In October, SkySkopes announced that it was named the top drone service provider (DSP) in the U.S., as well as one of the best globally, by Drone Industry Insights (Dii), the leading source for business intelligence in the field of commercial drones. Equipped with a highly qualified operations and geospatial team, SkySkopes was ranked according to its size, consistent drone-industry development, global UAS market-share, growth, public awareness and online presence and activity. “I’m truly delighted by Drone Industry Insights’ stratification of SkySkopes as the top DSP in the U.S.,” SkySkopes CEO Matt Dunlevy said at the time.

The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) has announced that it is joining the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS CTI).  According to the FAA, the initiative is a collaborative effort designed to ensure that new technology is safely incorporated into the National Airspace System (NAS) and that qualified professionals are in the pipeline to satisfy the demand of the drone industry, which continues to grow at a rapid pace.  “The FAA is serving as a kind of intermediary for schools that offer this kind of program to get together,” explains Dr. Paul Karlowitz, associate professor of aviation.

This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World For the first time, liquid hydrogen and a unique refueling system have been used to power UAS. The demonstration was conducted by a Washington State University research team. The team says that the test demonstrated a key technology needed for long endurance, all-electric flights for medium-sized UAS. (Washington State University)

This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World Yandex and Uber have announced that they are spinning out their self-driving joint venture into a standalone company. Yandex is also increasing its stake by investing an additional $150 million. (VentureBeat)