Following a request for international assistance to locate the Argentine navy's missing submarine, the A.R.A. San Juan, and its crew, the U.S. Navy has deployed one Bluefin 12D (Deep) UUV and three Iver 580 UUVs to assist in the search, which is taking place in South Atlantic waters.
The UUVs are operated by the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1 (UUVRON), which was established back in September, and is based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Capable of deploying quickly, the UUVs use a system called Side Scan Sonar, which is used to “efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor,” to search wide areas of the ocean.
Software
Software
Sightec's image stabilization electronic technology integrates with Alpha 800 UAV
Madrid, Spain’s Alpha Unmanned Systems (AUS), which manufactures a gasoline-powered helicopter UAV called the Alpha 800, has announced a technology partnership with Sightec, which is an Israel-based developer of video image stabilization and object detection software.
“We are delighted to integrate our technology onto the Alpha 800 platform,” says Roy Shmuel, CEO of Sightec.
“With 2.5 hours of flight time, our image stabilization system makes the image analysis work very easy and accurate. Alpha is a reliable partner with a world-class helicopter platform and we are very pleased to work together.”
Engine updates allow Lockheed's Fury UAS to stay in the air for 15 continuous hours
Lockheed Martin says it has conducted engineering tests that indicate that its Fury UAS will be able to stay in the air for 15 continuous hours—making it one of the highest endurance unmanned systems in its class—following the integration of the 1803 engine into the aircraft.
An expeditionary, runway-independent UAS, Fury is adaptable and reconfigurable, making it useful for a host of military missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber-electronic warfare.
AirMap to integrate its airspace intelligence into Kespry's UAS platform
AirMap and Kespry have announced a partnership that will result in Kespry’s automated UAS platform being equipped with AirMap’s best-in-class airspace intelligence, which includes airspace advisories, wind, and weather.
The new AirMap-Kespry integration provides the Kespry flight app with AirMap’s airspace intelligence. During the flight planning process, the app automatically surfaces AirMap airspace advisories, wind, and weather customized to the specific parameters of each flight, including the UAS operator’s pilot certification.
GA-ASI's MQ-9 successfully used during U.S. Naval exercise
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Predator B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) was used to successfully demonstrate the remote detection and tracking of submerged contacts, such as submarines, during an Oct. 12 U.S. Naval exercise.
GA-ASI participated in the successful demonstration of new maritime patrol capabilities, which included anti-submarine warfare, during the flight that took place over the Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) west of San Clemente Island.
3D Robotics announces integration of its Site Scan with Autodesk BIM 360
3D Robotics (3DR) has announced the integration of its Site Scan UAS data platform for construction and engineering professionals with Autodesk BIM 360, which is a project management tool for virtual construction managers and field teams.
Made possible through the Autodesk Forge platform, this “one-of-a-kind partnership” makes it “easier than ever” for project managers, engineers, subcontractors, superintendents and other members of project teams to access UAS data, and use it in their day-to-day work.
Congruex acquires UAV services company CCLD
A company called Congruex, which was established to build a nationwide platform that delivers a variety of services to broadband service providers and utility operators across the country, including end-to-end engineering, construction and maintenance services, has acquired an outside plant (OSP) telecommunications contracting firm called C.C.L.D. Technologies (CCLD).
Based in Buford, Georgia, CCLD operates across four lines of business, one of which is UAV services.
“We are eager to begin our partnership with Congruex to further accelerate our growth, industry capabilities and resulting market share,” says Brett Burke, Chief Executive Officer of CCLD.
ArdentMC launches UAS initiative to aid areas of Northern California damaged by wildfires
Reston, Virginia-based software development firm Ardent Management Consulting (ArdentMC) has announced the launch of a UAS initiative, which will result in the company offering up to 100 hours of free aid in areas of Northern California that have been devastated by wildfires.
During the two-week initiative, ArdentMC will utilize geographic information system (GIS) technology to help assess the damage caused by wildfires that have consumed much of Northern California.
DroneDeploy unveils "sweeping updates" to its enterprise software; announces new partnerships
According to Unmanned Aerial, DroneDeploy, which is a San Francisco-based UAS software platform provider, has unveiled “sweeping updates” to its enterprise software.
Research team from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology develops unmanned car
A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed the first unmanned car in Hong Kong.
The research team from the Robotics Institute at the HKUST developed an “advanced unmanned passenger vehicle system” made up of several subsystems, ranging from the sensor systems to the dynamic modelling.
Among its many capabilities, the unmanned car can avoid obstacles as it travels using LiDAR (laser range finders), which achieves the perception of the obstacles, and can measure the surroundings 100 times per second.
The perception system, which is three-dimensional, generates more than 100,000 points per second, “indicating the pose of the vehicle to the surroundings.”
