IIDT 3D maps with UAV

Reconstruction of a 3D object from 2D pictures, to measure the areas, depth of a specific surface. This can be used for digital animation and for Intelligence purposes.

3D Printed Quad 2.0

Just a sort of amazing pictures of the 3D-Printed QuadCopter 2.0 of Mike Bristol. As you will note, the technology used was FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) (Read more)

GeoDragon: 3D ISR

A sensor system designed to create 3-D reconstructions in near-real time and output high-resolution digital elevation models, LIDAR-like datasets, and wide area maps has been flown on an Arcturus T-20 Tier II UAV.

The system, called GeoDragon, is enclosed in a wing-mounted pod and is capable of high resolution 2-D and 3-D image capture. Urban Robotics in Portland, OR, which designed the sensor, says among its "unique aspects" are low weight (equating to longer endurance and loiter time,) small operational footprint on the ground (1 or 2 full size pick-up trucks,) a quick mount/dismount pod, quiet operation (the T-20 utilizes a modified 4-stroke engine,) and the ability to fly simultaneously with other payloads on the T-20, such as EO/IR.

GeoDragon imagery is post-processed using automated 3-D algorithms to rapidly generate large mapping and modeling datasets. Urban Robotics develops software and hardware solutions for 3-D ISR, remote sensing and geospatial applications, including collection, post-processing, and data management. The aircraft was built by Arcturus UAV in Rohnert Park, CA. Urban Robotics says the GeoDragon adds significant 3-D imaging and mapping capabilities to the T-20 UAV. The system is scheduled to be released in mid-2014.

ARDEC's Anti-UAV Weapons

As the military use of UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) has increased dramatically, including by entities that may pose a threat to the United States, scientists at Picatinny Arsenal are part of the effort to counter potential threats to U.S. armed forces by such systems.

According to UAS vision in many cases, unmanned aircrafts are used to gather intelligence with cameras and sensors, thus there is a need for the U.S. Armed Forces to have counter measures in place. Since 2010, the U.S. Army Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center, known as ARDEC, at Picatinny Arsenal, has been positioning itself as a player in the close-in counter UAS mission by participating in an annual experiment to assess the Department of Defense, inter-agency and private industry capabilities in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or C-UAS.

In 2012, ARDEC partnered with the Navy’s Office of Strategic Systems Programs and successfully demonstrated the capabilities of fire-control radar to detect, track, and characterize UAVs. This information was then used to veer a remote weapon station gimbal at the threat UAS, emulating a potential defeat system. Given the success in being able to accurately detect and track unmanned systems, in fiscal year 2013, ARDEC directed its focus on integrating the fire control radar with a variety of current weapon systems that could potentially neutralize the UAV threat.

After a System of Systems analysis, the integrated C-UAS System of Systems included three different end-to-end “kill chain” capabilities. According to ARDEC Project Officer Hannibal People, ARDEC was proven to be successful with its effort in 2013, since the integrated System of Systems showed as a promising solution after defeating the UAS threat at two different test events. This ability marks the first time a small class UAS has been defeated by a prototype U.S. Army “gun launched” munition using a novel warhead design. The significance of this accomplishment is the potential to provide a single-shot, low-cost-per-kill weapon system that can function in a multi-role capability for both fixed and mobile Army platforms.

¿How the Predator UAV Works?

Military commanders use tactics and strategy in combat to inflict as much damage on the enemy while trying to risk as few personnel and resources as possible. This principle was at the heart of the development of the RQ-1 and MQ-1 Predator UAV. (Read more)

UAVs for Real Estate

Amazing UAV-film recorded at International Drive, Orlando, FL.:

Personal UAVs

Some of the UAVs being shown at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas include items that are for play, personal photography and other uses which could lead to a market for the products.

French-based technology firm Parrot unveiled its "mini drone" toy which can be controlled from a smartphone. "We have civilian drones and now we have toy drones," Parrot's Nicolas Haftermeyer told AFP, describing the Parrot drone as a device designed for teenagers who enjoy a challenge of using a tablet to drive the device. While one division of the French firm makes fixed-wing drones for mapping and other purposes, this devices, which can be held in one's hand, are purely designed for play, says Haftermeyer.

DJI's Michael Perry said the group has established "a platform for any user to create amazing videos from the skies." While most of the usage so far has been for personal photography and professional cinematographers, Perry said DJI devices were also used for search-and-rescue operations in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. The company offered a test flight of its Phantom 2 Vision which it calls "the world's first consumer quadcopter with a built-in high-performance camera." The device can fly 25 minutes and send images and location back to a smartphone which directs navigation. It also is programmed to return home if the user loses the location. DJI says the device can revolutionize photography by getting to places normally inaccessible, like the middle of the Grand Canyon, or close to sporting events. But there could be other uses, such as for disaster relief. DJI has three other flying devices including one designed for professional cinematography and photography.

Canada cautious on UAV development

One of the more detailed studies of UAVs in Canada has been conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which earlier this year published a lengthy tome on the privacy implications of the new technology. (Read more)

The future of drones in real estate

The most immediate positive result for the real estate industry is that camera – equipped UAV’s allow you to capture very low altitude aerial footage, which often does a better job at telling a home’s story, compared with higher altitude footage.

UAVs can record highly stabilized HD video and sound and transmit that video & audio down to a receiver on the ground. If a pilot loses contact with their UAV while in the air, many have a “go home” feature that will automatically fly the UAV back to the take off location to safely land by itself. 

National Guard training center to host open-source UAV research

Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center will host a multi-agency research program designed to drive innovation and reduce costs of government unmanned vehicle technology.

The Open Source Unmanned Remote and Autonomous Vehicle Systems (OS-URAVS) program is a collaborative, public-private program to be based at Camp Shelby and administered in conjunction with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Acquisition University and private-sector organizations, including the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI).

John Weathersby, executive director of OSSI, said the OS-URAVS program seeks to identify common open-source technologies and practices used within various agencies’ unmanned vehicle programs. “The goal is to identify and document specific technical, economic and administrative benefits provided by open technology solutions and to share this information with government unmanned vehicle programs, commercial suppliers and open-source development communities,” he said. OSSI developed the OS-URAVS program as part of the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate's Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) program. The DHS HOST program was launched in 2007 to identify open-source software solutions that support national cybersecurity objectives. The initial phase of the OS-URAVS program is scheduled to last one year.

FAA names six states as UAV test sites

The FAA has announced that six states have won the bid for official UAV testing sites. The states that won the bids include Virginia, Nevada, Texas, New York, Alaska and North Dakota. The sites will allow for testing of UAVs in controlled environments to gather data on how different UAVs perform. In 2015, the FAA has been mandated to open the airspace for operation of UAVs.  Agriculture is said to be one of the primary beneficiaries of UAV technology in the future.