dull, dangerous and dirty. With AMS... →

Photo by Dylan Slater
ADAM ROSMAN The Eagle Owl is a robust, multipurpose drone that has a modular design

Advanced Aerial

11th May 2018 Witbank-based mining optimisation company Advanced Aerial specialises in providing processed aerial data to the coal mining and industrial sector. With the convergence of exponential technology, drones are starting to play a more significant role in actionable mine information and can currently... →

Rocketmine

11th May 2018 A small South African born company, drone service provider Rocketmine, has become a drone data service giant in a short space of time. Rocketmine started as a small team that identified a gap in the mining market in 2012. Founding member and MD Christopher Clark has a passion for using technology... →

Backlog in application process stifling drone industry in South Africa

By: Erin Steenhoff-Snethlage 11th May 2018 The lack of urgency in processing commercial drone operating licences and the registering of drones is stifling the drone industry in South Africa, says Cape Town-based drone pilot training school UAV Industries director Ken Venn, who is also a board member of Commercial Unmanned Aircraft... →

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