Up and Soaring - UAS

Public Supports UAS Use
An overwhelming majority of Americans support the use of unmanned aircraft in the United States for a wide array of uses, according to a survey of the general public conducted by the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions (IHSS) and RTI Int’l. The study of 2,000 U.S. respondents, conducted in March 2013, gauged perceptions of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Findings include:

• 88% support UAS use in search and rescue operations;
• 67% support their use in homeland security missions;
• 63% support their use in fighting crime;
• 61% support their use in commercial applications; and
• 57% of the general public supports their use for any application.

The IHSS conducts social science research in support of the national homeland security mission and is administered by RTI Int’l in cooperation with Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the North Carolina Military Foundation. http://sites.duke.edu/ihss

NASA Tests UAS Radio
NASA’s communications experts are flight testing a prototype radio as part of the agency’s contributions toward fully integrating civil and commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System.

Built under a cooperative agreement between NASA and Rockwell Collins in Iowa, the current prototype radio will test the critical communications link for UAS pilots on the ground to safely and securely operate their remotely piloted vehicles in flight even if they are thousands of miles apart.

NASA will apply the information gained from this radio prototype to develop a second-generation test radio. After additional testing, researchers plan to test a final prototype between 2015 and 2016. www.nasa.gov

UAV Supports Wildlife Conservation in South Africa
A team from Falcon UAV, Aurora, Colo., recently completed operational field tests in South Africa to demonstrate the use of tactical unmanned aircraft in support of anti-poaching efforts, wildlife conservation, and wildlife research. Operations included multiple night flights as well as aerial photography missions at the Olifants West Game Reserve and the Karongwe Game Reserve. www.falcon-uav.com

Tiny Hurricane Hunting UAS
Tiny, autonomous craft – some that fly, others that dart under the waves – may one day spy on hurricanes at close range. Sensors onboard the vehicles collect and deliver pressure, temperature, humidity, location, and time data to help scientists predict the intensity and trajectory of storms.

According to the University of Florida News, Kamran Mohseni, a professor at the school’s department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, believes swarms of miniature flying machines can reduce the cost of hurricane reconnaissance.

“We have cheap sensors, but with a lot of them you can significantly increase the accuracy of your measurements,” Mohseni says.

The 6"-long carbon-fiber prototypes produced at the institute are launched with commands from a laptop that can be hundreds of miles away from the eye of a hurricane. With proper funding, the vehicles could be tested in a real-world hurricane in two or three years, Mohseni says. http://news.ufl.edu