Wednesday, March 30, 2022 // (IG): BB //Weekly Sponsor: DiyGarage SoCal
MBTA Uses Drone To Inspect Tunnels After Garage Collapse; Orange Line Service Resumes
FROM THE MEDIA: The MBTA used a drone to examine the Orange and Green Line tunnels beneath the site of Saturday’s collapse at the Government Center Parking Garage. The drone was used to assess the conditions of the tunnel before sending engineers in for in-depth structural inspections. Following an inspection and testing of trains, the MBTA determined it is safe to resume service on the Orange Line between North Station and Back Bay Station, but trains will bypass Haymarket in both directions. Green Line service remains suspended between North Station and Government Center because most of the debris from the collapse came down directly above it. Shuttle buses will not be running between Green Line stops, and commuters are encouraged to use the Orange Line. Workers from JDC Demolition were taking down the garage that sits on top of the tunnels when an operator and piece of heavy equipment fell nine stories.
READ THE STORY: CBS Boston
DJI’s Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced drone gets new firmware update
FROM THE MEDIA: The Phantom 4 RTK isn’t the only DJI drone getting a new firmware update today. The Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced (M2EA) drone has also received its latest system software, complete with new capabilities for mission flights and a ton of neat improvements. With its high-resolution thermal and visual cameras, the DJI M2EA is improving workflows for customers using drones in critical and complex operations. But the aircraft has been long due for a firmware update, which is why we are glad to see that the firmware rolling out today isn’t simply enhancing the drone’s stability in flight. What’s new in the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced (M2EA) firmware update? Today’s system update – aircraft firmware v01.00.0428 and Smart Controller firmware v01.01.0064 – focuses primarily on making mission flights more seamless than ever. To begin with, DJI has fixed the issue where the flight route could not be uploaded if the gimbal tilt was set to over 0 degrees. The tech giant is also adding support to automatically add waypoints and record camera zoom when taking photos in Live Mission Recording. Additionally, the minimum distance limitation of 0.5 m between two consecutive waypoints in Live Mission Recording has been removed.
READ THE STORY: DroneDJ
Drones over Ukraine: fears of Russian ‘killer robots’ have failed to materialize
FROM THE MEDIA: Drones have played a starring role in Ukraine’s defense against the ongoing Russian attack. Before the invasion experts believed Russia’s own fleets of “killer robots” were likely to be a far more potent weapon, but to date they have hardly been seen. What’s going on? Ukraine’s drone program grew from a crowd-funded group of hobbyists, who appear to know and like their technology – even if it isn’t the cutting edge. Russia, on the other hand, seems to have swarms of next-generation autonomous weapons, but generals may lack faith in the technology. Ukraine is using Turkish Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, provided under a deal inked last year. Operated by a crew on the ground, these are essentially remote-controlled planes armed with rockets or missiles. Ukraine is also using commercially available drones. Less is known about Russia’s drones, particularly new models with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Last year, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the creation of a special AI department with its own budget, which would begin its work in December 2021.
READ THE STORY: The Conversation
Draganfly Receives Order for Critical Lifesaving Drones from Revived Soldiers Ukraine for Immediate Deployment to Ukraine
FROM THE MEDIA: Draganfly will provide an immediate combined total of 10 North American-made Medical Response and Search and Rescue Drones. In addition, Draganfly will be donating three drone systems to RSU. The total initial order size (subject to conditions) is up to 200 units. Iryna Vashchuk Discipio, President of RSU, was recently awarded the Order of Princess Olga by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian civil decoration is bestowed on women for their achievements in state, production, scientific, educational, cultural, charity, and other social activities. Draganfly's Medical Response and Search and Rescue Drones are manufactured in North America to help ensure the integrity of the Company's hardware and the security of a user's data. The Company's Medical Response Drones will be equipped with an innovative temperature-managed Medical Response Payload Box. Draganfly's payload box can transport up to 35 pounds of medical supplies, including blood, pharmaceuticals, insulin/medicines, vaccines, water, and wound care kits. It is also uniquely top-mounted to make deliveries safer and more accessible.
READ THE STORY: Tech Times
Robotic Skies Wants to Bridge Gap in Drone Maintenance
FROM THE MEDIA: One of the challenges that comes with the creation of new aviation technology is that there is often a lag between initial development and a means of support. Brad Hayden, the CEO of Robotic Skies, figured this out in 2014 when small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), commonly referred to as drones, were becoming popular. “The field was growing so rapidly that it became clear that there would be a gap in maintenance operations,” Hayden explains. Drawing on his background in avionics, Hayden created Robotic Skies to bridge the gap. According to Hayden, Robotic Skies is “the only global UAS maintenance network.” In its network, the company has 230 FAA Part 145 repair stations—and their overseas equivalents—in 50 countries. Hayden was at the Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention in New Orleans this week to recruit potential Part 145 operators who would like to add UAS maintenance and repair to their field of expertise. “We work with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) to set up a schedule for required and routine maintenance and then train FAA Part 145 stations in the field to do the maintenance in the field,” Hayden explained. There is a big difference, said Hayden, between the drones Robotic Skies maintains and the off the shelf consumer models. “These are not toys,” he said, gesturing to the drones on display in the Robotic Skies booth at the convention.
READ THE STORY: FlyingMag
S. Korea to develop stealth drones, satellite, laser weapons for stronger defense
FROM THE MEDIA: South Korea will seek to develop key technologies for radar-evading drones, low-Earth orbit satellites, high-energy laser weapons and other cutting-edge defense assets, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) laid out its policy priorities at a related panel session, as the country is striving to bolster security capabilities amid North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. Among the priorities is developing high-tech flight vehicles, including stealth unmanned aerial vehicles and hypersonic missiles, amid the emerging global competition over their operational range and speed, according to DAPA. The country also plans to secure the technology by 2024 to place a small satellite into low Earth orbit by using a solid-fuel rocket, as part of efforts to enhance its reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. In addition, the country will embark on a project this year to develop technologies for 100 kilowatt laser weapons capable of countering threats from hostile hypersonic missiles, DAPA said.
READ THE STORY: YONHAP
UK MOD SAPIENT compliance reached by DroneShield
FROM THE MEDIA: DroneShield announced it has reached compliance with UK Ministry of Defense (UK MOD) SAPIENT format. SAPIENT is a common operating format for defense devices (with similar principles to the US Department of Defense ATAK system), originally developed by the UK’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). It was since adopted as the standard counter drone communication system in the UK. SAPIENT offers a standard approach for AI and autonomy in networked multi-sensor systems in security and defense, and is being evaluated as a potential NATO standard for counter-drone systems. Going forward, DroneShield’s AI-enabled counterdrone/C-UAS RfPatrol, RfOne, and DroneSentry-X products now have the capability to provide a SAPIENT compliant output. Oleg Vornik, DroneShield CEO, commented, “In the current challenging geopolitical environment, DroneShield continues to substantially progress our engagement across the NATO militaries, and specifically UK, alongside Australia and the US. We have on-the-ground team members in all 3 countries, supported by a network of highly capable local partners – in the case of UK, our partner is BT with its substantial defense credentials, as well as being a household name in the UK market. Compliance with the SAPIENT format was driven by end-user requests from our UK and European militaries. It ensures our networked devices are plug-and-play compatible to the common operating format of other devices and systems of those end-users. We are currently involved in meaningful acquisition tender processes with UK and European end-users, which require this compliance as part of the deployment.”
READ THE STORY: Asia Pacific Defense Reporter
Teledyne Launches Drone Defense Technology
FROM THE MEDIA: Teledyne FLIR Defense, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies Inc. in Thousand Oaks, has launched a new lightweight vehicle surveillance system with “advanced counter-unmanned aerial system capabilities,” according to the company. The system combines 3D radar, cameras and radio frequency detection and mitigation sensors to defend against the threat of small drones. The system also detects drone swarms by allowing operators to monitor up to 500 radar targets simultaneously. “Protecting vast borders, shorelines and forward-operating bases is a job that has been made even more difficult with the challenges posed by drones,” said JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “The light vehicle system” combines sophisticated counter-drone technologies and counter-measures to make it the most effective mobile surveillance system available to combat these dangers.” The system also features rapidly relocatable perimeter protection from the system’s ability to quickly deploy, stow and redeploy the sensors; on-the-move counter-measures as operators can obtain threat assessments while the system is static or while driving the vehicle; and cybersecurity tools to deter hackers.
READ THE STORY: SFVBJ
DMI raises $22 million for drone hydrogen cell development
FROM THE MEDIA: South Korean developer of hydrogen power units for drones, Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI), has raised $22 million in new funding to muscle up its production of longer-flying, emission-free water-based fuel cells for drones. DMI announced the new investment Tuesday, saying that while the infusion will support its continuing development of hydrogen power generally, it will be particularly focused on fuel cells for cargo drones used by logistics clients. In addition to being cleaner than gas-burning options and less polluting to break down than spent lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen tech powers UAV flights nearly four times longer – and boasts longer total life span – than chemical cells. DMI said the funds will permit it to muscle up its existing product lineup, enhance overseas sales capacities, attract top R&D talent, and speed development of water-cooled fuel cells applicable to wide range of drone transportation, particularly logistics. As part of its focus into the latter use-case, DMI is developing cargo UAVs with 10 to 50 kg. payloads, which it hopes to bring to market after 2025. The greater power reserves of hydrogen power cells allow drones to perform missions of over two hours, enhancing the efficiency of applications like security surveillance, emergency rescue support, asset and property patrols and surveys, and logistics operations over both land and water. The new infusion from DG Capital, Korea Investment Partners and DS Asset Management, DMI says, will help strengthen performance in those areas, and permit expansion into additional uses.
READ THE STORY: Drone DJ
WINGCOPTER: JAPAN TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REGIONS FOR DRONE DELIVERY
FROM THE MEDIA: ITOCHU joins Wingcopter’s Authorized Partnership Program (WAPP) and will act as a dedicated distributor and lessor for the Wingcopter 198, Wingcopter’s new eVTOL delivery drone, in Japan. On top, the Japanese conglomerate also decided to make a strategic investment in Wingcopter. With an annual trading revenue of USD 93 billion, ITOCHU is one of the largest Japanese general trading companies (sogo shosha), employing 125,000 employees worldwide. The WAPP is Wingcopter’s global network of strategic partners. Authorized partners include drone operators, resellers, and agents that are trained and allowed to operate, promote, lease, and distribute the Wingcopter 198 technology in their respective region. In late 2021, Wingcopter had announced business aviation specialist SYNERJET Corp as an Authorized Partner for Latin America. The partnership with ITOCHU further strengthens Wingcopter’s expansion in Japan, one of the most important markets for drone delivery in the future, given the country’s progressive approach to integrating drones into everyday life.
READ THE STORY: Post and Parcel
NASA’s Winning Technologies Benefiting Space Industry on Earth and Beyond
FROM THE MEDIA: The new technologies can help improve passenger flights and remotely piloted vehicles, enhance data on our home planet, and help send spacecraft and astronauts to the Moon and beyond. “Whether creating new space technologies that help wildfire fighters or software that will help NASA deep space probes navigate safely to distant destinations, NASA inventions continue to contribute to America’s leadership in space,” said Dr. Bhavya Lal, associate administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy at NASA. “NASA’s workforce continues to drive innovation by turning diverse ideas into value that benefits us all.” Plotting a mission’s path through space depends on a complicated mix of factors including destination, fuel, and the number of spacecraft involved. The Copernicus Spacecraft Trajectory Design and Optimization System streamlines that process. Copernicus lets teams model, design, and optimize paths through space for their missions – from simpler flights to more complicated missions that might involve several spacecraft with different propulsion systems. Copernicus also allows teams to look at how gravity from multiple celestial bodies – for example, Earth and the Moon – might influence mission design. Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston are using Copernicus as their primary tool for designing trajectories for Artemis missions using Orion.
READ THE STORY: Space Coast Daily
Items of interest
How military drones became a decisive factor in the Russia-Ukraine war(Video)
Drones have been an important weapon on both sides of the Ukraine war. The unmanned aircraft do many jobs, from providing video images from the sky, to launching missiles to destroy military or civilian targets. Reports say the US is now sending ultra-light switchblade 'suicide drone' devices to help Ukraine. But will it make a difference in the war against Russia?
DJI Enterprise Matrice 30(Video)
FROM THE MEDIA: With the outstanding performance, transportability and ease of use of the DJI Matrice 30 drone and its perfect integration with the DJI FlightHub 2 Fleet Management Cloud Software and DJI Dock, DJI is stepping into the future for our Enterprise customers who will be able to enter the autonomous solutions space, creating possibilities to fly beyond visual line of sight with the appropriate regulatory permissions in place. We are proud to deliver the next generation of aerial tools that will save lives and bring work to new heights, with a 360-degree product solution suite for a variety of fields such as energy inspection, emergency rescue missions, environmental protection, and the digitization and preservation of cultural heritage.
About this Product
These open source products are reviewed from analysts at InfoDom Securities and provide possible context about current media trends in regard to the realm of cyber security. The stories selected cover a broad array of cyber threats and are intended to aid readers in framing key publicly discussed threats and overall situational awareness. InfoDom Securities does not specifically endorse any third-party claims made in their original material or related links on their sites, and the opinions expressed by third parties are theirs alone. Contact InfoDom Securities at dominanceinformation@gmail.com