UAS
UAS
PAE ISR's Resolute Eagle UAS completes first commercial airspace flight
On Nov. 8, PAE ISR’s Resolute Eagle UAS completed its first commercial airspace flight.
The flight took place at the Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range—located at Pendleton Airport in Oregon—operating under a FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization.
“This event signifies PAE ISR’s ability to successfully fulfill U.S. commercial and civilian requirements in addition to U.S. military missions,” says Chico Moline, President of PAE ISR.
“We are excited by this achievement as it represents our ability to offer our dynamic platform to a broader customer set.”
Lewis University uses UAS to deliver acceptance letters to local high school students
Students often wait anxiously for college admissions acceptance letters, but one university in Illinois has used a drone to give that process a modern twist.
On Monday, Nov. 13, Romeoville, Illinois’ Lewis University used a UAS from its unmanned aircraft systems program to deliver college admissions acceptance letters to eight students at Romeoville High School.
The delivery, which used a Spreading Wings S900 UAS, is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States.
Engine updates allow Lockheed's Fury UAS to stay in the air for 15 continuous hours
Lockheed Martin says it has conducted engineering tests that indicate that its Fury UAS will be able to stay in the air for 15 continuous hours—making it one of the highest endurance unmanned systems in its class—following the integration of the 1803 engine into the aircraft.
An expeditionary, runway-independent UAS, Fury is adaptable and reconfigurable, making it useful for a host of military missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber-electronic warfare.
CTIA says that commercial wireless networks offer best platform to support UAS industry
CTIA, which is a wireless association that represents the wireless communications industry in the United States, has called on the FAA to recognize that commercial wireless networks offer the best communications platform to support America's UAS market that continues to grow and evolve at a rapid pace.
The call from CTIA comes as the FAA looks to establish the first federal rules governing how UAS should communicate with each other and the surrounding environment.
AirMap to integrate its airspace intelligence into Kespry's UAS platform
AirMap and Kespry have announced a partnership that will result in Kespry’s automated UAS platform being equipped with AirMap’s best-in-class airspace intelligence, which includes airspace advisories, wind, and weather.
The new AirMap-Kespry integration provides the Kespry flight app with AirMap’s airspace intelligence. During the flight planning process, the app automatically surfaces AirMap airspace advisories, wind, and weather customized to the specific parameters of each flight, including the UAS operator’s pilot certification.
The Sky Guys and partners to develop UAS platform to monitor highways in Ontario
A Canadian provider of UAS technology and systems called The Sky Guys has teamed up with NVIDIA, IBM and the University of Toronto to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled UAS platform to monitor Ontario’s 400-series highways, in response to the Vehicle Occupancy Detection Problem Statement from the Small Business Innovation Challenge.
Working closely with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to develop this platform, the entities will complete this application, known as the “Long-Range AI-Enabled Unmanned Aerial System for Highway Traffic Enforcement with Future Road Applications,” using a $750,000 award from Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), as part of the Small Business Innovation Challenge (SBIC).
3D Robotics announces integration of its Site Scan with Autodesk BIM 360
3D Robotics (3DR) has announced the integration of its Site Scan UAS data platform for construction and engineering professionals with Autodesk BIM 360, which is a project management tool for virtual construction managers and field teams.
Made possible through the Autodesk Forge platform, this “one-of-a-kind partnership” makes it “easier than ever” for project managers, engineers, subcontractors, superintendents and other members of project teams to access UAS data, and use it in their day-to-day work.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Uber and NASA will work together to develop software that Uber hopes to use to manage “flying taxi” routes, which could work in a similar fashion as the company’s current ground-based ride-hailing service that is used across the world. Uber says that it was the first formal services contract by NASA covering low-altitude airspace instead of outer space. (Reuters)
AUVSI chapter report: Hurricane Irma reveals strengths and weaknesses of UAS involvement
Hurricane Irma clobbered a good portion of Florida on Sept. 10, further elevating the role of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in disaster response and recovery operations. Soon after the storm had passed, drones quickly took to the air to provide situational awareness for first responders and assess damage to critical infrastructure providers.
However, planning for UAS operations started well before irma ever made landfall. A statewide UAS safety briefing web conference coordinated by the AUVSI Florida Peninsula Chapter (FPC) was held Saturday, Sept. 9.
