Unmanned Systems Technology 007 | UMEX 2016 report | Navya ARMA | Launch & recovery systems | AIE 225CS | AUVs | Electric motors | Lethal autonomous weapons

10 Platform one April/May 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology Volvo has driven three trucks in a ‘platoon’ across Europe at the start of a competition to demonstrate the advancements in the technology The trucks use 802.11p wireless technology to communicate directly from the front vehicle to the other two. The comms system is linked directly to a radar-based adaptive cruise control system to maintain a 1 s gap between the vehicles. This then allows the following trucks to be autonomous. “Essentially, this means that the reaction time for braking is reduced to zero, which in turn improves safety and minimises the ‘accordion effect’ connected with traffic congestion,” said Anders Kellström, project manager for Volvo’s participation in the European Truck Platooning Challenge. “We believe platooning offers major advantages for our customers, mainly, but Researchers at University College London (UCL) have delivered the first version of a vital component – the structural and thermal model of the PanCam stereoscopic camera – for the ExoMars autonomous rover. It has been sent from UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory to Airbus UK, which is leading the vehicle’s development. Later this year, UCL will deliver engineering and flight models. The flight model will be the actual instrument that travels to Mars, where it will identify target samples for the mission to study. The purpose of the structural-thermal model is to make sure everything fits together, to test computer models of the also for society in the form of fuel savings, reduced emissions and enhanced transportation efficiency,” he said. Other truck manufacturers taking part in the competition include DAF, Daimler, rover’s thermal environment. This will help ensure the rover’s survival in the harsh Martian conditions, which can range between just above zero during the day to -100 C at night. The PanCam has 11 filters mounted on wheels in front of each of the wide- angle cameras. “The geology filters are optimised to detect water-bearing minerals including clays, to measure the water vapour and dust in the Martian atmosphere, and the high-resolution camera will add texture to the 3D and colour imaging of terrain near the rover,” said Professor Andrew Coates, who leads the international team. The mission is a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Iveco, MAN and Scania. The UK government has also announced that trials of platoons of up to ten trucks will be allowed on the M6 motorway later in 2016. Truck platoons hit the road Milestone for Mars rover Autonomous vehicles Space exploration In the Volvo system the front truck communicates with the ones behind ExoMars is set to launch in 2018, to arrive on Mars in 2019