Via TechCrunch, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Gecko Robotics, which is developing wall-climbing robots to help save lives at power plants in the United States, has announced that it has secured $7 million from a group that includes Founders Fund, Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, and Y Combinator.
Gecko Robotics’ robots are considered “an important part of ensuring safety in industrial and power plant facilities,” being that they can go ahead of humans to check for potential hazards.
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Navya and Keolis Canada announce Canada's first autonomous shuttle pilot project on public roads
Navya and Keolis Canada recently announced the launch of a 12-month autonomous shuttle pilot project, which is set to begin at the end of this month in Candiac, Quebec, Canada.
During the year-long pilot, Navya’s AUTONOM shuttle will operate in real traffic conditions on public roads, which will be a first in Canada. In an effort to determine how to best meet user's mobility needs, especially during their home-work trips, the shuttle will carry users on a two-kilometer route, with several stops throughout the city.
Airbus Aerial aids insurance, firefighters battling California's Carr fire
Airbus Aerial, the startup offshoot of commercial and defense giant Airbus, has been using its analytic tools to help insurance companies and first responders come to grips with California’s raging Carr fire, still only 61 percent contained as of Monday.
Airbus Aerial fuses satellite data with its in-house analytical systems to let insurance companies monitor areas they insure, enabling them to settle claims rapidly — in some cases, before the homeowner even knows their house has burned down.
One insurer logged into AA’s system on Friday and by Saturday had settled about a thousand claims, says AA President Jesse Kallman.
“With the satellite, it’s pretty interesting to be able to triage an entire county,” Kallman says.
Minority Serving Institutions to use grants from NASA to focus on UAS and robotics-related education
In an effort to build the interest, skills and knowledge necessary for K-12 students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, NASA's Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) Aerospace Academy (MAA) is providing nearly $2.3 million in grants to seven Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
Wilhelmsen Ships Service to help develop future UAS regulatory framework for Singapore
Wilhelmsen Ships Service has been selected to help develop the future UAS regulatory framework for Singapore. The company will receive dedicated funding for its shore-to-ship delivery project.
Following a Call-For-Proposal (CFP) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Ministry of Transport, Wilhelmsen Ships Service is one of just four companies to have received the funding.
The CFP seeks to “support the development of systems and technologies to enable innovations within the wide-ranging use of UAS.”
Self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics to expand its team and develop products using recent funding
A self-driving truck startup called Kodiak Robotics has raised $40 million in Series A financing.
The company will use the funds to expand its team—it currently has about 10 employees—as well as for product development.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Don Burnette, co-founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, and Paz Eshel, the company’s other co-founder and COO, shared the basic vision for their company: “use self-driving technology to ease the current strain on the freight market.”
RADA receives $4 million in radar orders; company's radars can be used for counter UAS tech
RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. has announced that during the second quarter, it received $4 million in radar orders.
The orders were for the company’s software-defined radars, and will be used in “today’s most advanced defense applications,” RADA says, including active protection systems (APS) for armored vehicles, counter rocket artillery and mortar (C-RAM), counter UAS and short range air defense (SHORAD).
According to RADA, a third of the orders were follow-on-sales from existing customers, while the remaining orders were from “new and highly strategic customers,” such as leading defense organizations. Additionally, these orders represent initial sales from which RADA expects further follow-on orders in the future.
Oceans Unmanned expands its freeFLY UAS program to Dutch Harbor, Alaska
In partnership with Alaska Sea Grant and Aleutian Aerial LLC, and with additional support from DJI, Oceans Unmanned Inc. has announced the expansion of its freeFLY initiative into Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to provide UAS aerial support for marine mammal entanglement response efforts in the region.
The freeFLY program, which was launched earlier this year in Hawaii, provides training, equipment, and management oversight to networks of local volunteer UAS operators that are available to support response groups.
The Hertz Corporation to help Aptiv with its Las Vegas autonomous vehicles through new partnership
Through a new strategic partnership, the Hertz Corporation and its fleet management subsidiary, Donlen, will help with the operations and management of Aptiv's Las Vegas autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Additionally, the companies will “execute a phased approach” to develop standard operating procedures for mobility-related AV fleets.
“We're pleased to announce this partnership with Aptiv, a leader in the development of autonomous driving technology,” says Michael Fisher, senior vice president and chief digitization officer of Hertz.
Xwing developing software stack that enables pilotless flight of small passenger aircraft
An autonomous-aviation startup called Xwing recently secured $4 million in funding.
The company is reportedly focused on the software stack that will enable pilotless flight of small passenger aircraft.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Xwing’s CEO Marc Piette says that while he was pursuing his pilot’s license, he saw restraint when it comes to smaller aircraft, but he also saw potential.
“It became pretty apparent that there were major issues with the general aviation industry with smaller aircraft,” Piette said.
“And yet it had enormous potential to change the way people moved around.”
