This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

On April 7, the Arcturus UAV JUMP 20 underwent its first soldier-operated flight in a capabilities assessment. Arcturus is the first candidate in the running to replace the Army’s RQ-7 Shadow UAS. (Defense News)

An autonomous vehicle startup called Qcraft has raised “dozens of millions” of dollars in seed funding. The company will use the funding to further develop its large-scale intelligent simulation platform, which generates driving scenario data that helps engineers optimize autonomous systems’ motion planning and decision-making capabilities. (VentureBeat)

Grace Russell, a PhD candidate at Southern Cross University in Australia, will use drones to help measure the size and assess the body conditions of humpback whales along Australia's east and west coast. The drones will capture vertical images of the whales from above, and those images would be used to take measurements of the different classes of whales, such as juveniles, adults, pregnant whales, lactating whales, and calves. (ZDNet)

The Anchorage Police Department in Anchorage, Alaska recently used a drone to locate a lost hiker in the woods. After 15 minutes in the air, the UAS helped the APD pinpoint the woman’s location, where officers on foot in the area were able to rescue her. (KTUU-TV)                                                                                                                                      
The Air Force has announced that it is ready to test its first high-energy lasers for use against enemy drones overseas. The new lasers would take aim at drones that have already caused alarms in the Persian Gulf. (The Gazette)

As part of a Joint Capabilities Technology (JCTD) Unmanned Logistics Systems Aerial (ULS-A) Demonstration, a Pittsburgh-based company called Near Earth Autonomy (Near Earth) has developed unmanned aerial contingency management systems. The technology is designed to enable reliable cargo delivery in dynamic environments so that warfighters can have access to things such as food, water and medical supplies when they need it. (Intelligent Aerospace)

Army Research Lab scientists at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland are developing tiny camera-drones that are meant to be fired by the service’s standard M203 grenade launchers to scope out unseen enemy threats. The new drones have been dubbed “Grenade Launched Unmanned Aerial Systems,” or GLUAS. (Stripes)

In Christiansburg, Virginia, more residents are ordering from Wing’s drone delivery service as a result of residents being forced to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic. Among the most popular items being ordered and delivered are coffee, toilet paper and cookies. (Forbes)

Photo below: Spc. Christopher McCoy assigned to 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, conducts an engine start on the JUMP 20 prior to a launch during the FTUAS capabilities assessment at Fort Riley, Kansas, April 8, 2020 (Photo Credit: Program Executive Office Aviation)