On May 13, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) conducted a “Public Day” demonstration of its Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for the community of Iki City and Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan.
GA-ASI will spend three weeks conducting demonstration flights out of Iki Airport, in an effort to promote the “civil and scientific applications” of the RPA.
“We thank the Mayor of Iki and the many other public and private stakeholders for their making this demonstration possible,” says Linden Blue, CEO GA-ASI.
UAS
UAS
U.S. Department of the Interior awards contract to four companies for small UAS services
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has awarded a “Call When Needed” contract to Bridger Aerospace, Insitu, Pathways2Solutions and Precision Integrated for small UAS services.
Described as a first of its kind for DOI, the contract will allow DOI to obtain “fully contractor-operated and maintained” small UAS that are ready when needed to support a variety of operations, including wildland fire operations, search and rescue, emergency management and other resource missions in the Contiguous 48 States and Alaska.
CPS Energy using UAS technology to perform routine inspections of overhead infrastructure
San Antonio’s CPS Energy has announced that it is now utilizing UAS technology to perform routine inspections of overhead infrastructure in a “safer and more efficient way.”
This announcement comes a year after the energy company tested using this technology to inspect transmission towers and associated high voltage lines in May 2017. Through this testing, CPS Energy found that UAS inspections of 50 transmission line towers were completed in just two and a half days, which is a far cry shorter than the nearly two weeks it would have taken to complete these inspections using conventional methods.
Canada's Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service launching UAS program in June
In an effort to provide “safer, quicker, and more efficient response” to emergency situations, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) will launch its UAS program in June.
Equipped with a thermal imaging camera, WFPS' UAS can help first responders locate individuals and fire hot spots, and it will also be able to identify potential structural issues.
Using the UAS, incident commanders on scene will be able to see what the UAS sees in real-time, which will allow them to deploy resources “more effectively” to the emergency.
K2 Unmanned Systems releases first American made Law Enforcement tactical UAS
During the 29th Annual APSA Fly In Training, K2 Unmanned Systems LLC, which is a California-based commercial UAS manufacturer, flight ops and training company, unveiled its Knight Hawk UAS. The company says that the Knight Hawk is the first American made Law Enforcement tactical drone.
Designed with first responder operations and infrastructure inspection in mind, the Knight Hawk UAS is equipped with a variety of features including high pound payload capacity, infrared optics, and encrypted HD video downlink; all of which make it a useful tool in critical situations.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Schiebel and Overwatch Imaging have successfully integrated a “revolutionary small target detection payload” called PT8 Oceanwatch on Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS. According to the companies, the PT-8 Oceanwatch payload makes the Camcopter S-100 UAS “an even more powerful naval patrol solution,” as it delivers an image-based wide area maritime search capability that greatly extends coverage area. (Schiebel)
Nationwide looking to leverage AI and UAS technology through investment in Betterview
In an effort to “enhance its ability to write business and service claims” utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and UAS technology, Nationwide is making a new venture capital investment in Betterview, an AI and UAS technology company.
According to Nationwide, its investment in Betterview is part of its commitment to finance more than $100 million of venture capital in “customer-centric solutions” that help members.
“Drones and artificial intelligence will play a critical role in meeting the needs of our customers in the future of both underwriting and claims response. It’s why we’re so excited about this partnership with Betterview,” says Scott Sanchez, Nationwide’s chief innovation officer.
Windhover Labs' says its open drone software ecosystem will help unleash potential of commercial applications for autonomous UAS
Windhover Labs, which describes itself as an “emerging leader in open and reliable drone software,” has announced the successful test flight of its integrated flight software stack and ground control software.
Based in League City, Texas, Windhover says that this milestone not only solidifies a “groundbreaking technical approach,” but it also marks the general availability of its software ecosystem to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), avionics manufacturers, and commercial customers.
Hazon Solutions to serve as preferred training partner for PrecisionHawk's BVLOS waiver consulting program
Hazon Solutions and PrecisionHawk have formed a strategic partnership that will result in Hazon serving as the preferred training partner for PrecisionHawk's Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver consulting program.
“This partnership is the perfect marriage of resources between two best-in-breed companies,” says Hazon CEO and co-founder David A. Culler, Jr. CAPT, USN (ret.).
“Under the FAA Pathfinder Program, PrecisionHawk has developed a strong safety case for enterprises to conduct BVLOS drone operations, of which training and crew experience are a key component, two services where HAZON excels.”
