NASA has awarded a small business grant to the University of Cincinnati (UC) to develop better autonomous navigation for drones.
Detroit-based drone inspection company Skypersonic has further prepared for its role in a simulated NASA Mars mission by testing its hallmark remote UAV and rover piloting system during trials on the Martian-esque terrain of Italy’s volcanic Mt. Etna.
Instant logistics and drone delivery specialist Zipline has entered a partnership with US space agency NASA to examine the future operation of UAVs and advanced air mobility (AAM) craft and services, particularly those using multiple autonomous vehicles at once.
We’re working toward a future where passenger air taxis and drone deliveries are to become a part of everyday mobility. But how will these autonomous systems access important information, such as deteriorating weather conditions, to complete each flight safely? To address this issue, NASA researchers are exploring the creation of a decentralized data and reasoning hub that would help autonomous aircraft to make critical safety decisions rapidly.
NASA has partnered with other US agencies and a Colorado-based drone manufacturer to create a UAV-based system to observe volcanoes for indications of what otherwise might be unexpected, catastrophic eruptions for local communities.
If you’re a drone pilot, you likely know there are certain risks you take on when flying through a fog. In some circumstances, the fog may trigger the drone’s obstacle avoidance sensors or prevent it from descending because the aircraft starts to think of the fog as a landing spot. Then, why on earth are NASA engineers flying drones in fog so thick, you can’t see three feet in front of you?
