This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

Toronto-based ‘The Sky Guys Ltd.’ has begun showcasing its new DX-3 UAS. With a flight time of 25 hours and a range of over 900 miles, the vertical takeoff and landing-capable UAS is perfect for the military, as well as entities in the disaster relief industry. The company is currently working with Transport Canada and other authorities that develop UAS regulation to gain permission to fly the UAS beyond visual line of sight. (IT World Canada)

Students, faculty and visitors on the campus of Santa Clara University can now ride an autonomous shuttle bus developed by Auro Robotics. The shuttle operates at seven miles per hour, and generally runs eight hours a day, with the exception being on Sunday when it runs for just three. The school has large ambitions for the bus, as it plans on rolling out a new uber-like service where students and faculty on campus, mainly those whose mobility is impaired, can order a ride from the shuttle instead of having to wait at one of its designated stops. (IEEE Spectrum)

If the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has its way, then driverless vehicles will replace the city’s Skyway rail system. The vehicles would travel along the current Skyway route, with some additional stop points added to the route. The goal is for the new technology, which is expected to included lighter vehicles that are most likely battery powered, to be around for at least the next 40 to 50 years. (Govtech)

The University of North Dakota has introduced a course that teaches students not only how to fly UAS, but also the business of drones and unmanned systems, in an effort to help students learn the integral aspects of an industry that is growing exponentially every day. At the end of the inaugural semester for the course, students will be responsible for presenting a business plan for enterprise ideas to venture capitalists and executives, similar to the show ‘Shark Tank.’ (Vindy.com)

Two companies, Astron and C4D Intel, have partnered to create a UAS that can monitor and communicate the movements of sharks in real time, to help cut down on the number of shark attacks in Australia. Once it completes operational trials, the system, called Sentinel VDS, will be used to warn beach goers of target shark species in the area. (Spatial Source)

Morphix Technologies, a company that specializes in creating chemical and explosive detection devices, has announced that its Chameleon Chemical Detector and TraceX Explosives Detection Kit can both be installed upon UAS, throwable robots and EOD robots, in an effort to protect military, law enforcement and first responders. (Ammoland)

Amazon’s Prime Air has completed its first customer delivery by UAS, as the company delivered popcorn and a Fire TV video-streaming device to a farmhouse near Cambridge in the United Kingdom. With a goal to eventually expand to more areas, Amazon’s current plans are to make deliveries via UAS in the Cambridge test area, seven days a week during daylight hours, as long as the weather permits. (Wall Street Journal)

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