About two and a half years ago, Joe Moore, Eddie Tunstel and Robert Osiander — robotics researchers in the Research and Exploratory Development Department of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory — had an idea: create a fixed-wing, unmanned vehicle that could autonomously operate underwater and then propel itself fast enough to make the transition into the air, becoming an autonomous flying aerial vehicle. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
Avitas and NVIDIA Enhance AI for Drone Inspections
Avitas Systems, a GE Venture, is partnering with NVIDIA to use some of the latest advances in artificial intelligence computing to optimise the use of robotics for inspection and better detect defects on industrial assets with advanced data analytics. Continue reading
Ohio State Engineers Set UAV World Speed Record
Jim Gregory was confident his team of Ohio State engineers would set the world speed record for an unmanned aerial vehicle of any size. After all, there was no record on the books. The first thing they needed to do, though, was make sure their UAV completed its route. Continue reading
AUDS Counter-Drone System Enhanced for Vehicle Deployment and to Defeat Swarm Attacks
The AUDS counter-UAS defence system has been enhanced for deployment on military and commercial security and surveillance vehicles and with new technology to more effectively defeat swarm attacks by malicious unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including long-range winged drones. Continue reading
HAZON Offers Free DMS Accounts for Hurricane Areas
HAZON Solutions is offering its drone fleet management software for free to anyone involved in U.S. hurricane recovery efforts over the next three months. Continue reading
Airobotics Gets $32.5M Round C Funding
Airobotics, a manufacturer of fully automated industrial drones, has announced the completion of a $32.5 million funding round, led by BlueRun Ventures China, as well as Microsoft Ventures, OurCrowd.com and another strategic investor. Continue reading
DARPA Launches Concept for Armed Drones on Fighter Jet Missile Rails
In a video posted last week on YouTube, Air Force Lt. Col. Jimmy Jones, a program manager with the Strategic Technology Office, challenged industry with the Flying Missile Rail (FMR) concept. DARPA’s vision is an armed drone that would be carried on the missile rails of Air Force F-16s and Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18. The Flying Missile Rail would fly at 0.9 Mach (690 miles an hour) for up to 20 minutes. Continue reading
Honeywell Launches UAV Industrial Inspection Service
Honeywell has launched its first commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection service, the Honeywell InView inspection Service, to help industrial customers improve critical structure inspections while also helping increase employees’ safety from many of the risks associated with these often-dangerous working conditions.