Verizon Skyward, energy company Southern Company, and representatives from Hitec recently came together to conduct multiple beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS test flights at the New York UAS Test Site in Rome, New York.
The goal of the testing was to help Southern Company test UAS and procedures at an active airport as a precursor to long-range BVLOS flights that could help with tasks such as storm damage assessment and routine power line inspections.
“The work we did at NUAIR was an important first step to operating in the BVLOS world,” says Corey Hitchcock, Southern Company’s chief UAS Pilot.
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Testing
Atlas demonstrates UAS during Thunderstorm Demonstration and Experimentation Event in New York City
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD (R&E)) Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) recently invited autonomous UAS designer and manufacturer Atlas to demonstrate its AtlasPRO UAS during the Thunderstorm 19-2 Multi-Domain Operations Demonstration and Experimentation
GA-ASI, NASA teaming up for UAS demo scheduled for next year
As part of NASA’s project to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is partnering with NASA to conduct a demonstration flight.
Scheduled for 2020, the demonstration will seek to address some of the challenges that prevent routine commercial UAS operations in the NAS today. These challenges include development, integration, and certification of UAS, as well as the technologies needed for safe operation with other manned and UAS traffic in the NAS.
“NASA and GA-ASI have a shared goal of seeing UAS fly safely and unencumbered in the NAS,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
Optimus Ride showcases self-driving shuttles at Reston, Virginia's Halley Rise
During the groundbreaking of Halley Rise, a new $1.4 billion mixed-use district in Reston, Virginia, on Monday, Oct. 7, self-driving vehicle tech company Optimus Ride showcased its self-driving shuttles and provided attendees with a chance to experience the technology firsthand.
Global real estate services company Brookfield Properties selected Optimus Ride to provide “safe, efficient, autonomous transportation” to Halley Rise office tenants traveling within the campus. In just five weeks of its service being in effect at Halley Rise, Optimus Ride has already provided 15,000 rides using its autonomous vehicles.
Schiebel demonstrates search and rescue capabilities of Camcopter S-100 UAS
From Sept. 16 to 27, Schiebel successfully demonstrated the shipboard integration of its Camcopter S-100 UAS on board the KV Svalbard to the Norwegian Coast Guard. The company also showcased the drone’s search and rescue capabilities during flight trials.
The search and rescue mission involved the Camcopter S-100 UAS teaming up with a manned Sea King helicopter during a simulated “man over board” operation.
Milrem Robotics THeMIS UGV deployed for first time in Mali by Estonian Infantry Platoon
For the first time, the Estpla-32 infantry platoon, which is currently serving in Mali, deployed the Milrem Robotics THeMIS UGV during a military operation.
During the deployment, the UGV’s implementation in support of infantry in the conflict area was tested from both a tactical and a technical viewpoint.
Baidu launches self-driving taxis in China
Baidu has debuted its Apollo Robotaxi in Changsha, Hunan province in China, with the first batch of 45 self-driving taxis having officially begun trial operations on urban roads.
Apollo Robotaxi deploys L4 Hongqi EV vehicles, which were developed in collaboration with FAW Group, a Chinese carmaker.
University of Michigan researchers demonstrate UAS attaching asphalt shingles to roofs with a nail gun
Researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated an octocopter attaching asphalt shingles to roofs with a nail gun.
The UAS is autonomous, which means that it can position the nail gun on a nailing point, place the nail and move to the next point all without any human intervention needed.
Ford, Argo AI to begin testing self-driving vehicles in Austin, Texas
Ford has announced that Austin, Texas is the third launch market for its self-driving vehicles, joining Miami-Dade County and Washington, D.C.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Austin has been the fastest growing metro region in America in each of the last eight years. Ford notes that the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization predicts that by 2040, vehicle use in the Austin region could double, while highway capacity will only grow 15 percent.
“Simply put, Austin has to look towards diverse and innovative ways to move people around,” Ford says.
Department of Transportation announces funding for automated driving projects
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao recently announced that eight projects in seven states will receive nearly $60 million in federal grant funding to test the safe integration of automated driving systems (ADS) onto U.S. roadways.
