Unmanned Systems Technology - August/September 2016

Contents include:

• Intro - The unmanned systems environment continues to prove fertile ground for anyone who wants to think outside the box to solve an engineering problem 
• Platform one: Mission-critical info - Natural language control applications emerge from the lab, Facebook’s Aquila UAV makes its maiden flight, project to develop surveillance using swarms unveiled, and much more 
• In conversation: Jonathan Auld - NovAtel’s director of safety-critical systems explains his company’s approach to achieving accurate positioning information on autonomous vehicles 
• Dossier: Ocean Aero Submaran S10 - The developers of this surface/subsurface craft were faced with some stiff engineering challenges along the way. Here’s how they overcame them 
• Focus: Simulation and testing - We look at how the power and cost-effectiveness of these tools is growing, in line with their importance in the development of autonomous vehicles 
• Report: Farnborough Airshow - Unmanned systems are a growing presence at this premier event, as our report of the highlights bears out 
• Dossier: 3W-110xi b2 TS HFE FI - What is it about this air-cooled two-stroke that enables it to run unmodified on anything from gasoline to JP8? We find out 
• Insight: USVs - Development of unmanned surface vehicles continues apace, as we pick out some of the most interesting innovations 
• Focus: Data storage - There’s a shake-out in the technologies underpinning this key parameter of unmanned system performance, with one type expected to prevail 
• Show report: Eurosatory/UGS 2016 - Our round-up of the key announcements from this, the largest land defence-focused exhibition in Europe 
• PS: One-way UAV - Two-way flights are no longer needed for some missions, as we look into one new intriguing concept