Commercial
Commercial
Lockheed Martin's new VCSi software allows operators to simultaneously control dozens of unmanned vehicles
On Feb. 20, Lockheed Martin announced the launch of its new vehicle control software, VCSi, which is a commercial software that enables operators to simultaneously control dozens of unmanned vehicles and conduct information, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
VCSi will be unveiled during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi this month, and according to Lockheed, it has several major enhancements.
Drones and Droids: Unmanned Systems at Work
AUVSI Cascade & Big Bend Community College Present
Drones and Droids:
Unmanned Systems at Work
Please join us at Big Bend Community College for the Pacific Northwest's premier unmanned systems event "Drones and Droids: Unmanned Systems at Work" April 11th and 12th. Hear experts from industry, government and academia provide the latest updates on unmanned systems legislation, policies and technologies. You'll hear from a great lineup of experts in legislation, policy, technologies and training, including:
From Unmanned Systems Magazine: Third Offset: How can the military take advantage of industry work on plug-and-play systems?
In a perfect world, the U.S. military would have a fleet of plug-and-play unmanned ground vehicles that would be simpler to operate and support than the current fleet of thousands of small and medium-size UGVs, which has a variety of logistics trains and electronic architectures. The current fleet works well, but it was fielded quickly without a long-term plan to meet urgent needs, like countering roadside bombs.
Waymo receives permission to launch ride-hailing service using its driverless vehicles
Waymo is preparing to launch a ride-hailing service that utilizes its driverless vehicles, after the company received a permit from the Arizona Department of Transportation to operate as a Transportation Network Company (TNC) in late January.
According to Bloomberg, the designation allows Waymo’s fleet of driverless Chrysler Pacifica minivans to pick up and drop off paying riders in Arizona through a smartphone app or website.
Since April 2017, Waymo has been testing a self-driving car service in the Phoenix area that lets passengers hail cars through an app, similar to ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft.
From Unmanned Systems Magazine —Unmanned systems a valuable part of port security
Terrorist attacks come in all forms, and the worldwide shipping industry is scrambling to find safe harbors.
In June 2017, the Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk was crippled by a massive cyberattack that hit 17 of its terminals worldwide, including one of its busiest on the west coast.
The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together make for the nation’s largest and busiest seaport, handling nearly 40 percent of all American imported goods. The Maersk attack forced an unprecedented three-day closure of the Port of L.A.’s largest terminal.
PrecisionHawk to launch 'nation's largest network of commercially licensed drone pilots' after acquisition of Droners.io and AirVid
PrecisionHawk Inc. has acquired two companies—Droners.io and AirVid—that have platforms that enable users to commission UAS pilots for commercial jobs.
PrecisionHawk will merge the companies to form a network of more than 15,000 commercially licensed UAS pilots, which will be the largest network of its kind, according to PrecisionHawk.
PrecisionHawk will continue to connect certified UAS pilots directly to customers. The company will also use the network to service its growing base of enterprise customers in insurance, agriculture, energy, construction and government, as it has received increasing demand for UAS flight services from the business and government sectors since 2016, when the FAA began allowing corporations to use UAS for commercial purposes.
Commercial UAS software provider Converge raises more than $750,000 in seed funding
A commercial UAS software provider called Converge has announced that during its first seed funding, the company raised more than $750,000. The initial round of funding included investors such as Samsung NEXT, Techstars Ventures, and Kima Ventures.
Founded by alumni from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Converge is developing artificial intelligence (AI) fueled software for UAS that enables them to handle dull, dirty, and dangerous work. Converge says that its software has already been piloted by a selection of UAS service providers, as well as one of the largest construction companies in Florida.
How do Drones Help Farmers?
Contributed article by Len Calderone, AgriTech Tomorrow
Drones are becoming a critical tool for farmers. Many farmers are already benefitting from drone (UAV) technology; and we’ve only scratched the surface of what this relatively new technology can do for agriculture.
