Engineers at Caltech have developed a new control algorithm that enables a single drone to herd an entire flock of birds away from the airspace of an airport. The algorithm is presented in a study in IEEE Transactions on Robotics. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
Ohio Federal Research Network Awards $6M for UAV Innovations
The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) awarded $6.3 million to four teams in support of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research and development (R&D). Funding was awarded under OFRN’s Sustaining Ohio’s Aeronautical Readiness and Innovation in the Next Generation (SOARING) initiative, OFRN’s third round of R&D funding. Continue reading
US Air Force to Use New Neuromorphic Supercomputer for AI Research
Mark Barnell, program manager of the Blue Raven project for AFRL, and Qing Wu, principal computer scientist for the Blue Raven project. Photo courtesy of AFRL
In a joint effort with IBM, the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) unveiled the world’s largest neuromorphic supercomputer, Blue Raven, with the processing power of 64 million neurons. By 2019, AFRL expects to demonstrate an airborne target-recognition application developed using Blue Raven. Continue reading
Drones Spray Inaccessible Cliff Areas in Australia
A Yamaha RMAX Type II G drone with a weed-spraying applicator before takeoff at Caves Beach.
Lake Macquarie Council has begun using drones along isolated cliffs at Swansea Heads and Caves Beach to spray tracts of Bitou bush, an invasive South African weed. It is understood to be the first time drones have been used for weed spraying in the Hunter.
Abu Dhabi Trials Drones for Construction Site Inspection
HE Saif Bader Al Qubaisi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi City Municipality, has launched the trial phase of using drones in engineering inspection of the construction sites in Abu Dhabi. The step aims to capitalize on modern technology in various service operations and making further improvements. Continue reading
ManTech Awarded $45M for Technical Support of Next Generation Systems in Unmanned Aircraft
ManTech has announced a four-year $45 million task order awarded by the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA) under the DoD Information Analysis Center’s (DoD IAC) Defense Systems Technical Area Task (DS TAT) Multi-Award Contract (MAC). Continue reading
Drone Attack Targets Venezuelan President
A drone attack caused pandemonium at a military ceremony where President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was speaking on Saturday, sending National Guard troops scurrying in what administration officials called an assassination attempt. Continue reading
US National Transport Safety Board Using Drones In Investigations
The US National Transport Safety Board is increasingly using drones as part of its accident investigation toolkit, including for terrain mapping of air crashes, according to NTSB investigator Michael Bauer. Notable drone applications by the Board since 2016 include rail and highway crashes and general aviation accidents. Continue reading