For more than 15 years, the Bionic Learning Network has been focusing on the fascination of flying. In addition to the technical decoding of bird flight, the team has researched and technologically implemented numerous other flying objects and their natural principles. With the BionicBee, the Bionic Learning Network has now for the first time developed a flying object that can fly in large numbers and completely autonomously in a swarm. The BionicBee will present its first flight show at the Hannover Messe 2024.
At around 34 grams, a length of 220 millimetres and a wingspan of 240 millimetres, the BionicBee is the smallest flying object created by the Bionic Learning Network to date. For the first time, the developers used the method of generative design: after entering just a few parameters, a software application uses defined design principles to find the optimal structure to use as little material as necessary while maintaining the most stable construction possible. This consistent lightweight construction is essential for good manoeuvrability and flying time.
Autonomous flying in a swarm
The autonomous behavior of the bee swarm is achieved with the help of an indoor locating system with ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. For this purpose, eight UWB anchors are installed in the space on two levels. This enables an accurate time measurement and allows the bees to locate themselves in the space. The UWB anchors send signals to the individual bees, which can independently measure the distances to the respective transmitting elements and calculate their own position in the space using the time stamps.
To fly in a swarm, the bees follow the paths specified by a central computer. To ensure safe and collision-free flight in close formation, a high degree of spatial and temporal accuracy is required. When planning the path, the possible mutual interaction through air turbulence “downwash” must also be taken into account.
As every bee is handmade and even the smallest manufacturing differences can influence its flight behavior, the bees additionally have an automatic calibration function: After a short test fl ight, each bee determines its individually optimized controller parameters. The intelligent algorithm can thus calculate the hardware differences between the individual bees, allowing the entire swarm to be controlled from outside, as if all bees were identical.
Establishing human-robot trust isn’t always easy. Beyond the fear of automation going rogue, robots simply don’t communicate how they are doing. When this happens, establishing a basis for humans to trust robots can be difficult.
Now, research is shedding light on how autonomous systems can foster human confidence in robots. Largely, the research suggests that humans have an easier time trusting a robot that offers some kind of self-assessment as it goes about its tasks, according to Aastha Acharya, a Draper Scholar and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Acharya said we need to start considering what communications are useful, particularly if we want to have humans trust and rely on their automated co-workers. “We can take cues from any effective workplace relationship, where the key to establishing trust is understanding co-workers’ capabilities and limitations,” she said. A gap in understanding can lead to improper tasking of the robot, and subsequent misuse, abuse or disuse of its autonomy.
To understand the problem, Acharya joined researchers from Draper and the University of Colorado Boulder to study how autonomous robots that use learned probabilistic world models can compute and express self-assessed competencies in the form of machine self-confidence. Probabilistic world models take into account the impact of uncertainties in events or actions in predicting the potential occurrence of future outcomes.
In the study, the world models were designed to enable the robots to forecast their behavior and report their own perspective about their tasking prior to task execution. With this information, a human can better judge whether a robot is sufficiently capable of completing a task, and adjust expectations to suit the situation.
To demonstrate their method, researchers developed and tested a probabilistic world model on a simulated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission for an autonomous uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV flew over a field populated by a radio tower, an airstrip and mountains. The mission was designed to collect data from the tower while avoiding detection by an adversary. The UAV was asked to consider factors such as detections, collections, battery life and environmental conditions to understand its task competency.
Findings were reported in the article “Generalizing Competency Self-Assessment for Autonomous Vehicles Using Deep Reinforcement Learning,” where the team addressed several important questions. How do we encourage appropriate human trust in an autonomous system? How do we know that self-assessed capabilities of the autonomous system are accurate?
Human-machine collaboration lies at the core of a wide spectrum of algorithmic strategies for generating soft assurances, which are collectively aimed at trust management, according to the paper. “Humans must be able to establish a basis for correctly using and relying on robotic autonomy for success,” the authors said. The team behind the paper includes Acharya’s advisors Rebecca Russell, Ph.D., from Draper and Nisar Ahmed, Ph.D., from the University of Colorado Boulder.
The research into autonomous self-assessment is based upon work supported by DARPA’s Competency-Aware Machine Learning (CAML) program.
In addition, funds for this study were provided by the Draper Scholar Program. The program gives graduate students the opportunity to conduct their thesis research under the supervision of both a faculty adviser and a member of Draper’s technical staff, in an area of mutual interest. Draper Scholars’ graduate degree tuition and stipends are funded by Draper.
Since 1973, the Draper Scholar Program, formerly known as the Draper Fellow Program, has supported more than 1,000 graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in engineering and the sciences. Draper Scholars are from both civilian and military backgrounds, and Draper Scholar alumni excel worldwide in the technical, corporate, government, academic, and entrepreneurship sectors.
Draper
At Draper, we believe exciting things happen when new capabilities are imagined and created. Whether formulating a concept and developing each component to achieve a field-ready prototype, or combining existing technologies in new ways, Draper engineers apply multidisciplinary approaches that deliver new capabilities to customers. As a nonprofit engineering innovation company, Draper focuses on the design, development and deployment of advanced technological solutions for the world’s most challenging and important problems. We provide engineering solutions directly to government, industry and academia; work on teams as prime contractor or subcontractor; and participate as a collaborator in consortia. We provide unbiased assessments of technology or systems designed or recommended by other organizations—custom designed, as well as commercial-off-the-shelf. Visit Draper at http://www.draper.com.
This article was written by Anthony Jamison, a representative at Drones Services Phoenix. Anthony Jamison is the head of the Outreach Department of Drone Services Phoenix, Arizona’s premier aerial photography and videography company
There is no question about the impact unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or aerial drones are making across industries these days.
Whether you’re a general contractor, a miner, a roofer, farmer, or a filmmaker, you will surely find suitable uses for an aerial drone, which can reach places and spaces you never imagined would be accessible a decade or so ago.
And today’s drones are not just about physically reaching hard-to-access spots. The fact that most, if not all of them are fitted with high-definition cameras also makes them capable of taking stunning photographs and videos while in flight.
The beauty of aerial drone videography also makes UAVs perfect for marketing activities, specifically event marketing.
If you’re part of a corporate marketing team and you’re organizing a music festival, a trade show, or any event, you might want to make good use of drones in the following ways:
Finding The Perfect Location
You need an open-air venue for your event, and you have already set your sights on a piece of land a few miles from the city.
The place may look good on the ground, but you want a complete idea of what it can offer and what you can do to the area for the event.
The solution? Get a drone in the air and shoot photos and videos of the whole property. With aerial photos and videos on hand, you can make a full assessment of the venue’s event-worthiness and start your planning for the event itself.
Billboards In The Sky
Billboards have always been a staple in marketing and advertising, and they still work, especially those huge ones that nobody can ever miss.
However, you can take things a step further by using flying billboards to market your event. Get a couple of drones, attach banners or tarpaulins to them, and have them fly over certain areas where your billboards in the sky can get the most eyes on them.
Enhanced Security
Your event can always use more security, and drones are more than capable of providing that.
With drones flying overhead during an event, you and your team can easily spot disturbances and possible trouble areas and alert security personnel to them right away.
Live Streaming
Event marketers can use live streaming with drones not only to hype up an event before it takes place but also broadcast the whole thing live to a massive audience while it’s unfolding.
Live streaming drone videos of the venue and the various preparations can help create buzz for the event itself and make people look forward to being there. Your brand’s followers would love to see behind-the-scenes footage of members of your team doing whatever they can to help make the event a success.
Once the event is taking place, a drone with live streaming capabilities can give the people who can’t make it to the venue a chance to see the goings-on while they are going on, making them feel like they’re there with you.
Creating Videos For Social Media
If live-streaming is not possible, you can always have your drone shoot all the necessary shots just the same, then create a video that you can post on all your social media channels.
As much as possible, post your drone videos for your event on YouTube and Facebook. After all, the former is the world’s top video streaming channel, while the latter has close to three billion active users worldwide.
While you’re at it, post your drone videos on your company website, too, since they can also help attract more traffic.
Giving Sponsors Due Credit
More often than not, major events are made possible with the help of corporate and individual sponsors.
You can show your appreciation for their involvement in your event by playing all over the venue videos shot by your drones featuring sponsors’ banners, signage, booths, or any indicator of the help they extended to you.
Celebratory Drone Light Shows
If your budget allows it, putting up a drone light show can serve as a high point for the event itself.
Unlike expensive fireworks, drone light shows don’t disperse toxic pollutants into the air, litter the venue with spent casings, and, more importantly, don’t scare birds, wildlife, and pets to death.
The creative possibilities are also endless, as drones can be used to create every imaginable pattern and shape in every possible color hundreds of feet in the air.
The crowd at your event and the people watching the live stream will indeed find themselves immensely entertained if you close the proceedings with a drone light show.
There are many other possible uses of drones for your event marketing efforts, but the ones listed above should be a good enough place to start.
You can always get a drone or two yourself to use in event marketing, but keep in mind that operating a drone requires a license.
If having your own drone is out of the question, you can always opt to partner with a drone services provider who has the license and the expertise to fly drones safely.
SqwaQ, a pioneering leader in air-to-ground (A2G) LTE connectivity that enables safe BVLOS drone flights, has been recognized by the AUVSI with a 2020 Xcellence Award for Technology & Innovation. Winners were selected from a pool of accomplished applicants across various categories.
“The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor innovators with a demonstrated commitment to advancing autonomy, leading and promoting safe adoption of unmanned systems and developing programs that use these technologies to save lives and improve the human condition,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI.
The SqwaQbox is the first carrier approved 4G/LTE modem for Airborne LTE Operations (ALO) that delivers robust, multi-redundant connectivity for safe BVLOS flights. The 270 gram device enables multiple cameras and sensors to stream video in real time with nationwide Command and Control (C2) of the aircraft. This provides the remote pilot with an in-the-cockpit experience that includes pilot view cameras, the capability to fly in controlled airspace, remote operation of ADSB or Mode-S transponders, voice communication to the remote air traffic control tower using aviation VHF radio, and more. The remote pilot can safely integrate with manned aircraft traffic and even take off or land at the world’s busiest airports. These capabilities, and more like it, are already patented by SqwaQ and part of a longer range roadmap that integrates unmanned traffic, rather than UTM segregation which is restrictive and not practical.
A major obstacle facing the UAS industry has been the ability to maintain command and control over long distances via a multi-redundant communication link that not only streams video and sensor data, but can pass muster with FAA safety requirements. SqwaQ understood this from the outset and manufactures the AS9100 Certified SqwaQbox to those aviation standards, with an eye toward additional FAA certifications that may become mandatory for all UASs the future.
Over the last ten years, the drone industry has been guided by robotics engineers and drone enthusiasts with little knowledge of FAA rules or FAR safety guidelines. This has led to challenging FAA authority over the airspace and ignoring aviation safety guidelines in hopes of allowing tens of thousands of flimsy drones to invade the safest airspace in the world. To the FAA this is a dangerous threat. SqwaQ technology is the missing component that resolves this conflict and integrates all connected aircraft in the sky, allowing safe integration of any properly built Remotely Piloted Aircraft.
Today in 2020, major aviation manufacturers are quietly designing their own Remotely Piloted Aircraft solutions with an eye toward full FAA type class certification and safety compliance. That’s not a Part 107 waiver or Part 135 exemption that restricts operations. It means passing a rigid safety certification like Boeing, Bell and Airbus routinely undertake with manned aircraft, to fly unfettered in the airspace and deliver value to customers that toy drones cannot achieve.
SqwaQ is engaged with many aviation manufacturing partners to lead the transformation to certified Remotely Piloted Aircraft. That RPA moniker will denote a real aircraft, flown freely across controlled airspace by a real pilot holding a conventional pilot certification and pedigree. SqwaQ anticipates that OEMs using its BVLOS technology may eliminate 75% of their competitors in the drone industry, as certified aircraft push out the flimsy toys being fobbed off, particularly in public safety.
With Commercial UAV Expo Americas slated for September 15-17, organizers of the event have announced that they are expecting the participation of thousands of UAS professionals from around the world. The 2020 edition of the event, originally scheduled to take place at Paris Las Vegas, will instead take place virtually due to ongoing health and safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attendees represent industries such as construction, drone delivery, energy and utilities, forestry and agriculture, infrastructure and transportation, mining and aggregates, public safety and emergency services, security, surveying and mapping, and many more.
Commercial UAV Expo Americas Virtual will kick off on Tuesday, September 15 with Virtual “Outdoor” Flying Demonstrations open to all registrants. Leading UAS vendors will demo their drones and software in action, providing insight into their capabilities. Vendors participating in the demos include Iris Automation, Doosan, Sundance Media Group, Sabrewing Aircraft Company, Inc., and Autel Robotics. Following the demos are Emerging Technology Showcases in which UAS solution providers will present their newest technology.
The highly anticipated conference program, organized by conference planners with input from Commercial UAV Expo Americas’ Advisory Board, kicks off at 9:00 AM PT on Wednesday, September 16 with a keynote presentation from FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, the first of three highly anticipated keynote speakers. Mr. Dickson will share how over the past year the industry and the FAA have made substantial progress related to UAS. Immediately following Mr. Dickson, Scott Breor, Acting Deputy Assistant Director, CISA, will provide an update on threats in critical infrastructure, securing facilities, and resources available to the industry. The third keynote speaker, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios, will provide an update from the White House on Thursday, September 17, preceding a keynote panel presentation from the UPS Flight Forward Team. The remainder of the 40+ hours of conference content is made up of various panels, plenaries, breakout sessions, and roundtables. The full agenda can be viewed here.
Returning to Commercial UAV Expo Americas is the ever-popular DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit which unites drone operators and program managers across law enforcement, fire rescue, and other emergency services for strategic discussions and workshops surrounding the evolving use of unmanned aircraft systems. This year’s digital environment will allow attendees from around the world to engage in targeted educational content to learn how first responders are using sUAS to save lives. Topics will include program development and management, training standards and certification, mutual assistance, and more.
In addition to the Virtual “Outdoor” Flying Demonstrations and Emerging Tech Showcases, leading solutions providers will showcase the latest UAS technology as part of the Virtual Exhibit Hall. Virtual Exhibit Hall hours will take place from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT on both Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17. Live interaction within the Virtual Exhibit Hall including one-on-one meetings with staff, product demonstrations, and much more will take place during “Power Hours.” Virtual Exhibit Hall “Power Hours” will take place from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT and 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PT on both Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17.
For the first time at Commercial UAV Americas, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Support Center will be available to attendees in the Virtual Exhibit Hall. The Support Center virtual booth serves as the FAA’s front door for people who are new to flying UAS, are looking for guidance on how to operate safely in various environments, want to learn more about waivers and authorizations, or just have questions about the role UAS play in the broader aviation community. The Support Center is a team of well-informed and professional aviation specialists who seek to help usher in the next generation of flight.
Drone professionals, including professionals from leading companies and government agencies from throughout the United States and 50+ countries, will attend Commercial UAV Expo Americas Virtual this year, drawn by the education, exhibits, and opportunity to connect with one another. Attendees and exhibitors will find it easy to make connections through the robust AI-powered networking tool Commercial UAV Expo Connect powered by Grip and sponsored by DroneUp.
REGISTRATION
A full conference pass costs $395 and includes full access to all the live and pre-recorded content from September 15-17 as well on-demand for 30 days following the event. An exhibit hall pass is free and includes access to Keynotes, Virtual Exhibits, AI-Powered Matchmaking, Virtual “Outdoor” Flying Demonstrations, Emerging Tech Showcases, and the Company Spotlight Gallery.
Registration will remain open throughout the expo and conference, but event organizers encourage professionals to register early to take advantage of everything the event has to offer. To register, please visit virtual.expouav.com/page/1554247/register?promo=209223.
About Commercial UAV Expo Americas
Commercial UAV Expo Americas, presented by Commercial UAV News, is the leading international trade show and conference in North America for the commercial drone market. Its sixth edition, September 15-17, 2020 will take place virtually. For more information, visit http://www.expouav.com.
Commercial UAV Expo Americas 2020 is going virtual, according to event organizer Diversified Communications. “Due to ongoing health and safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the commercial drone community we serve have made it clear that it would be impossible to hold the live event as originally planned. In the interests of ensuring our community still has an opportunity learn from and connect with each other, we have reimagined Commercial UAV Expo Americas as a fully virtual event taking place September 15-17, 2020,” said Lisa Murray, Group Director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Commercial UAV Expo Americas. These are the same dates the live event had been scheduled for in Las Vegas.
Details will be forthcoming, but the content will include keynotes, panel discussions, and presentations with interactive Q&A and chat features; an AI-powered networking component; virtual exhibits, and demonstrations by UAS solutions providers. “We have stayed in close contact with our customers over the last few months. A huge thank you to all of them. I cannot say enough about their support and collaboration with our team during this time. What is clear is that they want and need the business networking and education normally provided by our event, but travel bans and other restrictions were going to prevent them from attending. We decided to put a stake in the ground and make immediate plans to ensure the broadest participation possible by making the event virtual now. Where a virtual event may not have appealed to many just a few months ago, the world has changed. People are yearning for connections and education. We are excited to offer the key benefits they expect from us: critical, timely education delivered by industry leaders, opportunities to network and engage with peers, and the ability to learn about the newest technology in the space,” said Ms. Murray. She added that the content will naturally address how the industry has responded to the pandemic, as well as the associated opportunities and challenges.
FAA Administrator Stephen M. Dickson, an aviation professional with nearly 40 years of experience, will Keynote the virtual event. Dickson leads an agency responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world. “We are thrilled that Administrator Dickson will be addressing the audience at such a critical time for the drone space,” said Ms. Murray.
Additional information about the event will be announced, but commercial drone solutions providers will have the opportunity to host virtual exhibits, conduct one-on-one meetings, provide product information, share videos and more—all virtually. “We are investing in a robust virtual platform that will deliver high value to companies already signed on for the in-person event. We expect going virtual will naturally attract new companies, further enhancing the array of products and services on offer and attracting new buyers who may not have attended a live event but are more than ready to attend virtually.” said Ms. Murray.
“So much has happened in the drone space since the last edition of Commercial UAV Expo Americas,” said Ms. Murray. “People need an update on the latest developments and the impact on their business. While restrictions on travel are in place, restrictions on business are not. We are dedicated to bringing major stakeholders together to continue to move the industry forward during a particularly important time for drone industry expansion.”
Return to a Live Event in 2021
In 2021, Commercial UAV Expo Americas will take place September 7-9, 2021 at the Mirage in Las Vegas,” said Ms. Murray. “We look forward to the opportunity to connect in person with our customers. In the meantime, we will be their virtual connection to the drone industry.”
About Commercial UAV Expo Americas
Commercial UAV Expo Americas, presented by Commercial UAV News, is the leading international trade show and conference in North America for the commercial drone market. Its sixth edition, September 15-17, 2020 will take place virtually. For more information, visit http://www.expouav.com/.
RobotsBlog is a new blog focusing on robot topics. It will included news, discussions, articles, and links around the wide field of robotic and AI.
We, the authors, are an international team of junior researchers and actively involved in robotics. And so we are every day seeing the challenging problems and extreme nice solutions and we will try to share as much as possible with you. Our hope is that this platform will help all of us to sort and structure the wide field of robotics a little bit so that other researchers, students and every interested person can maximize their personal benefit which are archival by robotics.
And now it is time to present you some of our previous work.
The first video is showing some test runs of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or for short UAV, which is currently tested by the Fraunhofer IAIS.
The second video shows a autonomous ground base robot using its docking station. The robot does base on a ProfiBot system and is searching autonomously for its docking station if it is needed. After finding it is performing a docking maneuver and charges it batteries.
The next video shows some tests results derived from a computer vision system that is used to detected character based landmarks in the environment. This behavior was needed to participated at the SICK robot day 2009 which we succesfully have done.
So thats all for the starting, new updates are coming and we hope to see you soon again.
