This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

Week of 12-25-2017

A UAS company called Quaternium is claiming a new world record for the endurance of a multi-rotor UAS. Quaternium says that on Dec. 24, 2017, its HYBRiX.20 fuel-electric quadcopter UAS flew for four hours and 40 minutes in Valencia, Spain. (Unmanned Aerial)

LG Electronics (LG) and digital mapping and location services provider HERE Technologies (HERE) will work together to offer a next-generation telematics technology for autonomous vehicles. The companies will do this by combining LG’s advanced telematics technology with high-precision map data and location services powered by the HERE Open Location Platform. (LG)

Smart Cincy, which is a working group focused on building smart cities and connected communities throughout Greater Cincinnati's Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana Region, is hoping that a driverless shuttle pilot program will launch in Cincinnati this year. If the program is approved, University of Cincinnati students and visitors to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport would be some of the first people to experience the technology. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Week of 1-1-2018

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Aurora Flight Sciences a new $48 million contract for the continued development of Aurora’s Orion UAS. Among its many capabilities, the Orion UAS can stay aloft for over 100 hours at a time, with payloads in excess of 1,000 pounds. (Aurora)

As a part of the U.S. Defense Research and Development Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) Program, the U.S. Army has awarded a contract to Stryke Industries LLC, which will result in Stryke, along with its subcontractor Scorpion Computer Services, equipping the U.S. Army's UAS fleet with the artificial intelligence engine ScenGen. (PR Newswire)

After more than 500 people attended free workshops in 2017 on commercial and government use of UAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is planning similar workshops for 2018. This year’s workshops will include UAS flight demonstrations, and will cover topics such as federal and state regulations, flight operations and data management. (WRAL)

During the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Singapore, the country’s police force used a UAS to keep an eye on the festivities. The UAS, which was deployed for the first time during the countdown event at Marina Bay, is equipped with features such as red-and-blue blinkers, a searchlight, and an audio warning system. (Channel NewsAsia)