Starting in August, Pioneer Aerial Surveys, which is the wholly owned subsidiary of Global UAV Technologies, will conduct a survey for Quantum Pacific Exploration (QPX), after signing a UAV-MAG contract in Chile.
For Pioneer Aerial, this will be its third international survey, and its first contract for a UAV-MAG survey in South America.
“The QPX contract marks a significant step in Pioneer Aerial’s acceptance as the leader in UAV-MAG surveys worldwide,” says Michael Burns, President of Pioneer Aerial Surveys.
Business Solutions
Business Solutions
NOAA partners with UMD UAS Test Site to investigate UAS in Satellite Data Validation
In an effort to determine whether or not UAS can be used to validate satellite data more efficiently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has partnered with the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site.
NOAA regularly measures temperatures and light wavelengths from earth, and compares those results with results sent down from space.
While this process helps make sure that weather forecasts aren’t manipulated by inaccurate data, it is labor intensive and hard to conduct over large regions, which limits how directly the two data sets can be compared.
Through this partnership, NOAA and the UAS Test Site will investigate the potential of UAS saving time and money while collecting more data over a wider region.
North Carolina State University to research tracking UAS thanks to NASA grant
Thanks to support in the form of a three-year, $1.33 million grant from NASA’s University Leadership Initiative, researchers at North Carolina State University will launch a project that seeks to research and develop high-performance communications, networking and air traffic management (ATM) systems, which includes navigation and surveillance for UAS, as well as manned aircraft.
The NC State Group will work with David Matolak from the University of South Carolina (USC), Hani Mehrpouyan from Boise State University, and Benjamin Boisvert from Architecture Technology Corporation (ATCorp) to develop “multi-band radio designs, “millimeter wave” (mmWave) propagation measurements/modeling, navigation and surveillance techniques for manned/unmanned aircraft, and ATM simulations.”
Lyft setting up unit to develop autonomous vehicle technology
According to the Associated Press, San Francisco-based ride-hailing service Lyft is setting up its own unit, called “Level Five,” to develop autonomous vehicle technology. The unit is named after the industry term for fully autonomous vehicles.
Lyft says that it will open its network, and invite automakers and tech companies to use the network to transport passengers in their self-driving vehicles and gather data along the way.
Initially, the network will be open to Lyft’s current partners, which includes companies such as Google's Waymo autonomous vehicle operation and General Motors.
Cloud County Community College to adopt Unmanned Safety Institute’s drone curriculum
Cloud County Community College will become the first college in Kansas to adopt the Unmanned Safety Institute’s (USI) drone curriculum, as the school will reportedly use the curriculum as a “precursor to drone operations involving renewable energy assets.”
The UAS courses are also a part of the school’s Precision Ag program, and could be used to support other careers, such as those in mass communications, or that of a substation technician.
NIAS and SkyOp partner to provide West Coast with UAS training programs and courseware
The Nevada UAS Test Site and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) are partnering with a New York based training and education provider called SkyOp LLC, to offer UAS training programs and courseware to the West Coast.
Las Vegas will serve as the West Coast affiliate training center, where the next generation of the workforce will be prepared and trained so that it can answer “future demand for highly specialized drone-enabled employment opportunities.”
“UAS workforce development is the engine that will grow the Nevada UAS Industry,” says Dr. Chris Walach, Director of the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site.
Cool New Applications in Unmanned Maritime Systems
The changing nature of Naval/Maritime Operations with the introduction of Autonomous Systems.
Unmanned Systems in the airborne arena, drones, have dominated the media, but there is considerable innovation and exciting activity in the unmanned maritime systems domain. San Diego, with the Navy's presence and UCSD's Scripps Institute of Oceanography, is a fertile ground for this innovation. This evening, we will feature a panel which addresses the emerging and developing technologies of Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) as well as business and operational employment in various industries. Come hear experts from Video Ray, SeaBotix (Teledyne), SeaByte and Ocean Wings.
The 2017 Bridger Cup
BridgerCup 2017 from Digital Aerial Media on Vimeo.
The 3rd Annual Bridger Cup is a fun event for all, to be held this Sunday, July 23rd at 1:00 pm at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Bozeman, Montana -- gateway to Yellowstone Park. The event will take place during the fair itself, so attendees will enjoy access to all of the attractions, rides, exhibits and other amenities of this excellent county fair.
Microsoft and Baidu partner to advance autonomous driving
In an effort to “take the technical development and adoption of autonomous driving worldwide,” Microsoft Corp. and Baidu Inc. have announced a new partnership.
Through the partnership, the two companies will, among many things, look into opportunities on how to deliver “connected vehicle solutions and unique customer experiences that aim to digitally transform the autonomous driving industry.”
“Today’s vehicles already have an impressive level of sophistication when it comes to their ability to capture data,” says Kevin Dallas, corporate vice president, Microsoft.
Autonomous vehicle technology company Nauto raises $159 million
An autonomous vehicle technology company called Nauto has closed a $159 million Series B financing round, which was led by a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. and Greylock Partners.
According to Nauto, the funds will be used to “fuel Nauto’s growth and the deployment of its retrofit safety and networking system into more vehicles around the globe.”
The funding will also support the Nauto data platform’s expansion in autonomous vehicle research and development across a variety of automakers.