UAV

Virtual Surveyor upgrades UAV surveying software

Virtual Surveyor has enhanced its smart UAV surveying software with new planimetric survey capabilities. Its version 9.5 allows users to quickly and accurately survey 2D features from UAV orthophotos and add them to the 3D topographic model generated from the same data set. It provides users with an end-to-end workflow to conduct 3D surveys from UAV imagery. The integrated Terrain Creator app photogrammetrically processes UAV photos to build survey-grade digital surface models (DSMs) and orthomosaics. www.virtual-surveyor.com

RapidFlight announces cuttingedge mobile production system

RapidFlight has released its customerproven Mobile Production System (MPS). MPS enables the manufacturing and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from forward locations. It can be owned and operated by RapidFlight, or it can be used by the US Department of Defense (DoD), its allies, and defense contractor primes as an effective way to mass manufacture their UAVs anywhere in the world.

A single MPS can produce 28 Group 3 aircraft per month (or much higher quantities for Group 2 and/or Group 1). Each MPS unit can be operated independently or in coordination with other MPS units by two trained technicians. www.rapidflight.aero

Edge Autonomy upgrades UAS

Edge Autonomy has released significant upgrades to its VXE30 Stalker unmanned aerial system (UAS) through the new “Havoc” configuration, designed to double the system’s flight endurance and payload capacity.

The VXE30 Stalker UAS has silent, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and is payload agnostic with the Havoc configuration. It supports easy integration of third-party payloads and subsystems through a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), requiring no additional training for current operators. edgeautonomy.io

NOAA, Verizon Frontline enhance storm damage assessment

NOAA and Verizon Frontline signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to explore new strategies to rapidly deploy uncrewed aircraft systems that will collect and distribute imagery of damage resulting from severe storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

As part of this partnership, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team will provide the uncrewed aircraft system platform, sensor, and personnel resources needed to rapidly respond and collect aerial imagery of storm-damaged areas of interest identified by NOAA.

The goal is to enhance the ability of NOAA’s National Weather Service offices to quickly conduct post-storm damage assessments, while also providing data for research conducted by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. research.noaa.gov

Pix4D upgrades PIX4Dcatch

Pix4D have launched PIX4Dcatch 2.0. This new and improved version of Pix4D’s terrestrial scanning iOS mobile app adds professionalgrade augmented reality (AR) and compatibility with a multitude of RTK devices. It is an easy-to-use mobile 3D scanning and AR visualization tool.

With the 2.0 update, PIX4Dcatch gains professional-grade AR features that enable interaction with a site in real time. Using AR, plans can be overlaid on-site and visualized for rapid approval during project design, construction, and postconstruction inspections.