The clever chaps at Yale University Grab Labs have developed a robot helicopter integrated with a compliant gripper, able to directly grasp and transport objects while hovering in mid-air outdoors, without need for external motion sensors.
Category Archives: Research
US Air Force Wants ‘Smart Dust’ from UAS to Tag Targets
As part of the us Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Programme, the Air Force Research Laboratory calls for a proposal on the ‘Aerial Distribution of Taggants‘.
India Develops Domestic UCAV Programme
India’s Defence Research and Development Organization told the Times of India recently that the aim of the secretive AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme is to develop a UCAV for the Indian Air Force in seven to eight years.
MIT : Mini-UAS to Navigate Dense Urban and Natural Environments
A multidisciplinary university research initiative (MURI) led by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Associate Professor, Russ Tedrake, will bring together a diverse group of researchers to develop a bird-sized UAS, thanks to an Office of Naval Research Grant. The vehicle will be capable of navigating both urban and forest environments using vision-based control.
NASA – Next Generation Aircraft Design Using Revolutionary Materials
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has just published a fascinating presentation by Dr. Charles E. Harris, P.E., Director of the Research Directorate at the NASA Langley Research Center, on the possibilities for future aircraft design unleashed by the use of revolutionary new materials.
$500 K for MAV Autopilot Simulator Research
Jackson State University computer engineering professor Kamal Ali has been awarded a research grant worth $517,062 from the U.S. Department of Defense for a three-year-project to build a simulator to test MAV autopilots.
Bristol University Researches Autonomous in-Flight Refuelling
The University of Bristol will open a relative motion robotics centre of excellence to research and develop an autonomous engagement solution for in-flight refuelling. Cobham Mission Equipment has commissioned the centre, as part of the ASTRAEA Autonomy and Decision Making project. The South West RDA is providing significant support to this aspect of the programme.
Oz Team 5 Year Project to Develop UAS Safety Evaluation Tool
The University of Newcastle, Australia and Boeing Research and Technology Australia have launched a five-year project to develop a tool to evaluate whether unmanned aircraft meet the same levels of safety as piloted aircraft for particular operations.