Seattle-based Wibotic last week launched a software package to help customers manage the increasingly complex array of tasks necessary to keep vehicles in growing unmanned fleets charged and ready to perform.    The software, called Commander, offers constant, at-a-glance awareness of all vehicles through a user-friendly interface, said CEO and co-founder Ben Waters. Users will be able to assess quickly how soon vehicles need to be charged, as well as to gather data on things like power usage and battery performance over time – to inform future scheduling and purchasing decisions.  “It might be used for a single vehicle on a single site, or a single vehicle on hundreds of sites, or it could be used for hundreds of vehicles on one site,” Waters said. 

Automated drone systems developer American Robotics has become the first company approved by the FAA to operate automated drones without human operators on-site. American Robotics is known for its Scout System, which is made up of three primary components: Scout, an autonomous, AI-powered UAS with advanced imaging payloads; ScoutBase, a weatherproof base station that serves as the nerve center and communication hub for Scout; and ScoutView, a secure web portal and API that enables remote interaction with the system, data, and resulting analytics anywhere in the world.

Elbit Systems has been awarded a contract to supply Seagull USVs to the Navy of a country in Asia-Pacific. Under the contract, which will be performed over a 17-month period, Elbit Systems will provide Seagull USV systems that are specifically configured to perform Mine Counter Measures (MCM) missions while facilitating the option to add technology modules needed for Anti-Submarine Warfare. The Seagull USVs will be equipped with Side-Scan and Forward-Looking sonars, Mine Identification and Destruction Remotely Operated Vehicles. They will also be equipped with Elbit Systems’ autonomous suite, Combat Management System and Satellite Communication capability.

Red Cat Holdings Inc. has announced that Fat Shark, a wholly owned subsidiary, and Skypersonic, the manufacturer of the Skycopter UAV, partnered to complete a long distance drone flight remotely.  During the flight, a pilot located in Orlando, Florida controlled a drone flying in Detroit, Michigan. The flight integrated Fat Shark's new digital technology, "Shark Byte" with Skypersonic's Skycopter and remote pilot software system.