by AUVSI News 

This week in the unmanned systems and robotics world, Amazon unveiled a delivery drone prototype, Toyota is aiming for a future of personal robots and one of the forefathers of factory robotics passed away. 



According to its website, the Federal Aviation Administration has now approved 2,472 commercial UAS exemptions out of about 4,300 requests. 



A Kickstarter for a drone called Fleye has taken off. The platform is safely encased in the same material bike helmets are made of, and the drone can autonomously follow people to talk photos. (The Huffington Post)



The technology for communication between driverless cars may leverage how bumblebees scan the environment for nectar. (IEEE Spectrum)



Amazon released a video of its prototype delivery drone for its Prime Air business. The aircraft, which can fly for 30 minutes, takes off vertically to 400 feet and then flies like a fixed-wing aircraft for up to 15 miles, using sense-and-avoid technology to evade obstacles. (Vision Systems)



Police used a robot to detonate the improvised explosive device found during the San Bernardino mass shooting this week. (NOLA.com)



Ambulances in a county in Maryland will soon get a CPR robot, part of a $3.3 million medical technology upgrade. The device will free up EMTs to perform other tasks only humans could do. (The Washington Post)



Joseph F. Engelberger, the roboticist that changed factory floors with his robots, but also dreamed of household robots, died this week at 90 years old. (The New York Times)



Toyota is leveraging itself to become a big player in “partner robots,” a market aimed at everyday life and the elderly. (U.S. News & World Report)



The National Institutes of Health has funded a study that will include the creation of a robotic walker for the elderly. (Senior Journal) 

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