Unmanned Systems

Application Briefs: Data Acquisition

Remotely Piloted Aircraft

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems recently flew its SkyGuardian in the skies above Southern California as part of a joint flight demonstration with NASA.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Experimental Design of a UCAV-Based High-Energy Laser Weapon

The day of the first deployable UCAV armed with a high-energy laser weapon is not far away.

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Short-Range Air Defense System Will Counter Small Unmanned Aerial System Threats

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as...

Briefs: Unmanned Systems

sUAS-Based Payload Development and Testing for Quantifying Optical Turbulence

Understanding how atmospheric effects can impact operational conditions is important to the development of High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems.

Application Briefs: Aerospace

Loitering Precision Strike Missile

The Switchblade missile system is back-packable and rapidly deployable from ground platforms.

INSIDER: Unmanned Systems

Boeing Unmanned Plane Launches for U.S. Space Force

The Boeing-built X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched on top of a uniquely configured United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The X-37B’s sixth mission is the first to use a service...

INSIDER: Defense

Drones Detect Butterfly Landmines

Using advanced machine learning, drones can be used to detect dangerous “butterfly” landmines in remote regions of post-conflict countries.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

DDDAMS-based Urban Surveillance and Crowd Control via UAVs and UGVs

Investigating algorithmic approaches to create scalable, robust, multi-scale, and effective urban surveillance and crowd control strategies using UAVs and UGVs.

Briefs: Aerospace

Quantifying Autonomous Soaring on a Surveillance and Communications Relay Mission

Research demonstrates that a surveillance mission is still achievable by unmanned vehicles while performing autonomous soaring.

Articles: Aerospace

Advanced Assembly Solutions for the Airbus RACER Joined-Wing Configuration

The Rapid And Cost Effective Rotorcraft (RACER) demonstrator is being developed by Airbus Helicopters (AH) to further validate the compound rotorcraft configuration.

Application Briefs: Unmanned Systems

Tiltrotor Aircraft: The CMV-22B Osprey

The CMV-22B is the latest variant of the tiltrotor fleet, joining the MV-22 and CV-22 used by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force.

Articles: Aerospace

High-Energy Laser Weapon Systems

The next few years will help determine whether high-energy lasers become a staple of the battlefield.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Drone Swarms: A Transformational Technology

The U.S. military is prioritizing development of drone swarms as a means to reduce risk to our warfighters.

Articles: Defense

Connectors Lighten the SWaP Burden in UAV/MUMT Aircraft Electronics

Combat is being transformed by Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUMT) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies that improve a warrior’s situational awareness.

Application Briefs: Defense

Anti-Drone Remote Weapon System

Weighing only 70 kilograms, the Pitbull-3 delivers Point & Shoot technology

Briefs: Unmanned Systems

Validation of Architecture Models for Coordination of Unmanned Air and Ground Vehicles via Experimentation

Using the relationship of system architecture products and model-based systems engineering analysis, a UAV-UGV team can collaboratively conduct the structured, rudimentary tasks necessary to find a person in distress.

Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control

Playing Defense⁠ — Uncertain Regulations Stall the Implementation of Counter-UAS Technology in The U.S.

A raft of companies have emerged to provide counter-UAS technologies, but challenges remain.

Briefs: Aerospace

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Combat UGV Swarm in Urban Operations

Recent technological advancements could enable the military to employ robotic platforms in swarms to help overcome operational challenges in an urban environment.

Articles: Defense

Robotic Combat Vehicles: Putting the Brains Behind the Brawn

A new era of Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCV) is about to begin

Briefs: Aerospace

Systems Engineering Approach to Develop Guidance, Navigation and Control Algorithms for Unmanned Ground Vehicle

This research explores the development of a UGV capable of operating autonomously in a densely cluttered environment such as the tropical jungles or plantation estates commonly found in Asia.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Agile Robust Autonomy: Inspired by Connecting Natural Flight and Biological Sensors

Understanding the mechanics of insect flight could help improve the agility, autonomy, robustness and integrated sensing and processing of unmanned aerial vehicles.

INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

Sky Devils Provide Critical Link to Soldiers

New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers train daily to operate the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance, targeting and communications relay.

Application Briefs: Defense

Automatic Drone Detection System

Tektronix partnered with Erisys RF Solutions to release an automated drone detection solution.

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Microturbine Propulsion for UAVs

The continued use of reciprocating engines has limited the UAV market’s ability to reach its true growth potential.

Briefs: Software

Localization and Mapping of Unknown Locations with Unmanned Ground Vehicles

The main goals of this research are to enhance a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software platform to support unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) exploring the complex...

Articles: Motion Control

Underwater Drone Technology

Finding ways to overcome physical limitations so that humans can dive deeper and stay underwater longer has been an ongoing quest. Back in the 15th century, Leonardo Da Vinci drew sketches of a submarine and a...

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Designing a High-Speed Decoy Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Drone aircraft and their uses have been evolving quickly, supported by a great deal of ongoing research. One area of increasing interest is the decoy drone, designed to mimic the...

Articles: Data Acquisition

New Technologies Tackle UAV Challenges

Unmanned vehicles for air, land, and water represent an increasingly-important capability for virtually all military services worldwide. Because each new generation of device technology promises...

Articles: Data Acquisition

Educating UGVs

Advancements in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are accelerating as the technology matures from being research-orientated to being deployed in a wide range of products and services, such as autonomous vehicles. While...