The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Northland Community & Technical College and five partner agencies a $7 million grant to form the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT), which will be hosted on Northland’s Aerospace site in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
The NCAT will join the NSF’s large circle of Advanced Technological Education Centers (ATE).
“We will build upon the work of several other NSF ATE program investments, including Northland’s DRONETECH programs, MATE, CAAT, and GeoTech,” says Jon Beck, Northland Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) instructor & NCAT principal investigator.
UAS
UAS
Victoria Police establishes Drone Unit
Australia’s Victoria Police has established a new Drone Unit, which will provide the agency with the ability to use UAS for various tasks across the state.
The central point for the agency’s UAS services will be the police aviation unit of the Victoria Police, the Police Air Wing. Police Air Wing will manage the UAS, and provide training to other units.
The Drone Unit will look to “progressively” train officers from specialist units like the Operations Response Unit, as well as the Search and Rescue unit. The Drone Unit will also train regional officers so that they can provide their own localized basic UAS services.
Navy declares initial operational capability of MQ-8C Fire Scout
The U.S. Navy has declared initial operational capability of the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, which clears the way for fleet operations and training.
A sea-based, vertical lift UAS, the MQ-8C Fire Scout is designed to provide ground, air and sea forces with reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting support.
“This milestone is a culmination of several years of hard work and dedication from our joint government and industry team,” says Capt. Eric Soderberg, Fire Scout program manager.
“We are excited to get this enhanced capability out to the fleet.”
Woolpert receives approval from PennDOT to use UAS for state projects
International architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm Woolpert has become the first provider to receive approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to use UAS for state projects.
On July 2, Woolpert had surveying, mapping and geospatial professionals complete PennDOT's UAS training, which is part of the agency’s certification process. UAS operators are also required to obtain a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate through the FAA.
Exclusive: Q & A with Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, 54TH chief of engineers and commanding general of The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite assumed his position as Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on May 19, 2016.As the USACE commanding general, he is responsible for more than 32,000 civilian employees and 700 military personnel who provide project management, construction support and science and engineering expertise in more than 110 countries.
Tomahawk Robotics, FLYMOTION partner to bring robotic control technology to public safety and government market
In an effort to bring its Kinesis software suite to the public safety and government market, Tomahawk Robotics, a developer of robotic control technologies, has announced a partnership with FLYMOTION, which provides end to end UAS platforms and services.
According to Tomahawk Robotics, Kinesis allows robotic systems to be managed no matter their underlying hardware. Whether in the air, on the ground or in the water, users can control their robotic systems in the same way, port autonomy capabilities from one platform to another, and leverage information across these systems, using Kinesis.
NUAIR validates parachute for Flytrex's package delivery drones
Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) has announced that it has validated the parachute on the package delivery drones of Israel-based drone company Flytrex as compliant with industry standards, after completing extensive testing at the New York UAS Test Site in Rome, New York.
For NUAIR, this is the second parachute standard validation that it has performed. NUAIR says that the validation advances the potential for commercial drone package delivery and routine flights over people.
“NUAIR is proud to provide companies with this level of standards testing at the New York UAS Test Site,” says Tony Basile, chief operations officer at NUAIR.
CerbAir, AirMap partner to enhance low-altitude airspace safety
European counter-UAS manufacturer CerbAir has announced plans to work with AirMap to provide “integrated, comprehensive solutions” for low-altitude airspace safety and security.
CerbAir and AirMap say that through their partnership, they will respond to the “urgent need” to combine efficient UAS traffic management with reliable protection from rogue or accidental UAS intrusions.
Regional UAS Public Safety-focused workshops begin in Virginia
On Thursday, June 27, the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced the first in a series of regional UAS Public Safety-focused workshops, which are presented by the Virginia Center for Unmanned Systems and the Office of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Brian Moran, secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, provided an overview of the state of UAS in the Commonwealth during the first workshop, which took place at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover, Virginia.
