The U.S. Department of Defense will roll out a "trusted capital" program this fall aimed at bolstering the domestic industrial base for small unmanned aircraft, said Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
Lord, kicking off the first day of AUVSI Unmanned Systems Defense. Protection. Security in Washington, saying, "we are not innovating on the business side of things as quickly as technology is being innovated and applied to warfighter missions."
Robotics
Robotics
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.
Liberty Dynamic, ReconRobotics collaborating to develop throwable robot with mounted flash-bang
Liberty Dynamic has announced that it will begin working with ReconRobotics Inc. to equip the company’s tactical Throwbot 2 robot with an Enhanced Diversionary Device.
Equipped with a flash-bang, the robot will save military and law enforcement users “precious seconds” before detonation, while also providing them the benefit of real-time intelligence.
“It’s all about giving operators tactical advantage,” says John Chapman, CEO of Liberty Dynamic.
The Enhanced Diversionary Device is described as a “reusable, microprocessor-controlled flash-bang.” It is designed to be safer and more economical than the standard stun grenades that police officers and military personnel currently use.
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.
ecoSUB robot to perform Arctic research mission considered too dangerous for humans
In an effort to help scientists understand the true extent of melting from Arctic glaciers, an ecoSUB underwater robotic vehicle will perform an Arctic research mission that is considered too dangerous for humans.
The ecoSUB will be deployed to the foot of a melting glacier in Arctic Norway. The goal of the mission is to learn more about the effect of meltwater on a process called ‘calving’, which causes huge chunks of ice to break off the glacier edge.
Amazon Scout delivery robots to begin making deliveries in Southern California
Amazon has announced that its Scout delivery robots began delivering packages to customers in Southern California on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
To start, a small number of Scout robots will make deliveries Monday through Friday during daylight hours.
Amazon says that customers in the Irvine, California area can order things the way they normally do, and their Amazon packages will be delivered either by one of Amazon's carrier partners or by an Amazon Scout. The same delivery options are available via Scout including fast, FREE Same-Day, One-Day and Two-Day shipping for Prime members.
Initially, the robots will be accompanied by an Amazon Scout Ambassador, as they autonomously follow their delivery route.
AT&T, Badger Technologies partner on autonomous robots for retail
Badger Technologies is working with AT&T to enable autonomous robots with 5G wireless networking capabilities to accelerate retail automation.
According to Badger Technologies, its robots give retailers the ability to identify out-of-stock, mispriced or misplaced inventory, as well as store hazards, which ultimately helps improve operational efficiencies and customer experiences.
While these “advanced mobile data collection systems” can “fill major gaps in the collection and sharing of vital in-store data and images,” Badger Technologies says, they can also take a toll on a store’s existing Wi-Fi network.
Fetch Robotics to use latest round of funding for international expansion among other things
Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) developer Fetch Robotics has announced a Series C round of funding that resulted in $46 million.
The funding will be used to help Fetch Robotics expand internationally, meet accelerating customer demand, and to facilitate ongoing research and development.
“Customers have responded enthusiastically to our unique Cloud Robotics solution, and we’re responding by securing the funds we need to continue growing and enhancing our offerings,” says Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch Robotics.
Connected Robotics developing robots to free restaurant staff to handle 'more humanistic' side of work
A company called Connected Robotics (CR) that develops specialized robot systems for cooking in restaurant kitchens has announced that it has raised $7.8 million during a Series A investment round.
According to CR, the company combines “robot control know-how” collected from robot product development experience in manufacturing along with sensing and learning technology using deep learning, which helps make the robots in the kitchen intelligent.
CR says that it wants to develop robot systems that handle the heavy lifting in the kitchen, so that restaurant staff can focus on the “more humanistic” side of work to provide a positive environment for those serving and customers alike.
