A startup company in Singapore called OTSAW Digital has released its four-wheeled security robot, named O-R3, which includes a drone that can be launched after intruders.
Because of its “drone-in-robot design,” the O-R3's range can extend significantly in comparison to the typical ground-based autonomous robot, giving the O-R3 capabilities that ordinary security robots wouldn’t have.
“[If] you have obstacles on the ground, we can launch a drone that has an aerial view of where the intruder is hiding, maybe on the other side of the wall, on the fence, or the gate, stuff like that,” says Ling Ting Ming, CEO of OTSAW Digital and its parent company ActiV Technology, through an article with Mashable.
Technology
Technology
UC Santa Barbara researchers use UAS and WiFi for 3D through-wall imaging
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) working out of professor Yasamin Mostofi’s lab have conducted a demonstration in which they used two UAS working in tandem, and WiFi, to capture the three-dimensional imaging of objects through walls.
In their experiment, which the results of that and the proposed methodology appeared in the Association for Computing Machinery/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks (IPSN), researchers use two autonomous octocopters to fly outside of an enclosed, four-sided brick house whose interior is foreign to the UAS.
Shadow UAS operators and maintainers of 7th Infantry Division train in Washington State
During the Bayonet Focus (BF) 17-03 exercise, Shadow UAS operators and maintainers of 7th Infantry Division worked on their skillset at the Yakima Training Center in Washington, at a recently built UAS airfield.
Imagery support for units conducting the BF 17-03 exercise was provided by the soldiers, which gave UAS personnel and service members in the field more realistic training.
“This is different than training back at Joint Base Lewis-McChord because we are in a more tactical setting and we move a lot faster,” says Spc. Brysen Borja, a UAS operator with 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, via DVIDSHub.net.
Douglas County Search and Rescue team uses UAS to locate and rescue missing hikers
On June 15, the Douglas County Search and Rescue team in Colorado used a UAS to locate two missing hikers and a dog in the Pike National Forest, after they mistakenly left the Devil's Head trail.
The hikers were able to call 9-1-1 with limited cell service, and the Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteer teams responded to the area. More than two dozen people responded, which included foot searchers, ATVs, a K-9 team, and the UAS team.
About two hours after the teams responded to the area, the UAS team made visual contact with the lost hikers, and shortly after that, a search team on foot made contact with the hikers.
According to Incident Commander Bruce Fosdick, the UAS saved hours of time in searching for the hikers.
Northrop Grumman demonstrates unmanned mine-hunting capabilities in Belgium
Northrop Grumman has announced that using the high-speed AQS-24B sensor, the company has successfully demonstrated unmanned mine-hunting capabilities during the Belgian Defense Technology and Industry Day trials at the Naval Base at Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The demonstration, which is a follow-on to a successful operation that took place in October 2016 during Unmanned Warrior in Scotland, showcased the high area coverage rate (ACR) that is attainable when combining Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24B mine hunting system with the Atlas Elektronik UK ARCIMS USV, a platform that has proven to be extremely stable, and shown that it is ideally suited for towing the high-speed AQS-24B in rough seas.
General Motors produces 130 Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles equipped with self-driving technology
General Motors (GM) has announced that it has completed production of 130 Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles, equipped with the company's next generation of self-driving technology.
The vehicles, which were produced at GM's Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan, are equipped with the latest array of equipment from GM, including cameras, sensors, LIDAR, and other hardware designed to “accelerate development of a safe and reliable fully autonomous vehicle.”
This latest batch of Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles will join more than 50 current-generation self-driving Bolt EVs that are currently a part of testing fleets in Scottsdale, Arizona, metro Detroit, and San Francisco.
uAvionix introduces PingStation, an all-weather, networkable ADS-B receiver for UAS
UAvionix has introduced its latest product, PingStation, which is an “all-weather, networkable ADS-B receiver for low and high altitude aircraft surveillance.”
Because of its robustness, PingStation can be “permanently mounted outdoors in harsh environmental conditions,” and it can also be used as a mobile asset for roaming operations thanks to its small size.
Among its many potential uses, PingStation could be used for Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems, airport surface and region situational awareness, FBO/flight school fleet tracking and management, and it could be a component of UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) and/or UAS Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems.
Audi performs first autonomous vehicle demonstration in New York State
Representatives from Audi of America Inc. performed the first demonstration of an autonomous vehicle in the state of New York on June 13.
Using Audi’s Highway Pilot technology, the vehicle, which was occupied by two trained engineers who monitored the system and made sure that everything transpired safely, drove autonomously for approximately 6.1 miles once reaching Interstate 90, after being guided there by a driver.
China’s solar-powered UAS flies in near space region
The project team under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has announced that the country’s first near-space solar drone, called Caihong (CH), or Rainbow, has successfully completed a flight at an altitude of 20 kilometers, or nearly 12 and a half miles.
The UAS, which has a wingspan of 45 meters, flew “smoothly in near space for over 15 hours under control, finishing its scheduled path,” and then landed safely.
Rochester Police Department demonstrates Indago UAS being used for Project Lifesaver program
The Rochester Police Department in Rochester, Minnesota, has demonstrated its new UAS, which is a Lockheed Martin-manufactured Indago UAS that can fly 55 minutes, and is capable of flying in inclement weather.
The Indago UAS will be used as a part of the Project Lifesaver program, which is designed to “respond quickly to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer's, autism and other related conditions or disorders,” according to the Post Bulletin.
Through the program, when clients wander, a transmitter that they are wearing is activated.