During the groundbreaking of Halley Rise, a new $1.4 billion mixed-use district in Reston, Virginia, on Monday, Oct. 7, self-driving vehicle tech company Optimus Ride showcased its self-driving shuttles and provided attendees with a chance to experience the technology firsthand.
Global real estate services company Brookfield Properties selected Optimus Ride to provide “safe, efficient, autonomous transportation” to Halley Rise office tenants traveling within the campus. In just five weeks of its service being in effect at Halley Rise, Optimus Ride has already provided 15,000 rides using its autonomous vehicles.
Technology
Technology
Schiebel demonstrates search and rescue capabilities of Camcopter S-100 UAS
From Sept. 16 to 27, Schiebel successfully demonstrated the shipboard integration of its Camcopter S-100 UAS on board the KV Svalbard to the Norwegian Coast Guard. The company also showcased the drone’s search and rescue capabilities during flight trials.
The search and rescue mission involved the Camcopter S-100 UAS teaming up with a manned Sea King helicopter during a simulated “man over board” operation.
Disaster responders use EMILY USV to provide aid in Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian
Following Hurricane Dorian’s destruction in the Bahamas last month, disaster responders used the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (EMILY) robotic lifeguard to provide islanders with medical care and supplies.
The remote-controlled USV is equipped with high-definition sonar and sophisticated sensors, which revealed underwater debris that could cause navigational hazards. Disaster responders were also able to map a safe passage through Marsh Harbor— a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas—using the vehicle’s specialized software.
Within just two hours, the USV was ashore distributing critical supplies, and over the course of a week, EMILY mapped more channels in other storm-ravaged areas of the Bahamas.
From Unmanned Systems Magazine: Europe looks to unmanned systems for mine countermeasure work
As increasing demands continue to be placed upon naval forces across the contemporary operating environment, European maritime forces are on the verge of successfully exploiting autonomous mine countermeasure (MCM) technology to not only save levels in manpower but also extend operational effectiveness.
Diligent Robotics launches hospital robot assistant into market
Diligent Robotics has launched its first product, a hospital robot assistant called Moxi, out of beta into market. The robot was expected to be introduced into a hospital in Texas on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
An artificial intelligence company that is building “socially intelligent robots” that help people with their jobs, Diligent Robotics has also announced that it has raised $3 million in seed funding, which the company will use to support its launch of Moxi into its first full-time hospital customers. Funding will also be used to support the company’s continued investment in product strategy and development in both hardware and software.
Task force on drone incursions at airports calls for coordination, federal funding
The Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports, commissioned by AUVSI and the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), released its final report today and recommended that federal governments should work with airports to fight drone incursions and get additional funding to help accomplish that.
The task force also says there is an "urgent need" for the Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada to establish drone detection standards and that local law enforcement has a role to play, beginning with a pilot program to demonstrate how that would work.
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies joins Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies (LMPT) has joined Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem, which is an alliance of unmanned platform and sensor manufacturers that use Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET).
Local Motors' Olli autonomous shuttles began operating at Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners
After winning Local Motors' Atlanta Olli Fleet Challenge, the City of Peachtree Corners has announced that Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners deployed Local Motors’ Olli autonomous shuttle on Tuesday, Oct. 1 in its smart city living laboratory, which is a 1.5-mile-long autonomous vehicle test track.
Attendees of the launch got the opportunity to take short rides in the driverless shuttle.
NCDOT using UAS to fight invasive plants
The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Division of Aviation and its Environmental Analysis Unit are using UAS to fight invasive plants.
As part of its environmental mitigation for the construction of the new Basnight Bridge over Oregon Inlet, NCDOT is responsible for battling an invasive plant called Phragmites that has overrun the area around Bodie Island Lighthouse.
In search for an alternative to using traditional airplane- or helicopter-based herbicide spraying, the NCDOT Environmental Analysis Unit went to the Division of Aviation to explore the use of UAS for these operations.
