UAS
UAS
Echodyne to provide its radars for UAS IPP efforts in North Dakota
Echodyne has announced that it has been selected to participate in the Northern Plains UAS Test Site’s (NPUASTS) UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) efforts taking place in North Dakota.
A manufacturer of innovative, high-performance radars for government and commercial markets, Echodyne says that its MESA radar technology enables a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system to detect and track commercial UAS and manned aircraft, helping facilitate safe operations in the national airspace.
“Echodyne is thrilled to be part of Northern Plains’ next phase of UPP testing” says Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne.
AgEagle Aerial Systems launches new university specific drone offering at two universities
AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. has announced the launch of a new university specific drone offering for 2019.
AgEagle has entered into a new UAS program agreement with Modesto Junior College (MJC) in Modesto, California, in an effort to ultimately enhance the curriculum of the school's agriculture technology department. This agreement builds on a sale to Arkansas State University - Newport (ASU) last year by Agribotix, which AgEagle acquired in August 2018.
Silvus Technologies supplying wireless datalink used on Aerovel Flexrotor UAS in pursuit of US Army FTUAS program
In pursuit of the US ARMY Family of Tactical UAS (FTUAS) program, Silvus Technologies Inc. has announced that it is supplying the wireless datalink used on the Aerovel Flexrotor, which is a 50-pound UAS designed for maritime and land-based operations.
A 2x2 MIMO Software Defined Radio (SDR), Silvus Technologies' StreamCaster 4200 (SC4200) features the company's proprietary MN-MIMO waveform, which supports high bandwidth Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) in a variety of environments.
Other unique features include Transmit Eigen Beamforming (a MIMO technique which boosts signal strength two to four times), dual-band interference mitigation capabilities, and a miniature form factor just 0.75” thick and the footprint of a typical business card.
LAPD's SWAT uses small UAS for first time
The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Metropolitan Division, Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) recently used a small UAS for the first time during a barricade incident involving a robbery suspect.
On Jan. 9, a specialized small UAS pilot (SWAT officer) used a UAS to find the third suspect of an armed robbery that occurred at a convenience store the night of Dec. 13, 2018.
While searching for the third suspect, Metropolitan Division police officers went to an apartment where they believed the suspect was located as a result of investigative techniques that they were implementing. The suspect refused to exit, though, and officers and detectives believed that the suspect could be armed with a firearm, which led them to requesting SWAT.
Newly launched Wave Relay Ecosystem designed to deliver true networked battlefield to warfighters
Persistent Systems has announced the launch of the Wave Relay Ecosystem, which the company describes as an alliance of unmanned systems and sensor companies working together to deliver a “true networked battlefield to warfighters.”
There were six formally announced partners for the Wave Relay Ecosystem as of Tuesday, Jan. 15, including the likes of Insitu, Endeavor Robotics, and MartinUAV. All of the Ecosystem partners are building products that seamlessly operate on Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET), which allows warfighters to carry less equipment and do more through connected devices on a single, unified network.
CyPhy Works becomes Aria Insights, an AI drone company
CyPhy Works has leveraged its tethered drone technology and morphed into a new company, Aria Insights, to harness the data collected by drones by integrating AI and machine learning into its hardware.
Aria Insights, or AI, will provide customers with intelligent, autonomous drones that collect and analyze data to create actionable insight, thus speeding decision time.
“After 10 years of innovating and redefining drone technology, the team at CyPhy saw the limitations facing the industry — namely the complications and risks of retrieving and analyzing data,” says Lance Vanden Brook, CEO of Aria Insights.
Northwest UAV partners with Embention to offer Veronte Autopilot to unmanned industry
Northwest UAV has announced that it has partnered with Embention to offer what it calls the “most advanced and user-friendly avionics systems” in the industry.
According to Northwest UAV, Embention's Veronte Autopilot is the pilot’s choice for advanced professional UAS and Unmanned Vehicle Control, making the Veronte Autopilots an ideal addition to Northwest UAV’s growing list of product offerings.
“We are very selective about the companies and components that we endorse, and even more selective about what we distribute,” says Jeff Ratcliffe, NWUAV chief technical officer.
UNLV launching UAS Certificate Program this spring
This spring, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will launch a new UAS Certificate Program at UNLV Continuing Education. The 40-hour training course meets the requirements of AUVSI’s Trusted Operator Program (TOP) Levels 1 and 2.
During the course, a variety of topics will be addressed, including operation, policy, safety, and the different applications of this technology within the UAS industry.
UNLV says that those who complete the program will be eligible to become FAA-licensed commercial UAS pilots, ultimately putting them at the forefront of Nevada’s growing UAS industry. The first session is scheduled over two weekends, Feb. 22-24 and March 1-3.