In Australia, “purpose-built legislation” will be developed to allow an automated driving system (ADS) to drive more automated motor vehicles in place of a human.
National Transport Commission (NTC) Chief Executive Paul Retter says that a new national law—expected to be in place by 2020—would bring certainty to manufacturers and operators that want to bring more automated vehicle technology to the country.
Technology
Technology
Airborne Response expanding its force of UAS pilots for 2018 summer storm season
Miami-based Airborne Response, which describes itself as “the nation's premier provider of high resolution aerial imagery for emergency management and disaster response operations,” is expanding its force of FAA-certified remote pilots for commercial and emergency UAS operations across the U.S.
The company is doing this as the 2018 summer storm season started a few days earlier than expected with the formation of Subtropical Storm Alberto, which made U.S. landfall on May 28.
“Our seasonal ramp-up of UAS operators was already underway,” says Christopher Todd, President, Airborne Response.
Chino Police Department purchases two new UAS
After purchasing two UAS in October 2017, California’s Chino Police Department has purchased two more UAS to add to its fleet.
The UAS, which were purchased by the City of Chino for a combined $64,000, weigh approximately 10 pounds. They are equipped with sirens, blue and red lights, and have infrared and zoom cameras.
“It’s a game changer,” says Lt. Aaron Kelliher, leader of Chino Police’s drone program, via the Chino Champion. “One camera has a 30 times optical zoom and six time digital zoom camera, which gives us the ability to see an object in detail.”
Lockheed Martin's Stalker eXtended Endurance UAS receives VTOL capability upgrade
Lockheed Martin has announced that its Stalker eXtended Endurance UAS has received a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability upgrade, which, according to Lockheed, gives users “greater mission flexibility,” and allows them to operate the system in more “austere locations.”
Aside from featuring a reduced logistics footprint, the new VTOL option also expands how and where the Stalker XE UAS may operate. Additionally, Lockheed notes that other launch alternatives include a pneumatic rail or a standard bungee launch system.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Intel and Mobileye are testing their 100-car autonomous vehicle fleet in Jerusalem. The companies say that Jerusalem is a good place for testing this technology not only because of convenience of location—Mobileye is based in nearby Israel—but also to show that this technology is capable of operating in any geography and under all driving conditions, as Jerusalem is known for its challenging and aggressive traffic conditions. (Intel)
Callen-Lenz launches UAS development Flight Test Center in South West England
Callen-Lenz has launched its UAS development Flight Test Center.
Located in Wiltshire, South West England, the test center operates with regulatory approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, allowing for quick, local approval of UAS flight test activities “across a wide range of types and all-up mass.”
Callen-Lenz says that customers will really benefit from the ability to rapidly achieve testing on UAS greater than 20 kilograms mass.
Sacramento mulling driverless car program
A driverless car program could be headed to the city of Sacramento, California.
According to CBS Sacramento, Sacramento’s Chief Innovation Officer Louis Stewart is “paving the way” for Phantom Auto—which offers a “teleoperation-as-a-service safety solution” for all autonomous vehicles—to launch a test program on city streets by June.
For Stewart, Sacramento is the perfect location for a program like this.
“Sacramento is the locus of power,” Stewart says. “We have all the politicians here, we have all the regulatory bodies here, and we have a citizenry that’s actually hungry for this kind of technology.”
From Unmanned Systems magazine: AUTODESK USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO BENEFIT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
As potentially lucrative as the construction industry is, it is fraught with challenges. No two sites and projects are alike. Labor forces almost assuredly will vary from job to job. Heavy equipment is constantly in motion, posing potential dangers that must be recognized before accidents happen.
The advent of unmanned aircraft systems in recent years has helped construction site managers stay ahead of potential pitfalls.
Autonomous buses to be tested in Gainesville starting in August
As part of a three-year, $2.6 million dollar project between the city of Gainesville, Florida and the University of Florida, three autonomous buses are expected to begin operating on Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) bus routes in downtown Gainesville in late August.
Capable of holding up to 12 passengers at a time, the buses can fully operate on their own, but they will have operators onboard to start with once they hit the road in a few months.