Blog

The FLIR VUE PRO will be shipping out in just another week or so and OEMCameras.com was one of the first to receive the FLIR VUE PRO for review. Here’s a look at some of the great features of the VUE PRO. Designed for professional use, FLIR Vue Pro is more than a thermal camera, it is a thermal measurement instrument and data recorder that adds tremendous value to your sUAS operations and services. FLIR Vue Pro gives you in-flight control of two camera functions through direct PWM connections, and it’s MAVLink compatibility makes it ready for the easy image stitching required for mapping, survey, and precision agriculture applications. Plus, it’s compatible with Pix4Dmapper right out of the box. The convenient mobile app makes pre-flight camera set-up and configuration quick and easy so you won’t have to drag a computer out to your flying site just in case you need to change a camera setting.

With Halloween looming in the next week, our Ghoul takes off for a test flight.

If you own and/or operate a sUAS in the United States, the rules are about to change. Over the next month, the government will announce a new program to register drones in the United States. The Department of Transportation is taking the first steps, by announcing the formation of a task force to create a registration process. Registration could begin as soon as the holiday season, DOT officials said Monday at a Washington news conference. Currently, all airplanes, helicopters and other large aircraft are required to register with the FAA. This initiative essentially would extend that requirement to drones. The DOT stated, “The task force will be made up of 25 to 30 diverse representatives from the drone manufacturers and manned aviation industries, the federal government, and other stakeholders”. Unmanned aircraft systems are restricted to fly within five miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator and control tower and are restricted to 400 feet max. The FAA is currently writing new rules for small drone operators, to be implemented in 2016. In the meantime, the FAA has issued more than 1,000 temporary exemptions to individual drone operators. Aviation groups are urging officials to complete these rules, as the FAA did not meet its deadline last month. More information can be found at:

Beta test now underway On August 28, 2015, the FAA released B4UFLY to approximately 1,000 beta testers, including members of industry, government, and the public. This limited beta test is expected to run for several months, after which the FAA plans to make a final version of B4UFLY available for the general public. The beta version of the app is for iOS devices only, but the FAA intends to release a future version for both iOS and Android devices. Key features of the B4UFLY app include: A clear “status” indicator that immediately informs the operator about their current or planned location. For example, it shows flying in the Special Flight Rules Area around Washington, DC is prohibited Information on the parameters that drive the status indicator A “Planner Mode” for future flights in different locations Informative, interactive maps with filtering options Links to other FAA UAS resources and regulatory information For more information, view the B4UFLY Q&A(PDF). Source: FAA.Gov

Regulations will facilitate integration of small UAS into U.S. aviation system WASHINGTON – The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today proposed a framework of regulations that would allow routine use of certain small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in today’s aviation system, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations. The FAA proposal offers safety rules for small UAS (under 55 pounds) conducting non-recreational operations. The rule would limit flights to daylight and visual-line-of-sight operations. It also addresses height restrictions, operator certification, optional use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking, and operational limits. In addition to this proposal, earlier today, the White House issued a Presidential Memorandum concerning transparency, accountability, and privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections for the Federal Government’s use of UAS in the national airspace system which directs the initiation of a multi-stakeholder engagement process to develop a framework for privacy, accountability, and transparency issues concerning commercial and private UAS use. The current unmanned aircraft rules remain in place until the FAA implements a final new rule. The FAA encourages new operators to visit: http://www.knowbeforeyoufly.org You can view the FAA’s Small UAS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking later today at: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/ For more information on the FAA and UAS, visit: http://www.faa.gov/uas/

Finally! A custom-built Millennium Falcon drone that Han Solo would be proud of. Take my money please! Drone hobbyist, Oliver Chapuis, shows off his impressive mini replica with a tutorial video on how to make one as well. Video by Olivier Chapuis/ViralHog.com View our line of thermal imaging cameras and components for UAV/UGV integration at OEMCameras.com A quadcopter: Prophecy 335 (custom frame, carbon and aluminium) Motors : T-Motors 2208-18 1100kV Speed controllers : T-Motors T30A Propellers : HQprop 8×4.5SF Battery: LiPo 4S-1800mAh Flight controller : Naza v1 Radio system : Futaba 14SG, receiver FrSky TFR6 Onboard camera : Gopro 3 black 1080p-50 (removed) Video transmitter : 5.8GHz 400mW + Spironet v2 (removed) All up weight : — Editing : Sony Vegas Pro 13 More info on Oliver Chapuis’ copters here

Check out this fun video by the Buzzfeed crew which used a FLIR thermal imaging camera to show high quality footage of temperature readings in everyday situations. Life in predator vision. Product Info: Check out our line of high-end thermal imaging cameras, cores, and components here Video by: Buzzfeed See more Buzzfeed videos here Music by: Lament Of The Droids Warner // Chappell Production Music

Check out this great night vision flashlight hack with an infrared filter you can do at home. Perfect solution for walking around at night undetectable, to scare unexpected trick or treaters this Halloween. Video by Kip Kay.

With the ongoing 2014 West African Ebola Outbreak escalating to 10,000 reported cases with 4,500 deaths in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; the World Health Organization has stated “the current epidemic of EVD, caused by Ebola virus, is the most severe outbreak of Ebola since the finding of ebolaviruses in 1976. The epidemic has caused significant mortality, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) reported as 71%.” With no signs of slowing down or an accessible cure, governments are now taking necessary steps to prevent the virus from spreading into foreign borders. One tool being thermal imaging cameras for scanning high body temperatures among large crowds of people. The procedure is a fast, easy, and non-invasive method to identity and test potential carriers of the disease who show signs of fever-like symptoms. Learn About Our Thermal Fever Detection System Benefits of thermal imaging as a screening tool: Quick and non-invasive application Real-time images that take less than a second, allowing crowds to keep moving Rapid screening of large numbers of people Heat pictures detect and display even the smallest temperature differences Options allow you to create a visual heat map of skin temperatures in real time