3 February/March 2025 | Contents Uncrewed Systems Technology | February/March 2025 26 04 Intro From the world’s first certified operation of an uncrewed passenger aircraft to self-driving systems, the potential is huge 06 Platform one: Mission-critical info NASA publishes accident report into the failure of a rotorcraft on Mars, a flexible photovoltaic solar cell that performs well in space, powered descent guidance algos for reusable rockets, single-swipe takeoff and hover for a production helicopter, a mobile robot with AI accelerator, an analogue system fault detector, autonomous mine-hunting, and more 20 In conversation: Robin Murphy The AI robotics expert discusses the use of robots to save lives in dangerous situations, avoiding peril to personnel in the field 26 Dossier: ACUA Ocean USV A heavyweight hydrogen SWATH vessel with a twin-hull configuration that aims to deliver high-quality data amid the harsh waves and weather of severe sea states 40 Focus: Swarming New swarming technologies are emerging for autonomous platforms, from dramatic air displays to groups of driverless cars - and companies are coming up with new uses for them as well 50 Digest: Robotnik RB-WATCHER This ruggedised robot integrating a raft of sensors is designed to navigate and inspect the inside and outside of industrial facilities with little risk from external hazards or single points of failure 58 In operation: Dropla mine countermeasures Surveying, detecting and clearing landmines in Ukraine with a range of cameras, magnetic and EM sensors, Lidars and metal detectors – all collecting data to find potential mine locations 66 Dossier: Suter Industries Building a new wave of powerful, spark-ignited, twin two-strokes for the UAV space, ideal for military and commercial spheres 80 Insight: UUVs The latest submersible vehicles and robots gathering priceless data in every ocean around the world for every application 88 Focus: Connectors Manufacturers are rethinking their approach to customers and projects amid rising demand and evolving AI and IoT systems 100 In operation: Black Widow It pays to be small when it comes to intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions in modern warfare 106 Digest: FIXAR 025 A UAV with a unique shape, able to simultaneously generate aerodynamic surface-lift forces and vertical-lift force 114 PS: Kepler Advance system The latest system to be validated in flight, which exploits the RF signals between a UAV and its GCS to find the vessel’s position 50 100 66 40
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