Uncrewed Systems Technology 058 November/December 2024

• Intro - AI is advancing military technology, with robots for surveillance and land mine detection, while counter-UAV ventures are progressing and sensors are delving deeper into the solar system
• Platform one: Mission-critical info - A linear servo actuator for safety-critical UAV applications, a test cell that gives accurate data on performance before a flight, an accelerometer able to function at lower temperatures, monitoring invasive plant species, spotting explosives in the sea, finding faults in hulls and unearthing land mines in war zones
• In conversation: Ronald Broberg - Dark Wolf Solutions’ penetration tester discusses cybersecurity and the lessons to be learned at his Hack our Drone workshop
• Dossier: WeRide Robotics Robobus - Robobus, an autonomous transport vehicle boasting SAE Level 4 intelligence, has been shuttling passengers around 30 cities worldwide, most recently in Paris for the French Open
• Focus: Simulation and testing - Quantum computing and accurate virtual realities are helping to test the performance of driverless vehicle sensors
• Digest: Orthodrone Pivot - This multicopter technology embodies the radical concept of stabilising the entire fuselage while the propulsion system moves around it to compensate for wind coming from any direction
• Show report: Eurosatory 2024 - Top military tech at Europe’s biggest expo for land and airland forces
• Engine dossier: Wave J-1 - A pulsejet engine that has been designed with UAVs in mind, producing thrust up to 53 lb of force
• Insight: Space vehicles - Spotlighting the key projects that are boldly going where no UAV has gone before, including Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons
• Focus: Ground control stations - With demand growing for quality, resilience, interoperability and capability with swarms, we consider all the facets of GCS design
• In operation: Maritime Robotics - How a Norwegian developer and manufacturer made headlines for setting up the world’s first uncrewed freight route in the Fjords
• Show report: CUAV Expo 2024 - A selection of innovations, from platforms to sensors, on show
• Digest: Zero USV Oceanus12 - One company making strides in advanced oceangoing autonomous vessels is navigating any regulatory obstacles
• PS: Powerplant options for BVLOS UAVs - The choice seems to be twofold: engine-driven generator or fuel-cell system. Each one has its pros and cons