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Wyden Lobbies for C.O. Drone Testing Site

May 1, 2012
By Joe Burns, KTVZ.com

Sen. Wyden Visits Bend Airport to Discuss

BEND, Ore. -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., visited the Bend Municipal Airport Tuesday, in part to see a runway paving project. It's just part of a wide-ranging FAA funding bill the senator helped get passed.

But another part of the bill has the senator particularly interested.

The bill also creates six unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone testing areas nationwide, and Central Oregon is still in the hunt for one. Read More

Get Your Rotor Runnin': ONR-sponsored Flexrotor Program Takes off for Next Phase

Apr 30, 2012
By Press

ARLINGTON, Va.—Part helicopter, part airplane, the Office of Naval Research(ONR)-sponsored Flexrotor vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enters the next development phase April 30 in delivering improved maritime surveillance capability.

The contract awarded today is for the flight controls component. During this phase, Aerovel Corp. will advance Flexrotor’s capability with an upgraded propulsion system to transition from vertical to cruising flight and to land in crosswinds and high winds. The aircraft’s first major milestone was in August 2011, when it successfully transitioned from horizontal to vertical flight and back again. Read More

Canyon County poised to send drone into skies: 'A huge benefit'

Apr 30, 2012
By Associated Press

NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — Canyon County officials in southwest Idaho using federal grants have purchased a remote-control drone for aerial surveillance and public safety that can take still photographs, stream video and use thermal infrared video..

The county used U.S. Homeland Security grants to purchase the Draganflyer X6 drone for $33,500 and that should be flying in the next few weeks.

"I see it to be a huge benefit," Canyon County communications senior officer Christine McPartlan said. "It's a life-saving tool because if you're sending personnel into an unknown situation, you never know what's going to happen. As we get into this we'll be able to find more uses for it."

Officials said the drone can be used to help with investigations and surveillance of crime scenes, barricaded subjects, rescue missions and natural disasters. Read More

Police Department demonstrates new drone, to help allay concerns

April 27, 2012
By Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter

The Seattle Police Department's acquisition of an unmanned aerial vehicle has raised issues about privacy and the use of technology in law enforcement.

The 3.5 pound Draganflyer X6 Helicopter Tech cost $41,000 and is operated with a handheld controller and two joysticks. It has cameras that take still pictures, videos and infrared shots that can be viewed live, but it has a battery life of less than 10 minutes. It can't carry anything that weighs more than 35 ounces.

It also can't be flown around people or over crowds.

Still, the Police Department's acquisition of the unmanned aerial vehicle and its recent approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate the drone has raised issues about privacy, the use of technology in law enforcement and the alleged militarization of police work. Read More or Watch Video

Cantwell Touts Benefits of FAA Reauthorization to SW WA’s Insitu and Regional Aerospace Industry

Thursday, April 05,2012
Press Release of Senator Cantwell

Cantwell Championed Provision Could Help Bingen’s Insitu Create Jobs, Grow Aerospace Industry Southwest Washington currently has 26 Aerospace and Aerospace-Related Companies Employing more than 1,000 Workers.

BINGEN, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) toured Insitu’s unmanned aircraft systems’ (UAS) training facility and highlighted the impact of the recently enacted Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization on Southwest Washington’s aerospace industry. The FAA bill was signed into law on February 14, 2012.

Cantwell fought to include a provision in the FAA bill that will help speed up the safe integration of UASs into the national airspace for government and commercial use. The provision opens up new growth opportunities for Insitu, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of UASs for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Insitu, an independent subsidiary of The Boeing Company, employs roughly 800 people in communities along the Columbia River Gorge, including Bingen, White Salmon, Stevenson, and Vancouver. Read More

UAVForge Competition Fly Off Finalists Announced

16 March 2012
By Tiaan Roux

The DARPA UAV Forge competition is now approaching the Fly Off event at Fort Stewart, Georgia. No specific date for the Fly Off has been announced as yet but the organizers have stated that it will be held sometime around middle of May this year.

View finalist's videos

Insitu Announces ScanEagle Contract with Netherlands Ministry of Defense

BINGEN, Wash., March 19, 2012
By Gary Mortimer

Insitu announced today that it has signed a contract to deliver its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the Netherlands to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for the Ministry of Defense (MOD). The Netherlands will use ScanEagle with the MOD both domestically and abroad.

"We're excited to be part of the Netherlands' ISR solution for the Ministry of Defense," said Insitu President and CEO Steve Morrow. "ScanEagle provides ISR that is competitive with other larger UAS at a fraction of the price."

ScanEagle will provide the MOD an ISR capability during the second half of 2012, replacing a program that ended in the middle of 2011. Looking forward, Netherlands MOD and Insitu plan to continue to explore the potential for multi-mission ISR capabilities using a next-generation Insitu UAS that carries multiple ISR sensors and enables rapid, robust payload integration. Read More

Contracts Boost UAV Fee-for-service Market

Mar 15, 2012
By Graham Warwick

Unmanned aircraft are maturing fast and, with Pentagon procurement slowing, more companies see a growing market in operating fleets of vehicles to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services on behalf of customers. This is bringing new competitors into the market.

The U.S. Navy has qualified AAI Corp., Boeing Insitu and CSC to bid competitively to provide sea- and land-based ISR services under a five-year, $874 million contract vehicle. AAI and Insitu both have experience in operating their unmanned aircraft systems in the field, but this is a new business for information technology services giant CSC. Read More

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test Site Selection

March 7, 2012 – The FAA is asking for the public's input on our selection process for six UAS test sites. Your feedback will help us develop UAS test site requirements, designation standards and oversight activity, as well as provide valuable experience to help us safely and efficiently integrate UASs into the same airspace with manned airplanes. Read More

Unmanned Vehicle University is the first University in the World dedicated to unmanned education

TACOMA, WA (Mar 10, 2012) – Unmanned Vehicle University announces availability of all course offerings on the iPad and iPhone. Now you can participate in unmanned executive and degree program courses in a mobile environment. Participate in online courses from your computer, iphone or ipad. Prepare your company or yourself for the coming explosion of unmanned systems in the UAS civil and commercial markets. Unmanned Vehicle University is the first University in the World to offer graduate degrees (MS and PhD) in Unmanned Systems Engineering. Degrees are offered in Unmanned Air, Ground and Sea systems. Our expert instructors have an average of 25 years of experience. An unmanned vehicle is part of a system composed of the vehicle, communications, payload and a control station. A systems engineering approach is taken for higher education. Courses are taught online from 7 to 9 PM EST one day per week for a 12 week quarter. Graduates will enter the Unmanned Systems career field for roles in R&D, design, development, integration, test and operations. If you just want to learn UAV basics and understand the issues for take the Executive Certificate course in Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles

The Executive certificate class to teach the basics of UAVs starts May 9 and degree programs start June 11. All classes taught online from 7 to 9 PM EST with a live instructor. For more information visit www.uxvuniversity.com

Dr (Col Ret) Jerry LeMieux
Executive Director
206-787-2807
administrator@uxvuniversity.com
www.uxvuniversity.com

High school robotics competition

Posted Feburary 15 by FOX 12

A group of high school students are in a competition to build the best robot.

Several local high schoolers are building robots as part of a unique educational program.

The FIRST Robotics Competition Regional Event will take place at the Memorial Coliseum March 9-10.

Cross-institutional teams commence early operations

BINGEN, Wash., Feb. 15, 2012-Insitu Inc. announced today that it has delivered and flown one of two Integrator Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) that will provide the U.S. Marine Corps an early operational capability for the Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) program.

“The Integrator system delivery at Twentynine Palms, just less than a year-and-a-half post-contract award, is a reflection of our commitment to STUAS and our commitment to the U.S. Marine Corps,” said Insitu Senior Vice President of Integrator Programs Bill Clark. “We continue to be grateful for the opportunity to support the warfighter with cost-effective and ever-increasing ISR capability.”

DOD plans to spend $5.78 billion for unmanned vehicles procurement and research in 2013

February 14, 2012
Posted by John Keller

Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) plan to spend at least $5.78 billion to buy and develop unmanned vehicles and unmanned vehicle payloads next year, according to data in the Pentagon's budget documents released this week. This figure is down 13.14 percent from the same levels of spending this year, and is down 16.9 percent from unmanned vehicles procurement and research in 2011.

The military services and Pentagon agencies plan to spend $4.14 billion on unmanned vehicle procurement and $1.63 billion on unmanned vehicle research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) in fiscal 2013, which begins next Oct. 1.

The bill awaits President Obama's signature

Feburary 14, 2012

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the FAA bill conference agreement, following the House's passage on 3 Feb. The bill now awaits President Obama's signature before it becomes law. Once enacted, the bill starts the clock on a number of deadlines the FAA must meet to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system. Chief among them is a deadline for full integration by 30 Sept. 2015.

The UAS industry has made tremendous technological advancements since Congress last passed an FAA bill in 2003, and this legislation recognizes the important role UAS will play in the future air transportation system. Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee, said, "by setting requirements and deadlines for FAA rules for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems, the conference report also unlocks the potential for private sector job creation here at home that has so far been stalled by government inaction."

In praising Congress's passage of the bill, AUVSI's President & CEO Michael Toscano said, "UAS are truly a revolutionary-type technology, and I'm confident that once people can fly UAS in the national airspace for civil and commercial purposes, such as oil and pipeline monitoring, crop dusting, and search and rescue, a whole new industry will emerge, inventing products and accomplishing tasks we haven't even thought of yet."

Some of the major UAS provisions AUVSI helped draft and advocate for inclusion in the bill include:

Setting a 30 Sept. 2015 deadline for full integration of UAS into the national airspace;
Requiring a comprehensive integration plan within nine months;
Requiring the FAA to create a five-year UAS roadmap (which should be updated annually);
Requiring small UAS (under 55lbs) to be allowed to fly within 27 months;
Requiring six UAS test sites within six months (similar to the language in the already-passed Defense Authorization bill);
Requiring small UAS (under 55lbs) be allowed to fly in the U.S. Arctic, 24-hours-a-day, beyond line-of-sight, at an altitude of at least 2,000 ft, within one year;
Requiring expedited access for public users, such as law enforcement, firefighters, emergency responders, etc.;
Allowing first responders to fly very small UAS (4.4lbs or less) within 90 days if they meet certain requirements;

The goal is to get law enforcement and firefighters immediate access to start flying small systems to save lives and increase public safety.

Requiring the FAA to study UAS human factors and causes of accidents; and
Exempting model aircraft, so long as the aircraft weighs less than 55lbs and follows a set of community-based safety standards.

For more information about the FAA bill or the UAS test sites, contact our Advocacy Team at advocacy@auvsi.org.

2012 WORLD'S SMALLEST MODE S TRANSPONDER WITH ADS-B OUT, NOW AVAILABLE FROM SAGETECH

February, 2012

Sagetech Corporation is now accepting orders for the new Mode S Transponder with ADS-B Out, which last week was released for production. Then Sagetech XP Family of Transponders offers the lightest and smallest transponders in the world, ideal where size, weight and power are at a premium. They have a footprint the size of a business card and at 100g, weigh 30% less than an iPhone. All Sagetech XP Family Transponders have an integrated altitude encoder, which is compliant to FAA TSO requirements. The Sagetech XP Mode S Transponder with ADS-B Out provides full ICAO Mode S performance and ADS-B extended squitter outputs. In addition to the new Mode S transponder, Sagetech offers a Mode C unit and is working on the ADS-B In/Out version.

About Sagetech Corporation

Sagetech Corporation, formed in 1998, provides avionics subsystem products, services and solutions for the aviation industry. These solutions range from avionics modules and sensors to the world's smallest Mode S transponder. Sagetech helps customers achieve greater performance by offering innovative and highly reliable products that save weight and power which directly translates to greater flight time. Sagetech is headquartered in White Salmon, Washington with 100 employees. Information about Sagetech Corporation as well as the entire XP Family of Transponders can be found at www.SagetechCorp.com

Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Cascade announces Robotics Scholarship

February 8, 2012

CONTACT: Lisa Brookshier Cell 503-577-1279

Cascade Chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's (AUVSI) mission is to leverage our strengths to advance economic growth, promote innovation, and create jobs in the unmanned systems and robotics industry in the Pacific Northwest.

AUVSI Cascade Chapter is proud to offer its first Robotics Scholarship for the 2012-13 school year. Application for this scholarship is made through the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC). www.oregonstudentaid.gov

Application deadline is March 1, 2012.

The scholarship was created to recognize and help support an Oregon high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student to pursue full-time studies in the area of robotics.
The scholarship selection committee will take into consideration an applicant's academics and individual achievements.

DARPA ISO UAV

January 25th, 2012

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is trying out innovation the 21st century way: crowdsourcing. The agency, along with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic and Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems, wants to build an advanced unmanned aerial vehicle, so it asked engineers and designers to submit their ideas.

The initiative, called UAVForge, received submissions from more than 1,400 teams, who were encouraged to share ideas and problems they've encountered in the hope that they would build on each other's ingenuity and create something they might not have by working in secret. It's still a competition, though; whichever team creates the best product will take home a $100,000 prize. UAVForge is currently in the process of voting for the top 10 ideas.

Read More

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