In an effort to show the benefits of UAS, and help potential users learn about the technology, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will host its third UAS workshop of the year on Thursday, September 28.
The workshop, which is being hosted by NCDOT’s Division of Aviation Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Office, will focus on commercial and government UAS operations and data management, so state and local government personnel are encouraged to attend, but local commercial UAS operators are also invited as well.
The workshop will include presentations, networking opportunities, and live flight demonstrations.
Technology
Technology
New Jersey Innovation Institute and Maser Consulting P.A. conduct UAS video inspections of cell towers in Houston following Hurricane Harvey
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) Defense and Homeland Security Innovation Lab and Maser Consulting P.A. are working together to conduct video inspections of cell towers in Houston, Texas using UAS.
Wireless communications play an integral role in organizing rescue and recovery efforts in Houston for civil command and control operations, as well as for neighbors and concerned citizens who helped rescue residents from flooded homes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection to test small UAS in Arizona, Texas and Vermont
As a part of a pilot program starting this month, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) will begin evaluating small UAS (sUAS) in the operational environment.
During the pilot, three series of fixed-wing and rotorcraft sUAS—the Puma, Raven, and InstantEye Quadcopter—will be operationally tested in three USBP sectors, starting in Tucson, Arizona, and then transitioning to Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and Swanton, Vermont later this year.
Indiana’s Bargersville Fire Department uses UAS to find missing woman
A UAS is being credited with helping to rescue a missing woman in Bargersville, Indiana.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office says that a woman was reported missing shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday, September 14.
After police and other search members narrowed the search down, a Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy who was present during the search recommended dispatch to call the UAS in to assist with the search.
Bargersville Community Fire division chief Eric Funkhouser arrived with the UAS two hours into the search, and within just 15 minutes of being in the air, the UAS found the woman alive.
Milrem Robotics developing new robotic systems for defense applications
In an effort to give soldiers new robotic systems for defense applications, Milrem Robotics, which is a provider of defense technologies, will expand the capabilities of its THeMIS UGV.
One of Milrem Robotics’ goals is to enhance the situational awareness of warfighters, so several systems are being developed, including the TITAN SENTRY concept, which was developed in collaboration with QinetiQ.
Real-Time Innovations announces connectivity software that can be used for autonomous vehicles
Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity company Real-Time Innovations (RTI) has announced its RTI Connext DDS 5.3, which is the “first connectivity software designed to build layered-databus architectures for IIoT systems of systems.”
Some of the features of RTI Connext DDS 5.3—which has a number of possible use cases, including with autonomous vehicles—include interoperable security, a historical data query, and seamless device mobility, which is especially important for autonomous vehicles because of how critical it is for systems to maintain connectivity even as devices roam across networks.
Weekend Roundup
This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World
Elbit Systems’ multi mission USV, named Seagull, performed a live demonstration of a remotely operated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission. Via Satellite Communication (SATCOM), the Seagull USV performed the operational ASW mission using control consoles located approximately 3,515 kilometers away in Elbit Systems' booth at the DSEI Exhibition in London. The Seagull USV was sailing in the Haifa Bay, Israel during the demonstration. (Elbit Systems)
BAE Systems' new UGV seeks to take soldiers out of harm's way
BAE Systems’ new UGV, called Ironclad, is designed to ultimately take soldiers out of certain dangerous situations by taking on dangerous jobs that they have traditionally been tasked with.
It will do this, in large part, thanks to its versatility, as the UGV can be fitted to conduct reconnaissance, combat and casualty evacuation missions.
Small enough to operate within tight urban environments, Ironclad still maintains the mobility necessary to handle extreme cross-country terrain.
Lockheed Martin unveils OUTRIDER UAS
Lockheed Martin has unveiled its new small UAS called OUTRIDER, which was designed and developed in the United Kingdom at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI).
Weighing just 1.7 kilograms, the canister launched, four-inch wide UAS can travel up to 50 knots despite its size, and Lockheed says that the UAS “boasts the best payload capacity and endurance when compared with similar UAS's.”
University of Maryland opens outdoor flight laboratory for testing UAS and robotics
The University of Maryland (UMD) A. James Clark School of Engineering has opened the only “university outdoor flight laboratory” for testing UAS in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region, and it is located just minutes away from the main College Park campus in the UMD Discovery District.
Known as the Fearless Flight Facility (F3), the facility, which is netted, will “serve as a catalyst for innovation in the areas of flight control, sensing, autonomy, collaboration, and counter-UAS.”
