Unmanned Systems Technology 023 I Milrem Multiscope I Wireless charging I Logistics insight I InterGeo, CUAV London & USA show reports I VideoRay Defender I OS Engines GR400U-FI I Ultrabeam Hydrographic Ultra-2 I IMUs

8 Platform one While UAVs are capable of carrying out fully automated point-to-point delivery of small packages, a number of objections to their use in this role could restrict the development of the market (writes Peter Donaldson). They include their proximity to wildlife, bystanders and structures along the route, as well as noise pollution, potential invasion of privacy, provision of landing spaces and collision risks. To address these issues, US inventors Brandon Eck and Brett Wagner have applied for a patent (US 2018/0229858 A1) for a package transfer system that would enable UGVs to take over delivery to the final destination in sensitive areas. In essence, the system is a housing with a front passage for a UGV and a top Kontron has launched two development systems for autonomous application software in a lab environment (writes Nick Flaherty). The S2000 development platform enables developers of defence applications to experiment with, test and validate actual-size systems that use GPUs or accelerator cards based on the PCIe interface. This supports the development of complex new autonomous, AI and deep-learning military applications, and can optimise the configuration and system platform for production deployments. The S2000 uses Intel’s Xeon scalable 8160T 24-core processor with an expansion slot for full-sized GPU, FPGA accelerators and video PCIe cards, as well as a ruggedised carrier board that is suitable for deployment in hostile passage for a container delivered by a UAV. There is also a control system that includes sensing and actuation devices to open the appropriate door when a UAV/UGV is at either one, or to open environments. It also offers 128 Gbytes of M.2 storage and is available in a liquid- or air-cooled chassis. For smaller systems, there is the Cobalt S1901 platform, due to be available in early 2019. This will have multiple GPU, FPGA accelerator cards or video module options and I/O options such as 10 Gbit Ethernet copper or fibre, USB 3.0 and ruggedised the top door for the UAV when a UGV is already inside. The top door includes a funnel system to guide the package down into the UGV. The transfer housing contains an actuator system for engaging a package with, and disengaging it from, the cable by which it is suspended from the UAV, allowing transfers from the UAV to the UGV. The control system could include a precise positioning system inside the transfer housing to make sure the UGV and UAV are in the correct positions relative to each other. It could also have the ability to communicate with both vehicles, other transfer stations and remote delivery servers. The system as a whole would also include reusable containers for the cargo. connectors for RF and camera interfaces. Storage capacities are provided by M.2 NVME slots or high-capacity 2.5 in SSD slots (fixed or removable). The Cobalt S1901 uses Kontron’s open- architecture COMe-bDV7R computer- on-module based around Intel’s Atom C3000 series processors. It is available with up to 64 Gbytes of RAM. UGVs in transfer market On military manoeuvres Ground vehicles Software December/January 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology The UAV/UGV station, with housing (102), funnel and chute (114 and 126) and UGV (300) in position to transfer a package The S2000 platform enables defence applications to be tested and verified