This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

A proof of concept experiment by a multi-institutional research team shows that deploying sterile mosquitoes via drones could accelerate efforts to control their populations and reduce insect-borne disease. The project is a collaborative effort between French, Swiss, British, Brazilian, Senegalese and other researchers, and seems to be the most effective and practical approach to releasing sterilized male mosquitoes into the wild, where they compete with the other males for food and mates but produce no offspring. (TechCrunch)

The U.S. Army has implemented a “one-of-a-kind” outdoor system to test swarming drones. Army researchers worked with PhaseSpace Inc. to develop a new motion-capture capability that works for outdoor use, where sunlight interferes with motion-capture devices typically used for purposes such as video game development. (Army.mil)

The MIT Autonomous Bicycle project is looking to bring the convenience of on-demand mobility to bicycle-sharing. This technology could also serve as an efficient option for the first- or last-mile, which would improve access to mass transit, and reduce car-dependency for longer trips. (MIT)

With a mind towards advancing the UAS industry, Syracuse University grad students Vincent James McGovern and Jean-Eric van der Elst Portero helped NUAIR and WindShape by working on a UAS wind tunnel that will be used to test how different weather patterns effect drone flight. (NUAIR)

Following a nationwide competition by Bull’s-Eye BBQ Sauces, what is believed to be the world’s first BBQ drone delivery took place on Friday, June 12 in County Wicklow in Ireland. John Ridley from Arklow was the lucky winner of the competition and was on hand to see his bottle of Bull’s-Eye BBQ Sauce being delivered to him via drone. (WicklowNews)

During a test flight designed to collect survey data more efficiently in Grand Junction, Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) flew a drone above North Avenue on Wednesday, June 17. CDOT tested using a drone and imaging equipment to collect the survey data in an effort to improve accuracy and worker safety. (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)