New Helius Drone, Blue UAS Changes, Skydio Sends Tracker to Police, & SkyeBrowse Update

Welcome to your weekly UAS News update! We have four stories for you this week: a new drone release from Ascent AeroSystems, significant changes to the Blue UAS framework, a major SkyBrowse update, and lastly, Skydio sending tracking mailers to police departments—not a good look. Let’s get started.

Ascent AeroSystems Releases the Helios Drone

First up, Ascent AeroSystems has released the Helios, and it’s a really cool design. This is a 249-gram drone with a coaxial system—you can see the pictures here—that mimics the design of their much larger Spirit aircraft, created a few years ago. According to the Ascent AeroSystems website, this is an all-weather, NDAA-compliant aircraft with features like 4G connectivity, a 4K gimbal camera, a 45 mph top speed, and a 30-minute flight time. The Helios is available for pre-order and is priced at $4,499. Pre-orders can be placed either through Ascent AeroSystems or Robinson Helicopter Company dealers, with delivery occurring in Q4 of this year. If they come out with a thermal version, I think this could be a real winner.

Significant Changes to the Blue UAS List

The next story is about the Blue UAS list, which has seen some significant changes. Several drones and manufacturers have been removed, while a few others were added. Removed from the drone list are the Eagle EB, Ascent AeroSystems Spirit, Blue Halo IE V2, Hoverfly Tech Spectre, Inspired Flight IF1200A and IF800, Parrot Anafi USA Gov and Mil version, Vantage Viper, and finally, the WingtraOne Gen 2. These aircraft are no longer on the Blue UAS list, which is, quite frankly, a bit concerning. It’s unclear why these aircraft were removed—either because they weren’t compliant, the manufacturers asked for them to be removed, or they did not renew. This raises additional questions, including what happens to all the departments forced to purchase these Blue UAS-compliant aircraft that are now off the list. We’re not quite sure about the answer at this stage.

On the other hand, a few drones were added: the FlightWave Edge 130, Hoverfly Technologies Spectre (possibly a rebrand of the Hoverfly Tech version), and the ZenaTech Paladin. Pierce Aerospace’s B1 was also added to the Blue List, though on the parts side rather than the aircraft side. We’ll keep you updated if we hear more about this, but it’s a really interesting story.

Skydio’s Controversial Tracking Mailer

Speaking of interesting stories, next up, Skydio appears to have sent marketing material with tracking capabilities to Police departments. This was reported by DroneXL. A sergeant from a large California police department revealed that the promotional material from Skydio appeared to have embedded tracking using a 4G/5G SIM card. This was discovered after the device was disassembled by the department’s forensic analysis lab. The marketing material in question comes from a company called Mark Media, which confirmed that the device integrates a screen, a pause and play button, navigation, and a call-to-action button. It has a 9-month battery life and tracks interactions, use of the call-to-action button, and even the device’s location—which I think is the biggest issue here.

Skydio came under fire for this because of their stance as a secure alternative, citing the risk of data collection by other manufacturers. The sergeant in question stated, “In addition to privacy and security concerns, I found it ethically concerning because Skydio has been a strong proponent of Data Security and safety, but then did the very thing they accuse other US manufacturers of doing.” He also noted, “Electronic tracking like this is illegal in California without consent or a warrant.” At this stage, it’s unclear if the application of the law would depend on specific circumstances and technical details, but it’s still not a great look for Skydio.

SkyBrowse Unveils a Big Update

Last up, SkyBrowse has another big update with several features to discuss, including Pocket AI. This function turns an image into a 3D model using AI and is free for everyone to use—so give it a try and potentially win one year of SkyBrowse Lite. SkyBrowse also released Model Merging in Workspace Images. Model Merging allows you to link other models to connect multiple scenes within a workspace, again available for everyone. Workspace Images functions similarly and allows public safety users to attach photos to a 3D model so anyone who can see the model can also view the photos.

If you’re interested in signing up for SkyBrowse, Bobby has provided us with a discount for viewers of the show: 20% off for the first three months of SkyBrowse Lite. You can use the coupon code “PILOT.” We usually don’t do discounts or partnerships—even though this isn’t a partnership—we just like working with SkyBrowse, appreciate the team there, and wish them good luck with this. Give it a shot if it’s something you’re interested in.

Wrapping Up

No Friday Live or Monday Live this week—we’ll see you next Friday for the news update. We’re in the middle of a move right now, as you can see the set looks a bit different. This is more than likely the last time we record from this set before we move on to the new facility, where I’m heading out to right now. See you next week!