Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed what it claims is the world’s most capable solar-powered autonomous aircraft, Odysseus, which is powered only by the sun. Described as an “ultra-long endurance, high-altitude platform built for groundbreaking persistence,” Odysseus can effectively fly indefinitely, Aurora says, thanks its utilization of advanced solar cells, and its design, as it is built with lightweight materials. “Odysseus offers persistence like no other solar aircraft of its kind, which is why it is such a capable and necessary platform for researchers,” says Aurora President and CEO John Langford.

German car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen has announced that it has become the first company in Germany to receive permission to conduct automated UAS flights over factory premises. The company recently began using a prototype UAS to fly spare parts such as sensors or control cards from the central warehouse to workshops. According to ZF, once it has completed test flights and the UAS are properly deployed, these flights will relieve vehicle traffic at the plant, ultimately saving time on the up to one kilometer-long delivery routes that are often on the upper floors of buildings.

A few weeks after agreeing to a “wide-ranging strategic alliance” that accelerates the implementation of autonomous vehicles to the streets of London, Addison Lee Group and Oxbotica have launched a 3D street mapping exercise in London’s Canary Wharf. With the goal of rolling out Addison Lee’s autonomous services by 2021, this mapping process is expected to create the backdrop for new autonomous services that meet urban requirements for efficient transport, reduced congestion and improved air quality. Along with their partners Canary Wharf Group and insurer AXA XL, Addison Lee Group and Oxbotica have started the mapping process using a vehicle equipped with mapping technology to record every curb, road sign, landmark and traffic light in Canary Wharf’s 128-acre estate.