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Under a new agreement, Lidar USA — a developer of geomatics solutions — will include Hesai Technology Co. Ltd., 3D lidar sensors in its product lineup. Hesai Technology announced the agreement at the Commercial UAV Expo 2021 in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-9.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lidar USA will leverage its marketing and sales expertise to distribute Hesai sensors across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Hesai’s product portfolio has the sensors we have all long awaited — bridging the gap between sensors made for automotive navigation and those made for precision measurement,” said Lidar USA CEO Jeff Fagerman. “Users will enjoy the affordability of the former and results of the latter.”

Hesai’s lidar units offer superior performance and reliability to ensure robust detection under different operating and environmental conditions, the company stated in a press release. Hesai’s XT sensors, embedded with proprietary lidar application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), deliver performance advantages while maintaining a compact form factor and low cost.

The XT sensors are lightweight and draw less power, enabling longer operation for airborne applications. The XT’s precision and accuracy allows for fine detail capture.

PandarQT, a short-range sensor for blindspot detection, has a large vertical field-of-view of 104.2°. The Pandar series lidars — Pandar128, Pandar64 and Pandar40P — deliver long detection range, high resolution and high point density for optimized perception results.

“Lidars are increasingly being adopted for different end markets and applications,” said David Li, Hesai’s CEO. “We’re excited to partner with an industry leader like Lidar USA, whose strong foothold in North America will help expand access to sensors across different segments.”

New flagship offering can be mounted on a light manned aircraft or switched to different types of UAV platforms

YellowScan, a designer of UAV lidar solutions, has launched the YellowScan Explorer. The Explorer can be mounted on a light manned aircraft or switched to different types of UAV platforms. The compact, versatile, long-range platform allows users to tackle a wide range of projects and mission profiles.

The Explorer’s high-power laser scanner can catch points up to 600 meters away, yet its low weight (2.3 Kg without battery) provides users with an integratable system. Combining Explorer with YellowScan’s full suite of software solutions to extract and process point cloud data provides users with a highly accurate set of tools for surveying, forestry, environmental research, archaeology, industrial inspection, civil engineering and mining.

The Explorer comes with an Applanix APX-20 UAV GNSS/inertial solution, precision of 2.6 cm and accuracy of 2.2 cm. Flight operation speed is 5 m/s to 35 m/s and it is capable of above-ground-level (AGL) altitude up to 300 m. Designed to be mounted on fixed-wing UAV, multi-rotor UAV or manned aircraft (light plane and helicopter), Explorer can enable a large variety of mission profiles.

YellowScan launched the Explorer during Commercial UAV Expo 2021 in Las Vegas, Sept. 7-9.

“We have been working on Explorer for the last three years, building on everything we have learned and achieved to date from a hardware, software and component integration perspective,” said Nassim Doukkali, R&D project manager, YellowScan. “One of the elements we are most proud of is the laser scanner, which has been designed according our specific specifications. With a maximum range of 600 m, the Explorer has exceeded YellowScan’s initial expectations.”

Mowi is an open-source reference design for Septentrio’s highly accurate GNSS module mosaic. It offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication, which can easily be programmed for custom applications.

Septentrio, a manufacturer of high-precision GNSS positioning solutions, has added to its open-source resources for GPS/GNSS module receivers with mosaic wireless, which it calls mowi.

Mowi combines the Septentrio mosaic-X5 or mosaic-H module receiver with a dual-mode Bluetooth and integrated Wi-Fi from the well-known ESP32-WROVER programmable module by Espressif Systems. It is an addition to the already existing mosaicHAT board, designed on the Raspberry Pi platform.

“We are excited about the mowi project being part of the GitHub and prototyping community,” said Gustavo Lopez, market access manager at Septentrio. “The project is available as open-source, thus empowering the community to easily fit autonomous or robotic systems with communication and highly accurate and reliable GNSS positioning technology. Mowi empowers the native Ethernet features of the mosaic module, the perfect tool for fast prototyping and developing proof-of-concept projects in a simple and connected way.”

The mowi project facilitates accurate and reliable GNSS positioning for robotic and autonomous devices, on a hardware level. Numerous engineers today use the ESP32 and the multiple libraries available for internet-of-things (IoT) prototyping. The mowi board is an easy way for integrators to get started with Septentrio’s mosaic-X5 or mosaic-H heading module receivers.

The mowi board can be used on its own or plugged into a mobile computer such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino to deliver high-accuracy positioning with high update rates, suitable for machine navigation, monitoring or control. The internet connection via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enables numerous industrial IoT applications, simplifying the connectivity to mobile data for the delivery of GNSS corrections needed for centimeter-level RTK positioning.

On top of the wireless communication, the 47.5 x 70 mm board can host IoT applications in its internal memory. It has onboard logging and exposes interfaces such as USB, serial communication and general-purpose pins. The schematic’s reference design, PCB layout and documentation are openly available for prototyping or further customization.

The mowi open-source project is available to the community on the Septentrio GitHub repository.

Segway has launched a smart lawn mower, the Navimow. The autonomous mower uses GNSS to navigate and stay inside the programmed perimeter, set in an accompanying smartphone app.

According to Segway, Navimow uses a GNSS-based “Extra Fusion Locating System” that help the mower achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy while mapping out a working perimeter. Rather than using a perimeter wire to prevent the lower from leaving grid, Navimow combines multi-sensory data to create a virtual map while cutting grass in addition to using GNSS.

The company has introduced four models, for lawns ranging from 500 square meters to 3,000 square meters. All cut lawns from 30-60 millimeters on a maximum slope of 45 degrees.

During its runtime, the robot uses its smart navigation system and intricately plans the most effective cutting route. When necessary, it can make changes in direction to create a systematic pattern.

Velodyne Lidar will display its lidar sensors and software at the IAA Mobility trade show, which takes place Sep. 7-12 in Munich.

Showcased are:

• Velarray H800, a solid-state lidar sensor architected for automotive grade performance. With combined long-range perception and a broad field of view, the sensor is designed for safe navigation and collision avoidance in ADAS and autonomous mobility applications.
• Velarray M1600, a solid-state lidar sensor designed to serve mobile robotic applications, enables touchless mobile and last-mile delivery robots to operate autonomously and safely, without human intervention.
• Velabit, Velodyne’s smallest sensor, designed for versatility and affordability to 3D lidar perception.

Velodyne Lidar’s Intelligent Infrastructure Solution addresses the pressing need for smart city systems that can help improve road safety and prevent traffic accidents. The solution creates a real-time 3D map of roads and intersections, providing precise traffic monitoring and analytics that is not possible with other types of sensors like cameras or radar.

Partners Using Velodyne

NI, developer of automated test and automated measurement systems, is co-exhibiting at the Velodyne booth. NI is showing simulations optimized for Velodyne’s lidar sensors that can be used in developing and testing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle (AV) capabilities.

NI will demonstrate how its monoDrive AV simulation software is using Velodyne’s lidar technology to create digital twins and is providing validated physics-based sensor models for Velodyne lidar sensors.

Seoul Robotics, an Automated with Velodyne partner, is demonstrating at the Velodyne booth its AI perception engine for Velodyne’s lidar sensors. The engine provides real-time object detection, classification, tracking and prediction for autonomous systems.

The AI engine can power self-driving cars as well as smart-city applications and advanced parameter monitoring systems for facilities. Seoul Robotics’ SENSR perception software includes an AI engine that is fully optimized to utilize Velodyne’s portfolio of lidar sensors, including the Puck, Ultra Puck and Alpha Prime.

Northrop Grumman Corporation and Martin UAV (a Shield AI company) have completed successful flight testing of a V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with new features including GPS-denied navigation and target designation capabilities.

The enhanced V-BAT’s flexible vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability is based on a platform deployed to address the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) mission. For FTUAS, the U.S. Army is seeking a rapidly deployable, GPS-denied navigation-capable, expeditionary VTOL system capable of persistent aerial reconnaissance for U.S. Army brigade combat teams, special forces, and Ranger battalions.

The offering is based on Martin’s UAV V-BAT UAS. According to Northrop Grumman, it is compact, lightweight, simple to operate, and can be set up, launched and recovered by a two-soldier team in confined environments. The V-BAT also is designed with sufficient payload capacity to carry a range of interchangeable payloads, including electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic warfare (EW) payloads, depending on mission-specific requirements. Additionally, Shield AI’s recent acquisition of Martin UAV will enable rapid development of GPS-denied and autonomy capabilities for V-BAT through the future porting of Shield AI’s autonomy stack, Hivemind onto V-BAT.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., a provider of national security solutions, has announced that its Air Wolf Tactical Drone System has completed a 100 percent successful flight at the recently approved Burns Flat, Oklahoma Range Facility. The Kratos Air Wolf Mission, which was the inaugural flight at the Burns Flat Range location, included multiple new payloads carried by the Air Wolf UAV, including a proprietary Kratos artificial intelligence/autonomy system, which has been developed by Kratos specifically for high performance, jet UAV aircraft.

Air Wolf is one of several drones in Kratos’ family of jet drones that are flying today, also including the attritable UTAP-22 Mako, XQ-58A Valkyrie, and, in conjunction with the company’s partner Dynetics, the reusable X-61A Gremlins drone. According to the company, the newly approved Burns Flat Test Range and Facility is an important new strategic asset available to it, enabling the company to accelerate its drone testing and demonstration, further increasing its ability to rapidly develop and demonstrate jet drones, supporting subsystems, and other tactical systems and aircraft.

Kratos develops and fields technology, platforms, and systems for United States national security-related customers, allies, and commercial enterprises. The company specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training, combat systems and next generation turbo jet and turbo fan engine development.

Orbit Logic’s SpyMeSat mobile app (available via the Apple App Store and Google Play) now includes an augmented reality (AR) interface for better awareness of overflying imaging satellites. The AR view overlays the orbit and position of satellites that can image your location, providing a better understanding of satellite viewing geometry and potential obstructions. For example, it makes it possible to know if an image taken by that satellite of your position would be obscured by a tree or a building. The AR interface also displays relevant information about the satellite and its capabilities, including the timing and dynamic geometry of the pass as well as the resolution achievable by satellite sensors.

In addition to real-time imaging satellite awareness, SpyMeSat provides on-demand access to recent archive satellite imagery and the ability to request new tasking directly from a mobile device. Multi-phenomenology data (optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar, and more) is available through an in-app process of preview, select, payment, and delivery that can be completed in seconds, providing archived satellite imagery for any location on demand. When archive imagery is insufficient and new data is required, users can review available satellites, better understand the data collection environment through the AR interface, and purchase tasking based on cost, responsiveness, and capability.

While the standard SpyMeSat enables marketplace interactions between the public and commercial satellite imagery providers, Orbit Logic also develops custom mobile applications for better situational awareness and easier data-access/tasking supporting specific missions. The new AR interface will enhance these users’ mission effectiveness by facilitating better understanding of how data collection might be impacted by surrounding terrain or other spatial factors. Examples of bespoke SpyMeSat deployments include government versions for government assets and versions for awareness of satellite communications opportunities for contact scheduling, data transfer, and command uplink.

Orbit Logic specializes in mission planning and scheduling solutions for aerospace and geospatial intelligence. Its COTS products create better plans faster with fewer resources for all mission phases. Orbit Logic services are available to configure, customize, and integrate its mobile, web-based, desktop, and flight software applications to provide turn-key operational solutions that leverage the latest available technologies to meet customer goals and exceed their expectations.

EagleView, a geospatial technology provider of software, aerial imagery and analytics, and Skyline Software Systems, a provider of 3D Earth visualization software, have partnered to enable customers to visualize their geospatial data in new ways. Through this new partnership, EagleView’s high-resolution ortho and oblique imagery can be converted into 3D Mesh layers with Skyline’s PhotoMesh and viewed, edited, and analyzed on Skyline’s TerraExplorer platform.

EagleView customers will be able to utilize Skyline’s TerraExplorer web-based GIS viewer and editor to see, analyze, and share their imagery in an immersive environment. Accurately measuring distance, area, and volume is now easier than ever, which is critical for planning and zoning to verify regulations or estimate the costs of flattening a site. With floodplain analysis, disaster management can identify flood risks before they happen, and with viewshed calculations E911 can pre-plan for high-profile events. Other key analytic features for customers will include the ability to analyze shade, view contour and slope maps, and view in underground mode. Beginning immediately, the additional 3D Mesh capability is now available as an add-on to any new Reveal Essentials+ Property or Neighborhood image capture.

Skyline offers a comprehensive platform of applications, tools, and services that enable the creation and dissemination of interactive, photo-realistic 3D environments. Its products are production proven in both the defense and commercial markets.

EagleView develops geospatial technology, providing software, imagery, and analytics. The company has the largest geospatial data and imagery library in history, covering 94 percent of the U.S. population. Its technology with more than 300 patents creates highly differentiated software, imagery, and analytics products for a diverse customer base.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has selected Hexagon US Federal as a prime contractor for ASTRO, a 10-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with an estimated $90 billion value. The ASTRO contract is being administered by the Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM). Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), ASTRO is comprised of ten pools to deliver services related to manned, unmanned, and optionally manned platforms and robotics.

Hexagon was selected as one of multiple awardees for the Data Operations Pool, which includes all data collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination activities associated with manned, unmanned, and optionally manned platforms and/or robotics supporting mission performance. The formal government kick-off is anticipated to take place in November 2021.

Hexagon is a provider of digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software, and autonomous technologies, putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality, and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility applications.

Hexagon US Federal provides technology and professional services for C5ISR, installation security, GIS, and cyber security. Dedicated to the delivery of Hexagon technology and services to the U.S. government, including defense, intelligence, and civilian organizations, the company builds solutions that help its customers design, build, maintain, manage, operate, and protect.