The Virginia Association of Counties has awarded the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) program with a 2018 Achievement Award as a model local government program.
The LCSO was the first agency in Virginia, and just the sixth in the U.S., to have a small UAS equipped with a Project Lifesaver antenna. The Project Lifesaver program is an electronic-based locating system for people with medical conditions—such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism—who have a tendency to wander from home and get lost.
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Mobilicom's SkyHopper tech for UAS and robotics completes first year of activity
After launching in August 2017, Mobilicom Ltd.’s SkyHopper technology has completed its first year of activity.
A provider of “global mission-critical-communications” systems, Mobilicom describes SkyHopper as a “holistic solution” for commercial and industrial UAS and robotics.
In its first year of activity, SkyHopper was sold to, and successfully operated by, customers in 14 different countries, and integrated with 45 UAS manufacturers.
“I am proud to say that SkyHopper has exceeded its aggressive first-year goals plan, and evolved from concept to business success in only one year,” says Mobilicom’s CEO, Oren Elkayam.
Minority Serving Institutions to use grants from NASA to focus on UAS and robotics-related education
In an effort to build the interest, skills and knowledge necessary for K-12 students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, NASA's Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) Aerospace Academy (MAA) is providing nearly $2.3 million in grants to seven Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
Wilhelmsen Ships Service to help develop future UAS regulatory framework for Singapore
Wilhelmsen Ships Service has been selected to help develop the future UAS regulatory framework for Singapore. The company will receive dedicated funding for its shore-to-ship delivery project.
Following a Call-For-Proposal (CFP) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Ministry of Transport, Wilhelmsen Ships Service is one of just four companies to have received the funding.
The CFP seeks to “support the development of systems and technologies to enable innovations within the wide-ranging use of UAS.”
First responders in Effingham County, Illinois use UAS to find runaway juvenile
First responder departments in Effingham County, Illinois recently used a UAS to find a runaway juvenile.
After the juvenile was spotted entering a cornfield, Fire Chief Joe Holomy flew the UAS above the field, and the youth was spotted and contacted. The juvenile was then retrieved by Effingham County Sheriff's deputies, and taken to a local hospital for observation.
According to Police Chief Jeff Fuesting, the UAS proved to be extremely valuable on this day, as it helped save time and reduced the risk of weather-related injuries to both the juvenile and first responders, since the temperatures outside the cornfield were in the 90s that day.
GA-ASI expanding presence at Grand Sky civil UAS-focused research and development park
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) will “significantly expand” its presence on Grand Sky, the first and only fully operational civil UAS-focused research and development park in the U.S.
Under the agreement, GA-ASI will expand its current leased space of 5.5 acres to 20 acres, all located along Grand Sky’s “beachfront,” which provides immediate access to Grand Forks Air Force Base’s 12,351-foot runway. Terms of the lease are in place for 10 years.
“This announcement is validation of the value Grand Sky provides to Grand Forks and the industry as a whole,” says Thomas Swoyer, Jr., president of Grand Sky Development Company.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, an Indian state-owned aerospace and defense company, has successfully demonstrated a helicopter UAS in the presence of its Board of Directors. During the 10-minute flight, a variety of the helicopter’s capabilities were demonstrated, including Attitude Control Attitude Hold (ACAH) mode, Position Control, and low speed flight in forward, backward and sideward directions. (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited)
Embry-Riddle uses UAS as part of efforts to restore and preserve living shorelines
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University recently flew its UAS along the shorelines and above the water at Menard-May Park in Edgewater, Florida to capture high-resolution images and video of this area of Mosquito Lagoon, which is part of the Indian River Lagoon system.
Organized and flown by faculty, staff and students from Embry-Riddle’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science program, this aerial reconnaissance survey supports the Riverside Conservancy, which is a non-profit group dedicated to “restoring and preserving living shorelines in southeast Volusia County.”
Industrial SkyWorks launches BlueVu for digital inspections from drone-data
Industrial SkyWorks has launched BlueVu for digital inspections from drone-data.
According to Industrial SkyWorks, BlueVu software eliminates the need for engineers and UAS pilots to examine thousands of images, while also providing clear, accurate, professional looking reports.
Some of BlueVu’s other key capabilities include project management function support, efficient tracking and control of inspection workflows, and anomaly identification and measurement.
Airbus' Zephyr S HAPS UAS flies more than 25 days
Airbus Defence and Space has announced that its solar powered Zephyr S High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) UAS has landed after flying more than 25 days during its maiden flight.
The maiden flight, which began on July 11 and is the longest duration flight ever made according to Airbus, proved the system capabilities and achieved all the flight’s engineering objectives. Airbus says that an application has been made to establish this as a new world record.
