Malaysia-Singapore drone delivery services to launch this year

Aerodyne Group, a drone-based enterprise solutions provider headquartered in Malaysia, and DroneDash Technologies, a Singapore-based air mobility company, have announced their cross-border drone delivery services between Malaysia and Singapore.

Designed for critical deliveries such as urgent documents, high-value electronics, medical supplies, and perishable foods, the service features a navigation system crafted from satellite communications with dual-city 5G roaming, real-time tracking and advanced security protocols.

The drones used for the service can carry up to 30 kg and achieve speeds of 150 km/h within a four-hour flight span. The initiative will initially focus on establishing delivery routes from Singapore to Johor Bahru and Iskandar Malaysia, with commercial operations starting in Q324.

“Organisations in the logistics, cargo delivery and freight services sector stand to gain a double-digit percentage improvement in overall productivity and cost. Drone deliveries are also beneficial for the environment with emissions and carbon footprint being reduced by up to 100% and 80% respectively,” said Paul Yam, CEO of DroneDash.

Source: Aerodyne Group and DroneDash Technologies. A DroneDash drone in action.

“Drone deliveries are transforming the speed and reach of logistics operations, and they can help reach remote areas where traditional air and sea freight are unable to access. They also add to the creation of a revitalised and vibrant logistic sector through job creation in operating and maintaining the drones.”

“With the formation of the recent Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), we are proud to play a part in strengthening economic connectivity between the two regions,” said Mudzakkir Hatta, CEO of Aerodyne.

“We look forward to venturing beyond the state of Johor with increased shipments to other parts of Malaysia, forging a longstanding trade cooperation with the two partnering nations.”

The future analysed at the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong

Over 50 thought leaders and decision makers across industry and sector were at day 2 of the GREAT Festival of Innovation to talk about how we will live in the future. The event, running till 24 March in Hong Kong, involves industry leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, educationalists, futurologists to an audience from the UK, Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan, South Korea and wider region.

With predictions that 70% of the world’s projected populations will live in cities by 2050, the festival discussed implications for the way we experience life, eat, travel and coexist with nature through panel discussions and demonstrations. Highlights included:

Source/credit: GREAT Festival of Innovation. Dame Hall kicked off Day 2 with a keynote speech titled Social And Sustainable: The Future Of Impact Investing.

Internet pioneer and Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton Dame Wendy Hall urging the audience at her keynote to help realise a socially-ambitious future for technology, driven by a diverse workforce with equal gender representation and the input of professionals across industry sector.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is too important to be left to the experts,” Dame Hall said.

Source/credit: GREAT Festival of
Innovation. A live fashion showcase
displayed the latest wearable technology.

The festival also hosted the unveiling of previously-unseen footage of Dragonfly, a concept by UK transportation designer PriestmanGoode. A 90-second trailer revealed the full extent of the much-talked-of initiative which, combining old and new technology, uses existing waterways and autonomous drones to deliver goods to customers.

The reveal was made by the company’s Chairman, Paul Priestman, during a discussion with Hong Kong’s Professor Frederick Ma Si-Hang, Chairman of MTR Corporation and Alex Cruz, Chairman & CEO of British Airways. Acknowledging the importance of protecting our environment for future generations, the three speakers agreed that a critical issue facing transport in the future is the elimination of congestion in cities, from airport to road.

Priestman said, “We’ve imagined cities in the future being adapted to accommodate drone technology leading to a big step change in city development and does not require the use of the already congested road network. Buildings, for example, could be designed to enable access from different levels, not just by the front door. The banks of rivers, where all cities first emerged, are used again as major transport corridors supporting the delivery of the drone network.”

Delegates also saw the results of a pioneering partnership between McLaren Automotive and UK startup Vector Suite, with a live demonstration of how designers are using virtual reality (VR) to develop its new cars.

Mark Roberts, Head of Design Operations at McLaren Automotive said, “McLaren is the first automotive company to utilise VR from the very beginning of the design process to fast track the way in which we design new models. We’re able to speed up the process and maximise the creativity with greater accuracy and, in turn, help our business ultimately build beautiful cars that meet our customers’ expectations."

Source/credit: GREAT Festival of Innovation. Kerridge (left) watches as Gong presents XAIRCRAFT during a panel on the Future of Food and Farming.

Drones were also a theme for a chat between Richard Deverell, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, British culinary maestros Tom Kerridge and Tom Aikens and Justin Gong, Co-Founder of XAIRCRAFT Company on the future of food. Gong shared that XAIRCRAFT used AI to create drones that can tell whether plants on farms have been treated with pesticides, so these can be skipped during pest management activities.

Asked about the future of food production, Deverell commented on improving the diversity of plants used as food to cope with the twin pressures of growing population and unpredictable climate change. He said, "We need champions who are going to experiment and help opinion formers and the public understand the incredible things that can be done with food diversity.”

The event is part of the GREAT Britain campaign, which showcases the best of what the nation has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK.

Explore:

Watch the live stream

Hashtag: #GREATInnovation

Seagate announces Seagate DJI Fly Drive

Source: Seagate. The Seagate DJI Fly Drive.

Drones are creating more content than ever before, and with the announcement of the Seagate DJI Fly Drive, managing that data is about to get easier. 

The first data solution to come from Seagate and DJI’s strategic partnership, Fly Drive portable external drive will allow drone pilots to efficiently back up their photo and video content on location, thanks to its large storage capacity, integrated MicroSD card slot, quick transfer speeds and durable build. It also comes with a complimentary two-month subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro CC*, part of Adobe Creative Cloud.

Fly Drive features:

• Up to 2TB of storage. On average, an hour of 4K 30fps compressed footage creates 30GB of data.
• MicroSD card slot
• Protective bumper provides shock resistance. A USB-C cable is stored in the bumper. 
• USB 3.1 Type C interface 

Interested?

The Seagate DJI Fly Drive will be available this summer (editor's note: roughly Q2 to Q3)

*Adobe Premiere Pro CC offer valid where available. 

posted from Bloggeroid

JW Marriott Luxury Hotels & Resorts' Drone Experience Program takes off in China

Source: JW Marriott Luxury Hotel s& Resorts. View from a DJI drone.

JW Marriott Luxury Hotels & Resorts and DJI, the drone-maker, today announced a partnership that will launch the luxury hotel brand’s first Drone Experience Program.

The programme will provide guests with the opportunity to experiment with DJI’s drone technology. Guests can view JW Marriott’s properties from a new perspective, and will be able to capture and share these experiences with friends and family.

JW Marriott Zhejiang Anji will launch the initiative on November 12, 2016. DJI representatives will host on-site experience sessions for hotel guests to demonstrate how to safely operate a drone and provide essential aerial photography tips. Guests will also be invited to a demonstration of the latest aerial platform such as the popular DJI Phantom 4. This 30-minute experiential programme will be held every Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and guests can reserve their spot in advance with the hotel concierge.

The Drone Experience Program will enable guests to capture an aerial overview of the hotel and destination by using a DJI drone with the help of a trained unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot. Through the DJI Go app, they can easily share these moments on social media via livestreaming to Facebook or YouTube.

With its proximity to the Anji Bamboo Forest, one of the natural wonders of China, JW Marriott Zhejiang Anji was the ideal pilot hotel for the Drone Experience Program.

“Delivering an exceptional guest experience is at the heart of what we do at JW Marriott, and this exciting partnership with DJI allows us to continue transforming the way our guests capture their travel experiences,” says Mike Fulkerson, VP, Brand Marketing, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

“Anji is a fantastic destination to pilot this cutting-edge technology and the program will help guests both learn something new and share their experiences with friends and family.”

“DJI’s aerial platforms and camera technology will allow travellers creative means of capturing and sharing their travel experience with the rest of the world. The combined geographic footprints of DJI and the JW Marriott brand will enable us to debut the programme in some of the world’s most desirable destinations,” said Eli Morgan Harris, DJI’s Business Development Manager.

posted from Bloggeroid

Shopee Malaysia opens preorders for GoPro HERO5 cameras and Karma drones

Shopee, the mobile marketplace in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has launched preorders for the GoPro HERO5 cameras.

Source: GoPro. The HERO5 series.

GoPro HERO5 was announced on September 19 by GoPro’s founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman, together with cloud-based software, and the Karma quadcopter (drone).

“With these new products, we’re delivering on our promise to make it easy to capture and share engaging stories,” said Woodman. “HERO5’s ability to auto-upload photos and videos to a GoPro Plus account dramatically simplifies mobile, on-the-go editing, sharing and enjoyment. This is a game-changing experience that we will continue to build upon.”

In addition to significant gains in performance and convenience, GoPro’s HERO5 line of cameras can auto-upload photos and videos to GoPro Plus, a cloud-based subscription service that makes it easy to access, edit and share GoPro content anytime, anywhere.

The US$399.99 HERO5 Black, waterproof without housing, will be the company's most powerful, easy-to-use GoPro, ever. Features include:
·      2" touch display + simplified controls
·      Video resolutions up to 4K at 30 frames per second
·      12-megapixel photos
·      Auto-upload of photos and video to cloud when the camera is charging*
·      Voice control with support for seven languages including Chinese and Japanese (additional languages coming)
·      Single-button control
·      Waterproof without a housing to 10m
·      Compatible with existing GoPro mounts, including Karma
·      Stereo audio Recording and advanced wind noise reduction
·      Professional-grade electronic video stabilisation
·      Distortion-free wide angle video and photos with new linear-view setting
·      RAW and WDR photo modes
·      GPS

The US$299 HERO5 Session shares the same design and convenience of the original HERO Session camera, but benefits from performance upgrades:
·      Video resolutions up to 4K at 30 frames per second
·      Professional quality 10MP photos
·      Auto-upload of photos and video to cloud when the camera is charging*
·      Voice control with support for seven languages (additional languages coming)
·      Single-button control
·      Waterproof without a housing to 10m
·      Compatible with existing GoPro mounts, including Karma
·      Stereo audio Recording and advanced wind noise reduction
·      Professional-grade electronic video stabilisation
·      Distortion-free wide angle video and photos with new linear-view setting

Shopee Malaysia will have both HERO5 cameras from October 3. Prices start from RM1,299 for the HERO5 Session and RM 1,749 for HERO5 Black. Other than these two cameras, the Karma drone is priced at RM3,999, and will be available for preorder at the same time.

Source: GoPro. The Karma drone.

Karma features a compact, fits-in-a-small-backpack design and includes an image-stabilisation grip that can be handheld or mounted to vehicles, gear and more:

·      Compact and foldable, the entire system fits into the included backpack.
·      A game-style controller features an integrated touch display, so there is no need for a separate phone or tablet to see what the drone sees.
·      The three-axis camera stabiliser can be removed from the drone and attached to the included Karma Grip for capturing ultra-smooth handheld and gear-mounted footage.

According to GoPro, Karma will be available in the following bundles:
·      Karma without a GoPro camera for US$799.99 manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP, from October 23)
·      Karma bundled with HERO5 Black for US$1,099.99 MSRP (from October 23)
·      Available early 2017: Karma bundled with HERO5 Session for US$999.99 MSRP (from early 2017)

Interested?

Preorder on Shopee Malaysia

Watch the GoPro 5 and Karma launch video