Drone News Roundup: Drone Video of Hanging Gardens Building with 1,000 Trees, Jetson Sells Out Its Flying Cars for 2022, and More!

This week we’re covering a drone video of a new mall in Shanghai that has over 1,000 trees, simulating the look of a green mountainside.

We’re also covering news that eVTOL air taxi company Jetson has already sold out its entire 2022 inventory, a story about a drone carrying sausages to save a lost dog, an animated FPV flight through a Van Gogh painting, and the official launch of the U.S. Drone Soccer League.

Now on to the links!

Drone Video Showcases “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” with 1,000 Trees at New Building

The hanging gardens featured in this drone video of a new multi-use complex in Shanghai, China are formally called the 1,000 Trees, with each tree sitting atop its own column. The design was created by Heatherwick studio, which shared that the columns are not just meant to look pretty—they’re actually structural, too. “Early studies suggested that a project of this size would require at least 800 structural columns to support it. From this point the studio began to explore how these columns, normally hidden within the structure, could become a prominent feature of the building.” The result of this creative thinking are the incredible hanging gardens you see in the video.

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Jetson Sells Out Entire 2022 Production of First Commercially Available Flying Car

Swedish startup Jetson is reporting that it sold out all of its 2022 inventory of personal eVTOL craft last year, as soon as it opened them up for preorders. It’s also sold 100 units for 2023 and has 3,000 more under preorder. And these are no small commitments—the full cost of one of their personal air taxis is $92,000 and a deposit is $22,000 (it’s unclear whether deposits were required for preorders, or only for those units Jetson is reporting as sold). The Jetson model for air taxis uses a “build-your-own” design that weighs just 190 pounds, comes with a Tesla battery, has a maximum flight time of 20 minutes, and a top speed of 63 mph. Although Jetson has said that the craft won’t require a pilot certificate since they’ll be classified as “an ultralight vehicle that does not require any certifications” in the U.S., it’s not yet clear if this perspective will hold up to FAA scrutiny.

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Drone Carrying a Sausage Helps Save Lost Dog

A Search & Rescue team in Hampshire, England recently helped reunite a lost dog with its owner by tying fresh sausages to its drone, and using them to lure the dog to safety. The sausages were a last resort. Before trying that approach, volunteers from a local organization called the Denmead Drone Search and Rescue (DDSAR), as well as officials from the coast guard, fire department, and law enforcement, had tried to reach the dog, but it was located in a boggy area and ran from them when they approached, potentially placing her in more danger. Once volunteers came up with the idea of dangling sausages from the drone, the dog soon followed it to higher ground, and to its very relieved owner.

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Check Out This Animated FPV Flight through a Van Gogh Painting

Van Gogh pic.twitter.com/gA7ogQvwCg

— Alejandro Vigilante (@VigilanteArtist) January 12, 2022

The feeling you get in this animated video is that you’re flying via FPV drone directly into a Van Gogh painting. The creative video was made by Argentinian artist Alejandro Vigilante. Vigilante is the founder of the i-Art movement, a phrase he coined to describe “humorous and ironic mixed-media works and paintings that draw their subject matter from popular culture.” Whatever you call it, the video is really fun to watch.

SEE MORE FROM ALEJANDRO VIGILANTE

U.S. Drone Soccer League Officially Launches, Announces 2022 Tournament Schedule

After a year of tests to make a drone that can handle the repeated crashes that come with the sport of drone soccer, the U.S. Drone Soccer League just announced its official launch. The game of drone soccer is rough and tumble, involving teams of five flying drones inside a netted arena (the pilots are outside the net), bashing their drones into those from the opposing team to keep them from scoring. Drones that get damaged during play are repaired by the pilots, making the sport a STEM-focused activity, since players must learn how to repair their UAVs. The U.S. Drone Soccer League is open to students in grades 6-12, and it has tournaments planned this year in Colorado, Ohio, and New York. The first tournament of the year will take place in Denver on April 30.

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