Blue Bear Systems recently operated 20 fixed wing drones to form a collaborative heterogeneous swarm that conducted beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.
The heterogeneous swarm built off of a 12-drone swarm that Blue Bear demonstrated in July. The latest heterogeneous swarm was made up of five different types and sizes of fixed wing Blue Bear drones, including Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) fixed wing Ghost/Modular Ghost UAS, conventional fixed wing Red Kite UAS, conventional fixed wing Cobra UAS and smaller hand launched Flat Pack UAS.
Technology
Technology
Volansi launches commercial healthcare drone delivery project in North Carolina
Volansi Inc. has launched a commercial healthcare drone delivery project in North Carolina.
In collaboration with pharmaceutical company Merck, Volansi is testing the delivery of cold chain medicines from Merck's Wilson, North Carolina manufacturing site to Vidant Healthplex-Wilson, a Vidant Health clinic, as the first of three phases in a project to learn about how drone technology can improve access to healthcare.
Accessing care in Eastern North Carolina can be challenging because of its vast and rural environment. During initial flights in the project, the first drone delivery of temperature-controlled medicines within the U.S were made.
Purdue University's UAS Program purchases Simlat’s UTM simulation
Simlat has announced that Purdue University’s UAS Program recently purchased and deployed Simlat’s simulation for UAS Traffic Management (UTM), POLARIS, along with Simlat’s C-Star UAS Simulator.
“We are excited to partner with Simlat and incorporate this innovative technology into our UAS program,” says Dr. Damon Lercel.
According to Simlat, POLARIS provides simulated UAS traffic at scale, simulating the behavior of “rogue” or malfunctioning UAS, while also generating the clutter made by thousands of automated flights.
SkySkopes named top drone service provider in the U.S. by Drone Industry Insights
SkySkopes has announced that it’s been named the top drone service provider (DSP) in the U.S., as well as one of the best globally, by Drone Industry Insights (Dii), the leading source for business intelligence in the field of commercial drones.
SkySkopes was ranked according to its size, consistent drone-industry development, global UAS market-share, growth, public awareness and online presence and activity.
“I’m truly delighted by Drone Industry Insights’ stratification of SkySkopes as the top DSP in the U.S.,” says SkySkopes CEO Matt Dunlevy.
Weekend Roundup: October 16, 2020
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
As part of an automated transportation trial in spring 2021, the latest version of Local Motors’ Olli driverless shuttles will begin operating in the city of Toronto next year. Expected to last six to 12 months, the test run will measure how well the autonomous vehicles will bolster Toronto’s mass transit system. (Engadget)
Iris Automation, partners granted Special Flight Operations Certificate for BVLOS UAS flights in uncontrolled airspace
Transport Canada has issued the second Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights in uncontrolled airspace. The flights will utilize infrastructure masking and Iris Automation’s onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution to MVT Geo-solutions.
Under this SFOC, MVT, the UAS Center of Excellence (CED Alma), and Iris Automation will work together to conduct commercial missions over linear power lines in Alma, Quebec. Under the approval, Iris Automation's DAA system, Casia, will be used. Casia provides commercial drones with automated collision avoidance maneuvers.
AeroVironment pilots Sunglider HAPS to achieve key test milestones
Last week, AeroVironment announced that the Sunglider solar-powered high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) achieved key test milestones during a September flight, including reaching an altitude of more than 60,000 feet above sea level and successfully demonstrating mobile broadband communication.
Brain Corp launches new UX design and reporting capabilities for autonomous mobile robots
Artificial intelligence software technology company Brain Corp has launched new user experience (UX) design and reporting capabilities that revolutionize the ease of which autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can be used and managed at scale.
Designed to optimize usage of robots powered by BrainOS—an AI software platform that is used to build, operate, and manage multiple robotic applications—for different types of users on a global basis, the software enhancements also include powerful new software features for BrainOS-enabled robotic scrubbers that deliver improved cleaning efficiency and flexibility for commercial locations.
Esri announces two major capabilities in its UAS flight planning and processing solution
Esri has announced two major capabilities in its UAS flight planning and processing solution, Site Scan for ArcGIS, that will enable governments and critical infrastructure organizations to meet hardware and software regulations in the US and Europe.
Velodyne Lidar's World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology to focus on enabling safer mobility via autonomous technologies
Velodyne Lidar’s third annual World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology (WSS) will take place as a virtual event on Oct. 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT.
Featuring a diverse group of experts and thought leaders from industry, government, journalism and academia, the summit will seek to advance understanding about how autonomous technologies can enable safer mobility by addressing safety and autonomy issues in vehicle transportation.
