UAVOS has announced that it has successfully tested its new two-stage parachute system, which is designed to help UAS traveling at high speeds slowly descend to the ground.
The system includes two parachutes: the pilot chute and the main chute used to slow and stabilize the UAS. The pilot chute allows the UAS to slowly descend safely during the main parachute deployment. It also allows the main chute to open up at a minimum altitude.
After the pilot chute opens, the main chute’s opening delay function causes the decrease in the load speed on the UAS. UAVOS says that the parachute system is designed for UAS that can travel at speeds of up to 280 miles per hour, and that weigh up to 110 pounds.
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UAV Navigation continues researching and developing technologies for UAS and RPAS
With ambitions of designing technologies that help overcome the challenges faced by UAS and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), UAV Navigation is helping research and develop innovative and cutting-edge flight control technologies that address what the company describes as the “need of the hour.”
UAV Navigation’s Research and Development Project, Visual Navigation System (VNS), largely reduces the accumulated positional error during Dead-Reckoning Navigation.
F-drones completes first commercial BVLOS drone delivery in Singapore
On April 19, F-drones completed the first commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone delivery in Singapore.
The drone delivered two kilograms of vitamins over 2.7 kilometers in seven minutes to a ship managed by Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), which is one of the world’s largest privately-owned ship managers. EPS is F-drones’ first paying customer.
“EPS has been part of F-drones' test deliveries since November 2019, when they joined the Eastern Pacific Accelerator powered by Techstars,” says Gil Ofer, the head of Open Innovation at Eastern Pacific Shipping.
Skydio supplies America's first responders with drones and personal protection equipment
In support of America's first responders, Skydio Inc. has launched two initiatives to provide first responders with drones and personal protection equipment (PPE).
Through the first initiative, known as the Skydio Emergency Response Program (ERP), Skydio will donate dozens of its Skydio 2 drones and associated equipment to public safety agencies across the country. Participating agencies will also have access to Skydio's in-house experts for training and support at no cost.
Skydio says that it had planned to release the ERP to help with disaster relief later this year, but the company decided to make the program available immediately to meet the needs of public safety agencies dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.
UPS Flight Forward, CVS to use drones to deliver medicines to Florida retirement community
UPS has announced that starting in May, its subsidiary UPS Flight Forward and CVS will use drones to deliver prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages, Florida, which is the largest U.S. retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents.
Utilizing Matternet’s M2 drone system, the service will operate under the FAA’s Part 107 rules, with authority to operate through the Coronavirus pandemic and explore ongoing needs as they arise after that period. The operation could expand to include deliveries from two more CVS pharmacies in the area.
Weekend Roundup: April 24, 2020
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
The University of North Florida College of Computing, Engineering and Construction has been awarded a grant to research the use of autonomous robotics for agriculture in Northeast Florida. The research grant will focus on using a multi-robot system to securely and efficiently collect agricultural information. (University of North Florida)
SkyeBrowse, W.S. Darley partner to enhance UAS capabilities of first responders
SkyeBrowse, a 3D modeling software for UAS, is partnering with first responder and firefighting equipment manufacturer and supplier W.S. Darley, which will result in W.S. Darley providing first responders and public safety agencies with SkyeBrowse 3D modeling software, as well as its own UAS offerings.
The partnership comes at a time when it is especially crucial for first responders to spend as little time as possible on scene gathering information and evidence.
“W.S. Darley brings over 100 years of experience and a deep foothold in the public safety industry,” says Bobby Ouyang, CEO of SkyeBrowse.
Swift Tactical Systems teams validate UAS and capabilities under unique scenarios
As part of a contract with Okayama Prefecture in Japan, teams from Swift Tactical Systems, in collaboration with the company’s Japanese counterpart, Swift-Xi, recently validated Swift’s UAS and capabilities under unique scenarios when they completed personnel search and rescue and animal identification missions as part of a proof of concept program.
Swift’s ability to perform advanced search and rescue missions in dense forests was validated, as well as the system’s ability to quickly detect, identify, and track the nighttime movements of animals that are destructive to the region.
AeroVironment unveils fully automated reconnaissance UAS
AeroVironment has unveiled Quantix Recon, the company's new lightweight, rapidly deployable, fully-automated reconnaissance UAS that provides ground forces with on-demand actionable intelligence by delivering high resolution, georeferenced terrain, vegetation and infrastructure imagery.
OSU to use funding to improve safety for UAS flying in Advanced Air Mobility operations
A team of researchers from Oklahoma State University (OSU) has been recognized with the University Leadership Initiative (ULI) Award from NASA, and will receive $5.2 million in funding over the next four years to address some of NASA’s strategic research initiatives.
Featuring faculty members and students from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, the OSU team will seek to improve real-time weather forecasting of low-level winds and turbulence in both rural and urban environments, with the ultimate goal of improving safety for UAS flying in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.
