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iRobot, QinetiQ machines to assist in Japan relief effort
A few weeks ago, it looked like robots would play a relatively small role in recovery efforts following the earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis in Japan, but as concern grows over radiation leaks, robotics companies are positioning their mechanical offspring to do jobs deemed unsafe for humans. We've already heard of Aldebaran's plans for a fleet of rescue bots, and now QinetiQ and iRobot are lending automated assistance to the cause. QinetiQ plans to send in a set of Robotic Applique Kits -- used to convert Bobcat loaders into unmanned vehicles -- along with sensor machines like the TALON and Dragon. Meanwhile, iRobot's enlisted two each of its PackBots and Warriors to help aid in recovery -- the former is used by the US military for bomb disposal. Both companies have already deployed teams to Japan for training.
US Army to deploy Individual Gunshot Detector, essentially a radar for bullets
Latest in our series of "when video games turn real," here's the US Army's newest addition to the wargadget arsenal. The Individual Gunshot Detector, produced by QinetiQ, is an acoustic monitor attuned to tracking down the source of gunshots just by their sound. It has four sensors to pick up the noise of incoming fire, and its analysis of those sound waves produces a readout on a small display that lets the soldier know where the deadly projectiles originated from. The entire system weighs just under two pounds, and while it may not be much help in an actual firefight -- there's no way to distinguish between friendly and hostile fire -- we imagine it'll be a pretty handy tool to have if assaulted by well hidden enemies. 13,000 IGD units are being shipped out to Afghanistan later this month, with a view to deploying 1,500 each month going forward and an ultimate ambition of networking their data so that when one soldier's detector picks up a gunfire source, his nearby colleagues can be informed as well.
Zephyr solar-powered UAV breaks three more world records
The Zephyr is a winning machine. Last we reported, QinetiQ's solar-powered drone had just completed 7-days in the air, and counting. Now, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) has confirmed that Zephyr completed that record-breaking flight with a solid 2-weeks in the air (336 hours). If that wasn't enough to put other drones to shame, FAI found that Zephyr also destroyed records for flight duration for a UAV of its class, and the altitude record for that class at 21,562 meters, or 70,741 feet. So keep the records coming, Zephyr, because everyone loves a winner, even when that winner is a unmanned war machine.
Zephyr solar powered UAV lands after a fortnight in the air (whatever that means)
With all the excitement surrounding the solar powered UAV's record-breaking flights, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that QinetiQ's Zephyr has finally landed in an airfield in Arizona, 14 days and 24 minutes after take-off. This quadruples the previous unofficial world record for unmanned flight (which it set itself in 2008). This is a dramatic proof-of-concept, having flown longer without refueling than any other airplane. We'd like to imagine that this technology would be used primarily for delivering toys to children in developing nations, but something tells us that will have to wait until the military gets its hands on it. PR after the break.
Zephyr solar UAV sets yet another flight record: 7 days and counting!
This certainly is an interesting time for solar powered flight. Solar Impulse just returned from a 26-hour manned test flight, and now QinetiQ's Zephyr, a drone who we last saw clocking over 83 hours in-flight is in the air again: this time, it's more like seven days and counting! The craft, which took off from the Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona last Friday, is being billed as an "eternal aircraft," one that can stay aloft for extremely long periods of time for use as recon and communications platforms. The previous world endurance record for a UAV was set by NASA's Global Hawk, which stayed aloft for 30 hours and 24 minutes.
QinetiQ's Zephyr sets another unmanned solar plane flight record
QinetiQ just (unofficially) smashed the record for an unmanned flight by a solar airplane, sending its Zephyr craft into the air for a staggering 83 hours and 37 minutes, more than double the official record by "Global Hawk" in 2001, and a good margin more than its last flight. The plane was guided by autopilot and satellites to a height of 60,000 feet, and powers off the sun during the day, prepping its rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries for the night. Zephyr is being built for reconnaissance, communications and unofficially setting really bad-ass flight records.[Via USA TODAY]
Camera drones without mirrors or lenses to monitor future battlefields, you
As the military industrial complex surges forward, so do advances in technology for the public sector. At least that's how the cold-war wisdom goes. Case in point: QinetiQ is developing a lens-less, mirror-less, battlefield imaging system with some help from your DARPA's deep pockets. The LACOSTE project (Large Area Coverage Optical Search while Track and Engage) aims to set aloft high-altitude (about 20km) drones and air-ships fitted with a special, thousand-strong microscopic sensor array (a "first of their kind," according to QinetiQ), a "mask," and image processor to decode the scene and extract an image of the quickly changing conditions on the battlefield or, you guessed it, city streets. The resulting lightweight and highly-durable system should feature a "super resolution" mode with the ability to "detect and simultaneously track large numbers of moving vehicles in dense urban areas with a high degree of accuracy, 24-hours a day." And here you thought CCTV was intrusive. [Via BBC]
Foreign Object Debris detection and removal systems bring safety bots to the airports
When landing or taking off in a plane, the only things you want to see on the runway are lights and stripes. Foreign Object Debris (FOD), the stuff that can get sucked into engines or even flatten a plane's tires, has become the focus of several new technologies that are setting out to remove the bad stuff. Why do we care? Because some of these technologies call not only for little sensors mounted on runway lights, but also for robots that will cruise out, pick up the debris, and dispose of it as found in the Xsight system from Trex Enterprises. Others, like QinetiQ Airport Technologies' debris system, displays debris on screen at the airport's tower. Whatever the solution, we say: bring on the runway bots and safety.
"Robot" firefighters get put into service
We've seen robot firefighters before, and even a robot firefighting contest, but it looks like some brave bots from the folks at Qinetiq are among the first to actually see service, although their roles are decidedly limited for the time being. According to Popular Mechanics, the robots are only being used to put out fires involving Acetylene gas, which had previously simply been left to burn themselves out due to the risk of explosions. With the bots, however, they're able get things moving along far more quickly, which is especially useful when the blaze is causing train delays. It seems that's a job too big for just one robot, however, as Qinetiq has reportedly been commissioned to put three bots into service during a six month trial period, including a Talon bot that uses thermal imaging to asses the situation, a 2,160-pound Brokk 90 robot that can "tear through walls or shove vehicles out the way," and last but not least the ATV-sized "Black Max" that actually douses the situation. Sadly, it seems that the bots are all remotely-controlled for the time being, and not fully autonomous, but we're sure it's only a matter of time before they really get to show what they're capable of.
Fujifilm intros GPS-based Tape Tracker to prevent data mishandling
It would only take one case of having your precious data "mishandled" while in transit to spend some dough on a tracking mechanism for future shipments, and while we've certainly seen a number of options in the past, Fujifilm's alternative is quite clever in its own right. The recently announced Tape Tracker takes the form of a standard 0.5-inch data tape cartridge, but rather than housing gigabytes of sensitive material, it hides a GPS system that enables data managers to "monitor important data assets in real-time or locate misplaced / stolen tapes instantly." Furthermore, users of the device will have access to a secure, web-based application (aptly dubbed FujiFind) that can track several data tape shipments simultaneously, even through rural areas, within vehicles and inside warehouses. No word on a price just yet, but those willing to pay anything for peace of mind can look forward to a Q1 2008 release.[Via SpaceMart]
British Army looks to make tanks, troops invisible
While not the first bunch to try and mesh invisibility with military equipment, the British Army is reportedly staying busy by "testing technology it claims makes tanks and troops invisible." Apparently, the (previously) uber-secret trials were conducted by the Royal Engineers and scientists from QinetiQ, and if eyewitness reports are to be believed, they were able to "make a vehicle seem to completely disappear." The illusion (read: we're no closer to actual invisibility cloaks) was reportedly created by utilizing "cameras and projectors to beam images captured from the surrounding landscape onto a specially-adapted tank coated with silicon to maximize their reflective qualities," and if things go as planned, these elusive machines could make their way onto the battlefield "within five years." 'Course, it's not like anyone will have visual proof of that, but we suppose that's just the nature of the beast.[Via DailyMail]
Solar-powered plane breaks unmanned flight record
According to a BBC report today, a UK defense firm called Qinetiq has developed and tested a lightweight, solar-powered plane which has just broken the world record for longest unmanned flight. The plane, known as the Zephyr, spent 54 hours in flight using only self-recharging solar power, thus breaking the 30-plus-hour flight of the previous record holder, the US Air Force's Global Hawk surveillance craft. Although the record has been smashed, the plane won't be eligible for entrance into the "official" record books due to a late announcement of the feat, though another 33-hour flight might make the cut. The plane -- which has a wingspan of 59-feet -- is controlled from the ground after a hand liftoff, and is capable of cruising at 58,000 feet. According to the designers, the Zephyr is, "Going to go a lot higher and a lot further," and added that, "You ain't seen nothing yet." Indeed, ICEMAN, indeed.
QinetiQ's crazy-sensitive Ocellus GPS receiver works almost anywhere
Wacky defense contractor QinetiQ (which also make 3D shoe sizers) continues to angle for a piece of that sweet military-industrial pie with the release of the Ocellus S100, a super sensitive GPS tracker. Unlike normal GPS units, which max out around -160dBW of signal sensitivity, the S100 gets all the way to -189dBW for tracking and -185dBW for acquisition (remember, the scale is logarithmic, so that's a big jump). The increased sensitivity means that the unit can be used to track subjects under heavy foliage, in "urban canyons," indoors, and other places where regular GPS units tend to wonk out. The unit is so sensitive, in fact, that QinetiQ claims that it can be mounted underneath a vehicle and still provide location data from GPS signals bouncing off the roadway. The motion-activated unit sends location data back to HQ via GPRS, falling back to SMS to report the target's location, if needed. Hmm, looks like the tinfoil hat crowd bought up all those black-market cellphone jammers for a reason.[Via Navigadget]
QinetiQ's 3D shoe-sizer coming to US Stride Rite stores
While already popular in Clarks shoe stores across the UK, QinetiQ's 3D foot gauge is finally making its way across the pond. Unveiled in three Boston Stride Rite locations, these trials are slated to lead to a more widespread release across the chain's 450 American locations, giving shoe-wanting citizens "quick and accurate" measurements when sizing up. The contraption features six 3D digital cameras that scan the foot to provided "highly detailed length, girth, and shape data," essentially helping to ensure the best fit possible. Additionally, recorded 3D data can enable trend analysis, which would assist in designing future styles and improving stock control. The optical ranging technology used in the device was actually derived from work done on the "detection of unexploded ordnance" for the UK's Ministry of Defense. Although we're unsure how quickly these things will roll out nationwide, we're sure QinetiQ stands to make a hefty sum from its invention, as its current deal with Clarks yielded a whopping £4.6 million ($9.1 million) over in England.[Via Gizmag]
QinetiQ demos a simulated squadron of self-organizing UAVs
British security and military contractor QinetiQ has just come out with what it's calling the first system of self-organizing UAVs. In a recent demo, an autonomous BAC1-11 twin-jet plane (pictured) controlled a separate group of simulated UAVs to carry out a simulated ground attack on a moving target. During the trial run, a human crew was inside the lead plane, making sure that there wasn't any disasters, simulated or otherwise. When combined with the company's previous inventions that include the Millimeter Wave scanning device and that tiny GPS tracking unit (we're guessing that could be put into some sort of projectile), all outfitted onto a whole UAV squadron -- we're pretty sure that'd make for one heck of a recon unit. [Via The Inquirer]
QinetiQ develops mouse-less mousepad
U.K. defense and security firm QinetiQ -- you may remember them from such fun-filled gadgets as exploding ink and the Millimeter Wave see-it-all-o-vision -- have turned their attention to slightly more mundane endeavors, developing what is effectively a mouse-less mousepad. Dubbed for patenting purposes the "non contact human-computer interface," the system consists of an array of infrared emitters and sensors that work in conjunction to detect the position of a hand moving above them (as artfully illustrated above). While it can be used to control simple cursor movement, the device one-ups the venerable mouse in at least one area, boasting the ability to recognize various gestures to perform more complex tasks -- for instance, moving your hand in a circle to shut down your computer, or flashing a gang sign to open up your favorite website (we're hoping). While there's no word when it might actually be available, QinetiQ says it should be fairly inexpensive, as it relies on the same infrared diodes commonly used in television remotes, and we all know there's no shortages of those.[Via New Scientist Tech]
