Members of the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT) formed a joint-reconnaissance team with members of the Southeast Florida Region 7 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (SEFL-R7 AHIMT) to survey damage across the hardest hit areas of the Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands in the Northern Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.
Using UAS, the team conduced damage assessment operations at the University of the Bahamas – Northern Campus, and nearby neighborhoods that were hit hard by the deadly hurricane.
“We saw first-hand the damage that this hurricane leveled upon the Bahamas,” says Nigel Baker, team coordinator and incident commander of SEFL-R7 AHIMT.
UAS
UAS
Trillium Engineering successfully tests new video processor for tactical UAS
Trillium Engineering, a developer of gimbaled camera systems for small UAS, has announced that it has successfully conducted a test flight of a new video processor that it says will “dramatically improve” the operation of Group 2 UAS.
According to Trillium, tactical UAS typically use full-motion video camera systems that rely on an H.264 video compression codec standard, which results in a picture that is “good enough” for close targets. When the UAS operates at long ranges from the ground station, though, the bit rate to the operator is reduced, resulting in important details in the imagery being fuzzy.
Black Swift Technologies unveils Automated Emergency Safe Landing functionality for UAS
Black Swift Technologies (BST) has announced its Automated Emergency Safe Landing (AESL) functionality for UAS.
When equipped with the functionality, Black Swift’s S2 UAS is able to capture and classify images, at altitude, which allows UAS to autonomously identify a safe landing area in the event that something goes wrong, which the company notes is extremely important for safe beyond line of sight (BLOS) flights.
BST adds that this functionality processes large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, allowing objects and terrain to be identified to be avoided in order to land the aircraft without harm to people or property.
Flylogix Limited, partners launch North Sea drone initiative
‘Beyond the Horizon’ UAS company Flylogix Limited has announced the launch of a North Sea drone initiative in collaboration with multinational integrated oil and gas company Total S.A., UK air traffic navigation services provider NATS, and the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC).
The project will seek to overcome the challenges associated with UAS inspection activities in the North Sea, and look to provide commercial UAS operators with easier access to UK controlled airspace for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.
Red Cat, GoChain partner to equip GoChain platform with blockchain black box and distributed storage system
Red Cat, a provider of distributed data storage, analytics and services for the drone industry, has partnered with GoChain, which provides scalable blockchain technologies for enterprises, non-governmental organizations and nonprofits.
Through this partnership, the GoChain platform will be equipped with Red Cat’s blockchain black box and distributed storage system, which is designed for UAS, and includes security and encryption that regulators and insurance companies can trust. That platform includes multiple integrated systems that allow industry regulators to track and review UAS flight data, insurance companies to insure UAS with dependable third-party data, and pilots to ensure they stay compliant with regulators.
Curtiss-Wright, Cyberhawk partner to conduct inspections for North American nuclear power market using UAS
Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear Division and Cyberhawk Inc., a subsidiary of Cyberhawk Ltd, have agreed to provide the North American nuclear power market with visual asset management using UAS.
Under the agreement, Curtiss-Wright will market and deliver Cyberhawk’s services to customers that need their critical assets to undergo visual inspections.
“This agreement is an important step in the achievement of our strategic plan to transform plant processes by increasing our portfolio of products and services through partner relationships and while continuing to deliver value to our customers,” says Brian Dassatti, general manager of Curtiss-Wright’s Outage and Fuel Management Solutions group.
AirMap, fellow UAS Service Suppliers provide UTM services for UTM Pilot Program
Earlier this summer, AirMap participated in the FAA’s UTM Pilot Program (UPP) under Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), which was designated as one of three UAS Test Sites for the UPP in January.
Designed to advance the findings made during NASA Technical Capability Level (TCL) drone trials and transition them to the FAA for future implementation and rulemaking, the UPP is one of the pilot programs that U.S. government agencies have been conducting over the years to demonstrate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights and other advanced operations under real-world conditions.
London Drugs, partners complete Canada's first BVLOS UAS flight carrying pharmaceuticals
London Drugs, Canada Post and InDro Robotics recently collaborated to successfully complete Canada’s first ever beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight carrying pharmaceuticals using a UAS.
During the flight, which was conducted on Aug 19., the UAS carried pharmaceuticals from a London Drugs pharmacy to remote Salt Spring Island in British Columbia.
“We are proud to have been selected to participate in the first trial of a Drone delivery of this kind in Canada,” says Chris Chiew, general manager of Pharmacy, London Drugs.
General Dynamics Land Systems joins Persistent Systems' Wave Relay Ecosystem
Persistent Systems has announced that General Dynamics Land Systems (GD) has joined Persistent's Wave Relay Ecosystem, which is an alliance of industry-leading companies that have integrated Wave Relay MANET radios onto their products.
According to Persistent, GD will equip its unmanned, controllerless small-unit robotic follower, the Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) vehicle, with Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology.
The Wave Relay MANET technology is integrated via the MPU5 smart radio, and serves as the data link for command and control, payload control, and HD video streaming.
uAvionix offering free pingRX UAS ADS-B receivers to organizations helping with Hurricane Dorian recovery efforts
With Hurricane Dorian posing a significant threat to Florida and the Southeast of the U.S., uAvionix has announced that it will offer free pingRX UAS ADS-B receivers to first responders and UAS service organizations taking part in the rescue and recovery efforts associated with the massive storm.
