News
Weekend Roundup
This week’s latest in the unmanned systems and robotics industry includes the first ever unmanned aerial refueling, advanced unmanned air and ground projects from NASA, and an unmanned underwater vehicle that uncovered sunken treasure from over 70 years ago.
The FAA also approved 22 more commercial UAS exemptions, including AUVSI member PrecisionHawk for aerial surveys including agriculture, flight demonstrations and structural assessments, bringing the total number of exemptions granted to 159 out of about 800 requests. (FAA.gov)
The U.S. Navy successfully completed the first ever unmanned, mid-air refueling with its X-47B drone. (Dailymail)
Researchers at NASA and the University of Berkeley are developing a modular robot that can absorb shock to protect internal components and roll around on the surface of other planets. (PC World)
NASA researchers were busy this week with several other unmanned unveils. A team from Edwards, California’s Armstrong Flight Research Center tested a flexible fixed-wing drone (Popular Science) to determine the effect of wobbly aircraft parts on flight and a team from the Johnson Space Center revealed an autonomous car called Modular Robotic Vehicle that can be driven, remote controlled or operate autonomously with four independently controlled wheels. (SlashGear)
Toshiba is using its realistic, humanoid robot Aiko Chihira at the information desk at a department store in Tokyo. (Dailymail)
Google has filed a patent for technology that will allow for a group of disparate robots to work together to complete a task, possibly controlled by a smartphone. (Quartz)
The Virginia General Assembly threw out amendments sought by Gov. Terry McAuliffe that would loosen recently passed, overly limiting restrictions on law enforcement drone use.
Sen. Don McEachin, sponsor of the Senate bill, supported the revisions saying drones shouldn’t be held to a higher standard of evidence than other means of collection.
“We overdid it,” says Sen. McEachin of the original bill. “… Robotic evidence should be on the same level playing field, as far as the Fourth Amendment is concerned, as evidence collected by humans.” (The News & Advance)
Deep Ocean Search used a remotely operated underwater vehicle to search for and successfully recover several tons of silver coins from the wreckage of a steamship, “The City of Cairo”,” which sunk in 1942. (Public Radio International)
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that he will reorganize his department to emphasize unmanned systems including appointing a new Deputy Assistant secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems. The announcement was met with approval from Congress and signals a focus on robotics in all domains. (Breaking Defense)
