In advance of potential floods this spring, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) are joining forces to help improve and supplement their current UAS program.
“We are very excited for this partnership and what it means for our UAS program and the state of North Dakota,” says NDDOT Director Bill Panos. “This imagery will provide us with valuable information and give us a new prospective on flooding.”
To enhance emergency response to flooding across the state, UAS will be used to capture photo and video for NDDOT. NPUASTS will use its own resource and local vendors to accomplish the emergency response efforts.
Technology
Technology
Swarming robots avoid crashes, jams using algorithm developed by Northwestern University researchers
Northwestern University researchers have developed what they are calling the “first decentralized algorithm with a collision-free, deadlock-free guarantee.”
The algorithm could potentially one day help self-driving vehicles navigate one another safely and flawlessly without crashing or causing unnecessary traffic jams, but for now, it is helping robots avoid crashes and jams. The algorithm was tested in a simulation of 1,024 robots and on a swarm of 100 real robots in the laboratory. In less than a minute, the robots reliably, safely and efficiently converged to form a pre-determined shape, as you can see below:
Spatial Integrated Systems to demonstrate autonomous USV to examine feasibility of improving Maritime Domain Awareness
After being awarded a contract with the US Coast Guard (USCG), Spatial Integrated Systems Inc. (SIS) will demonstrate an autonomous USV to examine the feasibility of improving Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the remote Pacific Ocean.
Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, SIS has partnered with MetalCraft Marine U.S. and Honolulu, Hawaii’s Navatek, resulting in the combination of the SIS Multi-Agent Robotic Teams (SMART) Autonomy System and the MetalCraft 7m Interceptor Boat for commercial sale as an “intelligent, goal-oriented” autonomous USV.
Raven Industries to showcase autonomous agriculture tech during DOT demo days
During DOT demo days this spring in Maricopa, Arizona, Raven Industries Inc., as majority owner of Dot Technology Corp. (DOT), will showcase the latest advancements in autonomous agriculture.
The Dot Power Platform (Dot) is powered by Raven’s suite of machine control technology, which includes the RS1 for steering and guidance, Slingshot for remote support and connectivity, and Raven’s object detection and avoidance technology. With its ability to complete tasks autonomously, Dot allows framers to spend more time focusing on the overall operation of their farms.
Raven and DOT are preparing for the commercialization of this technology this spring.
Robotic Research to begin testing fully autonomous shuttles without onboard attendants
Starting in the second quarter of 2020, Robotic Research LLC will begin testing fully autonomous low-speed shuttles that are totally unmanned.
Ballard prepares to head up 'Lois and Clark' expedition to map underwater America
Legendary underwater explorer Robert Ballard is about to embark on perhaps his most ambitious voyage yet — a modern-day version of the Lewis and Clark expedition to map a newly enlarged United States of America.
America doubled in size when Napoleon, forced to pay war debts after losing to England, sold the Louisiana Purchase to Thomas Jefferson for $15 million. He enlisted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find out what he had bought.
Drone Delivery Canada to begin commercialization of Condor UAS
Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) has announced that it will begin the commercialization of its cargo delivery drone, the Condor.
According to DDC, this phase of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight testing will take place at the Foremost UAS Test Range in Alberta, Canada this summer under a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC), which is anticipated in Q2 2020.
UAVOS to demonstrate unmanned helicopter for search and rescue maritime missions
During UMEX 2020, UAVOS and its partner ISR Unmanned Technology will conduct search and rescue maritime missions using their joint ISR350-5 unmanned helicopter.
Designed for civilian and security missions, the ISR350-5 UAS will perform rescue tasks, including dropping a life jacket into the water. In preparation for these exercises, UAVOS has modified the lifejacket by fitting it with a water anchor.
The demonstration flights will seek to prove the advantages of using an unmanned helicopter for maritime patrolling, especially when the aircraft is equipped with multiple sensors.
GA-ASI completes second multi-domain operations demonstration with Gray Eagle UAS
During flight operations at Yuma Proving Grounds, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) showcased a suite of long range sensors on its Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS during the second demonstration in a series of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) demonstrations.
GA-ASI worked with industry for the Jan. 30 demo to equip the GE-ER UAS with best-of-breed long-range ISR payloads and Air Launch Effects (ALEs). The UAS showed a persistent stand-off capability with up to 40 hours of endurance, which can be used by commanders to orchestrate forces in the MDO environment.
