Vahana, which is the all electric, self-piloted, VTOL aircraft from A³ by Airbus, successfully completed its first full-scale flight test on Jan. 31.
During the test, which was completed at the Pendleton UAS Range in Pendleton, Oregon, Vahana reached a height of 16 feet, before descending safely. The fully self-piloted flight lasted for a total of 53 seconds.
“Today we are celebrating a great accomplishment in aerospace innovation,” says Zach Lovering, Project Executive of Vahana.
Technology
Technology
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Officers from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office recently conducted a UAS demonstration at the Essex County Emergency Management Headquarters in Essex County, New Jersey. The technology is used in Monmouth County for search and rescue operations. (Baristanet)
Japan's Drone Museum Horie offers visitors a chance to learn about, fly and/or purchase UAS
Drone Museum Horie, which is located in the Minamihorie district in Osaka, Japan, is the nation's first UAS museum.
The museum, which officially opened in December 2017, exhibits 16 types of UAS that have been produced in Japan and abroad. The UAS range in size, from an 18-gram palm-sized indoor UAS to a large crop-spraying UAS equipped with a 10-liter tank.
The museum offers visitors the opportunity to learn the history of UAS, from early models that were designed for industrial use to more recent models that can send live video footage to a smartphone. Visitors can test fly the UAS, and purchase the ones that are on sale as well.
RIEGL receives MAPPS Geospatial Excellence Award for its LiDAR sensor for unmanned laser scanning
RIEGL, which provides cutting edge technology in airborne, mobile, terrestrial, industrial and unmanned laser scanning platforms, has announced that it is the recipient of the 2017 MAPPS Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Award.
RIEGL received the award for its RIEGL miniVUX-1UAV miniaturized LiDAR sensor for unmanned laser scanning, in the Technology Innovation category at the 2018 MAPPS Winter Conference. RIEGL says that it is “thrilled to be the winner of the MAPPS Geospatial Excellence Award!”
According to the company, the RIEGL miniVUX-1UAV is a “user-friendly and cost-efficient device to acquire survey-grade measurement data” by use of remotely piloted multi-rotor, rotary-wing, or fixed-wing UAVs, for different applications.
Texas game wardens optimistic that new UAS will have life-saving impact
Texas game wardens will use their new DJI Inspire 2 UAS to “enhance their ability to quickly and safely surveil hard to access areas during natural disasters and search and rescue operations.”
The UAS’ camera payload allows for real-time broadcast, providing the same live HD video feed to a large HD TV screen or monitor. With this feature, rescuers and command staff can have a live view that allows them to make “immediate and appropriate decisions that save lives.”
Wisconsin's Madison Police Department touts success of new UAS team
The Madison Police Department (MPD) in Madison, Wisconsin is touting the success of its new UAS team, after the technology was used to effectively tighten the search area for a missing Madison nursing home patient.
By surveying land from an aerial position, a search that would have potentially taken hours on foot was reduced to a 20-minute operation for officers.
Swift Aero granted permission to fly UAS in Class Bravo airspace in and around Las Vegas
Aerial service provider Swift Aero Aerial Systems (Swift Aero) has had its FAA Waiver Part 107.41 approved by the FAA, which will allow the company to fly UAS in key airport traffic areas and controlled airspace, known as Class Bravo airspace, in and around Las Vegas.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be the first aerial company to have this very special permission to fly UAS in Class Bravo Airspace in Las Vegas,” says Craig McKay, President, Swift Aero Aerial Systems.
“This will open-up many opportunities for businesses already anchored here and those corporations who want to start-up here in Vegas.”
udelv makes world's first public road test deliveries using its autonomous delivery vehicle
A Burlingame, California company called udelv made the world’s first public road test deliveries on Jan. 30 using its autonomous, last-mile delivery vehicle. The vehicle made deliveries from Draeger’s Market in San Mateo, California to two nearby customers.
The vehicle, which was supervised by a safety driver and in test mode to stay compliant with existing California regulations, traveled on a 2.5-mile loop that included traffic lights, lane changes, unsignalized left turns and two delivery stops. According to udelv, the vehicle's journey was accomplished “flawlessly.”
Ohio Advisory Group on UAS issues final report that includes model policy for use by law enforcement
On Friday, Jan. 26, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that his Advisory Group on Unmanned Aircraft Systems issued its final report, which includes a model policy for use by law enforcement.
Along with the creation of a model policy, the report made 14 recommendations, which addressed various topics such as licensure, training, and data/records management.
Precision Aerial using UAS to survey drainage system in response to Hurricane Harvey
In partnership with The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency (WJPA), Precision Aerial Compliance Solutions, LLC (Precision Aerial) is providing UAS LiDAR surveying for portions of The Woodlands drainage system in Texas following Hurricane Harvey.
Precision Aerial will evaluate current conditions along portions of Panther Creek and Spring Creek using high-end, UAS LiDAR to provide the laser assessment for the WJPA, which is the central management agency for the ten Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) that serve The Woodlands in Montgomery County.
