Funding for safe drone navigation

The European Space Agency (ESA) has funded Ampyx Power, developer of a next-generation wind energy technology, and Omnisense, developer of locating and tracking solutions, to develop a robust fail-safe navigation system. The positioning solution will be used for automated take-off and landing of Ampyx Power’s wind energy aircraft when applied offshore or over rugged terrain. The technology will be enabling as well for other drones in critical applications.

Ampyx Power develops Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES) using autonomous tethered aircraft as a means for generating electricity on the ground. The launch and land deck is smaller than the wing span of the aircraft. High accuracy, availability and integrity of the relative positioning between aircraft and platform is required during the final horizontal approach to ensure safe landing of the aircraft in the case of GNSS outage. The funding will cover the integration into the navigation solution of a local positioning system that seeks to provide 10 cm of relative positioning accuracy with 100 Hz update rate and an operating range up to 1 km. Ultra-wide band positioning techniques will be used to make this happen. https://navisp.esa.int

AeroVironment unveils Quantix™ Recon

AeroVironment has announced the availability of Quantix™ Recon, a lightweight, rapidly deployable, fullyautomated reconnaissance solution that delivers high resolution, georeferenced terrain, vegetation and infrastructure imagery, providing ground forces with ondemand actionable intelligence.

With its unique hybrid VTOL design, Quantix Recon combines the vertical takeoff and landing advantages of a multirotor drone with the range, speed and efficiency of a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft. Featuring fully-automated flight operation, it surveys up to 1.6 square kilometers (0.6 square miles), or 20 linear kilometers (12.4 miles) per 45-minute single battery flight. Multiple automated reconnaissance mode options allow users to choose between line (route), area and waypoint targeted data capture. Collected aerial imagery data is compatible with a wide range of available GIS analytical tools to facilitate further analysis. www.avinc.com.

Drones to patrol Nur-Sultan during COVID-19 lockdown

KazUAV, Kazakhstan’s leading drone service provider and a member of Japanbased Terra Drone Corporation, has been working at the frontlines to keep communities safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Providing direct support to the operational headquarters set up to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Kazakhstan, KazUAV has been helping the Nur-Sultan Police Department to patrol the borders of the locked-down capital city with drones, ensuring ‘contactless’ surveillance and fastpaced operations. terra-drone.co.jp

Ascent Vision Technologies announces new CUAS System release

As the need to continue to adapt to the growing threat posed by small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT) has released the latest variant of the eXpeditionary Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (X-MADIS), offering next-generation portable, onthe- move counter sUAS capabilities.

The newest version of the X-MADIS incorporates several new hardware components for enhanced ruggedness and on-the-move accuracy in rough terrain. It also offers improved power distribution and simpler setup and deployment. To ensure no threat goes undetected, the X-MADIS combines radar with a radio frequency (RF) detection sensor for reliable detection, classification and locating of commercial sUAS. https://ascentvision.com