After catastrophic wildfires in southern California late last year, the Israeli startup Watergen sent in its devices which pull clean water out of the atmosphere for firefighters and relief workers. The machines, which have been deployed in other global disaster areas, were among the technologies on display at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show to highlight innovations which can be used in various kinds of relief efforts. "We clean the air because it's much easier to clean air than it is to clean water," said Yehuda Kaploun, president of Watergen USA, who was demonstrating the device at the annual Las Vegas extravaganza which ends Friday after showcasing futuristic innovations. Watergen claims its technology--offered in a commercial-size Gen-350 and a consumer version known as Genny--has many applications for emergency response and helping the many millions who lack potable water. The exhibits showcased a broad array of "tech for good" services which use robotics, drones, artificial intelligence and the like.

A Portland, Oregon-based company named Global Energy Transmission (GET) is developing a network of wireless charging hotspots for drones. With only six minutes hovering over a grid for a full charge, an electric industrial class drone can repeat the cycle of charging and flying until its battery is drained without ever having to land or connect to a cable using this technology. GET's long-term vision includes a cell-tower like infrastructure comprising numerous charging stations, enabling indefinite flying time for drones in the network. If successful, this technology could reinvent the commercial drone industry, providing 24/7 solutions in dedicated areas for things like deliveries, monitoring, and security. Per GET's website, the drone built for the charging network technology weighs about 18 lbs without the battery, can carry about 15 lbs, and can fly for 28 minutes weighing 30 lbs at takeoff.

It's Canada's turn to implement rules for drone flights, and those in the pipeline could make the American approach seem lenient. Transport Canada has adopted new regulations that will require the registration of any drone weighing between 250g and 25kg (0.55lbs to 55lbs), and would-be pilots will have to be at least 14 years old and either a citizen or permanent resident. You'll also have to obtain a pilot's certificate, which entails an online exam for basic (general use) flights. Advanced drone operators, those who want to fly in controlled airspace or around bystanders, have to both take an exam and pass a flight review. Some of the rules will sound familiar to those south of the Canadian border.

Russia Rolls Out New Drones: Modern Combat Drones Needed to'Master the Skies' ussia must acquire a fleet of combat drones that can go toe to toe with modern air forces, Russian air force Colonel General Viktor Bondarev said Tuesday. "The entire world is on the way to developing drone aircraft, including strike aircraft," he told state news agency Itar-Tass at Russia's MAKS aerial combat arms fair, outside Moscow. "We have no right to fall behind, which is why we are carrying out analogous work in this direction. In the future, the (drone) operator will be on the ground and still master the skies."

Yemen's government has announced that the chief of its military intelligence has died of wounds he sustained during a drone attack on an army parade last week.

Inventory tracking -- that is, figuring out which products are in stock, which stock is likely to run low in the next week, and so on -- is a never-ending battle, as shoppers spend an estimated 40 billion hours picking things off store shelves. However, serial entrepreneur Richard Schwartz believes he has the answer, and it involves airborne drones with brace cages that resemble giant wiffle balls. Schwartz is the CEO and founder of Pensa Systems, an Austin startup developing a retail inventory system that taps computer vision algorithms to "understand" what's on store shelves. Pensa has already trialed its platform with Anheuser-Busch InBev -- a strategic investor -- along with several other brands and retailers in multiple countries. And at the New York Retail Federation's annual conference in New York, the company today announced that it has secured fresh capital it will put toward client acquisition.

The Houthis said in November they were halting drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their Yemeni allies, but tensions have risen over how to implement a U.N.-sponsored peace deal reached in December in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

North-East UAV specialist Heliguy has been assisting major UK airports with their drone-detection systems, as well as showcasing other options to enhance defences. Prompted by December's chaos at Gatwick, followed more recently by disruption at Heathrow, Heliguy has been called to numerous airports to share its knowledge in UAV tracking and monitoring. Working with these airports – which cannot be identified for security reasons – Heliguy has been using its experience to test existing drone-detection systems in place, as well as demonstrating DJI AeroScope – a state-of-the-art UAV monitor. As part of these key demonstrations and tests, Heliguy has been working alongside numerous police forces and equipment manufacturers to drive this forward. "We have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks with some of the largest airports based here in the UK. "It is a privilege to have been chosen to work with them in-house to implement counter-drone systems.

For the second time in less than a month, suspected drone sightings have shut down a UK airport. On 8 January flights out of London Heathrow were suspended for over an hour. And between 19 and 21 December, more than 140,000 people at London Gatwick had their travel plans disrupted after drones were spotted above the airport. How can drones cause so much disruption? Airports operate on a just-in-time basis, with Heathrow moving a plane onto or off its runways every 45 seconds on average. A drone could interrupt this flow if planes have to reroute.