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This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
The 2017 IEEE Robotics and Automation Award for Product Innovation has been awarded to Clearpath Robotics. Clearpath Robotics was chosen specifically for its Jackal UGV, which was made with application development and rapid prototyping in mind. The small UGV supports the Robot Operating System (ROS), and has a simple mounting platform that allows for the easy integration of different payloads and sensors. Clearpath Robotics believes that the UGV could be used for a variety of tasks, including environmental monitoring, mining and military applications. (Clearpath Robotics)
Officials from the Department of Forests in Kodagu, India used a UAS, in combination with elephants, to search for a tiger that attacked an estate worker. The UAS, which was used for nearly four hours while flying 20 minutes at a time, was provided by two volunteers from Bengaluru, Sunil and Madhu. The tiger was not located. (The Hindu)
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has revealed the country’s first autonomous car concept. Approximately 20 people from ARAI and a software development company called Cognizant Technologies worked on the development of the vehicle. While some officials in India are not fully on board with driverless vehicles in India, others believe that the technology could be useful to cut down on the number of road accidents especially in certain instances such as at nighttime driving and on select corridors. (The Times of India)
KABB in San Antonio has become the 10th news station owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group to use UAS. The station’s chief photographer Lalo Garcia and operations manager Luis Escamilla each passed the FAA UAS Pilot Exam, thanks in large part to training received at Virginia Tech. Sinclair would like to see FAA-certified UAS pilots in 40 markets by the end of 2017. (Adweek)
Two companies in Denmark are expected to receive the world’s first beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) license. As a part of a project, Heliscope, a drone operating company, and Scopito, an inspection software developer, have been conducting flights inspecting power lines, taking thousands of photos along the way. As a part of this project, the companies have also worked with two Danish universities, the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Aalborg, and the Danish Transport and Construction Agency, which would issue the permanent license. (Commercial UAV News)
The Tesla Foundation, in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board, will introduce a UAS training program at East Los Angeles College (ELAC), to prepare students for future careers in the industry. The City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board is providing a grant worth $300,000 to fund the program. Tesla and the school’s Engineering and Technologies Department will develop the curriculum for the program. (Campus Technology)
Ohio State University and the state of Ohio will provide $45 million worth of funding to the nation’s largest independent test track, the Transportation Research Center (TRC). TRC will receive $25 million from Ohio State, which is affiliated with the center, and the remaining $20 million from the state. (Ohio State University News)
The city of Orlando passed a law this week requiring drone users to have a permit when conducting UAS flights. Permits cost $20 per flight, or a person can pay $150 annually for flights. Other details of the law include UAS being restricted from flying within 500 feet of city-owned parks, schools, and venues. UAS are also restricted from flying within 500 feet of gatherings with more than 1,000 people. People who fly UAS without a permit are subject to fines, and those flying UAS while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are subject to arrest and jailing, on top of fines. (UAV Coach)
A creative-computing company called Tynker, in partnership with a wireless products manufacturing company named Parrot, will introduce a new curriculum to students in the United Kingdom to teach them about drone programming. Debuting during the 2017-2018 school year, Tynker plans on giving students the opportunity to learn how to fly a UAS in a virtual environment before having to do it in real life. (UAS Weekly)
