Last week, AeroVironment announced that the Sunglider solar-powered high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) achieved key test milestones during a September flight, including reaching an altitude of more than 60,000 feet above sea level and successfully demonstrating mobile broadband communication.
Software
Software
Brain Corp launches new UX design and reporting capabilities for autonomous mobile robots
Artificial intelligence software technology company Brain Corp has launched new user experience (UX) design and reporting capabilities that revolutionize the ease of which autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can be used and managed at scale.
Designed to optimize usage of robots powered by BrainOS—an AI software platform that is used to build, operate, and manage multiple robotic applications—for different types of users on a global basis, the software enhancements also include powerful new software features for BrainOS-enabled robotic scrubbers that deliver improved cleaning efficiency and flexibility for commercial locations.
Esri announces two major capabilities in its UAS flight planning and processing solution
Esri has announced two major capabilities in its UAS flight planning and processing solution, Site Scan for ArcGIS, that will enable governments and critical infrastructure organizations to meet hardware and software regulations in the US and Europe.
Velodyne Lidar's World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology to focus on enabling safer mobility via autonomous technologies
Velodyne Lidar’s third annual World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology (WSS) will take place as a virtual event on Oct. 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT.
Featuring a diverse group of experts and thought leaders from industry, government, journalism and academia, the summit will seek to advance understanding about how autonomous technologies can enable safer mobility by addressing safety and autonomy issues in vehicle transportation.
Mesodyne wins 2020 Startup Showdown
Mesodyne, a company that has developed a power generator for unmanned systems that require high endurance, was named the winner of the
Dr. Cara LaPointe provides an overview of Assured Autonomy, the theme of Xponential 2021
As autonomy and artificial intelligence continue to be integrated into systems across society, making sure these systems work properly continues to be of the utmost importance.
“It’s really important to make sure these systems work like they’re supposed to, but it can be really hard,” says Dr. Cara LaPointe, co-director, Institute for Assured Autonomy, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
The goal is to reach a point of assured autonomy, where people can be confident that the autonomous systems around them are, and will, operate the way they are designed to. Reaching this point requires making sure that these systems are safe, secure, resilient and capable of operating within an ecosystem alongside humans and other technologies.
Boston Dynamics leverages cognitive and athletic intelligence to create human-like robots
Known for its advanced robots such as the BigDog, Atlas, Spot and Handle, Boston Dynamics leverages a combination of cognitive and athletic intelligence to enable its robots to handle all types of tasks.
According to Dr. Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, cognitive intelligence has to do with everything going on inside the head that helps you perform tasks like planning out what you're going do, solving problems, and understanding communications with other people.
IQ Motion Control launches latest motor module for UAS and robotics
IQ Motion Control, a tech startup that delivers high performance motor modules for commercial UAS and robotics applications, announced the launch of its latest motor module, the Vertiq 6806, on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The first commercial-grade UAS and robotics module in its class, the Vertiq 6806, which IQ is presenting during Xponential, will allow users to leverage IQ’s advanced calibration and control software in a more powerful package.
“IQ Motion Control’s launch of the Vertiq 6806 is the next step in bringing the most advanced motor control technology to commercial UAVs and robotics devices,” the company says.
The winners of the 2020 XCELLENCE Awards
Xponential 2020 host DanRam announced the winners of the 2020 XCELLENCE Awards on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
There were five categories under the Technology & Innovation umbrella. In the category of services, InNovo Partners LLC took first place for its iPaaS - InNovo Platform as a Service, while SqwaQ took second place for its SqwaQbox.
In the category of software, Verity took first place for its Failsafe by Verity, Airbus took second place for its project Wayfinder, and Perceptive Automata took third place for its Bringing Human Intuition to Autonomous Trucks.
Developing a positive public perception of UAS is a collaborative effort between stakeholders
The UAS industry has an excellent safety record, but the occasional bad actor can still dominate media coverage, which can have an immeasurably negative impact on the industry's public perception.
“The coverage of bad incidents is so much heavier than the coverage of the everyday useful commercial flights that are happening safely,” says Miriam McNabb, CEO & contributing editor, JobForDrones & DRONELIFE, during a session titled “Public Perception of Unmanned Systems – How to Positively Shape Public Perception by Educating the Media, and Working Together as an Industry.”
