LVL1 Hackerspace is hosting a “Quadcopter Ultimate Arial Combat Competition (QUACC) – Louisville’s first ever Quadcopter battle.It is limited to 16 competitors, who have to use a specific quadcopter, chosen for it’s low price tag. The quadcopters can be modified for battle, but everyone has to start with the same base model to keep things fair (a Syma X1 Model). Continue reading
United Nations UAS Deployment Debuts in Congo
UN forces in Democratic Republic of Congo launched unmanned aircraft on Monday to monitor the volatile border with Rwanda and Uganda, the first time UN peacekeepers have deployed unmanned surveillance aircraft. Continue reading
Parrot Drones ‘Vulnerable to Flying Hack Attack’
A security researcher has created a flying contraption that he says can hijack control of other UAS made by one of the industry’s leading manufacturers, Parrot. Samy Kamkar said he was able to achieve the feat because the company’s products do not support a way of encrypting or authenticating the wi-fi data they use.
Google Sets Up Robotics Unit with Seven Recent Acquisitions
Google has quietly acquired seven US and Japanese robotics firms in the past six months ahead of the launch of a new project that’s being led by Andy Rubin, the former head of Android who vacated that role in March.
Northrop Grumman Begins On-Time Production of First NATO Global Hawk
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Moss Point, Miss., Unmanned Systems Center started production of the first NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft, enhanced to meet NATO operational requirements. Continue reading
ARA Nighthawk UAS Demonstrates Search and Rescue and Accident Reconstruction Value
As a result of ongoing conversations with law enforcement personnel, the Unmanned Systems & Security Product (USPD) Division of ARA recently had the opportunity to demonstrate the usefulness of the Nighthawk IV Micro Unmanned Air System (UAS) to the Vermont State Police search-and-rescue and accident reconstruction teams and an Army Civil Support Team (CST). Continue reading
UPS Also Researching Parcel Delivery by UAS
Amazon isn’t the only company researching how to harness the potential of small unmanned aircraft: The Verge has learned that the world’s largest parcel service, UPS, has been experimenting with its own version of flying parcel carriers. Continue reading
Photogrammetry Training in Australia
Tim Lucas, a young Australian developer of Autonomous Unmanned Systems and payloads, made this video to demonstrate how UAS carrying photogrammetry payloads can be used in the industry. Continue reading