A partnership between the Vigo County Emergency Management Agency and the Vigo County Sheriff's Office in Vigo County, Indiana has resulted in the purchase of three UAS.
The UAS, which are available for use by both agencies, as well as for any public safety agency or government agency, are equipped with a camera and thermal imaging abilities.
The UAS can be used for a variety of operations, including surveying and search and rescue missions.
Technology
Technology
University of Florida study seeks to ensure autonomous cars meet needs of the blind
A University of Florida researcher named Julian Brinkley has developed a program called “Atlas” to figure out the specific needs blind people have using self-driving cars, and using his software to solve problems.
Brinkley uses data he collects from users and others through collaboration with the Florida Center for the Blind in Ocala, Florida.
“If I’m a visually impaired person and I don’t have the ability to verify visually that I’m at the appropriate location, how do I know that it’s not dropping me off in a field somewhere?” Brinkley says via the Gainesville Sun.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
During the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland, L3 Technologies exhibited its new Iver Precision Workhorse (Iver PW) AUV. L3 Technologies says that the new Iver PW AUV is the first in a family of “advanced, highly capable military AUVs” to address a plethora of customer missions. (Business Wire)
GA-ASI's Predator-series family of RPAs reaches five million flight hour mark
On April 4, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA‑ASI) Predator-series family of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)—made up of Predator, Predator B, Gray Eagle, and Avenger lines—reached the five million flight hour mark.
At the time of the achievement, a total of 360,311 missions had been completed, with more than 90 percent of all missions flown in combat.
“Five million flight hours is a testament to the reliability of our RPA systems that are designed, built, and maintained by a dedicated group of skilled and innovative professionals for operations around the world,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
Rockford Police Department adds UAS to its operations
In an effort to “benefit the community and enhance officer safety,” the Rockford Police Department in Rockford, Illinois will begin using UAS.
Donated by Illinois Drone-One, Inc., the new UAS will be used for a variety of purposes, including speeding up the investigation of serious and fatal vehicle crash scenes.
After serious accidents, roads are usually closed for hours so that photographs and measurements can be taken. By using UAS to capture video and photographs, though, the data can be downloaded into software which will provide “to-scale measurements” in a significantly shorter time frame than traditional investigation methods.
Maritime leadership pushing for unmanned systems, speakers say
Senior leadership at the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are pushing to get unmanned and autonomous technology into the field quickly, panelists said Wednesday at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland.
“We have an imperative from our senior leadership to move quickly,” said Brig. Gen. Christian Wortman, the vice chief of naval research and commander of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.
Rear Adm. Mark Darrah, program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, agreed, noting the Navy is flying the Fire Scout unmanned helicopter alongside manned aircraft every day at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
“At the upper levels, we have that covered,” he said.
University of Hawai'i hosts first-ever drone boot camp
The University of Hawaiʻi Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) and the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation hosted their first-ever drone boot camp at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 30.
Approximately 100 people attended the boot camp.
Many of the people who attended the event were UAS owners, but realized that they were afraid to fly—and crash—their aircraft. So they went to the boot camp to receive expert instruction about piloting a UAS. Margo Edwards, director of ARL, says that many of the attendees told her that the boot camp was exactly what they needed.
Lockheed Martin's unmanned MQ-25 tanker designed with the Navy's needs in mind
During a media briefing at Sea-Air-Space 2018 in National Harbor, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ leaders described the company’s MQ-25 unmanned tanker concept as a “tremendous, high performing tanker/airplane” for the Navy.
The “purpose-built” tanker’s configuration has a “clean sheet design,” the company says. According to Rob Weiss, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the aircraft’s configuration is a result of the Skunk Works’ team listening to its customer.
Leavenworth Police Department purchases two UAS
The Leavenworth Police Department in Leavenworth, Kansas has purchased two UAS.
Equipped with video cameras but absent of infrared technology—that technology can be purchased, though—the UAS can be used for a variety of tasks, including providing aerial perspectives of large crime scenes or accident scenes, and helping search for children and disabled adults who have wandered off.
The UAS, which were purchased for a total of $4,467, can also be used for tactical purposes, Nicodemus says, as they can provide an additional set of eyes and vantage that officers otherwise would not have during tactical situations.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
On March 30, China’s unmanned submersible, “Hailong 11000,” completed its first sea test in the western Pacific Ocean. Capable of diving to a depth of 11,000 meters, the vehicle is expected to complete an 11,000-meter-deep sea test in three years, according to the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association. (The State Council of the People's Republic of China)
