The StratoBus project offers long endurance and complete autonomy from a fixed position. StratoBus, a surprising vehicle halfway between a drone and a satellite, will be able to carry out a wide range of missions, including observation, security, telecommunications, broadcasting and navigation… and it offers a lifespan of five years. Continue reading
Category Archives: Technology
FLIR Brings UAS Sensor Technology to Smartphones
FLIR Systems, Inc. announced two new products at CES designed to put thermal imaging into the hands of consumers. The first is a new, consumer-level infrared thermal camera sensor, while the second is a slide-on attachment for Apple iPhone 5 or 5s smartphones that makes use of said sensor. Both could be used to locate lost pets in the dark, look for energy leaking from your house, or to watch for wildlife. Continue reading
DARPA Wants XS-1 Unmanned Hypersonic Space Plane to Deploy Satellites
U.S. military researchers are asking industry to begin work on developing a reusable hypersonic unmanned spacecraft able to carry and deploy 3,000-to-5,000-pound satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for less than $5 million per launch. Continue reading
PowerUp 3.0 – Electric Paper Airplane – Kickstarter Campaign Launched
In February we wrote about a neat little device that turns a paper aeroplane into a real model plane controlled by an iPhone app. Since then, the manufacturers, PowerUp Toys have been working really hard to improve PowerUp 3.0 significantly – with increased flight range, flight time. Continue reading
Falcon Project in Pursuit of Bigfoot
The Falcon Project is a kind of supernatural missing persons mission, calling for “eyes in the sky” in combination with a “quick response investigative ground team.” They would spend months at a time scanning undisclosed locations with high Bigfoot potential, hoping not only for irrefutable video, but to make contact. Continue reading
The Unmanned Systems Industry in Support of Precision Agriculture and “Global Challenges”
As our world looks towards “Global Grand Challenges” of the future, we see an ever-present desire to remain responsive across a rapidly expanding landscape of needs. These needs, in the context of agriculture for example, range the full spectrum of Science and Technology (S&T), Research and Development (R&D), Policy, and the introduction and implementation of traditional and non-traditional technologies into the market place. Continue reading
DARPA Commissions Enhanced Version of Legged Infantry-Support Robot
A US military project to develop a donkey-sized legged robot to help infantry warfighters haul ammunition, food, and other gear through rugged terrain is moving ahead with a research contract this week. Continue reading
NASA Dryden Uses Schlieren Photography System to Study Supersonic Shockwaves
Researchers at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center recently captured imagery of supersonic shockwaves streaming from two research aircraft using a newly developed high-tech schlieren imaging system. Continue reading