KDE Direct News Releases — drones

The Agricultural Drone Market Could Reach $6 Billion in 5 Years

Drones have helped redefine farming over the last two years. If used properly, they can result in improved crop yields, higher economic returns, and more efficient use of water and labor. The use of UAVs in agriculture can even help lower greenhouse gas emissions since they require less fuel than bulkier, motorized farm equipment (crop dusters, anyone?) In their brief time on the agricultural market, drones have made a substantial impact. But is this just a passing trend, or will the market continue to grow on the same exponential trajectory it is today?   Projected Growth of the Agricultural Drone...

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Could Drone Delivery Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

We’ve heard about Amazon’s mission to revamp their package delivery service with the aid of drones for years. Reducing the needs for trucking by delivering certain packages with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) would save fuel—and carbon emissions, as a result. Aerial delivery drones could potentially release less of the gases that lead to climate change like carbon dioxide. But how much could drone deliveries help?   The Rise of Drone Delivery The China-based retailer, JD.com, has already launched drone delivery in four provinces in the country, while DHL and Zipline are currently using drones to deliver medicine to rural and...

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Brushless Motors for Robotics | Common Questions Answered

  As of 2018, KDE Direct has expanded into several new industries, including robotic applications. Since the launch, we’ve received a few questions regarding brushless motors for a wide variety of robotic applications, from BattleBots to microrobotic systems. Here is our roundup of common robotic questions along with our answers so you can get to building.   What Counts as a Robot? The definition of the word “robot” isn’t as broad as you’d expect. A robot is a man-made mechanical device that can move by itself, whose motion must be modeled, planned, sensed, actuated and controlled, and whose behavior can...

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Everything You Need to Know About KDE Direct Folding Propellers

  You know what motors you’re using for your latest drone project. You’ve picked out your weather-proof ESCs. But which propellers will be holding up your rig? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about KDE Direct’s propeller blades so you can get right to flying. Folding Propellers Over Fixed Propellers Our idea for propeller blades over fixed propellers came out of the helicopter technology that was the predecessor to KDE Direct before the rise of drones in our industry. The performance benefit of folding propellers is the lead-lag operation of propellers (the same as on a helicopter), that...

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UAV and Brushless Motor Trends in 2018 | What's Next?

The new year has arrived, and with it new trends and forecasts for the UAV and brushless motor market. Today’s drones are used for everything from wedding photography to recording climate change to surveying and mapping. But where are we going next? From motors the size of your fingernail to flying cars, here’s what we’re watching out for in 2018. A Growing Demand for Miniature Motors—Especially in the Medical Industry Bigger isn’t always better. While we don’t expect to see a drop in oversized motors for heavy lift drones, we predict an increase in the need for smaller brushless motors,...

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