In this week’s roundup from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, which highlights some of the latest news and headlines in unmanned vehicles and robotics, a new project to survey Connecticut’s Thames River with autonomous vehicles, and automation technology is added to the schedule of the 2021 World Economic Forum.
ThayerMahan Conducts Underwater Survey on Connecticut’s Thames River
New technology being utilized by ThayerMahan, a leader in autonomous maritime security solutions, and University of Connecticut’s Department of Marine Sciences during a collaborative project to survey Connecticut’s Thames River has proven effective. According to a recent press release, the SeaScout system, which is “an actively stabilized towed vehicle with synthetic aperture sonar and multibeam echosounder payloads” allowed the partners to “generate ultra-fine resolution (3cm x 3cm) beamformed imagery and interferometric bathymetry of undersea cables, boulders, rocks, and seafloor characteristics in real-time.”
U-Conn and ThayerMahan are beginning a two-year project for tracking changes to the health of local aquatic conditions. Data will be documented, then used to evaluate and improve security within the port area. According to Michael Connor, ThayerMahan’s President and CEO,
“ThayerMahan is thankful for the NIUVT project and is very excited about our partnership with UConn. This project, leveraging ThayerMahan’s ability to rapidly gather high-quality imagery in real-time, is an important step toward safely developing the Blue Economy offshore and enabling the safe and secure use of our harbors by commercial and government vessels. All ships, particularly those carrying environmentally sensitive cargoes and munitions, should be able to operate in restricted waters confident that neither obstructions nor threats lie in their path. Our seabed imaging capability can make that a reality today. ThayerMahan is proud to support the State of Connecticut and the future of the Port of New London.”
Iris Automation is Invited to the World Economic Forum
Iris Automation, a “vision-based technology innovator for commercial drones”, has been formally invited to take part in the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators group. The World Economic Forum brings together leaders from across industry, government, and business to help lead initiatives that benefit society. Iris Automation will join this highly prestigious community to address key issues facing the world through innovation and ethical technology development.
According to Timothy Reuter, Head of Aerospace and Drones at the World Economic Forum, “Amid major global disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a critical moment for innovative companies to bring forward new ideas to help protect lives and livelihoods of communities and industries around the world. The integration of unmanned air systems can positively impact vaccine logistics supply chains and other public health needs, but only if performed safely. We look forward to having Iris Automation contribute to our pursuit of solutions leading to these kinds of positive societal outcomes.”
The community holds several forums, including Shaping the Future of Mobility, which is the stage where Iris Automation will participate. Their leadership in the development of advanced detection systems enabling detect-and-avoid capabilities, which support BVLOS operations, will contribute to new solutions in aid of the current global crisis. Iris Automation will team up with Drone Innovators Network in developing air safety policy frameworks.
According to Jon Damush, CEO of Iris Automation, “Scaling the use of unpiloted aircraft promises tremendous economic and societal benefits. We are thrilled to work with the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators Community to share ideas and drive thoughtful solutions that address the pressing needs of our time”.
The hunt for safe solutions that will generate positive results for society cannot be overstated.
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