Remote sensors play a valuable role in collecting data—but recharging these devices while they are scattered over vast and isolated areas can be tedious. A new system is designed to make the charging process easier by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to deliver power using radio waves during a flyby. A specialized antenna on the sensor harvests the signals and converts them into electricity. Continue reading
Category Archives: Research
ESA Funds Safe Drone Navigation Project
The European Space Agency (ESA) has funded Ampyx Power, developer of a next-generation wind energy technology, and Omnisense, developer of locating and tracking solutions, to develop a robust fail-safe navigation system. Continue reading
US Army Research Lab Develops Grenade Launched UAS
Scientists from the Army Research Laboratory have designed a camera drone capable of being fired from a 40 mm grenade launcher, researchers say, on the heels of a patent filed last month. Continue reading
Commercial Drone Market to Hit 2.9M Units by 2023, says Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Global Commercial UAS Market Outlook, 2020, finds that the industry is transitioning from a nascent to a growth stage. With the surge in demand for commercial drones by the professional segment, unit shipment is estimated to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%, reaching 2.91 million units by 2023 from 2.44 million units in 2019. Continue reading
NASA Develops Unique Materials for Next Generation of Aircraft
Jetoptera’s J-55 Unmanned Aerial System uses parts created with NASA Glenn’s silicon carbide materials
As NASA looks to the future of flight, the agency is investing in technologies aimed at changing the aviation industry as we know it. These developments vary from basic materials to full-scale experimental aircraft, all designed to increase efficiency and reliability, while decreasing weight and cost. Continue reading
Coaxial Tilt-Rotor Drone Hovers Smoothly in Any Orientation
Autonomous Systems researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated another drone capable of flying and hovering in any orientation, this time with higher efficiency. It’s extraordinary to watch its 12 coaxial rotors twisting and turning in flight. Continue reading
FAA Awards $2.6M in 14 Drone Grants to Universities
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $2.6 million in research, education, and training grants to universities that comprise the agency’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) also known as Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).
Learning Visuomotor Policies for Aerial Navigation
Sensing technologies have improved steadily, but the ability of robots to make decisions in real time based on what they perceive still has a long way to go to equal or surpass human capabilities. Researchers from Microsoft Corp., Carnegie Mellon University, and Oregon State University have been collaborating to improve perception-action loops. Continue reading