Research
Research
Ford and Michigan State renew and expand research partnership that covers autonomous technology
Ford Motor Company and Michigan State University (MSU) recently announced the renewal and expansion of their collaborative research alliance, which will facilitate continued collaboration between the two entities in a variety of fields, including autonomous technology and mobility.
Ford and MSU say that by strengthening their research and development partnership, they will be able to develop a broad range of innovations, with a focus on the aforementioned autonomous technology and mobility, as well as sensors and lightweight materials.
Over the course of their four-year partnership thus far, Ford and MSU have worked together on several successful projects, including collaborations in advanced engines, composite materials and information technology.
From Unmanned Systems Magazine: Harsh climate, few resources force innovation in unmanned systems use in the Arctic
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.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's new Center for Autonomy will focus on autonomous tech
According to the Associated Press, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a new center called the Center for Autonomy, which will be used to focus on autonomous technology such as self-driving cars and robotic assistants.
The university has allocated $2.1 million for the center, while the College of Engineering is providing an additional $2.1 million to recruit new robotics faculty.
DriveOhio and Ohio UAS Center partner to support UAS research and development
DriveOhio and the Ohio UAS Center have announced a new strategic plan to support UAS research and development.
Through the strategic plan, three main initiatives— FlyOhio, Ohio UAS Center Operations, and workforce development—will be addressed.
In an effort to facilitate the widescale use of UAS for delivery and transport, FlyOhio will seek to develop an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system; Ohio UAS Center Operations will facilitate the use of UAS for a variety of business services; and workforce development will educate and create the skills needed for smart mobility jobs around this technology.
Florida Poly and JTA partner to enhance development of autonomous vehicle tech in public transportation
Florida Polytechnic University (Florida Poly) and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) have announced that they will work together to enhance the development of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology in public transportation.
The entities have agreed to work together to boost the research and application of AV technology.
Florida Polytechnic is home to the Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI), which is a university-affiliated research center that focuses on advancing and testing AV technology. According to Florida Poly, AMI is one of the largest university centers in the country that specializes specifically on the testing and verification of AV technology.
Tulsa students learn about UAS during 'Tulsa Research Kids' Drone Fly-In' event
On Friday, Nov. 2, more than 140 area students gathered at Tulsa Community College’s Riverside Community Campus and Aviation Center for the Tulsa Research Kids’ Drone Fly-In event.
During the event, which was the result of a partnership between Tulsa Community College, Flight Night and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, several businesses discussed UAS and the available careers within the industry to an audience made up of students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.
MIT researchers believe autonomous system could guide fleet of UAS during searches for lost hikers
This week during the International Symposium on Experimental Robotics conference, MIT researchers will present a paper in which they describe an autonomous system for a fleet of UAS that would enable UAS to search for lost hikers in forests.
GPS signals used to guide UAS can be unreliable or nonexistent in forest environments, so the MIT researchers propose a strategy where UAS only use onboard computation and wireless communication—effectively eliminating the need for GPS—as they collaboratively search under dense forest canopies.