The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Endeavor Robotics a $10 million contract for its “lightweight, battle-proven” FirstLook robots.
Weighing in at five pounds, the ‘throwable’ FirstLook robot can be dropped roughly 20 feet onto concrete without sustaining damage. The robots are typically used to clear buildings, detect IEDs, and are also a top choice for confined spaces like caves, tunnels and crawl spaces.
More than 1,000 FirstLook robots have been fielded across the world to military, law enforcement and industrial customers.
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Windhover Labs' says its open drone software ecosystem will help unleash potential of commercial applications for autonomous UAS
Windhover Labs, which describes itself as an “emerging leader in open and reliable drone software,” has announced the successful test flight of its integrated flight software stack and ground control software.
Based in League City, Texas, Windhover says that this milestone not only solidifies a “groundbreaking technical approach,” but it also marks the general availability of its software ecosystem to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), avionics manufacturers, and commercial customers.
Hazon Solutions to serve as preferred training partner for PrecisionHawk's BVLOS waiver consulting program
Hazon Solutions and PrecisionHawk have formed a strategic partnership that will result in Hazon serving as the preferred training partner for PrecisionHawk's Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver consulting program.
“This partnership is the perfect marriage of resources between two best-in-breed companies,” says Hazon CEO and co-founder David A. Culler, Jr. CAPT, USN (ret.).
“Under the FAA Pathfinder Program, PrecisionHawk has developed a strong safety case for enterprises to conduct BVLOS drone operations, of which training and crew experience are a key component, two services where HAZON excels.”
UND to utilize Insitu's recently launched ScanEagle3 UAS
Insitu Inc. and the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks (UND) have announced additions to UND’s UAS degree program and research enterprise.
In conjunction with its 50th Anniversary of Aviation Education and Research, UND will integrate Insitu’s INEXA Control, TacitView and Catalina UAS software into its Aviation UAS curriculum in the fall of 2019.
UND, which currently uses Insitu’s ScanEagle UAS, will also make additions to its UAS fleet, adding Insitu’s ScanEagle3 UAS, which was launched on May 1 during Xponential 2018.
Keynote speakers for closing day of Xponential tout 'Unmanned for Good' stories
Keynote speakers at Xponential's "Unmanned for Good" session stressed the benefits of unmanned aerial systems for the humanitarian and public safety communities and the responders who risk their lives to make everyone safer.
UAS and the data they provide are becoming so effective for tasks like fighting fires that it is becoming unethical not to use them, said Robin Murphy, professor of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M University.
This, said AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne, is "extremely meaningful."
"We have an obligation" to provide technology, said Commander Tom Madigan of the Alameda, California, County Sheriff’s Office.
AV, FlightWave team to add VTOL tech to small UAS
Things are looking up for AeroVironment in terms of vertical takeoff and landing capabilities planned for a new family of unmanned aircraft.
The company has teamed with FlightWave Aerospace Systems to produce Shrike 2, a new small UAS that can takeoff and land like a quadcopter but transition to forward flight as needed, using FlightWave’s patented Edge VTOL technology.
“We’ll be adding this to family of systems,” says David Sharpin, vice president of the company’s tactical UAS business unit. A small system similar to the one on display in their booth is expected by the end of the year, with two larger variations already in development.
Peachtree Corners' autonomous vehicle track expected to open by 2019
The City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia and Prototype Prime, which is Peachtree Corners’ start-up incubator, have announced plans to create a city-owned and operated 1.4-mile autonomous vehicle track and an Advanced Vehicle Technology Accelerator.
Construction of the track is expected to begin shortly, and it has an anticipated open date of January 2019.
The track will be located just outside of Prototype Prime’s front door. The start-up incubator will serve as the “innovation, collaboration, and testing hub” for the city's advanced vehicle project.
Arctic UAV adopts Kongsberg Geospatial IRIS UAS situational awareness application to enhance its BVLOS operations
In an effort to enhance its beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, Arctic UAV has adopted the Kongsberg Geospatial IRIS UAS situational awareness application, which will provide “situational awareness safety” for Arctic UAV’s BVLOS flight operations within Canada’s Arctic.
Multiple UAS can be monitored simultaneously by a single operator using the Kongsberg Geospatial IRIS display technology. The technology also provides real-time calculation of aircraft separation and communications line-of-sight to enable BVLOS operations.
IRIS will provide the flight range with real-time 2D and 3D visualization of airborne track and weather data, as well as geo-fencing capabilities.
Survae's digital asset management platform now connected to C-2i Innovations' autonomous amphibious robot
Survae and autonomous amphibious robots' developer C-2i Innovations have announced that Survae’s digital asset management platform is now connected to C-2i’s Sea Otter device, which is used for all-weather inspection, sampling and mapping of shore and water regions, from oceans and harbors to rivers, estuaries, marshes and tailing ponds.
The Sea Otter, which is portable and deployable from beaches and small boats, provides persistent sensing where UUVs and ROVs cannot, the companies say. Operating up to 10 miles from shore, the Sea Otter is highly maneuverable, and in a single deployment it can cover multiple stations, providing versatile station keeping for up to five months in all weather/all season situations.
FLIR Systems' minority investment in DroneSense to help public safety organizations using UAS
FLIR Systems Inc. has completed a strategic investment in DroneSense, a company that makes a unique software platform that serves the growing needs of public safety organizations in using UAS to better perform their missions.
FLIR’s minority investment in DroneSense is expected to create opportunities for the companies to work together and share their respective expertise and customer relationships to “develop and bring to market advanced UAS operating, management, and reporting systems.”