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Can buy from Taobao.. Wonder which local authority to approve if someone were to bring in to Singapore, LTA or CAAS? https://www.msn.com/en-xl/travel/other/chinese-flying-taxi-maker-ehang-sells-autonomous-passenger-drone-for-us-332000-on-taobao-as-nation-s-low-altitude-economy-takes-off/ar-BB1k9Kkg Chinese flying taxi maker EHang sells autonomous passenger drone for US$332,000 on Taobao as nation’s low-altitude economy takes off EHang's EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle will be available in overseas markets at a suggested price of US$410,000 from April 1 The EH216-S, which was first announced in February 2018, has reportedly completed over 42,000 successful test flights in more than 14 countries Chinese flying taxi maker EHang is selling its EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle on Alibaba Group Holding's Taobao marketplace, weeks before the Nasdaq-listed company makes the autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft available in overseas markets. Based in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, EHang has put its EH216-S for sale at a unit price of 2.39 million yuan (US$332,000) on e-commerce giant Alibaba's primary domestic retail platform. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. In February, EHang announced that the EH216-S would be sold at a suggested retail price of US$410,000 outside the mainland from April 1. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The ambitious domestic and international marketing campaigns show EHang's confidence in generating strong market demand, months after its self-developed EH216-S became the world's first recipient of a Type Certificate and Standard Airworthiness Certificate for pilotless eVTOLs. Those certifications were issued last October and December, respectively, by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). "This significant achievement has had a profound impact on our business, as it has sparked a surge in demand for our remarkable EH216-S," EHang founder, chairman and chief executive Hu Huazhi said last Friday, when the company released its latest financial results. "The market response has been overwhelmingly positive, leading to strong quarterly and yearly revenue growth." EHang reported fourth-quarter revenue of 56.6 million yuan, a 260.9 per cent jump from 15.7 million yuan in the same period in 2022, on the back of an increase in orders for its EH216-series products. Total 2023 revenue reached 117.4 million yuan, up 165 per cent from 44.3 million yuan the previous year. Sales and deliveries of the company's EH216-series products totalled 52 units last year, compared with 21 in 2022. Multiple EH216-S aircraft built by EHang are seen parked at a vertiport - an area that supports the landing and take-off of these types of passenger vehicles - in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province. Photo: Handout© Provided by South China Morning Post After completing aircraft certification, EHang conducted EH216-S production under the supervision of CAAC representatives at the company's factory in Yunfu, a city in Guangdong. The firm began deliveries of certified aircraft to customers in the December quarter. EHang did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's shares were up 4.71 per cent to US$16.23 in pre-market trading on Tuesday. The EH216-S, which was first announced in February 2018, has reportedly completed over 42,000 successful test flights in more than 14 countries. The two-passenger aircraft has a top speed of 130-kilometres per hour, a cruising speed of 100km/h and a maximum altitude of 3,000 metres. It has a range of 30km and a flight time of 25 minutes. It is built with 16 propellers, recharges its batteries in 120 minutes and provides a maximum payload of 220 kilograms. The luggage boot can accommodate an 18-inch suitcase to satisfy general commuting and short-distance travel requirements. EHang's EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle is seen on display at the 2023 Indonesia International Motor Show held in Jakarta on February 23, 2023. Photo: Shutterstock The autonomous flight capabilities, fully electric propulsion, comprehensive redundancy safety features, and intelligent command-and-control systems of the EH216-S make it an ideal solution for various urban air mobility (UAM) applications, including air taxi services, aerial tourism, airport shuttles and cross-island transport, according to EHang. The company earlier this month forged a UAM cooperation pact with the municipal government of Wuxi, a city in eastern Jiangsu province, covering an order of 100 EH216-S units. Last October, EHang entered into a strategic cooperation deal with the municipal government of Hefei, a city in eastern Anhui province, for joint development of a low-altitude economy ecosystem, with US$100 million in extended support that can be used to facilitate a minimum order of 100 EH216-series products. The low-altitude economy, which is expected to be driven by the wide adoption of aircraft like eVTOLs and pilotless aerial vehicles, was identified as one of the national strategic emerging industries during the Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing in December. About 20 provinces across the country have prioritised the development of the low-altitude economy this year, according to EHang. That is expected to contribute between 3 trillion yuan and 5 trillion yuan to China's economy by 2025, according to a white paper published last year by the International Digital Economy Academy in Shenzhen. More Articles from SCMP

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/China-tech/Teardown-of-DJI-drone-reveals-secrets-of-its-competitive-pricing?utm_campaign=RN Subscriber newsletter&utm_medium=daily newsletter&utm_source=NAR Newsletter&utm_content=article link&del_type=1&pub_date=20200901190000&seq_num=10&si=44594 Teardown of DJI drone reveals secrets of its competitive pricing High-performance Chinese device built from 80% commodity parts, many from the US DJI's Mavic Air 2 and its motherboard. (Photo courtesy of DJI and Fomalhaut Techno Solutions) NORIO MATSUMOTO, NAOKI WATANABE and YUSUKE HINATA, Nikkei staff writersSeptember 1, 2020 11:26 JST TOKYO/GUANGZHOU -- With drones finding their way into aerial photography, crop spraying and many other applications, China's DJI Technology has combined cost competitiveness and advanced technology to become the world's biggest manufacturer of unmanned flying machines. DJI, which holds an estimated 70% of the global market, produces drones at half the cost of rivals by using an array of off-the-shelf parts. Disassembling one of its latest models reveals that it is composed of 80% commodity parts by value. Although Chinese drone makers are expanding, helped by strong domestic demand, their future growth is clouded by the increasing friction between the U.S. and China. The DJI Agras, a large drone measuring more than 1 meter across, recently took to the air, its motor whining, over a farm in Kaiping, in southern China. Drones are an increasingly common sight on farms. In China and elsewhere, DJI machines were used to plant or spray crops over a total of 270,000 sq. kilometers, equal to 70% of Japan's land area. The farmland in Kaiping is fertile, but a good yield depends on controlling insects. Drones are a valuable weapon in the fight against pests: They can cover 50 to 60 times more ground than a human in a given period of time. Founded in 2006, DJI has grown quickly. It has offices in the U.S., Japan and three other countries outside China, and its annual revenue has grown to 18 billion yuan ($261 billion). Nikkei, together with Tokyo-based research specialist Fomalhaut Techno Solutions, conducted a teardown of the Mavic Air 2, DJI's newest lower-end model which is priced at about $750. Disassembly revealed that the vehicle, by estimate, is made of components worth around $135. DJI's Mavic Air 2 is the drone maker's latest lower-end model. The series ranges from industrial machines to those aimed at hobbyists. (Photo courtesy of DJI) The cost of components for the model, at around 20% of the retail price, is less than the 30% to 35% typical for smartphones. "It would cost us twice as much in materials alone as the price of the [DJI] to make a product with the same capabilities," said an executive with a Japanese drone maker. Many of the parts that give DJI drones their functionality are found in smartphones and personal computers. Such parts account for about 80% of the 230 components used in the Mavic Air 2. The camera has components found in a premium smartphone; the GPS receiver is made from parts found in smartwatches. "The semiconductors that control the propellers are the sole exclusive parts," said a Fomalhaut official. "Expensive parts costing more than $10 are limited to the battery, the camera and a few others." But the Mavic Air 2 is sophisticated despite its modest price. It can shoot ultra high-definition 4K video, automatically track objects and avoid obstacles. In Japan, the drone can be maneuvered by the pilot from up to 6 km away and send video five times farther than rivals. It is designed to be lightweight, weighing in at just 570 grams. The motherboard of the Mavic Air 2 is about 10 cm by 4 cm and is packed with 10 large and small chips. DJI's Mavic Air 2 drone packs sophisiticated chips onto a palm-sized circuit board. (Photo courtesy of Fomalhaut Techno Solutions) DJI drones also have advanced software that has been upgraded with each successive model, and they come out frequently. The company has drastically improved its flight-control technology over the past three years and is now much more sophisticated, according to a Japanese drone developer. According to Patent Result, a Tokyo-based company that analyzes patents, DJI had 185 of them in force in Japan as of January last year, a testament to its advanced technology. It is one of the biggest among patent holders in the business in Japan, with more than three times as many as its nearest competitor. Although the strengths of DJI and other Chinese manufacturers have helped China's drone industry leap ahead, trade friction between Washington and Beijing could dim their prospects. "DJI may become like Huawei," said Fumiaki Yamazaki, chief researcher at the Institute of Information Assurance for National Security Japan. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has reported a possible leak of information involving DJI, and the U.S. military has begun limiting the use of drones made by the Chinese company, Yamazaki said. While the Japanese government has held off from issuing a total ban on Chinese drones in its procurement, some organizations, such as the Japan Coast Guard, have stopped using them. Drones have many industrial uses, including inspecting bridges and towers, surveying construction sites, photographing buildings and verifying safety at manufacturing plants. But given the trade friction, an executive at a major manufacturing company said: "We worry about relying solely on Chinese drones." On the question of possible military utilization of its drones, DJI says it leaves the question of how its products are used to the customer. The teardown of the Mavic Air 2 found many U.S.-made parts. The IC chips that control the battery, for example, are made by Texas Instruments, while those that amplify radio signals and eliminate noise are made by Qorvo. In the absence of alternatives, DJI may have a hard time sourcing key components if it is subjected to new U.S. trade restrictions. The global market for drones is forecast to grow from $3.7 billion in 2018 to $103.7 billion by 2023, with Chinese manufacturers capturing half that value, according to U.S. researcher Frost & Sullivan. Industry insiders around the world are waiting to see whether strong domestic demand can keep DJI airborne, or whether it becomes the latest casualty in the U.S.-China trade war.

Al-Qaeda leader killed in US drone strike The US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has confirmed. He was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday. He and Osama Bin Laden plotted the 9/11 attacks together, and he was one of America's most wanted terrorists. Mr Biden said al-Zawahiri had "carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens". "From hiding, he co-ordinated al-Qaeda's branches and all around the world, including setting priorities for providing operational guidance and calling for and inspired attacks against US targets," the president said in a live television address from the White House. "Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more," he added. The FBI updated its Most Wanted Terrorist poster on Monday with Zawahiri's status: "Deceased." The 71-year-old Egyptian doctor took over al-Qaeda after the death of Bin Laden in 2011. Mr Biden said he had given the final approval for the "precision strike" after months of planning. Officials said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a safe house - where he reportedly often sat for hours - when the drone fired two missiles at him. Other family members were present, but they were unharmed and only Zawahiri was killed in the attack, they added. Apparently, they throw flying knives at him (to reduce collateral damage). the Hellfire was not carrying HE, but 6 knives. Next one, they will throw kitchen sink. 😃

Did not expect to still have this here.

Is this considered invasion of privacy? I wonder if they inform the residents before inspecting. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/technology/heady-days-use-of-drones-to-detect-defects-on-hdb-blocks-takes-10599070

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-42731112 Now, this is the kind of news we like to see, drones are useful for.

Hey Bro and Sis - I know we have a few RC Model / Plane / Drone enthusiasts here Anyone that would be capable of taking drone pictures of an empty plot of land one weekend soon? Want to put some amature pix into a presentation I am doing, but not sure where to get a drone from (and won't be able to spend for professional level) - although I likely can buy a few beers and pocket marney for a MCFer Cheers!

Anyone play this thing before? Any review? http://www.parrot.com/usa/ Saw it selling in toys'r'us...quite ex S$499. Control via iPhone, can tilt in anydirection to control the flying. From the video quite cool. But too bad there is no handson or demo unit to test at toy r us. So before I get one...would like some local comments or review. Anyone?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3368655/A-cut-rest-Stunning-drone-photographs-capture-new-Seven-Wonders-World-like-ve-never-seen-before.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490 the photos are pretty breathtaking indeed....

Mail sent to Pulau Ubin by drone in world-first SingPost trial The 2-kilometer test flight from Lorong Halus to the island off Singapore's north-eastern coast took 5 minutes, and carried a payload of a letter as well as T-shirt in a packet, SingPost said. POSTED: 08 Oct 2015 08:49 PHOTOS A SingPost drone successfully makes a 2km mail run from the mainland to Pulau Ubin. (Photo: SingPost) Enlarge Caption 50 4 14 Email More A A SINGAPORE: Mail delivered in flight, with not a postman in sight? The first step toward making this a daily reality was taken after Singapore Post successfully trialled a mail run from mainland Singapore to Pulau Ubin - the first time in the world a postal service has successfully used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery. The last-mile mail and packet drone delivery from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin trial was successfully completed as part of a joint development between SingPost and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the postal service provider announced on Oct 8 (Thursday). The 2-kilometer test flight took 5 minutes, and carried a payload of a letter as well as T-shirt in a packet, SingPost said. The drone was built upon the Pixhawk Steadidrone platform by IDA Labs, and is tailored for use in a challenging environment like Singapore, SingPost said in a press release. The drone is equipped with enhanced safety features, and comes with a prototype app designed with security and verification features to ensure mail reaches its intended recipient. It has the capacity to carry a payload of up to half a kilogramme, fly at a height of up to 45 metres and travel for 2.3km. The focus of the flight was to test the drone technology and safety boundaries. "SingPost’s exploration of the drone technology is a move to provide enhanced end-to-end solutions to facilitate urban logistics as well as tap on the burgeoning eCommerce growth in Asia Pacific," the postal operator added. "LITERALLY AIMING FOR THE SKY" Added IDA Managing Director Jacqueline Poh: “The successful conclusion of this trial shows how SingPost is thinking out of the box and its willingness to expand its traditional mail delivery model in innovative ways. "Although it will be a while before it is viable for drone mail delivery to take off in Singapore, taking into consideration commercial and safety factors; this first step by SingPost and IDA demonstrates what Singapore is trying out with our Smart Nation vision – to have the various parts of our ecosystem collaborate, experiment with new ways of doing things, and in the process, literally aim for the sky with new technology." Said Dr Bernard Leong, Head of Digital Services at SingPost: “There is immense potential in UAV technology for last-mile mail and ecommerce delivery. As SingPost transforms into an eCommerce logistics enabler, we will continue to collaborate with industry leaders and chart new frontiers. "Not only do we want to enable or accelerate eCommerce, we hope to contribute towards building Singapore into a Smart Nation, where technology improves the quality of lives. We seek continuous exploration to break new ground, innovate and harness technology to bring end-to-end solutions that matter to our customers.” The multi-agency Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Committee facilitated this trial. Said its Chairman, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Pang Kin Keong: “The UAS Committee has been encouraging and discussing with public and private sector organisations on innovative uses of UAS, and facilitating such trials. The technology opens up numerous exciting possibilities which could help us enhance operational productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.” SingPost said the trial drone flight was conducted with permissions and cooperation from IDA, the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Republic of Singapore Air Force as well as the Singapore Police Force. - CNA/es http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/mail-sent-to-pulau-ubin/2177406.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24618701 US drone strike killings in Pakistan and Yemen 'unlawful' CIA drone attacks in Pakistan are responsible for unlawful killings, some of which could amount to war crimes, Amnesty International says. Amnesty said it reviewed nine recent drone strikes in North Waziristan and found a number of victims were unarmed. In a separate report looking at six US attacks in Yemen, Human Rights Watch says two of them killed civilians at random, violating international law. Drone warfare has become common in the US pursuit of al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Few details are known about the covert US drone operation. Senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan, but civilians have also died. These attacks cause outrage in Pakistan, where many assert that the strikes cause indiscriminate deaths and injuries. Last week, a UN investigation found that US drone strikes had killed at least 400 civilians in Pakistan, far more than the US has ever acknowledged. UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson accused the US of challenging international legal norms by advocating the use of lethal force outside war zones. Establishing precise casualty figures and identifying the dead in such attacks is virtually impossible as independent media are barred from tribal areas near the Afghan border. 'Very tight leash' Amnesty said it had investigated nine of 45 recently reported attacks by US drones, unmanned aircraft operated remotely in control rooms, often on other continents. The group called on the US to disclose information and the legal basis for strikes carried out in Pakistan. In the report, Will I Be Next? US Drone Strikes in Pakistan, the rights group named several victims who, it says, had been unarmed and "posed no threat to life". In October 2012, 68-year-old grandmother Mamana Bibi was killed in a double strike as she picked vegetables in the family's fields while surrounded by her grandchildren, said the report. It said US President Barack Obama's pledge earlier this year to increase transparency around drone strikes had not been fulfilled. "This secrecy has enabled the USA to act with impunity and block victims from receiving justice or compensation. As far as Amnesty is aware, no US official has ever been held to account for unlawful killings by drones in Pakistan," the report said. It called on the governments of Pakistan, Australia, Germany and the UK to investigate drone strikes or other abuses that may constitute human rights violations. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said in its report that six US drone attacks in Yemen killed 82 people, including at least 57 civilians. It added that two of the strikes killed innocent people indiscriminately. A controversial aspect of the US policy is that drone attacks are carried out not by the military but by the Central Intelligence Agency. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has argued in favour of the policy, saying that the US will continue to defend itself. President Obama has insisted the strategy was "kept on a very tight leash" and that without the drones, the US would have had to resort to "more intrusive military action".

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/a...ng-reviews.html Maisto International Inc.

This time looks like a smaller portable ScanEagle drone. The drone looks in good condition from the video. According to Iranian military on Dec 5, the drone was "hijacked" by Iranian forces over their airspace near Kharg Island,. Interestingly, the US Navy is the first to claim no losing any drone, even though Iranian has yet to publicly name the country who operated the drone. This comes almost a year after a RQ-170 stealth drone was captured by Iran and a US Air Force Predator was shot at a month ago. PS: Singapore Navy vessels also uses Scan Eagle.

Predator kena attacked by frogfoots... Anyway Hokkien has a saying: gu ah hmm pat hor, jiao ah hmm pat lastic or in literal england translation: Small calves do not know (or fear) tigers and birdies do not know (or fear) catapults. Some eager blokes really going for broke and wishes to seek an early audience with their maker... From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1236178/1/.html Iranian jets fired on US drone in Gulf: Pentagon Posted: 09 November 2012 0703 hrs WASHINGTON: Two Iranian fighter jets fired on an unarmed US Predator drone in the Gulf last week but the aircraft was not hit, the Pentagon said Thursday, warning that the United States stood ready to protect its forces in the region. The incident occurred on November 1 -- less than a week before America's presidential election -- but the Pentagon kept it quiet until now. "They intercepted the aircraft and fired multiple rounds," spokesman George Little told a news conference. The SU-25 Frogfoot fighters, much faster than the slow-moving turboprop drone, fired at least twice and made two passes, he said. It was possible the Iranians intended to warn off the drone but Little said: "Our working assumption is that they fired to take it down." The confrontation threatened to derail diplomatic efforts to defuse a mounting crisis over Tehran's nuclear program, raising the risk of a potential conflict amid a shadow war of cyberattacks, bombings and assassinations. Tough new sanctions led by Washington are squeezing Iran's economy while the United States and Israel are accused of staging cyber sabotage on Tehran's uranium enrichment plants. The US military drone was "never in Iranian air space" and came under fire from Su-25 fighters off the Iranian coast over international waters, Little said. The robotic Predator aircraft was conducting "routine surveillance" and the United States has told Iran it has no plans to suspend the flights, he said. "The United States has communicated to the Iranians that we will continue to conduct surveillance flights over international waters over the Arabian Gulf consistent with longstanding practice and our commitment to the security of the region," he said. In a warning to Tehran, the Pentagon spokesman said the United States was prepared to safeguard its forces. "We have a wide range of options, from diplomatic to military, to protect our military assets and our forces in the region and will do so when necessary," Little said. The MQ-1 drone was pursued further by the Iranian warplanes but was not fired on again, he said. The Predator returned safely to an unspecified military base in the region following the incident that occurred at 4:50 am US eastern standard time (0850 GMT). The Predator was intercepted about 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast, beyond the Islamic Republic's territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles off the country's shore. Iranian military speedboats have sometimes swarmed US warships in the Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world's oil, but the incident last week was the first involving an American drone in a confrontation with Iranian aircraft, officials said. Tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions prompted the United States to bolster its military presence around the Gulf over the past year, deploying two aircraft carrier battle groups in the area at all times, a squadron of stealthy F-22 fighters to the United Arab Emirates and more minesweeper ships. With America's drawn out election campaign finally over, analysts had predicted President Barack Obama might have more leeway to pursue diplomacy with Iran. But the encounter with the Iranian fighter jets could complicate any attempt for a deal. A new round of talks between Iran and six world powers, the first since June, is expected by the end of the year or in early 2013. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has made clear any deal with the major powers has to offer relief from crippling sanctions. At the State Department, officials on Thursday unveiled yet more sanctions on Iran, targeting the communications minister and the culture ministry among others for censoring the media and the Internet. The move against Communications Minister Reza Taghipour came after he was blamed for ordering the jamming of international satellite TV broadcasts and restricting Internet access, a State Department official said. The United States is determined to stop the "Iranian government from creating an 'electronic curtain' to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. -AFP/ac

This is older new from Sept but I think it'll be of interest to Vulcann Shocker! In China's rush to be a 21st century military power, it might be possible some engineering's been a little... rushed. That seems to be the case for this Chinese "Pterodactyl" UAV

Sorry, not US drone. It's Apache Helicopters with 30mm guns. Come on, let us shoot!