American Aerospace Technologies Inc. (AATI) and its subsidiary company, Sky Scape Industries (SSI), recently successfully tested the concept of using UAS to deliver emergency supplies to first responders after disasters on behalf of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
On July 24 and 25, AATI and SSI completed two UAS research flights at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in Cape May, New Jersey. Other entities involved in the testing included the New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey Innovation Institutes Unmanned Aviation Systems Test Site, the Delaware River & Bay Authority and the DLA.
Technology
Technology
AFRL, DZYNE Technologies successfully test Robotic Pilot Unmanned Conversion Program
On Aug. 9, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and DZYNE Technologies Inc. successfully completed the first flight of ROBOpilot, which they describe as a “revolutionary Robotic Pilot Unmanned Conversion Program.”
The flight, which lasted two hours, was conducted at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah.
“This flight test is a testament to AFRL’s ability to rapidly innovate technology from concept to application in a safe build up approach while still maintaining low cost and short timelines,” says Maj. Gen. William Cooley, AFRL Commander.
Kraken Robotics Systems delivers ThunderFish 300 AUV to test partner in Nova Scotia
Kraken Robotics Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Kraken Robotic Systems Inc., has delivered its ThunderFish 300 AUV to its test partner, Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A $1 million contract award under the Canadian government’s Build in Canada Innovation Program made this delivery to DRDC possible.
Kraken notes that final sea acceptance testing was completed on August 8th.
Causey Aviation Unmanned, Flytrex to begin delivering food via UAS in NC
The FAA has granted UAS services company Causey Aviation Unmanned Inc. (CAU) and Flytrex permission to begin using UAS to make food deliveries in Holly Springs, North Carolina.
The flights, which will be conducted under the UAS Integration Pilot Program (UAS IPP), will be a collaborative effort between CUA, Flytrex, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Town of Holly Springs, and Kite Realty Group Trust.
KDOT IPP team to conduct landmark BVLOS UAS flight leveraging only onboard detect-and-avoid systems
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) team has been granted permission to conduct the first ever beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS flight that utilizes only onboard detect-and-avoid systems.
According to the KDOT team, this is the first-ever FAA authorized Part 107 operation to fly without visual observers or ground-based radar in place, as the flight will leverage Iris Automation’s onboard collision avoidance system, Casia.
Swarms of air and ground robots tested during second field experiment for DARPA's OFFSET program
DARPA has announced that during the second field experiment for its OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program, teams of autonomous air and ground robots tested tactics on a mission to isolate an urban objective.
During the experiment, which took place in June at the Selby Combined Arms Collective Training Facility in Fort Benning, Georgia, the robots started off by identifying locations of interest, and then created a perimeter around the focal point, similarly to how a firefighting crew establishes a boundary around a burning building.
Drone Rescue Systems GmbH supports FALCon research project
Drone Rescue Systems GmbH is supporting the European research project known as Formation flight for in-Air Launcher 1st stage Capturing demonstration (FALCon).
Research is being conducted under the leadership of DLR on how launch vehicles can be returned to the launch site as efficiently as possible for re-use.
“We are proud to be part of the FALCon research project together with five international partners and DLR as part of HORIZON2020 (EC grant 821953), the EU’s largest research and innovation program to date,” says Andreas Ploier, CEO of Drone Rescue Systems GmbH.
“The capture and towing of rocket stages in flight, i.e. an autonomous and safe landing, is a particularly interesting topic for us as a manufacturer of parachute safety solutions.”
2nd annual NY UAS Symposium to highlight issues facing industry, importance of UTM
The second annual New York UAS Symposium, hosted by Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR), will look to build off of a successful 2018 symposium that brought in more than 300 participants.
This year’s symposium will give attendees a chance to talk with fellow UAS industry leaders representing all sides of the industry — including from the FAA, NASA, and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), to name a few — make new connections, and discuss key issues that the industry is facing.
According to Michael Hertzendorf, interim CEO for NUAIR Alliance, the number one challenge that the industry faces is public adoption.
EHang to test autonomous aerial vehicles in Guangzhou, China
Autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company EHang has selected Guangzhou, China as its first urban air mobility (UAM) pilot city in the world to establish a low-altitude aviation transportation network that shuttles passengers and goods in a “safe, fast, environmentally friendly, cost-efficient and intelligent way.”
Through the pilot program, EHang will help the Guangzhou government establish a command-and-control center to make sure that multiple AAVs flying at the same time in the city can remain in the air in a “safe and efficient manner,” and can respond to emergencies quickly.
EHang also plans on helping the city build up the basic infrastructure to support urban air mobility, which will include designing safety rules and market entry thresholds.
