A report of drone sightings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows that despite a new registration scheme, near misses between unmanned and piloted aircraft in American are on the rise. Sightings by pilots and airport officials have steadily increased from less than one a day in 2014, to over 3.5 between August 2015 and January this year, many of them from commercial passenger aircraft. In the most serious incident, the pilot of an American Airlines jet last September had to swerve to avoid a drone. On September 13, flight 475 took off from Atlanta, Georgia en route to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was climbing to 3,500 ft when the pilot of the Airbus had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with an unidentified unmanned aerial system (UAS) or drone.

A drone has successfully delivered a package to a residential location in a Nevada town in what its maker and the state's governor said on Friday was the first fully autonomous urban drone delivery in the US. Matt Sweeney, chief executive of drone-maker Flirtey, said the six-rotor drone flew about a half-mile along a programmed delivery route on 10 March, then lowered the package outside a vacant residence in Hawthorne. The route was established using GPS. A pilot and visual observers were on standby during the flight but were not needed, Sweeney said. He said the package included bottled water, food and a first-aid kit.

A drone has successfully delivered a package to a residential location in a small Nevada town in what its maker and the governor of the state said Friday was the first fully autonomous urban drone delivery in the U.S. Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeney said the six-rotor drone flew about a half-mile along a pre-programmed delivery route on March 10 and lowered the package outside a vacant residence in an uninhabited area of Hawthorne, southeast of Reno. The route was established using GPS. A pilot and visual observers were on standby during the flight but weren't needed, Sweeney said. He said the package included bottled water, food and a first-aid kit. "Conducting the first drone delivery in an urban setting is a major achievement, taking us closer to the day that drones make regular deliveries to your front doorstep," Sweeney said.

The District of Columbia is infamous for some of the political issues that make it distinct from other areas of the country. Its residents only have a non-voting delegate in Congress, for example. And its crippled subway system is uniquely hobbled by the fact that it relies on money from Maryland and Virginia, not just funding from riders and D.C.'s government. So it's no surprise to learn that not long from now, D.C. residents may be able to add drone delivery to their "left out on" list. Many online shoppers are waiting eagerly for the day that they'll be able to order something on Amazon.com and have it dropped off, via drone, on their front stoop.

The Federal Aviation Administration is predicting a bright future for the growth of the commercial and hobbyist drone industries after final regulations are approved. In an aerospace forecast report released Thursday, the FAA said unmanned aircraft systems will be the "most dynamic growth sector within aviation." It noted that venture capitalists have already sunk "considerable" funds into the industry in hopes of building early market share. Already, the FAA predicted that 1.9 million hobbyist drones will be sold this year, along with more than 600,000 commercial drones. The FAA predicts that 4.3 million hobbyist drones could be sold per year by 2020.

While it looks nothing more than an unassuming quadcopter, Stanford's SCAMP (Stanford Climbing and Aerial Maneuvering Platform) has a lot more tricks up it sleeve--this drone can not only fly, it can also perch, and climb on walls. SCAMP basically takes everything the Biomimetics and Dexterous Manipulation Lab has learned from previous projects, such as the Stickybot (which mimics the gecko's wall climbing capability), to create this new drone. The team modified the climbing technology applied on the Stickybot so that SCAMP could climb faster. To achieve SCAMP's current maneuverability, they ensured it could take longer steps and added microspines to its feet--similar to what a praying mantis has. To achieve its ability to perch, the climbing mechanism for the machine was placed on top of the quadrotor, which allows it to press against surfaces for better stability.

This is the latest version of a popular drone brand. Right now, there are around 2.5 million drones that regularly fly over American skies, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2020, that number could almost triple, with 7 million drones projected to be active in the skies over our heads, according to a new report) released by the agency today. Of the drones currently buzzing around, they're split between roughly 1.5 million hobbyist drones and 500,000 commercial (the later being flown by companies for moneymaking purposes). But as that number increases, it will shape U.S. aerospace for decades to come.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Friday that Moscow will deploy a range of missile systems on the Kuril islands, claimed by Japan, as part of its military build-up in the far-eastern region, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The islands have been a reason of tense relations between Moscow and Tokyo. "The planned rearmament of contingents and military bases on Kuril islands is under way. Already this year they will get Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems as well as new-generation Eleron-3 unmanned aerial vehicles," Shoigu said during a ministry meeting, AFP reported. Russia has been investing in military infrastructure on the Kuril islands, which Japan considers its territory, leading to strained relations between the two nations.

America will have 2.5 million drones by the end of this year and the number will increase to seven million by 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a report release Thursday. While the number of hobby drones is expected to reach from 1.9 million in 2016 to 4.3 million by 2020, commercial drones will see a four times rise from 600,000 to 2.7 million in 4 years. "Unmanned aircraft systems will be the most dynamic growth sector within aviation," the agency said in the report. But it also added that future security and regulatory measures by the U.S. government will be deciding factor on the way civilian drone market grows. In December, the FAA brought in set of rules which stated that registration of small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, including payloads such as on-board cameras, was necessary.

And thanks to videographer Chad Aaronson--who captured breathtaking drone footage of the graveyard--we now have a unique view of this piece of eerie, forgotten New York. The slow creep of the camera reveals rusted ships littered with debris, in various states of sunkenness.