Unmanned
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For several years, VTOL Aerospace has been developing a closed wing tiltrotor aircraft that blends the VTOL capabilities of a helicopter with the range and efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft. The company has now revealed its latest line, a smaller unmanned version called a Converticopter. -
RE2 Robotics, a Carnegie Mellon spin-off located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been tapped by the US Air Force to develop a drop-in robotic system that can fly an unmodified aircraft in much the same way as a human pilot.
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A team of engineers at MIT has developed a cheaper UAV design that has the ability to stay aloft for up to five days at low-altitudes on a single tank of gasoline, potentially offering communications support in areas struck by natural disasters.
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Bomb disposal robots are good in dangerous situations on land, but what if a would-be bomber hides their explosives under a bridge or a ship? In the future the US Navy might send in a submarine drone endowed with a pair of inflatable robot arms that are currently being developed by RE2 Robotics.
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What will the Royal Navy look like in 2036? The Navy's first ever large scale demonstration of marine robotic systems not only showcases new technology, but tests the ability of unmanned vehicles to work with one another as well as with conventional naval ships.
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In a three-day US Naval exercise, Lockheed Martin recently achieved a world-first. It used an unmanned submersible to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), while an unmanned surface vehicle provided surface reconnaissance and surveillance.
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After a software bug forced Damon McMillan to abandon an attempt to send his solar-powered SeaCharger craft on an ocean-crossing solo voyage, he rescheduled for a couple of weeks later. After clocking up over 2,400 miles, the craft arrived safely in Hawaii on July 22.
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The Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) unmanned sub hunter has completed its first round of sea trials, during which main contractor Leidos says it met or surpassed its performance goals.
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A Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter has taken off and flown autonomously from Stratford, Connecticut to Robertson Airport in Plainville, Connecticut, covering a distance of around 30 miles (48 km). The entire flight was executed by an operator using only a tablet device.
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To examine to feasibility for using greater numbers of unmanned and autonomous systems in maritime environments, in the last quarter of 2016 the Royal Navy will conduct Unmanned Warrior, a large-scale technology demonstration off the west coast of Scotland.
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When you hear the name "Boeing," chances are you think of aircraft. The fact is, however, the company has also been developing underwater vehicles since the 1960s. Its latest such creation, the Echo Voyager, is designed to operate autonomously for months at a time.
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Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) together with Sikorsky Aircraft have deployed an autonomous helicopter and all-terrain robot to demonstrate what might be possible when advanced, unmanned vehicles join forces.
