Drone News: More DJI Leaks, DroneUp Layoffs, and a Failed Drone Smuggling Attempt

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update we have 3 stories for you,
More DJI Leaks, DroneUp layoffs, and failed drone smuggling in
South Carolina.


First up, a bunch more DJI leaks have come out this week
including the Air 3S and more Neo Leaks! New images of the Air 3S
show what appears to be a much larger gimbal on an Air 3 frame.
Leaked images also confirm the name of the new drone as the Air
3S. Images also show specs including a Sony CMOS sensor, 14EV
dynamic range, and onboard panorama composition of 13,000x6500
pixels. The pictures are getting better so we might be getting
closer to release! The Neo has also had a recent leak by an
Australian online store. The store shared specs, some of which
we’ve seen before. Key features include 135g, hand takeoff and
landing, 4K video, smart track, direction track, motion control,
remote audio recording, and goggles compatibility. Control
methods also include voice control, phone control, or RC control.
For a complete list of specs, visit DroneXL’s article linked
below! Next up, DroneUp is scaling back operations and is closing
18 delivery hubs. DroneUp ended hubs in Phoenix, Salt Lake City,
and Tampa, resulting in 70 job losses or about 17% of DroneUp’s
workforce. Deliveries in the future will be limited to 15
locations in the Dallas area. You can see DroneUp’s response to
DroneXL’s request for comment by saying: “Layoffs are an
unfortunate part of a business that is literally defining its own
industry. Like so many innovators before us, the decision to
automate often leads to similar circumstances but we acknowledge
that this is a difficult time, especially for those with whom
we've parted ways. While we are deeply grateful for their
service, DroneUp remains committed to a strategy that supports
our commercial partners and their customers. The lessons we have
learned in the last several years has informed a strategy to
reshape the last-mile of delivery with DroneUp's Ecosystem
platform that is economically feasible for sellers and scalable
for buyers. It remains our ambition to grow DroneUp, nationwide.
Doing so would rely on a bigger workforce in roles that will be
defined by what regulators permit, and what partners and their
customers need.” We’ll keep you updated when we see more. Last
up, deputies in South Carolina confiscated large drones being
used to drop contraband into the Ridgeland Correctional
Institute. While responding to known take off locations nearby,
deputies found the two men flying the drone and attempted to stop
them. The men ran and escaped into nearby woods. When searched,
the vehicle contained marijuana, tobacco, a cellphone, AirPods,
and a large drone. Don’t be that guy, and don’t fly over prisons.
Have a great week, and we’ll see you on Monday for the Live!
https://dronexl.co/2024/08/21/details-dji-air-3s-drone/
https://dronexl.co/2024/08/19/dji-neo-drone-listing-imminent-release/
https://dronexl.co/2024/08/17/large-drone-contraband-seized-failed-prison-drop/
https://dronexl.co/2024/08/16/mayday-for-droneup-delivery-plans-lose-altitude/