Alpha Unmanned Systems has selected Robotic Skies Inc. to develop and implement a global support plan for its current and future commercial UAS, which currently features the company’s flagship product, the Alpha 800 unmanned helicopter.
The Alpha 800 has a flight endurance of more than three hours, a payload capacity of three kilograms and a range of up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
Through its network of worldwide service centers, Robotic Skies will provide a warranty program and field support management for Alpha Unmanned customers.
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Business Solutions
Ford and Walmart partner to deliver goods using self-driving vehicles
On Nov. 14, Ford announced that it is teaming up with Walmart to explore how self-driving vehicles can deliver everyday goods to people.
The companies are using the infrastructure of Postmates—whom they both had an existing partnership with before—to quickly establish and launch a pilot program that explores how Ford’s self-driving vehicles can complement Walmart’s existing delivery offerings.
“Like Ford, Walmart believes that self-driving vehicles have an important role to play in the future of delivery, and that true success comes from first learning how individuals want to use them in their daily lives,” Ford says in a company blog post.
RADA receives more than $12 million in new orders; portion of orders for avionics for UAS
RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. has announced that in recent weeks, it has received more than $12 million in new orders.
More than $5 million of the new orders were for RADA’s software-defined radars for counter rocket artillery and mortar (C-RAM), counter UAS and short range air defense (SHORAD). Most of these orders were from new and strategic defense organizations, and represent initial orders that have the potential for greater follow-on orders in the future.
RADA notes that portions of these orders were follow-ons from customers that have placed initial orders earlier this year.
The rest of the orders, totaling almost $7 million, were follow-on orders for RADA’s legacy avionics, which includes avionics for UAS.
Universal Robots hires more than 20 Rethink Robotics staff members
Universal Robots (UR) has hired more than 20 Rethink Robotics staff members, merging its Boston office with Rethink’s former headquarters in Boston’s seaport area “with immediate effect.”
UR says that Rethink’s personnel brings “extensive” collaborative robotics experience in engineering, product development, and customer applications. This experience, combined with UR’s expertise, will help UR continue to develop new and innovative collaborative robotics platforms.
Kongsberg Maritime selects Leclanche to provide batteries for its autonomous vessels
Kongsberg Maritime has selected battery company Leclanché as its battery partner and supplier of customized marine energy storage platforms.
Through the partnership, Leclanché will be an asset to Kongsberg’s new generation of hybrid power platforms, which includes “cutting-edge autonomous and crewed vessel newbuilds.”
“The partnership between Kongsberg Maritime, one of the world’s leading providers of electrification solutions to the maritime industry and Leclanché has the potential to be game changing as it brings low and zero-emission solutions to the sizeable and fast growing electric and hybrid marine market,” explains Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché.
From Unmanned Systems Magazine: Military looks to startup world to speed technological innovation
Recognizing the need to revitalize its procurement process, the Pentagon established a fast-track organization two years ago that would accelerate delivery of critical new technologies and systems to its warfighters.
Under the office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the new Defense Innovation Unit, known as DIU, would serve as a direct pipeline to connect military customers with non-traditional businesses.
Ocean Infinity orders five Kongsberg Maritime HUGIN AUVs
Ocean Infinity has placed three separate orders for a total of five Kongsberg Maritime HUGIN AUVs, which will increase the company’s inventory to 15.
According to Kongsberg, the AUVs are equipped with the latest generation Kongsberg Maritime HISAS 1032 synthetic aperture sonar, which gives Ocean Infinity a total of six HUGIN AUVs in its fleet that have the ability to deliver high resolution imaging.
“We are pleased to continue to support Ocean Infinity’s operations and value the confidence placed in the HUGIN AUV,” comments Thomas Nygaard, vice president Marine Robotics, Kongsberg Maritime.
AeroVironment to provide allied nation in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility with its Puma AE II UAS
AeroVironment will provide an allied nation in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility with its RQ-20B Puma AE II small UAS, training and support, after receiving a $3,228,856 firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The anticipated delivery date of this technology and services is by March 30, 2019.
QinetiQ Target Systems and Canadian UAVs partner to provide UAS services for military and commercial markets in Canada
Two of Canada’s leaders in the UAS space have announced that they will begin working together.
QinetiQ Target Systems and Canadian UAVs (CUAVs) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines their collaborative efforts to produce the “best of breed” platforms for military and commercial markets.
The focus of the agreement is providing services to clients that require long range, endurance and payload capacity primarily with the Skeldar V200 UAS, Mosquito UHV-T Group 2 UAS and the class 1 UAS Snyper.