General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Predator B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) was used to successfully demonstrate the remote detection and tracking of submerged contacts, such as submarines, during an Oct. 12 U.S. Naval exercise.
GA-ASI participated in the successful demonstration of new maritime patrol capabilities, which included anti-submarine warfare, during the flight that took place over the Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) west of San Clemente Island.
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3D Robotics announces integration of its Site Scan with Autodesk BIM 360
3D Robotics (3DR) has announced the integration of its Site Scan UAS data platform for construction and engineering professionals with Autodesk BIM 360, which is a project management tool for virtual construction managers and field teams.
Made possible through the Autodesk Forge platform, this “one-of-a-kind partnership” makes it “easier than ever” for project managers, engineers, subcontractors, superintendents and other members of project teams to access UAS data, and use it in their day-to-day work.
Velodyne LiDAR Inc. to integrate its LiDAR sensors into BoE Systems' UAV fleet
Through a new partnership with Kansas City, Missouri-based BoE Systems, Velodyne LiDAR Inc. will integrate its VLP-16 Puck and Puck LITE 3D LiDAR sensors into BoE Systems’ UAV fleet for geospatial data collection and analysis.
The companies say that through this integration, BoE Systems can provide full 360-degree imaging of geography and equipment for industries that need quick, safe, and accurate aerial inspections, such as transportation, construction and agriculture, to name a few.
After collecting imaging data, BoE Systems processes that data, and works with customers for “tailored analysis and inspection reports,” which allows them to address immediate and future needs and compliance issues.
Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs utilize UAS to enhance utility asset data
Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs have collaborated to launch an end-to-end asset management inspection system that uses UAS technology for global energy clients.
Using Aeryon’s commercial UAS hardware, software and services, crucial infrastructure condition data can be captured, and that data is integrated by Black & Veatch into the existing enterprise asset management (EAM) systems of a utility.
This streamlined system by Black & Veatch and Aeryon Labs expedites inspection times, lowers inspection costs, and speeds up the integration of data into EAM systems.
HAZON Solutions and PrecisionHawk to integrate technologies through new partnership
Through a new partnership announced on Oct. 25, HAZON Solutions and PrecisionHawk will look to provide better UAS safety for commercial UAS operations, by integrating their respective technologies.
Beginning in early November, PrecisionHawk’s Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety (LATAS) platform will be accessible within the HAZON Drone Management System (DMS), which is HAZON’s UAS fleet management software.
Unmanned Systems: Security Without Compromise
With increasing deployment of autonomous vehicles and unmanned systems, security and data safety are key priorities for both manufacturers and consumers.
Networks are inherently vulnerable to cyber related threats and systems failures. Reliance on unverified or open channel communications and external input sources can open the door for false (or falsified) data, invalid mission throughput or other critical operational command failures. Whether these threats come via erroneous component failures or intentional malicious activities, building up your system's ability to defend against these threats is crucial.
University of California, Riverside receives grant to develop AI for UAS
The University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) will develop artificial intelligence (AI) for UAS, using a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
AI in UAS would one day allow the robots to conduct “far-reaching reconnaissance missions”— such as search and rescue missions, and environmental and security monitoring—without direct human control.
Amit Roy-Chowdhury, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and the principal investigator in the grant, would like to create programs that allow UAS to act on their own, such as by zooming in on a certain object.
Australian Institute of Marine Science uses Wave Glider USV to monitor Great Barrier Reef
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Boeing recently used the Liquid Robotics-developed Wave Glider USV to complete a seven-day open water mission, which was the “first major milestone of a five-year joint research agreement” between the two companies.
The mission, which covered 200 nautical miles including parts of North Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, showcased how the Wave Glider could evaluate the health of the coral reefs and ecosystems.
NOAA's UAS program director Robbie Hood retires
Robbie Hood, the UAS program director at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has retired after three decades of government service.
Hood founded the UAS program at NOAA and led the introduction of unmanned systems to the agency, which has used them for years to better understand weather and improve forecasting.
According to NOAA, the Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) program was the highpoint of her career. SHOUT used NASA’s Global Hawk to study storms, including by using high-altitude dropsondes that could measure wind speed and other attributes within storms. SHOUT proved that using unmanned systems to aid in weather forecasting is feasible.
Geomni launches UAS service for property inspections
Geomni, which is a Verisk Analytics business that is centered around an “address- and location-based database of property-related analytics,” has announced a new service in which customers can dispatch a licensed, qualified UAS pilot to collect imagery and data about a structure.
Using the data collected during the UAS inspection, a Geomni Property data package is created. The package includes “ultrahigh-resolution imagery and 3D exterior roof and wall details that fully integrate with North America’s most widely used repair estimating system.”
The data collected during the inspection augments the data available from Geomni’s expansive database of imagery collected across the country by the company’s fleet of aircraft.
