Iris Automation has selected Robotic Skies Inc. as an “aftermarket installation and field maintenance partner” for its line of avionics products designed for UAS.
Under the agreement, Robotic Skies, through its global network of independently owned and operated certified aircraft service centers, will provide sales, installations, and ongoing field support for Iris Automation customers.
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Mohawk Valley Community College receives grant that will help prepare students for UAS industry
The National Science Foundation has awarded Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) a $557,487 grant to support a project in which MVCC will develop a series of “microcredentials” to increase the number of skilled technicians in the UAS industry, and ultimately address local workforce needs.
Over the next three years, MVCC will develop and implement five microcredentials made up of four courses each, which will provide students with “highly specialized, specific skills” without requiring completion of a full degree. The microcredentials are UAS Components, UAS Fabrication, UAS Operations, UAS Electronics, and UAS Data Analysis.
Corporate Service Supply & Manufacturing now an authorized reseller of Fruity Chutes UAV Recovery systems
Fruity Chutes, which manufactures UAS recovery systems, and Corporate Service Supply & Manufacturing (CSSM) have announced that CSSM is now an authorized reseller of Fruity Chutes UAV Recovery systems.
Through their agreement, CSSM can now sell the Fruity Chutes systems directly to its customers. The agreement also allows CSSM to integrate the Fruity Chutes Drone Recovery Systems into the UAS and system offerings that it markets to law enforcement, government, and commercial operators.
ULC Robotics and Los Gatos Research showcase UAS technology during Mobile Methane Monitoring Challenge
While participating in the Mobile Methane Monitoring Challenge, ULC Robotics and Los Gatos Research (LGR) deployed their patented UAS-based sensor to identify the source of controlled methane leaks.
Data collected during the challenge by the UAS and sensor will be compared to eleven other ground- and aerial-based technologies.
“Leak surveys are traditionally carried out by vehicle or by foot, which can be inefficient and dangerous to utility workers,” says Michael Passaretti, UAV Program Manager at ULC Robotics.
Arizona fire departments considering incorporating UAS into their operations
Fire departments in Arizona are considering more and more how UAS could benefit their operations.
Division Chief Don Devendorf believes that the Prescott Fire Department could find various ways to use this technology, especially considering that the department's response area includes mountain terrain right in town, along with other “usual city” firefighting challenges.
Aurora's Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System successfully delivers cargo to US Marines
In early May, Aurora’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) successfully delivered cargo to U.S. Marines in the Integrated Training Exercise at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California.
According to Aurora Flight Sciences, AACUS completed its first closed loop mission from takeoff to landing for its intended purpose of actual cargo resupply to Marines, as it successfully completed an autonomous cargo sustainment flight delivering more than 500 pounds of water, gasoline, MREs, and replacement communications gear including a packed cooler to represent urgently required cargo such as blood.
AlarisPro UAS fleet management software benefits from customer input
After being asked to help a UAS manufacturer propose their system to the Department of Defense, Tony “Pooch” Pucciarella, founder of AlarisPro, says he was surprised to learn that the company was unfamiliar with standard aviation reliability and safety metrics such as mean time between replacement and failure.
This led Pucciarella to start designing the architecture for AlarisPro, UAS fleet management software that helps keep track of vital information regarding drones.
Among many things, the software provides detailed reports, flight and maintenance logs, and a dashboard that includes pilot status, UAS status and alerts, with colors — green (good), yellow (caution) and red (item is past due) — to indicate the current standing.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
A company called Upvision recently used a UAS to map a copper mine in Mongolia. The company says that “more than 10 km² of mine and surroundings” were mapped using the MaVinci Sirius UAS, which Upvision has used for more than five years for this type of mission.
HorseFly truck-launched Autonomous Drone Package Delivery System making package deliveries in Cincinnati area
Through a pilot program with the City of Loveland, Ohio and the FAA, the HorseFly truck-launched Autonomous Drone Package Delivery System is currently making package deliveries to homes in the Cincinnati area, Workhorse Group Inc. has announced.
Consumers in select Cincinnati zip codes opted-in to accept packages from Horsefly via the Workhorse Ares Drone Package Delivery App, which is designed to “seamlessly integrate with existing online e-commerce platforms.”
“We feel this is a game-changing moment to innovate the way packages are delivered for many years to come,” says Steve Burns, Workhorse CEO.
Entities join forces to create statewide UAS Working Group in North Carolina
In partnership with N.C. Emergency Management, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Division of Aviation UAS Program Office is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to create a statewide UAS Working Group that includes local, state and federal governments, and the private sector.
According to NCDOT, the goal of the UAS Working Group is to “establish a partnership where government and private sector partners can forge strong relationships by sharing best practices and training for disasters and other emergencies.”