Insitu’s ScanEagle UAS, paired with its TacitView and Catalina software, recently provided remote aerial survey information during the firefight against Northern California’s Camp Fire.
Daily operational maps and full motion video detailing the fire’s movement were generated using the ScanEagle’s camera payload data and applied software.
Technology
Technology
Milrem Robotics' UGVs tested during Army Warfighting Experiment 2018
During the Army Warfighting Experiment 2018 (AWE18) - Autonomous Warrior (Land), British troops thoroughly tested four Milrem Robotics’ and QinetiQ Titan UGVs.
Milrem Robotics was the most represented UGV manufacturer in the exercise with its four vehicles.
“The main goal of the experiment, which concluded last week, was to determine how new unmanned technologies can enhance soldier's survivability and effectiveness on the modern battlefield,” says Juri Pajuste, program director at Milrem Robotics, who took part in the exercises.
DOT's BUILD Transportation Grants program awards $5.3 million to autonomous vehicle project planned for Las Vegas
An autonomous vehicle project planned by the City of Las Vegas and Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada in the Las Vegas Medical District has been awarded $5.3 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants program, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Expected to begin late next year, the project, known as GoMed, will provide autonomous and connected vehicle service around a four-mile route between the Las Vegas Medical District and the Bonneville Transit Center downtown.
Self-driving shuttles begin operating in Columbus, Ohio
The first phase of a project designed to test, operate and evaluate self-driving vehicles has launched in Ohio, as self-driving shuttles began operating on the streets of downtown Columbus on Monday, Dec. 10.
Through the project, residents and visitors will get to experience intelligent transportation first-hand.
The shuttles are being operated by May Mobility, which began testing and route mapping around the Scioto Mile—an urban oasis made up of more than 175 acres of lush parkland—this week.
“This is an important project for Columbus, but this pilot is a big step in our statewide plan,” says Jim Barna, executive director of DriveOhio.
Flight testing unmanned systems is more complicated than you may think
By Hannah Lemon, Marketing Publisher for the University of Kansas Edwards Campus
June’s flight of NASA’s Ikhana, a modified MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft, into commercial airspace without a safety chase airplane marked a milestone for sense and avoid development and underscored the challenges of testing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), according to George Cusimano.
Kansas State Polytechnic granted waiver to introduce BVLOS flights into curriculum
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has announced that its UAS flight and operations degree option is the first in the nation to introduce flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) into college curriculum.
The FAA has granted Kansas State Polytechnic a waiver that allows these operations to be conducted at the university.
“It is a significant opportunity for our students to learn how to fly UAS beyond their visual line of sight because they are preparing their skills and knowledge for the future of the industry,” says Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State Polytechnic.
World of Concrete: Putting Unmanned Systems to Work on the Job Site
Unmanned systems including drones, automated trucks and teleoperated machinery are increasingly being used at job sites in the United States and around the world. From site surveys to hauling materials, the technologies are hard at work increasing efficiency, improving safety and saving companies money.
This technological revolution is being driven by data. Drones provide a tremendous amount of information that is proving invaluable for construction companies. Supporting software capabilities allow project managers to process and analyze the data creating 3-D models and maps that provide a new way to visualize projects. Access to this information improves communication on the jobsite, translating to thousands of dollars saved.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's new Center for Autonomy will focus on autonomous tech
According to the Associated Press, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a new center called the Center for Autonomy, which will be used to focus on autonomous technology such as self-driving cars and robotic assistants.
The university has allocated $2.1 million for the center, while the College of Engineering is providing an additional $2.1 million to recruit new robotics faculty.
The John Lewis Partnership partners with Small Robot Company to test its farmbots
The John Lewis Partnership, which is an employee-owned UK company that operates John Lewis & Partners department stores and Waitrose & Partners supermarkets, has announced a three-year trial with the Small Robot Company to test its farmbots at John Lewis Partnership’s farm in Leckford, Hampshire.
The Small Robot Company’s three small robots—Tom, Dick and Harry—will be used at the Leckford Estate to learn and test this farming technology on a one-hectare wheat field. The Leckford Estate grows produce for Waitrose & Partners.
