To crack down on security risks from unmanned aerial systems, the General Services Administration said its multiple awards schedules will only offer small drones approved by the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS Program.
The unmanned ground vehicles, which resemble headless robot dogs, use on-board computers, cameras and other detection devices as they patrol a set path scouting for threats.
The Los Angeles City Fire Department’s new robotic firefighter, the Thermite RS3, was on the job just a day after it arrived.
Inspectors with the North Carolina Department of Transportation can now use unmanned aerial systems to examine the underside of bridges to better analyze the bridge’s integrity and identify possible problems.
Through the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue sUAS initiative, five U.S.-manufactured drone configurations are providing secure options for military and civilian agencies.
Robot perception could improve markedly by giving robots the ability to hear sounds, researchers report.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to test anti-drone technologies to see how they perform in real-world environments.
State, local and private sector could run afoul of federal laws if they deploy drone detection and mitigation systems without careful thought, federal agencies say.
The Department of Homeland Security is testing counter-drone systems near agency facilities and ports, according to a recently released privacy impact assessment.
Ground robots that can apply learned behaviors to new tasks, rather than responding to verbal commands, will improve how they move through rugged and unfamiliar terrain.
The Defense Department’s innovation arm has issued $13.4 million in small-drone support contracts under the Defense Production Act.
Drones that monitor social distance, scan crowds and test temperatures worry the public, civil liberties advocates and some in the drone industry.