Espen Olsen’s job is a little different from that of most police officers.
He’s the police chief inspector for the Governor of Svalbard’s office and is in charge of its new drone program. He has begun using small drones in this Norwegian archipelago, situated roughly halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
Drones have been used in the Arctic for several years, including Aeryon Scouts, Insitu ScanEagles and AeroVironment Pumas, which have aided in studying sea ice, monitoring wildlife and keeping an eye on climate change. Olsen probably has the most unique uses for his collection of DJI drones, however, which includes an older Phantom 3, two Mavic Pros and a Matrice.
IHP
IHP
Forest Service seeks info on drones to create prescribed burns
The U.S. Forest Service is requesting information from industry about using drones to create controlled burns to help fight forest fires.
In a year when fires have raged out of control in the West, particularly California, the Forest Service has posted a request for information about how drones could create controlled or prescribed burns, also known as hazard reduction burning, to reduce the amount of fuel available to a fire.
The RFI, which has a response date of Jan. 25, may also include a live demonstration of an “aerial ignition system,” according to an RFI posted on Federal Business Opportunities. Such a demonstration could occur between February and May 2019.
Postmates introduces Serve, its robotic delivery device that it built from the ground up
On-demand delivery company Postmates has introduced the newest member of its fleet, Serve, which the company claims is the first robotic delivery device created from the ground up by an on-demand delivery company.
Postmates says that after seven years and hundreds of millions of deliveries, it realized that it was in a unique position to create its very own autonomous delivery vehicle, which combines a patented Socially-Aware-Navigation system with the company’s proprietary Postmates software.
NUAIR Alliance hosts first official UTM kick off meeting with partners
From Dec. 11 to 12, the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR Alliance) hosted its first official unmanned traffic management (UTM) kick off meeting with partners in Syracuse.
According to the NUAIR Alliance, the goals of the meeting were to establish a joint roadmap to advance research and development opportunities, identify and resolve technical issues, and lay the framework for a detailed implementation plan to build an operational beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UTM system.
California's Monterey County Sheriff's Office uses UAS to locate and arrest armed suspect
On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) in California used its UAS to locate an armed suspect that had broken into the historical buildings at the Point Sur Lighthouse in Monterey, California the night of Saturday, Dec. 8.
Using its UAS, MCSO deputies directed California State Park Rangers to the suspect’s location, where he was subsequently arrested.
The sheriff’s office notes that this situation was dangerous for several reasons, including the steep terrain of the location, the involvement of a firearm, and the unknown intent of the suspect.
With all of these factors, the UAS proved to be a beneficial option for the sheriff’s office.
Insitu's ScanEagle UAS used in support of firefight against Northern California's Camp Fire
Insitu’s ScanEagle UAS, paired with its TacitView and Catalina software, recently provided remote aerial survey information during the firefight against Northern California’s Camp Fire.
Daily operational maps and full motion video detailing the fire’s movement were generated using the ScanEagle’s camera payload data and applied software.
DOT's BUILD Transportation Grants program awards $5.3 million to autonomous vehicle project planned for Las Vegas
An autonomous vehicle project planned by the City of Las Vegas and Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada in the Las Vegas Medical District has been awarded $5.3 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants program, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Expected to begin late next year, the project, known as GoMed, will provide autonomous and connected vehicle service around a four-mile route between the Las Vegas Medical District and the Bonneville Transit Center downtown.
Kansas State Polytechnic granted waiver to introduce BVLOS flights into curriculum
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has announced that its UAS flight and operations degree option is the first in the nation to introduce flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) into college curriculum.
The FAA has granted Kansas State Polytechnic a waiver that allows these operations to be conducted at the university.
“It is a significant opportunity for our students to learn how to fly UAS beyond their visual line of sight because they are preparing their skills and knowledge for the future of the industry,” says Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State Polytechnic.
Airobotics receives unique FAA waiver for BVLOS UAS operations
Just a few weeks after announcing that it had received $30 million in funding, Airobotics has now announced that it has become the first company in the United States to receive a Certificate of Waiver (CoW) from the FAA that combines three elements: flying Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for automated UAS operations, over human beings, with a visual observer that is not required to keep a visual line of sight on the UAS.