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T-Hawk UAV enters Fukushima danger zone, returns with video
We'd love to head on down to Fukushima with a DSLR and some iodide pills, but that's obviously not going to happen. Sending in a flying robot seems to be the next best thing, though, and that's exactly what Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has done. T-Hawk, a US-made MAV (Micro Air Vehicle) commonly used to search for roadside bombs in Iraq, made its Japanese debut last week when it photographed the nuclear plant from above, providing a detailed look at the interior damage a month after iRobot's visit. Small enough to fit in a (rather large) backpack, officially the T-Hawk is named for the tarantula hawk wasp species, but could just as easily have been named for the T. Hawk Street Fighter character, who also swoops in to attack his opponents from above. As expected, things look pretty nasty at ground zero, so head past the break for a video of the damage.
US Army developing mobile apps for soldiers in the field
According to Computerworld, US soldiers may soon be carrying some familiar devices into battle: iPhones and iPads. Two military contractors, Harris and Intelligent Software Solutions (ISS), are building applications for the iPhone, iPad and the Android platform that will assist soldiers deployed to the battlefield. Harris' forthcoming app for the iPad and other tablet devices enables a soldier on the ground to remotely control the video cameras on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in order to gather intelligence on enemy movements. Soldiers would use multi-touch gestures to transmit commands from the iPad to the aircraft without putting themselves in harm's way. Video from the UAV, along with time and location data, would be sent to the app and transmitted to military decision-makers located anywhere in the world. ISS is close to field testing apps for iPhone and Android phones that keep soldiers -- especially those first arriving in a war zone -- informed about nearby fighting, bombings and arrests. The app keeps troops on the ground well prepared by superimposing battlefield data, sent wirelessly from a command center, onto a map of each soldier's surroundings. According to both developers, the new apps promise to drive down equipment and training costs for the military. For example, many soldiers are already veteran iOS or Android users and will likely understand the new software with less training than would be required for custom-built gear. Additionally, the new software runs on comparatively inexpensive, off-the-shelf devices priced at US$300 to $800 each. "They [the military] are using $10,000 wireless receivers today, but with mobile devices costing $400, those can be ruggedized [with cases and other gear] and the costs are minimal," said John Delay, director of architectures for emerging business at Harris, which will demonstrate its new app at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in Las Vegas next month. Unfortunately, even an encased iPad or iPhone may more frequently succumb to the rigors of battle. But Rob Rogers, vice president of national systems for ISS, is optimistic that the Army will still be able to save money. "We've seen first-hand what happens to a laptop used in the desert [in combat], so there's going to be some problem with ... these [mobile consumer] devices that are fairly inexpensive and almost disposable," said Rogers. "But if they break or get dust in them, you don't have to shell out a lot to replace them." He adds, "It's a trade-off. I would anticipate a lot of broken Androids and iPhones." The loss of a few good iDevices is a small price to pay for solutions that safely provide soldiers with the intelligence they need to make life-saving decisions. [via Engadget]
Apple and Android get drafted, soldier-centric Army apps coming soon
If we referred to an Apple or Android army, you might assume we're talking about a legion of brand-loyal fanboys, with which most Engadget commenters are intimately familiar. Defense contractors, however, are trying to turn the US Army into a lethal Apple / Android force with soldier-centric apps. Harris Corp. has a tablet app in the works that allows soldiers to control IP cameras on UAVs for more pertinent intel on the ground while simultaneously sending that information to command centers anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, Intelligent Software Solutions aims to bring mapping mashups to the battlefield (no purpose-built device needed) with an app that combines smartphones' geolocation with historical data to show troops what's been going down in the area -- from IED explosions to insurgent arrests. Best of all, these apps lower training costs since most warriors are already fluent in Android or iOS and the consumer handhelds can be cheaply ruggedized to replace the more robust $10,000 units in the field today. Should protective measures fail, the devices' (relatively) low replacement cost makes them "almost disposable."
NASA's Global Hawk completes unmanned airborne refueling simulation, will do it for real next year (video)
While some bot makers are busying themselves designing AI to simulate humans' natural and distinct lack of intelligence, it's nice to see there are still old-fashioned researchers out there keeping the Skynet dream alive. Northrop Grumman's aeronautics gurus have paired together a Global Hawk unmanned aircraft with a manned Proteus ship way up in the skies -- 45,000 feet, to be precise -- with the vessels of ingenuity managing to fly in tandem at a distance as short as 40 feet. Unsurprisingly, this is the first time such intimacy has been reached between UAVs (the Proteus had a monitoring crew on board to ensure the insurance bill wasn't through the roof) in high altitude, and the ultimate goal of having two Global Hawks doing the deed without any human intervention is said to be within reach by next year. That's when these light and agile air drones will be able to refuel themselves and go on for a mighty 120 hours in the air... plenty of time to complete a well planned extermination down below, if one were so inclined.
DARPA-funded Nano Hummingbird spybot takes flight (video)
We were plenty impressed when we saw the initial tests of AeroVironment's robo-hummingbird -- now officially dubbed the Nano Hummingbird -- but we can't say they quite prepared us for the final product that the DARPA-funded company is now showing off. Not only does the bot look and fly like a real hummingbird (at least if you don't look too closely), but it packs a built-in camera and a downlink of some sort that's capable of transmitting live video. According to the company, the hummingbird's also able to hover for up to eight minutes, reach speeds of eleven miles per hour in forward flight, and remain stable in wind gusts of five miles per hour -- not to mention make a perfect landing. Head on past the break to check it out in action -- it may well be one of the few chances you're actually able to see one in the wild.
Homebuilt UAV hunts down hydrogen balloons, shoots firework missiles (video)
Augmented reality is swell, don't get us wrong, but it's no substitute for the real thing -- especially when that thing is a badass tricopter equipped with a jury-rigged firework cannon to rain down miniature hell. Swedish R/C enthusiasts built this first-person flying contraption to carry out a single mission -- destroy a series of hydrogen-filled balloons -- which will hopefully be hard-coded into future automatons too. After all, balloons could serve as an excellent distraction when they inevitably come for you. Still, there's no need to worry quite yet, so kick back and enjoy the video above while you contemplate humanity's end.
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.
El Paso resident finds Mexican Orbiter Mini drone in his front yard
When discussing drones, we usually think of the Af-Pak theater (or perhaps joy ridin' UK teens), so it was with some amusement that we heard about a little border excursion that a Mexican UAV made into American airspace a few days ago. According to reports, the device -- believed to be an Israeli-made Orbiter Mini -- was being operated by the Mexican government (on its side of the border) when it experienced some sort of "mechanical malfunction" and crossed over to El Paso, Texas, where it was discovered on a resident's front lawn last Tuesday. The Orbiter Mini, manufactured by Aeronautics Defense Systems, has a six foot wingspan and will stay in the air up to four hours.
LaserMotive's unnamed quadrocopter hovers for 12 solid hours using lasers alone
Protip: $900,000 goes a long way, particularly when you're dumping practically all of it into a single investment (Hello Kitty lap warmers notwithstanding). LaserMotive, the company lauded for bringing home nearly a million bucks in the 2009 NASA-sponsored Space Elevator Games, has just broken an endurance record for laser-powered hovering with its unnamed Pelican. This here quadrocopter is designed to get energized by converting beams into power via a set of photovoltaic panels on its underside, and in a recent test, lasers were able to keep it afloat for over 12 hours. It never hovered much higher than 30 feet, and it barely moved from left to right while in the air, but we're guessing it was marginally more interesting than watching paint dry. All jesting aside, the milestone makes it a lot more feasible for the company to get this technology into UAVs used in the military -- "for example, laser-powered copters could perform on-the-road reconnaissance missions when convoys travel through a combat zone." And if you're looking to take home something similar on a far smaller scale, there's always the AR.Drone.
NASA hopes to send ARES rocket-powered robot plane to Mars
While President Obama signs off on the future of space exploration, NASA is on the move, developing new ways to get a look at the fourth planet from the sun. We've seen our share of rovers (and one sweet hopper) in this space, and now the gang at the Langley Research Center is hard at work on a rocket-powered, robotic Mars-bound airplane. ARES, or Aerial Regional-Scale Environmental Surveyor, is 16.4 feet long, made from a lightweight polymer-carbon composite material, and has a wingspan of 21 feet. "A powered airplane flying a mile above the surface can obtain measurements over inaccessible parts of Mars and collect a whole bunch of data that no rover can collect," according to atmospheric scientist Joel Levine. Perhaps most exciting, the machine would be able to fly over the southern highlands, an area whose mountains, craters, and volcanoes have hindered exploration in the past. Sadly, all good things must come to an end -- and ARES is no exception. Although its flight would last for a mere two hours, it could cover over nine hundred miles of unexplored territory, collecting data on everything from chemicals and signs of water to the magnetic field in this region.
EPFL develops Linux-based swarming micro air vehicles
The kids at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (or EPFL) have been cooking up quite a bit lately, as this video demonstrates. Not only have they put together a scalable system that will let any flying robot perch in a tree or similar structure, but now they've gone and developed a platform for swarming air vehicles (with Linux, nonetheless). Said to be the largest network of its kind, the ten SMAVNET swarm members control their own altitude, airspeed, and turn rate based on input from the onboard gyroscope and pressure sensors. The goal is to develop low cost devices that can be deployed in disaster areas to creat ad hoc communications networks, although we can't help but think this would make the best Christmas present ever. See for yourself after the break.
Robotic Yale Aerial Manipulator grabs a can of Guinness
There's plenty of UAVs out there capable of dropping things, but comparatively fewer that are able to pick things up. Some researchers at Yale University doing their part to change that, however, and have recently shown off their so-called Yale Aerial Manipulator; a UAV with a robotic hand. While that may not exactly sound like much, the four-fingered hand is able to "autonomously" grab objects that weigh up to two kilograms while the UAV is in flight, and the helicopter itself is able to reach a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour. That, the researchers say, could let the UAV pick up bombs or packages in difficult to reach areas, or even simply be used to make deliveries in urban areas -- like that can of Guinness you've been craving, for instance. Head on past the break to check it out in action.
Lockheed Martin and Kaman's unmanned helicopter wins military contract (video)
When developing an unmanned vehicle there are two paths to choose from: create an entirely fresh design with no room for a carbon-based pilot, or simply take an existing craft and make it self-sufficient. That's the direction Lockheed Martin chose for its submission to the the joint Army Marines Autonomous Technologies for Unmanned Air Systems (ATUAS) program, and it turned out to be a winner. The idea is to create an autonomous helo that can resupply military forces, and Lockheed Martin started with a Kaman K-Max cargo chopper (demo'd after the break), capable of lifting 6,000lbs plus one pilot -- who was made optional. This customized K-Max can place its cargo within a 10 meter drop zone after flying 200km or more, but a principal advantage of this submission is that you can still put a pilot in there and use it like a traditional heavy lifter, while the competition from Boeing was a bespoke UAV with no room for meatbags. It's unclear when exactly this sentient K-Max will be hitting battlefields, but hopefully the Army and Marines come up with some other, rewarding jobs for their pilots, because between this and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap released earlier this year that particular job market could be getting tight. Update: Bo from Lockheed Martin wrote in to let us know of a different video we've added after the break featuring higher production values, more guitar solos, and plenty of autonomous cargo liftin'.
MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV resists its human oppressors, joyrides over Washington DC
A Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV strayed into restricted airspace above Washington DC after departing Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland on August 2, the result of a software logic flaw that caused the operator to momentarily lose contact with the drone. Programmed to circle when communications are severed, the chopper failed to follow its failure protocol, instead heading twenty-three miles on a north/northwest trajectory -- which could have had serious consequences had it been equipped with 70mm Hydra rocket pods or Hellfire tankbuster missiles. Although this type of incident is rare, it is not unheard of: last September the Air Force had to take down an MQ-9 Reaper in Afghanistan when it failed to adhere to failure protocols after dropping communications with the ground. At least, that's what we'd like to believe... the alternative scenario is too frightening to consider.
US Navy working to make drones laser-proof
No, you're not looking at a still from a purported UFO video. That's an unmanned drone that the US Navy recently shot down with a prototype laser weapon. While that test was a runaway success, it looks like the Navy is now already going the extra mile -- it's begun work on making its drones laser-proof to guard against such weapons eventually winding up in the wrong hands. That's still in the earliest stages, but the Navy has already recruited California-based Adsys Controls and Texas-based Nanohmics to work on the project, which will apparently allow drones to both spot laser weapons before they're fired and deploy countermeasures to avoid being tracked. Head on past the break to see what happens when a drone gets hit by one of the weapons.
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.
MIT researchers develop autonomous glider that can land on a wire
The latest research at MIT is not only paving the way to more agile autonomous aircraft, but it's a reminder of how much catching up we have to do to match the complexity and skill of the common bird. In a project that's been ongoing since 2005, Rick Cory and Russ Tedrake have developed a mathematical model of how a bird lands on a wire and emulated the move with an autonomous glider. To control the glider, they developed a system that allows the craft to keep an eye on itself and the position of the wire using external cameras, sending control data if adjustments have to be made. As it is, UAVs are generally limited to the same set of maneuvers that piloted aircraft have, but the researchers don't feel that this has to be the case. For their next trick they plan to take the show outside, as well as develop vehicles with flapping wings. This is all great, but we're holding out for a device that pitches (and wisecracks) as well as Woody Woodpecker.
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.
Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out
Sometimes, in the seat of our despair (which almost always corresponds with a viewing of The Real Housewives of New Jersey), we reflect on the sorry state of the world and note that the one thing we don't have to doubt is that history is marching us towards a mechanized slaughter that will make World War I look like Burning Man (the rave, not the actual burning people). Sure, it never occurred to anyone to maybe figure out how to cap an undersea oil well, but at least we are making headway in our development of autonomous, long range aircraft (you know, for shooting people and eavesdropping and whatnot). Our latest example of a world gone mad comes courtesy of Boeing, and it's called Phantom Eye. The unmanned aircraft system looks something like a bowling pin with wings and can spend up to four days at 65,000 feet. Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system that promises great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water. At the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis, Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis noted that the "capabilities inherent" in its design "will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers." Awesome! Look for the device later this summer, when it begins a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight early next year.
Britain's Ministry of Defence unveils unmanned Taranis combat aircraft
Well, it looks like Boeing's unmanned Phantom Ray stealth aircraft just got a bit of company courtesy of Britain's Ministry of Defence. It's now unveiled the BAE-built Taranis, which is not just an unmanned aircraft, but an unmanned combat aircraft that promises to be capable of penetrating enemy territory -- as opposed to something like a Predator drone that's only suitable for use if the airspace is under control. As you might expect, complete details on the aircraft are still being kept under wraps, but the MoD says there's "more than a million man hours" behind it, and that its first flight trials will begin early next year. And, no, "unmanned" doesn't mean autonomous -- the MoD is quick to point out that, "should such systems enter into service, they will at all times be under the control of highly trained military crews on the ground." [Thanks, Rob]
