A new drone operations command and control center will be established in the city of Covington, Virginia thanks to a $350,000 investment from Melbourne, Florida-based Aeronyde Corporation, which provides aerial informatics technologies that focus on UAS-based data acquisition and machine learning analysis technologies.
25 new jobs will be created as a result of the investment.
UAS
UAS
Atlas demonstrates UAS during Thunderstorm Demonstration and Experimentation Event in New York City
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD (R&E)) Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) recently invited autonomous UAS designer and manufacturer Atlas to demonstrate its AtlasPRO UAS during the Thunderstorm 19-2 Multi-Domain Operations Demonstration and Experimentation
uAvionix acquires avionics startup AeroVonics
uAvionix has made its first foray into advanced digital cockpit displays for the General Aviation (GA) market with the acquisition of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based avionics startup AeroVonics LLC.
Through the acquisition, uAvionix will integrate the AV-20S Multi-Function Display (MFD) and the AV-30 Primary Flight Display (PFD) products into its existing product line.
“I just can’t tell you how ecstatic we are to bring the expertly executed AeroVonics technology into this new era of uAvionix. These products are truly best in class, and as standalone products they are exciting.” says CEO Paul Beard.
GA-ASI, NASA teaming up for UAS demo scheduled for next year
As part of NASA’s project to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is partnering with NASA to conduct a demonstration flight.
Scheduled for 2020, the demonstration will seek to address some of the challenges that prevent routine commercial UAS operations in the NAS today. These challenges include development, integration, and certification of UAS, as well as the technologies needed for safe operation with other manned and UAS traffic in the NAS.
“NASA and GA-ASI have a shared goal of seeing UAS fly safely and unencumbered in the NAS,” says Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI.
Schiebel demonstrates search and rescue capabilities of Camcopter S-100 UAS
From Sept. 16 to 27, Schiebel successfully demonstrated the shipboard integration of its Camcopter S-100 UAS on board the KV Svalbard to the Norwegian Coast Guard. The company also showcased the drone’s search and rescue capabilities during flight trials.
The search and rescue mission involved the Camcopter S-100 UAS teaming up with a manned Sea King helicopter during a simulated “man over board” operation.
FLIR Systems acquires intellectual property and assets of Aria Insights
The intellectual property (IP) and certain operating assets of Aria Insights Inc., previously known as CyPhy Works Inc., have been acquired by FLIR Systems.
Founded in 2008, Aria was a developer of tethered small UAS before it ceased operations in March. One of its most well-known developments was the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) tethered drone.
FLIR says that Aria’s assets will be integrated into its Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions Division, supporting the company’s technology portfolio, which has been built from its acquisitions of Prox Dynamics in 2016 and Aeryon Labs and Endeavor Robotics earlier this year.
Task force on drone incursions at airports calls for coordination, federal funding
The Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports, commissioned by AUVSI and the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), released its final report today and recommended that federal governments should work with airports to fight drone incursions and get additional funding to help accomplish that.
The task force also says there is an "urgent need" for the Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada to establish drone detection standards and that local law enforcement has a role to play, beginning with a pilot program to demonstrate how that would work.
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies joins Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies (LMPT) has joined Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem, which is an alliance of unmanned platform and sensor manufacturers that use Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET).
NCDOT using UAS to fight invasive plants
The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Division of Aviation and its Environmental Analysis Unit are using UAS to fight invasive plants.
As part of its environmental mitigation for the construction of the new Basnight Bridge over Oregon Inlet, NCDOT is responsible for battling an invasive plant called Phragmites that has overrun the area around Bodie Island Lighthouse.
In search for an alternative to using traditional airplane- or helicopter-based herbicide spraying, the NCDOT Environmental Analysis Unit went to the Division of Aviation to explore the use of UAS for these operations.
UPS Flight Forward awarded first full Part 135 Standard certification to operate UAS airline
UPS Flight Forward, the subsidiary of UPS, has been awarded the first full Part 135 Standard certification from the FAA to operate a drone airline.
