News
Weekend Roundup
This week in the unmanned systems and robotics world, the Know Before You Fly campaign warned drone users to steer clear of firefighting operations, Google revealed Austin, Texas, as its next testbed for its self-driving cars, and the Swiss postal service will soon begin testing drones for deliveries in special circumstances.
The Know Before You Fly campaign, a coalition created by AUVSI and the Academy of Model Aeronautics, is warning hobbyist UAS operators to stay clear of wildfires. The warning comes in light of recent incidents in California where firefighting efforts had to be stopped because of the danger of drones in the air. (POB Online)
Swiss Post has begun to test the Matternet One unmanned aircraft system for postal delivery. The service plans to use drones in special circumstances instead of replacing its current delivery system. (Flightglobal)
French company Blue Frog Robotics is working on a robot, named BUDDY, that will work as a housekeeper. (CBS DC)
A project out of the National University of Singapore plans to use GPS-guided robotic swans to collect water samples. (Quartz)
Google has opted to test its self-driving car project in Austin, Texas. (NBC DFW)
UAS users and supporters are denouncing a law in Georgia that bans drones from flying within five minutes of the capitol building. (Gainesville Times)
A property management company is using a robot to remove asbestos from one of its demolition projects. (Pensacola News Journal)
New Mexico State University is working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on a $35,000 project to research using UAS to inspect dams. (HydroWorld)
A 9-year-old girl in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, gained access to a boys-only robotics course after starting a petition on Change.org. (The Huffington Post)
A study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concluded autonomous vehicles combined with Uber car-on-demand services could cut carbon emissions by over 90 percent. (The Independent)
The Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. revolutionized using robots to inspect its pipes, with its newest version of the machine able to cover pipes that are less than 48 inches in diameter. (Alaska Dispatch News)
