Thales, which is a global leader in air traffic management technology, has announced that it has reached formal agreement with NASA for a Space Act Agreement to support its UAS traffic management (UTM) activity.
Thales says that with the ongoing support of federal, state and local government officials, and economic development organizations, it will create jobs in New York through the agreement.
UAS
UAS
NIAS and its NASA UTM partners successfully test UAS at Nevada UAS Test Site at the Reno-Stead Airport
Along with its NASA Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) partners, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) recently flew multiple UAS over a week-long testing period at the Nevada UAS Test Site at the Reno-Stead Airport. NIAS manages the Nevada UAS Test Sites.
Testing focused on airspace management technologies that will enable the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).
During testing, NASA provided a Flight Information Management System (FIMS) research platform. The platform will serve as a future prototype system for the FAA to use to coordinate with Unmanned Service Supplier's (USS) operating throughout the U.S.
Kansas State Polytechnic's adds drone to professional indoor football team
Kansas State Polytechnic's Applied Aviation Research Center is collaborating with the Salina Liberty, a professional indoor football team in Salina, Kansas, to bring drone technology to the team’s home games this season.
Through the collaboration, the research center is using a UAS to perform a 35-foot ball drop to the head referee before opening kickoff. The research center is also using UAS to capture aerial footage of the games to livestream on the team's Facebook page.
The idea behind using a drone to release the game ball to the referee was sparked by one of the challenges in the NFL's Pro Bowl Skills Showdown called drone drop.
Schiebel successfully demonstrates heavy fuel variant of CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS to Royal Australian Navy customer
As part of its customer acceptance program with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Schiebel successfully demonstrated the heavy fuel variant of its CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS.
The UAS successfully completed its flying program for the RAN validation and verification customer acceptance program at the Jervis Bay Airfield facilities in New South Wales, Australia.
Schiebel says that in a comprehensive series of tests, the JP-5 (NATO F-44) heavy fuel powered CAMCOPTER S-100, equipped with a “Wescam MX-10S payload,” and at operational ranges of up to 60 nautical miles as well as altitudes above 10,000 feet, showcased its ability to deliver world-class imagery to commanders.
DJI and Skycatch developing Skycatch Explore1 UAS for Komatsu Smart Construction
DJI and Skycatch have announced that they have extended their partnership to manufacture and deliver a fleet of high-precision UAS for Komatsu Smart Construction.
Known as the Skycatch Explore1 drone, the UAS will be deployed on Komatsu job sites.
The UAS are manufactured by DJI, and outfitted with specialized Skycatch technology. According to DJI, this is the first time that it has manufactured a custom UAS for a partner.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Walmart has reportedly filed a patent for autonomous robotic bees that could potentially pollinate crops like real bees. Technically known as pollination drones, the autonomous robotic bees would carry pollen from one plant to another, using sensors and cameras to detect the crops’ locations. (ScienceAlert)
Southwest Research Institute-led team developing UAS to use in Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is leading a team that is developing UAS technology to fly into the containment vessels of the damaged units at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and assess conditions.
SwRI was contracted by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Incorporated (TEPCO Holdings) to explore the use of UAS within the containment.
SwRI engineers are working with the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) School of Engineering and Applied Science, to help “adapt small drones to autonomously operate within the containment.”
Persistent Systems' new upper C-band module can be used for UAS operations
Persistent Systems has announced the release of its Upper C-Band module for the MPU5 mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radio, which transmits and relays voice, video, text, and sensor data in a “robust, peer-to-peer fashion.”
Certified for unlicensed use in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Band, the new 5.1 to 5.9 GHz radio module will allow MPU5 users around the world to utilize the MANET for various commercial applications, including UAS operations, Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) networking, and live event video streaming.
Companies that paved the way for Hollywood drone use receive Emmy recognition
A collaboration that seeded a change for UAS in filmmaking roughly five years ago will receive recognition at the 69th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony on April 8.
John McGraw, founder and principal of John McGraw Aerospace Consulting LLC in North Carolina, couldn’t be more honored or more astonished with his pending award.
“It was a totally surprising out of the blue experience,” McGraw says. “Not something I anticipated happening.”
The award, 2017 Low Latency Remote Controlled Airborne Video Platforms (non-military) for Television, recognizes the role of unmanned aircraft in filmmaking.
Aspen Avionics and Sensurion Aerospace partner to bring certified avionics to UAS and unmanned air-taxi marketplace
Aspen Avionics and Sensurion Aerospace will bring certified avionics to the UAS and unmanned air-taxi marketplace, thanks to a recently announced co-development partnership between the two.
The companies will focus on several areas, including FAA certified autopilots, communications, navigation, and surveillance systems for small, medium, and large UAS, including future cargo and passenger carrying aircraft.
“The real winners in this partnership are the UAS users, system integrators and manufacturers,” says Aspen President and CEO, John Uczekaj.