What are the drone rules for non-hobbyist commercial use? Operation requirements: - UAV's to remain within sight. Pilot certification: - A remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating is essential. If you own a drone weighing more than 0.55 pounds, then it needs to be registered with the FAA's UAS registry.

The Hartford Courant reports that 21-year-old Austin Haughwout (HOW'-it), of Clinton, faces charges including assault on police officers, risk of injury to a child, enticing a minor, possession of child pornography and attempting fourth-degree sexual assault.

Skydio's AI-powered R1 drone can autonomously track subjects like a champ, but until now it's been limited to following humans. Now, the company has introduced a feature called Car Follow cinematic mode that can film you on four wheels and not just two feet. Skydio said it trained the R1's neural networks on large data sets of car images, helping the 13 cameras automatically follow your vehicle while ducking any obstacles. The new feature lets you capture four-by-four offroading, autocross racing or even golf cart riding. The only caveat is that you have to be on a closed course, so you can't just film yourself driving down the street. Skydio also introduced four new cinematic modes: car tripod, car follow, quarter follow and quarter lead.

A UK government scheme is trying to clip the wings of drones across Britain. New legislation will see the introduction of a drone database, restrictions on drone size and an online test for prospective pilots. The new rules will also ban drones from flying above 400 feet (122 metres), and within one kilometre (0.6 miles) of airport boundaries. These restrictions come on the back of a recent surge in'near-misses' between aircraft and drones as the amount of incidents has gone from six events in 2014 to 93 last year. New legislation, passed by the House of Commons, will see the introduction of a drone database, restrictions on drone size and an online test for prospective pilots.

UK drone users may have to pass online safety tests under legislation being introduced to the Commons on Wednesday. Restrictions around airport boundaries have also been clarified stopping any drone flying within 1km of them. The changes, which are set to come into effect between 30 July and 30 November, follow a rise in the number of drone near-misses with aircrafts. Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said the measures were needed to "protect" aircraft and their passengers. In addition to the safety tests, people who own drones weighing 250g or more will have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

When it comes to drone technology, the focus in India is mainly on either amateur photography drones or military applications of drones in India. But between these two ends of the spectrum, lies the whole gamut of drone technology. The drone startup sector is nascent in India and is still to make its mark. But its prospects are promising and under the right policies and an able vision, drones can contribute a lot to Indian economy as well as help in solving many social and ecological problems. The fast-adoption of drone technology would give added advantage to India particularly in the sector of agriculture.

A police drone operator was forced to steer the device away from the path of an F-15 fighter jet travelling at nearly 520mph, a report has revealed. The Devon and Cornwall officer was convinced there would be a collision as the military jet came into view and then banked right above Throwleigh, Devon, on January 16. The Airprox board, which looks into near-misses, reported the 13lbs device was flying at an altitude of around 300ft when the pilot heard a fast jet approaching. 'He descended the drone as quickly as possible,' the report said. 'The jet came into view from right-to-left and seemed to pass by the drone at the same altitude; it looked like the jet was within 200m laterally of the drone.

At Google's campus in Mountain View, California, executives are trying to assuage thousands of employees protesting a contract with the Pentagon's flagship artificial-intelligence initiative, Project Maven. Thousands of miles away, algorithms trained under Project Maven--which includes companies other than Google--are helping war fighters identify potential ISIS targets in video from drones. The controversy around Silicon Valley's cooperation with the military may intensify in coming months as Project Maven expands into new areas, including developing tools to more efficiently search captured hard drives. Funding for the project roughly doubled this year, to $131 million. Now the Pentagon is planning a new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center to serve all US military and intelligence agencies that may be modeled on Project Maven.

The innovation and upliftment in the UAV industry would have no ends. The British firms named BAE Systems and Prismatic are developing a drone capable of remaining in the sky for an entire year. This solar-powered 150 kgs aircraft with a wingspan of 35 metres will be used for surveillance and to provide communication in remote areas. Basically this Long Endurance UAV is a cheaper alternative to conventional satellite technology, and it makes use of the sun's rays during daytime to charge the battery that would allow it to operate overnight. The tests flights of this aircraft (PHASA-35, Persistent High Altitude Solar Aircraft) are expected next year.

UK Drone Insurance Start-up, 'Flock', opened its'pay-as-you-fly' insurance and safety smartphone app, named Flock Cover, to be used by professional pilots, trainers and hobbyists. This drone insurance aims to offer hobbyists "peace of mind at the touch of a button." The algorithms analyze the pilot's risk profile alongside real-time and geospatial data within the selected flight area. "Understanding the risks associated with drone flying is vitally important. Flock Cover is the first pay-as-you-go insurance product that allows any type of pilot to insure their flight for the price of a coffee. And Flock's dynamic risk map allows pilots to easily understand their surrounding environment too," says Ed Leon Klinger, CEO of Flock.