Rakuten Mobile Inc. will work with Rakuten Group company Rakuten AirMap Inc. to conduct completion inspections of base stations for its mobile network using drones.
Traditionally, completion inspections would be conducted by an engineer that climbs the antenna tower on which the base station is installed and visually inspects the equipment, but these inspections raise several concerns regarding safety, the time required to conduct the inspections and personnel costs.
Using drones for completion inspections would allow them to be conducted in a shorter amount of time, more efficiently and with a higher degree of safety, as the UAS will be used to take multi-angle photographs of the newly constructed base stations.
Software
Software
RE2 Robotics fabricating face shields for small- and medium-sized clinics in Pittsburgh region
In collaboration with PPE Connect PGH and its coalition of local universities and manufacturers, RE2 Robotics has begun fabricating face shields for small- and medium-sized clinics.
PPE Connect PGH is helping healthcare workers on the front line in the fight against COVID-19 locate sources of existing idle Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Using its 3D-printing capabilities, RE2 is fabricating parts for face shields that are being collected and distributed by PPE Connect PGH. Smaller health care entities such as community clinics, nursing homes, and independent facilities in the Pittsburgh region can get the face shields and all of the PPE donations for free.
ANRA Technologies' SmartSkies platform helps UAS pilots obtain approval for ops in controlled airspace
ANRA Technologies has released what it describes as a “scalable and highly adaptable family of software services” called SmartSkies that enables coordination.
According to ANRA Technologies, SmartSkies provides execution and management of drone operations in controlled and uncontrolled airspace. SmartSkies CTR specifically addresses airspace management for Airport Control Zones and other sensitive airspace.
“We are proud to announce an addition to our family with the launch of SmartSkies CTR,” says Amit Ganjoo, CEO and Founder of ANRA Technologies.
Iris Automation launches first onboard DAA system with 360-degree radial field of view for UAS
Iris Automation has launched Casia 360, the first onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) system with a 360-degree radial field of view to enable commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for UAS.
When equipped with Casia 360, a UAS can see and react to the aviation environment around the aircraft, as the DAA system detects other aircraft in all directions. Using computer-vision algorithms, Casia 360 classifies the aircraft and makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the UAS, before triggering an alert to the pilot in command and automating maneuvers to safely avoid collisions.
U.S. Marine Corps orders more than 140 of FLIR Systems' Centaur UGVs
Through an $18.6 million contract sourced through the Dept. of Defense Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) program, the U.S. Marine Corps has ordered more than 140 of FLIR Systems’ Centaur UGVs, plus spares.
Marine Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams will use the UGVs to help with various hazardous tasks such as disarming improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance. Different sensors and payloads can be added to support several different mission types.
Deliveries of the UGVs are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2020.
UAV Navigation, Sky Power collaborate to design flight control technologies for UAS
UAV Navigation and Sky Power have worked together to design flight control technologies.
The companies recently came together and agreed to equip UAV Navigation’s Flight Control technologies with Sky Power’s Engine, which led to UAV Navigation’s flight control system being able to seamlessly integrate with Sky Power’s 2-stroke and Wankel engines. Thanks to this seamless integration, it is “extremely easy and convenient” to use these two systems together in one UAS platform, the companies say.
Autonomous driving platform developer Phantom AI raises $22 million
Autonomous driving platform developer Phantom AI has raised $22 million in Series A financing, bringing its total capital raised to date to $27 million.
With a goal of democratizing the use of driver assistance and safety technologies to reduce crashes, save lives and make driving more enjoyable, Phantom AI, which was founded in 2016 by lead engineers from Tesla’s and Hyundai’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) teams, will use this latest round of funding to accelerate product development while scaling operations in Europe and Asia.
The company is working with several automakers, a truck OEM and multiple European and Asian tier 1 suppliers.
Virtual Surveyor introduces new feature in drone surveying software
Virtual Surveyor has introduced a new feature in Version 7.2 of its drone surveying software that automatically highlights terrain slopes that exceed dangerous steepness thresholds.
The capability is called Slope Threshold lens, and according to Virtual Surveyor, it greatly enhances the safety of operations in a variety of dynamic environments with steep terrains such as sand pits and quarries.
NWUAV partners with Inertial Labs to enhance UAS technologies and services offerings
Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is adding Inertial Labs' positioning, navigation, and orientation technologies to its list of UAS technologies and services, thanks to a recently announced partnership between the two companies.
NWUAV says that Inertial Labs offers the “best value, smallest, most accurate, and lowest power consumption products.” As a result, the companies share a philosophy and commitment to providing the highest quality and best value building blocks for the unmanned industry.
“We’re excited to partner with a company that shares our high standards for quality, value and performance,” says Inertial Labs Business Development Manager, Anton Barabashov.
GA-ASI's first production-representative MQ-9B SkyGuardian completes first flight
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced the completion of the first production-representative MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
The aircraft completed its first flight on March 30 at GA-ASI’s Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California.
“With first flight of the production-representative aircraft, we remain on schedule for delivering MQ-9B Protector to the RAF,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
Protector RG Mk1 is being acquired for the UK Royal Air Force’s configuration of SkyGuardian.
