Unmanned Systems Today

In a 2016 article from Sky News, a UK based media news center, an argument was made against the future of human space travel. Titled "Stop Sending Humans Into Space-Top Astronomer" the stance on the subject was fairly clear, arguing that the additional cost required to send humans vs. robots into space is unnecessary and economically irresponsible. "Martin Rees is a Fellow of Trinity College and Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. He holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal." Lord Rees stated "I think the future of human spaceflight worldwide is really only as an adventure and spectator sport." This is not to say that human space travel should be discontinued all together, just that the public should not be required to pay for it. Private organizations such as Space X are welcome to do as they please, but as robots become more capable, there is little reason to spend the additional funds necessary to cater ...

Unmanned Systems are nothing new in the Air Force. Remotely pilot’s vehicles have been at the forefront of the battlefield for decades now. But these systems all rely heavily on functioning communication links, and multiple crew members and support analysts. Without these key elements today’s drones are hardly capable of accomplishing any mission at all on their own. Operation in denied or contested airspace would be especially difficult even with the application of low observable technology.  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been working to add more autonomy and give existing and future systems the capability to operate in these denied and contested environments. CODE is DARPA’s answer to this problem. “DARPA’s Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program aims to overcome these limitations with new algorithms and software for existing unmanned aircraft that would extend mission capabilities and improve U.S. forces’ ability to conduct ...

Today's technology has shown the world how autonomy and unmanned systems can be found in nearly every military environment. The last several years, the media has focused on the operations of unmanned aerial vehicles above the battlefields of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. Recently however, an naval autonomous underwater vehicle has made the news, and with it has raised the question on the future of underwater drones.  In early December of 2016, the Chinese Navy seized a US navy UUV (underwater unmanned vehicle). The drone was operating about 50 miles off the coast of the Philippines when it was captured. The hostage UUV was a Slocum glider, a scientific research drone that measures things like salinity of the water.    " Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook claimed the underwater drone was “a sovereign immune vessel of the United States” just like a manned craft, UUVs haven’t been around long enough to create much custom or precedent about their legal status, and the emotions...

As drone technology continues to advance, unmanned systems are continuing to find themselves entering more lines of work. The intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of UAVs have dramatically changed the way the military provides security to our warfighters, conducts humanitarian missions, and maintains situational awareness on the battlefield. It is only natural to take the obvious benefits of these tools and apply them to other industries as well. In 2016 Sharp Robotics Business Development debuted a new unmanned ground vehicle they call the INTELLOS A-UGV. It is advertised as "cost-effective, multiterrain, mobile sensor platform that can capture video, audio and environmental data, while providing a visible deterrent" While it may not be a "Robo-Cop", INTELLOS is designed to be more of a Robo-Security Guard.  "The data it provides can enhance outdoor surveillance, security, safety and maintenance inspections, which will help organiza...