Uncrewed Systems Technology 046

3 October/November 2022 | Contents Uncrewed Systems Technology | October/November 2022 04 Intro Reducing the risks to crews in outer space safety is providing uncrewed systems with a key new application 06 Platform one: Mission-critical info ABD Solutions unveils a modular system for converting heavy vehicles to driverless operation, researchers announce a method of building 3D structures while in flight, and much more 20 In conversation: Alan Wilson Professor of Locomotor Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College, London, talks about animal biomechanics and robotics 24 Dossier: IAC AV-21 How the Indy Autonomous Challenge and its partners developed and refined this ground-breaking racecar 38 Focus: Video systems Video systems developers are responding to rising demands for low latency and AI with the advances detailed here 48 Digest: Seaber YUCO Why risk thousands on a large and heavy AUV when a smaller and less costly vehicle will do the job? Try this one for size 56 Insight: Space vehicles Colonising the Solar System can’t begin until we have more data from uncrewed missions, some key ones of which we detail here 64 Show report: CUAV Expo Americas 2022 We’re back after three years owing to the Covid pandemic, and the expo did not disappoint us. Here are some of the highlights 74 Show report: DroneX 2022 This major UAV-centred show was full of interest, so here are some details of the key announcements 78 Dossier: Honeywell 600U, 600U-HV and 1200U fuel cells A design and operation update on these PEM fuel cells since Honeywell acquired their developer, Protonex Technology 88 In operation: Vantis BVLOS network We look at the hurdles that had to be overcome to build this C2 network for managing uncrewed systems in mixed airspace 98 Focus: GNSS GNSS technology faces growing sources of interference, so product developers are making fresh efforts to deal with them 108 Digest: Monodrone IM3000 Mk2 Customer requests for a USV designed for missions in shallow water prompted the development of this ‘gap-filler’ vessel 114 PS: Nanorobots There is a wide range of potential uses for these tiny machines 24 06 38 88 78