Honeywell has unveiled a new compact “fly-by-wire” system for autonomous and Urban Air Mobility vehicles. According to Honeywell, the flight control computer, which packs the “brains” of an airliner's flight controls into one system, adds stability to the designs of autonomous and Urban Air Mobility vehicles, by driving electric actuators and dynamically adjusting flight surfaces and motors for smoothly following flight paths. The computer, which also reduces turbulence, allows designers to push the limits of aerodynamics, ultimately eliminating the need for heavy hydraulics, control cables or pushrods.

Cape and the Tijuana Public Safety Department have partnered to launched Mexico’s first Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program. Through the program, two UAS equipped with the Cape Aerial Telepresence platform will be utilized as part of the department’s daily operations to provide access to real-time aerial visibility and intelligence for officer support in both the command center and the field. During the program, Cape-enabled UAS will support emergency response efforts within a three-kilometer radius of the Tijuana Public Safety Department headquarters. The focus will be on “improving both operational efficiency and the safety of both first responders and the greater Tijuana community,” the entities say.

Over the years, drones have proven to be extremely beneficial for the insurance sector, offering safe and efficient tools for companies to use during various tasks.  In 2014, State Farm — a pioneer in the insurance sector for using this technology — began looking at how to use drones for claims. Just a few short years later in Aug. 2017, the company began using drones for real-life claims and hasn’t looked back.  “They’ve definitely provided a tool that we did not necessarily have in the past,” drone pilot Jared Brose tells Unmanned Systems. “They allow us to get out there and get in the air as quickly as possible and handle a claim as quickly as possible.”

Wind turbine company Vestas has selected Sulzer Schmid, a Swiss UAS technology company for rotor blade inspections, and WKA, a blade inspection and repair service provider, to conduct a large UAS-based blade inspection campaign in Scandinavia on 1,250 wind turbines in less than 12 weeks. Located across Sweden and Finland, the blades of the 1,250 Vestas turbines must be inspected by the end of June, just in time for the beginning of the repair work season, which traditionally takes place during the less windy summer months. To meet this tight deadline, Vestas opted for UAS, which is the “only approach that can meet its high-quality standards within such a demanding time-frame,” the companies say.