Through the expansion of their partnership, supply chain management and third-party logistics company DHL Supply Chain and autonomous mobile robots (AMR) developer Locus Robotics will launch 10 new, nationwide deployments of the Locus AMR platform this year.
“The agreement with Locus Robotics further enables us to bring productivity-enhancing technology to our customers quickly, so they are well-positioned to capitalize on new and emerging opportunities,” says Jim Gehr, president, Retail at DHL Supply Chain North America.
Software
Software
TRI-AD, Carmera announce new results from mapping exercises for autonomous vehicles
Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development Inc. (TRI-AD) and Carmera Inc. have announced the new results from their ongoing partnership.
During the latest phase, commercially available dashboard-mounted cameras were used to detect key road features with the relative accuracy performance necessary for automated driving. Using a combination of Carmera’s technologies, key road features such as lane markings, traffic signals and signs were detected and placed along Michigan roadways in central Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Mathematicians equip drone with speaker and microphones to make it echolocate like bats
Mathematicians have discovered that a drone equipped with microphones and a speaker—with the help of algebra and geometry—can echolocate similarly to how bats use echolocation to orient themselves with their surroundings.
According to Purdue University associate professor of mathematics and electrical and computer engineering Mireille “Mimi” Boutin, this signal processing research could have potential applications for people, underwater vehicles and even cars.
Australian startup developing autonomous EV that generates energy requirements from the sun
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)—on behalf of the Australian Government—has awarded Australian startup Applied Electric Vehicles Pty Ltd (AEV) $2 million in funding to develop an autonomous electric vehicle (EV) that will utilize a solar photovoltaic (PV) roof and lithium ion battery system.
ARENA’s funding will go towards solving energy related challenges such as selecting the most appropriate solar PV technology for the solar roof, and optimizing the mass, energy efficiency, solar gain and safety of the vehicle.
iXblue, ThayerMahan partner to provide unmanned maritime and survey services
Through their new partnership, maritime technology company ThayerMahan Inc. and global high-tech company iXblue will use iXblue’s DriX USV to provide unmanned maritime and survey services in North America, as well as in other parts of the world.
The companies will leverage their respective strengths to address a wide range of maritime and survey applications including, but not limited to, Oil & Gas, ISR, and monitoring and tracking operations. ThayerMahan has a “far-reaching expertise” in maritime domain awareness, while iXblue’s USV is multi-purpose and cost-effective.
Brain Corp, Dane Technologies partner to develop and test autonomous material delivery robots
Brain Corp is partnering with power assist technologies designer and manufacturer Dane Technologies to manufacture autonomous material delivery robots that can be used in public and commercial applications.
Dane Technologies will license Brain Corp’s cloud-connected operating system for commercial autonomous robots, BrainOS, and begin building the delivery robots in Q2 2020. Brain Corp and Dane Technologies plan to pilot the robots with several major retailers this spring.
Schiebel completes acceptance tests of new heavy fuel S2 engine for Camcopter S-100 UAS for Royal Australian Navy
Schiebel has successfully completed the acceptance tests of its new Schiebel-designed heavy fuel S2 engine for its Camcopter S-100 UAS for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
With more than 12 years of experience developing engines for the Camcopter S-100, Schiebel has learned a variety of lessons from extensive operations across the globe that have helped in the development of the S2.
“Given the single fuel policy adopted by the world’s Navies, we have responded to the requirement and have now developed, tested and produced our own Schiebel-designed heavy fuel engine for the Camcopter S-100 system,” says Hans Georg Schiebel, chairman of the Schiebel Group.
Aquiline Drones to power GuardBot's spherical and amphibious robotic vehicles via AD Cloud
Cloud and drone technologies company Aquiline Drones (AD) has announced that it will power the spherical and amphibious robotic vehicles from engineering company GuardBot using the AD Cloud (ADC).
Aquiline notes that ADC takes full advantage of its capacity, modularity and truly salient features for autonomous assignments, operations and quests, which makes it ideal for unmanned vehicle operations.
“In the coming months, ADC will undergo rigorous testing, hosting and management trials with GuardBot’s proprietary software application. ADC’s highly modular AI architecture is suitable for crucial customization of solutions typically not available in the open marketplace,” explains Barry Alexander, founder and CEO of Aquiline Drones and AD Cloud Services.
Boston Dynamics, OTTO Motors showcase the role of robots in warehouse automation
Boston Dynamics has collaborated with industrial autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) developer OTTO Motors to demonstrate the future of warehouse automation.
A video released on Tuesday, March 3, shows Handle, which is Boston Dynamics’s logistics robot, picking boxes and building pallets on top of OTTO AMRs in a distribution center testbed.
Last year, the Handle robot completed proof of concept trials with customers in their warehouses. Boston Dynamics and OTTO Motors are working together to further automate the logistics space.
GA-ASI, L3Harris Technologies successfully equip MQ-9 RPAS with EO/IR system
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and L3Harris Technologies have successfully completed equipping a GA-ASI MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) with the WESCAM MX-20 Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) system, resulting in an advanced targeting platform.
Beginning Feb. 18, a series of test flights were conducted to demonstrate the MQ-9’s ability to locate and track targets at long stand-off ranges thanks to the integration of the MX-20.
“The GA-ASI and L3Harris teams have worked closely over the past year to ensure the successful integration of this sophisticated system,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
