Sky Sapience Delivers pre-Production Hovermast to IDF

Hovermast answers the requirement for rapid and timely intelligence gathering at the tactical echelon. The system employs a sophisticated, electrically powered platform using a main lift fan and four stabilizing rotors, maintaining the platform in flight, hovering and maintaining stable line of sight with a target of interest even when subjected to strong winds or wind gusts. The system carries sophisticated multi-sensor payloads operating day and night under all weather conditions. Hovermast 100 carries 13 pounds (6 kg) of payloads.

Sky Sapience Hovermast

NASA Develops ACAT Auto-CGAS Smart Phone App

A small hobby-type radio-controlled model aircraft is being transformed into a
high-tech flight research aircraft at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center and
will be used to develop such a ’sense-and-avoid’ application for smart phones.

Andy V.

International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) Mission 6 Description

video clip.

This video describes the 6th Mission of the International Aerial Robotics

Competition ( IARC ) which began in 2010. The 6th Mission involves the use

of micro air vehicles ( MAV ) to find and steal a zip drive containing sensitive

information, and replace it with an identical drive before leaving the building

undetected. All of this must be done fully autonomously. A $20,000 prize will

be awarded during 2011 if any team can demonstrate this aerial robotic behavior

in under 10 minutes. (See Official Rules at http://iarc.angel-strike.com/ )

here's some footage which highlights the features found on the

'Maveric', which was on display at the recent SOFIC 2011 event,

which was held in Tampa, FL. SOFLIC stands for "SpecialOperation

Forces Industry Concerence.

The Maveric has a flexible monolithic wing made from carbon fibre and

rip-stop nylon, allowing the wing to be bent completely around the fuselage.

The whole aircraft can be stored inside and deployed in less than two minutes

 from a 6-inch diameter tube that resembles a jumbo poster tube. Ripstop

 nylon is only used on part of the wing behind the leading edge. The rest of

the aircraft’s body (including part of the wing) is made from carbon fibre.

NOAA Arctic Mission Completed

'UAS 2020: Looking to the Future'

The Red River Valley Research Corridor is holding its 5th

Annual Unmanned Aviation Systems Action Summit  at the

Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, on June 2-3, 2011.

It will focus on developing and strengthening the Nation’s

burgeoning unmanned systems industry and advancing
the call to develop responses to some of the pressing

issues, challenges, and threats.

GE announces introduction of their ADEPT3000 small automatic miniature
video tracker for embedded computing applications such as unmanned aircraft
systems and man-portable devices where size, weight, and power consumption
(SWaP) are primary design concerns.

Link;

http://www.uasvision.com/2011/05/06/new-micro-video-tracker-from-ge/

(photo added by moderators to conform with posting guidelines)

Rupert Murdoch’s ‘The Daily’ iPad News Shows Video Reports from Toy UAS

Rupert Murdoch's 'The Daily' iPad News shows video footage of tornado

damage shot using a camera equipped Parrot drone UAS.

The  FAA has announced a meeting which is to focus on unmanned

aircraft systems

FAA Update

Lasermotive

Welcome to LaserMotive...

LaserMotive is a Seattle-based company developing laser power beaming systems to transmit electricity without wires, for applications where wires are either cost prohibitive or physically impractical. As our first project, we won $900,000 in the NASA-sponsored Power Beaming competition, part of the Space Elevator Game

From Flight Global: "DRA's sense and avoid system comprises three cameras and processors, limiting its effectiveness to visual flight rules conditions. An objective sense and avoid system must include other kinds of sensors to maintain awareness at night or in bad weather, Bachman says. ....The system only scans for targets in the forward hemisphere of the UAV, Bachman says. So far, the FAA has not provided definitive guidance on minimum performance for a sense and avoid system, but is expected to require 360° capability.
So far, DRA's system has demonstrated the ability to detect and track other aircraft moving in the forward hemisphere. In later demonstrations, the system also will be able to autonomously adjust the UAV's own flight path to avoid other air traffic, Bachman says."
New sense and avoid system for UAVs emerges from the shadows

America’s fleet of 11 big-deck aircraft carriers just got a lot closer to becoming a lot more dangerous.

On Friday afternoon, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B, a prototype for the Navy’s first carrier-capable killer

drone, flew for the first time from Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Killer drone takes off

Shark

"Tube-launched and weighing in at only 2.5kg (5.5lb), the composite Shark is designed to fly quietly at low altitudes for long periods of time, gathering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information, the Arizona-based company says.

The Shark measures 0.79m (2.5ft) long, with a 0.97m wingspan with the wings deployed. It can carry payloads weighing up to 0.45kg."

High Res Camera Review

 Click the link above if you're interested in reviewing some of the better

High Res cameras which are available, just make sure to hold onto your

wallet.  One model, made here in the US bya  firm named Imperx runs

$4,700.  Of course the image quality is a lot better than you're apt to

get using a plastic lens pinhole model from China.

March 27 - April 1, 2011

 Israel Unmanned Systems 2011

From a Guardian report:

"Two official safety inquiries took place into the military use of drones over southern England after near-collisions with helicopters, the Guardian can reveal.

The investigations are the first of their kind involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are increasingly being flown in British civilian airspace after extensive use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The inquiries by Airprox, the body that investigates reports of near-collisions, relate to flights on 12 February by a Desert Hawk 3 (DH3) drone owned and used by the army. The drone was being flown in military airspace over Salisbury Plain and operated from the ground.

In each case Airprox concluded that action taken by the operator on the ground prevented collision with the helicopter. "

SMi’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems 2010 will explore a complete overview of UAS in military, commercial and civilian sectors. Attend and enjoy this unique networking opportunity with key industry leaders and decision makers from the field of UAS. Assess the latest national strategies and industry technology and ensure your organization is strategically placed to benefit from the dynamic growth sector in the global aviation industry.

17th to 18th November 2010, Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London, United Kingdom.