After months of anticipation, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration today revealed the locations of six unmanned aircraft systems research and test sites. Congress directed the FAA to establish the sites as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 in preparation for integration of UAS into the national airspace system by 2015. Back
3D printing company Stratasys reported today that it has brought suit for patent infringement against Afinia, the company behind the Afinia H-Series 3D printer. Stratasys alleges four of its patents were infringed on, the most recent of which was issued in January 2013. The complaint cites patents related to “part porosity, liquefier structure, temperature control
The Federal Aviation Administration today released its first annual “roadmap” outlining efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace. The document is available for download here: Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Roadmap The FAA says its main goal for integration is to establish requirements that
While driverless cars and smart homes often snag most of the headlines, they represent only one, particularly visible level of the ongoing automation of everyday life. As products marketed toward the individual consumer, establishing a foothold for such technologies involves a relatively traditional method of targeting or developing an interested niche and expanding from there
Robotics Alley, a Minnesota-based conference and expo for the robotics industry, yesterday announced keynote speakers for the November event. The list includes Rodney Brooks of Rethink Robotics, Michael Toscano of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and Robot Film Festival founder Heather Knight, among others. Robotics Alley was founded in 2011 by ReconRobotics and
Three Mid-Atlantic states — Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia — recently signed an agreement to work collaboratively to support the Federal Aviation Administration’s integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. The FAA is currently in the process of selecting six UAS test sites, which will be used to conduct research into how to
Fully driverless vehicles may be as little as 10 years away — at least according to a new study by ABI Research. According to the study, driverless vehicles will start to appear in North America at the beginning of the next decade, culminating in more than 10 million robotic vehicles shipping in 2032. In other
A poll conducted by Monmouth University last month shows that the U.S. public supports certain domestic uses of unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly applications related to search and rescue. However, most Americans haven’t heard a lot about the use of UAVs by law enforcement within the U.S. and harbor some privacy concerns. Of the individuals surveyed,
Robotics Alley, the Minnesota-based robotics conference and expo founded in 2011 by ReconRobotics and the Minnesota High Tech Association, has been sold. The new owner is The Event Group, Incorporated, a Minnesota-based event management and marketing firm. The event was created to spur public-private partnerships and development within Minnesota’s robotics industry and the surrounding region.
Last week, the Congressional Robotics Caucus Advisory Committee hosted a briefing in Washington to discuss ways to harness robotic technology for job creation. The overall goal of the event was to make the case that robots are not a threat, according to Mitchell Weiss, COO of Seegrid and one of four robotics industry leaders who
