Weekend Roundup

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This Week in the Unmanned Systems and Robotics World

K2 Unmanned Systems is now providing tethered drone technologies for its UAS. The company is working with Elistair, a France-based tether manufacturer, to develop this technology. (K2 Unmanned Systems)

TuSimple is bringing 200 new autonomous semi-trucks to Tucson, Arizona. The company is also expanding its location in Tucson, as it plans on doubling its warehouse size next year. (Tucson Local Media)

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has successfully completed in-depth training for operations, maintenance, and flight/piloting for a key international customer with its Firejet unmanned aerial target system and multiple mission sets. Kratos says that the training will allow this customer to now “independently maintain and operate” the high performance target UAS system for their own use, and provide operations for other users around the globe. (GlobeNewsWire)

The Memorial Park Boys & Girls Club in Oklahoma is launching a STEM program called Unidentified Flight Opportunities (UFO). Expected to launch this fall, the program will offer 40 middle school and high school students the opportunity to learn about, design and build UAS. (NewsOK)

IKEA’s “future living lab,” SPACE10, has developed several designs for autonomous vehicles that would serve as extensions of homes, offices and local institutions. Among the designs are an “Office on Wheels,” a mobile clinic, and even a mini IKEA store. (MIT Technology Review)

Mid-Kansas Cooperative, WinField United and American Robotics recently came together to launch their first fully-automated UAS for agricultural use. The UAS was used at fields in Wamego, Kansas, and outside of Hesston, Kansas. (The Garden City Telegram)

EasyMile and Groupe PSA are testing the TractEasy autonomous tow tractor at Groupe PSA’s Sochaux plant. The two entities are working together as part of a project to automate a portion of the Sochaux plant’s logistics platform. (EasyMile)

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced a five-year, $5,250,000 initiative that “brings residents to the center” of self-driving vehicle pilot projects taking place in Detroit; Long Beach, California; Miami; San Jose, California; and Pittsburgh. The pilot projects will be designed to engage local residents around self-driving car deployments, in an effort to make sure that they reflect community input and meet local needs. (Knight Foundation)

WABCO and Baidu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on developing a “best-in-class, cost-effective and highly standardized suite of solutions” for Level 4 Autonomous Driving in “hub-to-hub highway applications for commercial vehicles.” The companies say that this will be a “cornerstone of an open platform” that allows OEMs and fleets to use WABCO’s and Baidu’s core safety and AI technologies, while providing them the chance to develop “customized, differentiated solutions.” (WABCO)

Groupe Renault recently introduced the world premiere of an autonomous, electric, connected and shared robo-pod concept called Renault EZ-PRO. The concept is made up of an autonomous leader pod and driverless robo-pods. (Groupe Renault)

As part of a large collaborative project, Kansas State University researchers are using UAS to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan. Funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the project’s ultimate goal is to “improve the environment and human health while balancing the livelihood of ranchers and farmers.” (Kansas State University)

Hybrid Project LLC and Lucint Systems, Inc. recently test flew a large area mapping UAS. Over the course of multiple flights, an HP2 airframe carrying a Lucint12 Vision camera consistently mapped 400 acres in roughly 20 minutes, with 1 in (2.5 cm) resolution, while staying under 400 feet. (Hybrid Project)

Duke Energy is using almost 40 UAS crews in North and South Carolina to help with power restoration following Hurricane Florence. Video footage of the UAS flying in the Wilmington area can be seen here. (Power Engineering)

A driverless bus has made its way to Dublin, Ireland. A product of EasyMile, the EZ10 driverless shuttle will transport passengers this weekend. (The Irish Times)