This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace recently resumed flight test activity for the second prototype of its P.1HH HammerHead, which is a multipurpose UAS that consists of two remotely piloted aerial vehicles, a Ground Control Station and integrated navigation and mission systems. Designed for “aero, marine and terrestrial surveillance and reconnaissance,” the P.1HH HammerHead, which was tested at Birgi Military Airport in Trapani, Italy, is the only remotely piloted Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) system in Europe. According to Piaggio Aerospace, “the completion of the system and the first deliveries are planned in the course of 2018, in the context of the wider development plans of Piaggio Aerospace.” (Piaggio Aerospace)

In Israel, Lt. Col. Reut Retig Weiss has become the first woman to hold the position of battalion commander of the Israel Defence Force’s Artillery Corps drone unit. Weiss is taking the position during a time when the unit’s operational activity is being increased in all sectors, from the Syrian border to the Egyptian border. The unit uses IDF’s smallest tactical UAV, which is meant to assist a wide range of commanders, including those on the ground, company commanders, and brigade commanders. (Ynetnews.com)

In an effort to helps soldiers get an advantage on the field, the U.S. Army is creating a squirrel drone. Still in its experimental stage, the drone is shaped after a flying squirrel, which will help maximize flight efficiency. Weighing a little more than half a pound, the drone has a tiltable motor design, and can shift the angle of its motors. (WeTalkUAV)

FlytBase Inc., a Palo Alto, California-based start-up, has introduced what it calls the “world’s first Internet of Drones platform,” known as the FlytBase Cloud platform. Described as the industry’s “first Drone-API as a Service offering,” the FlytBase Cloud platform is designed to simplify UAS application development through a variety of features for developers. Through FlytBase’s custom protocol, which has been designed from the ground up, the FlytBase Cloud can efficiently connect drones to cloud-based business applications in real time. (FlytBase)

Airdog Inc. has announced the launch of its next UAS, the Airdog ADII, which is designed to meet the needs of extreme sports and activities such as mountain biking, backcountry skiing and surfing. The Airdog ADII builds off the first Airdog UAS, and it is built for completely hands-free operation with simple controls, thanks to a lightweight, waterproof AirLeash tracking device. The ADII, which is available exclusively on Kickstarter, combines all-terrain flight capabilities, intelligent tracking, and a durable design, as the UAS is foldable. (Unmanned Aerial)