On Oct. 12, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California conducted a drone race in which they timed laps through a twisting obstacle course as they raced UAS controlled by artificial intelligence (A.I.) against a world-class drone pilot named Ken Loo.
The race capped off two years of research into UAS autonomy funded by Google. Google was interested in JPL's work with vision-based navigation for spacecraft, which are technologies that can also be utilized by UAS. To showcase the team’s progress, a timed trial between JPL’s A.I. and Loo was set up.
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COPTRZ to provide UAS for Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police
COPTRZ, which is a full service UAS company, will be the exclusive supplier of UAS and accompanying technologies for the United Kingdom's Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police (the force). This announcement comes after the force announced earlier this year that it will employ full-time UAS pilots and create a dedicated UAS unit.
As a result of this partnership, the force will expand its fleet of UAS technology in the upcoming months, as it plans on purchasing a variety of specialist UAS that are equipped with optical zoom and thermal imaging capabilities.
Intel and Cyberhawk use UAS to inspect gas terminal in Scotland
Intel and Cyberhawk have announced that they successfully inspected a gas terminal in St Fergus, Scotland using an Intel Falcon 8+ UAS.
The companies say that traditional inspections of this scale require facility shutdowns, which could take days to weeks to bring the plant offline and make accessible for workers. Once these plants are offline, the workers rely on harnesses and cable equipment to hang midair while manually collecting information on a structure, which can be both dangerous and time consuming.
FAA evaluating prototype UAS Airspace Authorization System
The FAA is evaluating a prototype system that is designed to automatically approve most requests to operate UAS in specific areas of airspace below designated altitudes.
The expectation is that this type of system will ultimately provide “near real-time processing of airspace authorization requests” for UAS operations across the United States.
European UAS users debate legislative framework
The use of unmanned aircraft systems in the commercial domain is now a given, as a host of industries see the benefits of operating an autonomous vehicle to support their businesses.
Some years ago, the debate surrounding this proliferation centered around whether UAS would in fact be disruptive enough to have an impact on these commercial operations, but now it is more a case of how their use will expand further and what the technology will be able to do next, and almost more importantly, what framework will be utilized to support this growth.
One roadblock to this is the expectation that the regulatory framework that supports an increase in the commercial use of UAS has to be perfect, and will not allow for any misuse of these types of aircraft.
DJI seeking partners for UAS Integration Pilot Program
DJI is looking to partner with state, local and tribal governments that are applying to take part in the FAA’s recently launched UAS Integration Pilot Program, which will provide opportunities for government and industry to experiment with advanced UAS operations and test new forms of airspace management.
Governments that are interested in participating in the UAS Integration Pilot Program have been asked by the FAA to work with UAS operators and manufacturers in their applications to be part of the pilot program.
With this in mind, DJI is inviting those governments to consider partnering with DJI, so that the “expertise and collaborative vitality” of their programs can be enhanced.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Tesla has unveiled its fully electric semitruck, which is expected to go into production in 2019. The semitruck is equipped with Enhanced Autopilot, the second generation of Tesla's semiautonomous technology, giving it several autonomous capabilities, including automatic braking, lane keeping, and lane departure warnings. (Wired)
QGC to leverage Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems through contract with Insitu
Insitu and QGC have announced a contract with each other that will result in Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) from Insitu performing automated infrastructure inspection and management services at QGC’s operations within Queensland, Australia.
Described as a “first-of-its-kind program” in Australia, the contract in the Surat Basin “represents a significant move towards the use of autonomous air vehicles and advanced analytics in the area of broad acre infrastructure operations and maintenance.”
Geomni says UAS can help solve tree coverage imagery problem
Details of residential and commercial structures can be obscured by overreaching tree canopies when satellite and aerial imagery are used to document property values and evaluate roof damage, but using UAS to collect aerial images of rooftops could solve this issue according to Geomni, a Verisk business.
Geomni, which provides information about residential and commercial structures by utilizing remote sensing and machine learning technologies, says that since UAS can operate in close proximity to the subject, they can provide extremely detailed images, and “deliver superior sub-centimeter resolution for more accurate and detailed data.”
Expert Drones and Marriott International to bring drone racing to W Fort Lauderdale Hotel
On Nov. 28, Expert Drones and Marriott International will bring drone racing to W Hotels through an event called “Drone Dash.”
Drone Dash will bring the world of drone racing to the hotel space, as the “immersive drone race” will take place inside and outside the property of the newly renovated W Fort Lauderdale Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“Drone technology is being utilized in a variety of different ways, but never before like this,” says Brett Velicovich, Managing Partner of Expert Drones.
