The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Dr. Yang Hu, assistant professor of electrical engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, a five-year, $500,000 grant to develop new hardware and software capable of handling the complexity of an automated driving ecosystem in which cars not only communicate with other cars, but with roadside information nodes as well.
A member of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) since 2017, Hu earned the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for his project, “Rethinking the Architectures and Systems for Autonomous Driving Infrastructure.”
Technology
Technology
Everdrone using UAS to deliver defibrillators to the scene of cardiac arrests
In Sweden, autonomous drone technology company Everdrone has announced that it is now using UAS to deliver Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to the scene of cardiac arrests, which will allow bystanders to initiate life-saving measures while they wait for professional medical care.
Everdrone notes that each year, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests affect approximately 275,000 individuals in Europe. The survival rate in these instances is about 10 percent, but that number could increase to as much as 70 percent when CPR and early defibrillation is initiated within the first few minutes, according to research.
Weekend Roundup: May 15, 2020
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
To further commercialize its autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs), EHang has entered into a strategic partnership with a Shenzhen-listed tourism platform company called LN Holdings. EHang will integrate its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platforms into LN Holdings’ hotel/tourism businesses. (EHang)
Texas Electric Cooperatives, Exelon Clearsight partner to make UAS a part of utility inspections in Texas
Texas Electric Cooperatives Inc. (TEC) and Exelon Clearsight LLC have partnered to bring advanced UAS, robot, and software enabled inspections to utilities in Texas.
Under the agreement, TEC has exclusive rights to sell Exelon Clearsight's services to Electric Cooperatives, Generation & Transmission Cooperatives, and Municipal Authorities across the state of Texas.
“We are excited about partnering with Clearsight to provide unique value-added services to our members,” says Johnny Andrews, chief operating officer, TEC Manufacturing and Distribution Services.
Fortem Technologies ensures safe airspace during first phase of UAS IPP in North Carolina
Fortem Technologies has completed the first phase of the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP) in North Carolina.
Under the program, Fortem is performing tests to monitor the airspace around WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, tracking manned flights alongside the UPS Delivery Corridor, and using UAS to deliver medical test samples safely and quickly.
Fortem says that it was able to accurately and consistently track incoming medical helicopter traffic, and provide real-time alerts to unmanned service supplier AirMap to ensure a safe and secure airspace for flight.
“Ensuring the safety of manned aviation is paramount for unmanned flight operations, yet successful coordination of the two is not an easy task,” explains Basil Yap, UAS Program manager, NCDOT.
XAG uses drones to help restore Australia from wildfire devastation
Agricultural drone manufacturer XAG has announced that it has joined the first-ever post-fire drone seeding operation on Lake Cobrico, a swamp wildlife reserve located near Warrnambool in Southwest Victoria, Australia.
A collective effort to restore Australia from wildfire devastation, the project, which was funded by Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and managed by Heytesbury District Landcare Network (HDLN), marks the first time that agricultural drones are being used to re-establish native vegetation within a fire-ravaged peat swamp in Australia.
Locomation to test its autonomous truck platforms at Ohio's Transportation Research Center
Locomation, the provider of what it calls the world’s first trucking technology platform to offer human-guided autonomous convoying, has announced a research project with the Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC) in East Liberty, Ohio.
Alongside TRC’s extensive research and development team, Locomation will actively test at the research center to advance its autonomous truck platforms, in an effort to facilitate more innovation on the testing and validation of the company's autonomy technology.
UAVOS modifies UAV-85 and UAV-70 4-stroke gasoline engines for UAS
UAVOS has modified the UAV-85 and UAV-70 4-stroke gasoline engines based on the Fiala PROP. company motors. As a result of the modifications, the engines have greater reliability, efficiency and engine lifespan, UAVOS says.
The new series of UAS engines are equipped with state-of-the-art air cooling and a two-nozzle fuel injection technology. Additionally, a brushless generator-starter is installed on the engine.
U.S. ally awards AeroVironment contract for its Puma LE UAS
AeroVironment has announced that on Feb. 20, it was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract valued at $2,685,057 for its Puma Long Endurance (LE) UAS.
Parrot, DroneSense partner to enhance UAS capabilities of public safety UAS teams
Parrot has announced a partnership with software company DroneSense. Using DroneSense's comprehensive drone management platform, public safety organizations can build, manage, and scale their UAS programs.
Through the partnership between Parrot and DroneSense, public safety UAS teams will be able use the full suite of DroneSense capabilities tailor-made for the needs of first responders with their ANAFI aircraft.
“It’s our mission at DroneSense to enable first responders to build and scale fully operational drone programs that harness the value of the latest drone technology safely and effectively,” says DroneSense CEO, Christopher Eyhorn.
