This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

On March 30, China’s unmanned submersible, “Hailong 11000,” completed its first sea test in the western Pacific Ocean. Capable of diving to a depth of 11,000 meters, the vehicle is expected to complete an 11,000-meter-deep sea test in three years, according to the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association. (The State Council of the People's Republic of China)

An associate professor at the University of Michigan–Dearborn is incorporating an open-source research robot known as a “TurtleBot” into the robotics vision course that he is teaching. Among many benefits, the robot is actually helping students learn about the technology behind driverless vehicles. (University of Michigan-Dearborn)

LORD Sensing, MicroStrain has launched a new “embedded wireless vibration/shock solution” called the G-Link-200-OEM sensor. Small, light and easy to integrate, the sensor produces “high-speed, lossless time-series wave form vibration data.” (LORD Sensing Systems)

A summit on autonomous vehicles was recently held in New Mexico. Organized by the state Department of Transportation, the summit brought together local officials, technology experts and industry representatives; all of whom agreed that legislators need to understand the technology before laws or other policies are changed. (The NM Political Report)

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says that it wants to stay ahead of the emerging technology that is autonomous vehicles. With this in mind, NCDOT has begun testing the technology on a state highway. (WCNC)

Autonomous vehicles are headed to the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts, after the Cambridge City Council unanimously voted to begin testing the technology. The adopted policy order states that “Cambridge will join a regional AV testing program put forth by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition of Greater Boston, with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Office.” (The Harvard Crimson)

Fetch Robotics has announced two new additions—CartConnect and RollerTop robots—to its VirtualConveyor family of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Both of the robots are managed through the company’s cloud robotics platform, FetchCore. (Fetch Robotics)

UAS classes are headed to Murray State in fall 2018. According to Brian Hoover, coordinator of the UAS program, the classes are designed to provide students a pathway to receiving FAA Part 107 certification, and provide experiential learning opportunities. (The Murray State News)