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46 Insight | UGVs addition to the standard EO camera. The data is streamed in real time back to an on-site monitoring station by 3G or 4G link. The link hardware is enclosed in a ‘black box’ at the base of the frame/ body hub, and shares this space with an IMU, an RTK-GNSS receiver, and a computer processor for autonomy. “We’re also working with a number of software partners to reduce the amount of time people need to scrutinise the incoming telemetry,” Cary says. “For example, we’ve worked with Verkada, whose cameras have built-in machine vision for classifying objects such as people or vehicles. The cameras will alert you when something unusual is detected, with bookmarks in the data for quickly scrubbing through when and where something was detected.” Ziva has also worked with VeMotion, whose compression technology enables the UGV to be controlled (or just observed and analysed using its telemetry) from anywhere in the UK via its data links. That allows security operators to patrol a site virtually, providing further accountability and accessibility to verify alarms or potential breaches remotely. Dairy farming As farmers seek new ways to cut costs, Lely has upgraded its battery-electric Vector mixing and feeding robot with improved autonomy, enhancing the safety of this UGV, which is designed for distributing forage to cows at regular intervals. In addition to its ultrasonic sensors that enable it to track its route through barns, the Vector has had new (proprietary) sensors mounted on its front bumper that will detect obstacles such as people or cows up to 1.5 m ahead of its path, so that it can stop to avoid a collision. The Vector’s path is plotted by the farmer on a computer or using a smartphone app to pass between rows of cows, dispensing fodder in a line in front of them. The feed is first dispensed into the top of the Vector’s steel hull in an automated ‘feed kitchen’, an area where fodder is stored, then funnelled by robotic grabber arms to wherever needed. The fodder is then mixed inside the Vector to ensure a homogenous mix of nutrients. The control app offers options for mixing ingredients (including mineral supplements) and portions to best suit the specific needs of the cow breeds and which feeds are most abundant. It then sends the resulting commands to the feed grabbers before the Vector is stocked. The Vector can open and shut barn doors via Bluetooth to maintain an optimal climate inside. It also integrates a sensor for measuring the height of feed in front of cows to determine whether their rations need to be topped up during its routine operations. Airport logistics Although typically a developer of self- driving passenger vehicles (see UST 8, June/July 2016, and UST 19, April/May 2018), engineering company Navya has unveiled its newest creation, the Autonom Tract AT135, which is aimed primarily at airport and industrial site logistics operations. It has been developed in partnership with Charlatte Manutention, which is known for producing vehicles such as electric baggage tractors to autonomously transport luggage around airports, as well as goods around other kinds of sites. “The project essentially took an April/May 2020 | Unmanned Systems Technology Lely’s Vector feeding robot has been updated with collision avoidance sensors (Courtesy of Lely) The Autonom Tract AT135 has been developed by Navya and Charlatte for airport and industrial logistics (Courtesy of Navya)