After investing nearly $4,000 in a UAS earlier this year, the Eau Claire Police Department in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has used its unmanned system to help with multiple search and rescue missions over the last few months. Currently, the department has eight officers that are trained to fly the UAS.
According to Deputy Chief Chad Hoyord, the UAS is beneficial because it provides investigators with a unique perspective, while keeping officers out of harm’s way.
“We have used it two times to do a search and rescue of the river bank and the rivers. It allowed us to look at the area and look without having to put someone in the water,” Hoyord says via WEAU.
UAS
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Global defense company selects RADA's Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar to support UAS operations
After conducting an in-depth survey of relevant radar technologies, a leading global defense company has selected the extended version of RADA Electronic Industries Ltd.'s (RADA) Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar (ieMHR) to support its industrial UAS operations.
The ieMHR supports UAS operations by creating safe flight zones when the UAS is applied for surveillance and security missions, which could include, for example, the surveillance of critical infrastructure such as energy production facilities.
“We are proud to have been selected once again by a leading global defense company for highly advanced applications of our radar technology,” says Dov Sella, RADA’s CEO.
University of Nevada, Reno students spend Thanksgiving Eve flying UAS
Two classes of graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving getting hands-on experience flying UAS as a tool for research at the university’s UAS testing field in South Reno.
The students were led by Geology department professor Scott Tyler, and department chair and professor Wendy Calvin.
Washington's Walla Walla County introduces UAS
According to the Union-Bulletin, UAS will now be a part of the operations of Walla Walla County, Washington.
In its debut, the county's new UAS, which is constructed mostly of “high-tech Styrofoam” and has a wingspan of approximately five feet, was used to perform an aerial survey of Whitman Drive for a planned bike-pedestrian pathway.
Malawian students successfully build and test UAS under guidance from Virginia Tech engineers
In November, Virginia Tech and Malawian teams used a fully autonomous UAS to conduct tests at the UNICEF drone testing corridor in Kasungu, Malawi, which opened back in July.
Virginia Tech says that “the flights by a fully autonomous aircraft designed in mechanical engineering’s Unmanned Systems Lab set several records in Malawi,” including the longest cross-country UAS flight, the first flight of an aircraft created by Malawians, and the first delivery of a payload from a health clinic.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Week of 11/20/17
Intelsat General has successfully demonstrated beam switching capabilities of an in-flight UAS operating on the Intelsat 29e satellite. According to Intelsat, the tests validated the compatibility of the Intelsat EpicNG platform with the GA-ASI Block 5 Predator B/MQ-9’s newly developed beam switching capability. (Intelsat)
Air Force selects Tyndall AFB as preferred location for hosting new MQ-9 Reaper Wing
The United States Air Force has chosen Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida (Tyndall AFB) as the preferred location for hosting a new MQ-9 Reaper Wing with 24 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
The wing will feature an operations group with mission control elements, a launch and recovery capability, and a maintenance group.
“We selected Tyndall Air Force Base because it was the best location to meet the unique requirements of the MQ-9 Reaper,” says Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson.
uAvionix secures $5 million in latest round of funding
uAvionix has closed a $5 million round of funding that was led by new investor Airbus Ventures, and included participation from Playground Global and Redpoint Ventures, both of which are existing investors.
uAvionix says that this latest round of funding, which brings its total funding to $10 million, will be used to expand its product line and services in both unmanned and manned aviation.
University of Hawai'i at Hilo offering certificate in UAS
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) has launched four new courses to establish a certificate in UAS, which is a first step in the university’s long-planned aeronautical science program.
UH Hilo students who complete the four courses, along with three upper-level geography classes in data interpretation, remote sensing and information systems, will receive a certificate in UAS.
“Unmanned aircraft are becoming more and more popular, with the potential being recognized by new industries every day,” says Arthur Cunningham, coordinator of the UH Hilo aeronautical science program.
UASTF makes recommendations on UAS regulations in Michigan
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force (UASTF) has released a report of recommendations that it presented to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and the state Legislature regarding UAS.
The report presents a desire to have a regulatory environment that respects state and federal areas of authority, while also establishing the state of Michigan as a “welcoming location to test, develop, and deploy this technology.”