Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the company an $8 million contract for Phase 1 of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme. Continue reading
Category Archives: VTOL
Safe 3D Frameless Multi-Rotor
UAS Directions is a startup bent on thinking from unexpected directions. Over the past 16 months they have pored their unique design philosophy into developing their 3D multi-rotor uni-bodies.
Ship-Based UAV Ice Monitoring Mission in Arctic
ING Robotic Aviation, Canada’s leading provider of robotic aircraft solutions, has just completed its two week mission to Canada’s North on board Fednav’s ice-breaking cargo ship MV Arctic. Primarily a research and development initiative, this project (led by Enfotec) was designed to assess various operational and technical aspects of ship-based UAV ice monitoring.
Chinese Military QuadCopters at UMEX/IDEX
At IDEX’s new unmanned system exhibit, UMEX, AEE Technology Co, Ltd. promoted its F100 and F50 quad-copters used by the Chinese military. Both drones cruise at speeds of about 30 miles an hour, according to company information.
Global Hawk Flies in to Australian Air Show
An U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system flew in for display at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon Airport, Australia, on Feb. 21. Continue reading
Flying Wing from VTOL Technologies
VTOL Technologies Ltd was founded in 2002 with the goal of developing and subsequent sales and operational service provision of long-endurance, lightweight, portable, Beyond Visual Line Of Sight [BVLOS] Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems [RPAS] targeted at network-based industries, initially targeting the energy sector, providing a new, automated, much lower cost and safer aerial asset-inspection capability for electricity high-tension power-line and gas pipeline inspections. Continue reading
Autonomous Quadcopter for Fire-Fighting Inside Ships
In a demonstration aboard a former U.S. Navy ship, a small quadrotor developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and spin-off company Sensible Machines flew autonomously through dark, smoke-filled compartments to map fires and locate victims. Continue reading
Japan Tests Drone Delivery to Islands
A quadcopter built by a Nagoya-based company has completed a trial run to see if unmanned aircraft can be used to transport goods from Kagawa Prefecture to an island in the Seto Inland Sea.