Now that DJI has made its semi-pro drone technology more accessible through the Mavic Air, what's it going to do for operators who prefer the Mavic Pro line? Check off a few of their bigger wish list items, apparently. DroneDJ has obtained a photo of what looks like a sequel to the Mavic Pro, reportedly just called the Mavic 2. It would still have the signature folding propeller arms, but would include at least side obstacle avoidance cameras, if not rear as well -- this could provide 360-degree obstacle avoidance. If you've ever crashed your drone into a tree while trying to record a dramatic panning shot, you know how important this could be. The Mavic 2 might also be helpful for budding aerial cinematographers.

Last month Airbus released a video of the first successful test flight of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) autonomous drone. Although it only hovered in the air for 53 seconds, the fact that its eight rotors were powered entirely by electricity was a landmark for the manufacturer of gas-guzzling planes. The goal is that the technology could be used for airborne travel in congested cities. "Our goal is to democratise personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage and machine vision," blogged Zach Lovering, Vahana project executive. Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang is considerably more advanced than Airbus. In February it flew 40 journalists and local dignitaries on trips of up to 15km in Guangzhou, southern China, reaching top speeds of 80mph.

What does a company do when its trailblazing and diverse innovations for nearly half a century have redefined how the world drives and flies? When its many technological "firsts" include the first practical electric car, flying the Nano Hummingbird drone, record-setting, solar-powered aircraft flights in near space, and reshaping the battlefield with portable, hand-held, tactical drones and loitering munitions? It takes on another world. AeroVironment, Inc. has revealed its critical role in collaborating with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. to build the drone helicopter recently selected by NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program, and displayed a model of the Mars Helicopter, which is planned to fly on Mars in less than three years. "AeroVironment's deep, rich and diverse history of innovation combined with our experience with near-space aircraft like Pathfinder and Helios make us uniquely suited to collaborate with NASA and JPL on this historic, interplanetary venture," said AeroVironment President and Chief Executive Officer Wahid Nawabi.

Drones and big data are both enterprise tech trendsetters, and the convergence of the two in specific areas of application create new opportunities and challenges for IT. Despite the fact that US drone regulations are still in a state of flux, these drone/big data apps are being deployed because they fill specific niches and it's easy for companies to see the business value in their investments. The drone/big data tech meld is also a great foundational piece from which to launch new tech initiatives. Here are three example use cases in action. Drones can map construction sites, fly over them, and capture information on site activities.

The tribal leaders said on Friday that the operatives were killed when an unmanned aircraft targeted their vehicle in the southern province of Shabwa. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Drones are becoming a regular occurrence in our society. Therefore, having the latest and most advanced technology is of the utmost of importance. DJI, a civilian drones and aerial imaging technology company, and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to bring advanced AI and machine learning capabilities to DJI drones. This partnership will assist businesses to harness the power of commercial drone technology and edge cloud computing. "As computing becomes ubiquitous, the intelligent edge is emerging as the next technology frontier," said Scott Guthrie, EVP, Cloud and Enterprise Group, Microsoft.

The drone show was postponed until July 5th, at 9pm, pending weather conditions. SAN FRANCISCO -- A drone light show could be the future Fourth of July entertainment in wildfire-prone northern California -- but not this year. Hundreds of drones, set to wow viewers with a patriotic display of flashing lights in the sky, were grounded Wednesday by windy conditions. Intel's "Shooting Star Drones," which you may have seen at the Winter Olympics, Coachella or Lady Gaga's Super Bowl halftime show in 2017, were set to perform Wednesday at Travis Air Force Base, north of San Francisco, but the show was postponed until July 5th, at 9pm, pending weather conditions. The Travis Air Force Base show plans to use 500 drones and feature a gigantic red, white and blue image of an American flag and California icons, all synchronized to music that will be broadcast for the viewers.

While using fireworks to mark July Fourth dates back to 1777, one US Air Force Base is set to give their display a modern twist. Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, has been working with Intel to replace explosives with 500 drones. In celebration of July Fourth and Travis Air Force Base's 75th anniversary, tonight they will take to the skies in a choreographed aerial routine that honors active military and veterans. Intel Shooting Star drones create a U.S. flag during 2018 Independence Day celebration rehearsals on June 28 at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. The display will use the same Intel Shooting Star drones seen at the Superbowl and the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

The burgeoning private Chinese civilian effort in developing these technologies points to a future that will change not just sales and delivery inside China, but also abroad, as many of the key companies have a global presence. It also suggests that the PLA could rely more heavily on civilian sources for its future unmanned technologies. Peter Warren Singer is a strategist and senior fellow at the New America Foundation. He has been named by Defense News as one of the 100 most influential people in defense issues. He was also dubbed an official "Mad Scientist" for the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command.

There's plenty to be scared of in 2018. If nightmares of being chased down by Boston Dynamics' robot dogs weren't enough, here's a new fresh horror: robot dragons. Scientists from the University of Tokyo synced four thrusters together to create a serpentine, floating aircraft called DRAGON. The acronym stands for Dual-rotor embedded multilink Robot with the Ability of multi-deGree-of-freedom aerial transfromatiON, according to IEEE Spectrum. The aircraft actually solves a bunch of problems facing modern drones: It can be small enough to fly straight through tight spaces, but also has the ability to transform into shapes capable of carrying cargo.