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/