Next summer, Toyota Research Institute’s (TRI) Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle will be tested on public roads in Tokyo, offering select individuals the chance to experience the technology first hand. Based on the fifth-generation Lexus LS sedan, the P4 test vehicle, which will have a safety driver present in the vehicle at all times, will operate in a waterfront subcenter called Odaiba district, which is described as “busy and often congested.” TRI says that Odaiba presents a “complex environment” with a variety of challenges that make it ideal for demonstrating the capabilities of Toyota’s automated driving technology.

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln startup company called Drone Amplified has taken a unique approach to fight fires. The company has developed drone-mounted technology that carries chemical spheres the size of pingpong balls, which drop and ignite at the press of a button to intentionally spark small fires that burn vegetation and starve incoming wildfires of potential fuel. “Our product fills a niche in the market between a helicopter, which is expensive, and hand lighting, where people have to walk or take a four-wheeler,” explains Jim Higgins, chief engineer and Nebraska alumnus.

UAVOS and Polynesian Navigation Inc. have collaborated to develop a long-distance autonomous UAS for 3D mapping. Powered by UAVOS's autopilot, the UVH -25EL unmanned helicopter has increased performance with a carrying capacity, a flying range, and an extended temperature range. A number of its functions are conducted automatically, including take-off and landing, and the actual missions themselves. “We have been extending into UAV service market to meet its goal of offering state-of-the-art systems that are easy to use and offer excellent cost/performance value to our customers,” says UAVOS CEO Aliaksei Stratsilatau.

Precision agriculture using drones has become much less about the novelty of having an eye in the sky and much more about fusing data from a variety of sources and platforms — including drones, satellites, ground sensors and others — to enable farmers to make informed decisions.  One company that has become a major player within the farming industry is Toulouse, France-based Delair, which provides visual data management technologies. The company’s cloud-based platform, the Delair.ai platform, allows users to manage, process, view, analyze and collaborate around aerial data.