Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
————————————————————————
01 Aug 18. Ideagen to launch enhanced Research and Development department. Babble&Geek founder, Kim Fowler, appointed as Head of R&D as Ideagen looks to innovate, improve and build its next generation of products. Ideagen Plc, the UK-based, global software firm, is launching an enhanced research and development operation as it looks to strengthen its product suite and identify opportunities for innovation. The company is one of the fastest growing firms operating in the multi-billion Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) market and already has some of the most successful software applications in that space. The new R&D department will be at the forefront of the company’s efforts to innovate, improve and build the next generation of its software applications. Kim Fowler, who is currently Chief Development Architect at Ideagen, is tasked with leading the department and will become Head of Research & Development.
Kim said: “The new R&D department marks an excellent opportunity for myself and the company to really take research and development within Ideagen to the next level. The remit of the R&D team will be to focus on how we can innovate, improve and build the next generation of our products. This will involve working directly with employees across development, sales, support and technical services to truly understand what and where our focus on innovation should be in order to deliver the most value. These are exciting times for the company, and this is certainly a challenge that I am very much looking forward to.”
Kim joined the Ideagen Group in August 2016 following the acquisition of Covalent Software Ltd, where he was a Principal Software Developer. Since then he has successfully held several positions within the organisation, including his latest position as Chief Development Architect. He is also a respected Consultant having launched his own company, Babble&Geek, in 1997 and has offered guidance directly and indirectly to a range of clients in the form of Tesco, Sainsburys, NASA, ESA and Northrup Grumman.
Ian Hepworth, Ideagen’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “Research and development are absolutely critical for any organisation operating in the software and general technology industry. At Ideagen, we have amazing, world class products and an outstandingly talented and experienced workforce, but we understand and have recognised that there can be no room for complacency in what is a constantly changing and ever evolving sector. I am really looking forward – and am very excited – to see the impact that a dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled R&D department will have on our organisation, our products and our future.”
Ian added: “Kim’s passion and experience are second to none and I truly believe this is an outstanding step for everyone involved. The launch of our new R&D department and the appointment of Kim will be the cornerstone in shifting our cultural focus towards innovation to ensure we stay among the leading players in a GRC space that is filled with opportunity.”
01 Aug 18. Turkish Aerospace signed a protocol for cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction. Turkish Aerospace keeps supporting research and development activities in the field of defence industry. Center of Excellence in Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (NÖROM), established in partnership with Ankara University, Gazi University and Middle East Technical University, has signed a cooperation protocol with Turkish Aerospace. Thus, Turkish Aerospace keeps providing support for research and development activities based on a new model for cooperation. On the grounds of the signed protocol a strong structure for university-industry cooperation is planned to be developed. In this context the Center of Excellence NÖROM, being engaged to the national helicopter and aircraft projects of Turkish Aerospace, will carry out joint studies for measurement of basic health and cognitive status of the pilot during the flight, human-machine interface and interaction, development of the needed products and ergonomics. Lecturers of the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering in charge of NÖROM projects, which are consisted of pilot-vehicle interactions, will carry out joint activities.
President and CEO of Turkish Aerospace PhD Temel KOTİL, Vice-President Strategy and Technology Management Prof Dr. Fahrettin Ozturk and his team, Rector of Ankara University Prof. Dr. Erkan IBIS, Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. İbrahim USLAN, Rector of Middle East Technical University Prof. Dr. Mustafa Versan KOK, Project Coordinator of NÖROM Center Prof. Dr. Hayrunisa Bolay BELEN, Vice-Rectors of the related Universities and lecturers in charge of the Project have taken part at the protocol signing ceremony. Within the framework of the vision to join academic manpower of the Universities and to conduct research and development activities, high value-added research results are planned to be achieved on behalf of NOROM Center which is established in partnership of three Universities of Ankara. Research and development activities will be carried out on behalf of appr. 80 lecturers of three Universities in the field of artificial intelligence, human-machine interaction, and rare diseases.
30 Jul 18. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity awarded Raytheon BBN Technologies (NYSE: RTN) a $14.5m contract to develop a system that improves the accuracy of predicting a range of geopolitical events – including elections, conflict, and disease outbreak. The contract was awarded last year under IARPA’s Hybrid Forecasting Competition.
“Event forecasters have struggled with the best way to combine the capabilities of human and machine analysts,” said Lance Ramshaw, principal investigator and lead scientist at Raytheon BBN Technologies. “We’re identifying the optimal combination to develop the best forecasting system possible.”
While human analysts are flexible and can apply context to their event forecasting models, machines can more quickly process massive amounts of data to make unbiased forecasts. Together, Raytheon BBN’s hybrid forecasting system uses the benefits of both by providing:
- Automated aids that increase human forecasters’ efficiency, including intelligent search, automatically computed indicators and alerts about changes or new information.
- Tools for sharing machine reasoning and results with human forecasters.
- Automatic combination of varied human forecasts, with more weight assigned to predictions from historically accurate forecasters.
As prime contractor, Raytheon BBN leads a team that includes Lumenogic and Wright State Research Institute, who contribute to the technology research. Subject matter expertise related to elections and opinion, military events, science, disease outbreak, conflict and leadership and macro-economics are provided by the American Center for Democracy, Ipsos Public Affairs, Systems and Technology Research and Tufts University.
30 Jul 18. Textron Systems and Textron Aviation, businesses of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), announced today the successful integration and demonstration of the company’s manned-unmanned teaming capability via the Textron Systems Synturian® control and collaboration technology and Textron Aviation Defense Scorpion jet.
“Through Textron Systems’ extensive experience in the field and Textron Aviation Defense’s expertise, we realize the revolutionary benefits that manned-unmanned teaming can deliver to keep manned assets out of harm’s way,” said Textron Systems Vice President of Programs Wayne Prender. “Together, Synturian command and control technologies and the Scorpion jet take this capability to the next-level – increasing Textron Systems’ Level of Interoperability (LOI) from 3 to 4, while enabling multi-vehicle command and control from a moving airborne asset.”
During the rapid proof of concept demonstration, the team installed Synturian software — a vital element of Textron Systems’ new family of multi-domain control and collaboration technologies — into the cockpit mission computer of the Scorpion jet. The team simulated a NIGHTWARDEN® Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System and an Aerosonde™ Small Unmanned Aircraft System for the demonstration, which featured flight acquisition and control of the simulated air vehicles and sensors (up to LOI 4). Using Synturian, the Scorpion aircrew set up flight route waypoints, established surveillance orbits, steered the sensor and changed the unmanned aircraft heading, airspeed and altitude. The simulated unmanned aircraft were then able to operate without further aircrew interaction.
“The ability to easily and intuitively control unmanned systems from the cockpit of a manned tactical aircraft is a game-changer,” said Textron Aviation Defense Senior Flight Test Pilot Brett Pierson, after flying the Scorpion-Synturian test missions. “The tactical and operational ramifications of this new capability are enormous. Further extending Scorpion’s sensor suite and penetrating a weather layer to generate target coordinates; or creating a triangulated solution independently; or adding layers to a multi-spectral fused solution, deliver an entirely new set of tactical capabilities that have never been possible in a fighter-typed aircraft.”
Moving forward, Textron Systems and Textron Aviation Defense plan to advance integration efforts, testing and demonstration of this transformational capability with fully-operational unmanned aircraft to interested customers worldwide. Synturian control and collaboration technologies empower situational awareness and informed action. The Synturian family of products includes two main product lines — Synturian Control and Synturian Remote. Synturian Control is a multi-platform, multi-vehicle, multi-domain control system that enhances collaboration and dissemination of information. Synturian Remote features mobile, network-strengthened tools that enhance situational awareness through timely information and collaboration. Both Synturian Control and Synturian Remote package these capabilities into small, lightweight hardware form factors that are scalable based on customer needs. Designed and built with leading-edge technologies, the Textron Aviation Defense Scorpion jet is a bold new direction for tactical aircraft. The Scorpion jet equips the warfighter with a technological advantage while delivering exceptional mission readiness at unparalleled low acquisition, operating and training costs. With its 85-cubic ft. center payload bay, easily field-configurable mission packages, six hard points, fast dash speeds and extended endurance and loiter time, the Scorpion’s versatility is unmatched. Built to excel as an affordable multi-role platform, the Scorpion jet delivers ISR, armed reconnaissance, CAS, maritime and border patrol and jet training capabilities.
27 Jul 18. Leonardo and the Politecnico Di Milano Collaborate on the Helicopter of the Future: Agreement for the Development of Sustainable Innovative Technologies. Helicopters will be an increasingly comfortable means of transport; by reducing noise and vibration inside the helicopter, pilot workload can be reduced, search and rescue tasks are easier and the quality of medical treatment in air ambulances is improved. It is the reason Leonardo and the Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) are developing new technologies for helicopters as part of their expanding collaboration, launched in 2016 with the signing of Innovation Hub, a multi-year framework agreement. The studies will also focus on the development of innovative technologies that can be used in new mechanical components utilising new lighter materials, which will bring advantages in terms of production costs and ease of installation. A further research project on predictive helicopter maintenance based on its health status will be launched by 2018. The agreement, in addition to developing innovative solutions related to helicopters, covers other areas of research that pertain to the business of Leonardo. The partnership between the company and the Milan based university reaffirms the importance of collaboration between large companies and universities of excellence as a determining factor in economic and cultural development and growth.
“The Politecnico di Milano is collaborating in a structured way with major industrial companies to make its research environment more and more relevant to the needs of businesses,” says Ferruccio Resta, Rector of the University. “The Innovation Hub created with Leonardo is producing concrete results and significant ones that confirm our commitment and identify, once again, as an engine of innovation in the nation.”
“In Leonardo, we invest in continuous and increasingly collaborative innovation,” underlines Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s CEO. “to develop increasingly effective and sustainable solutions for our customers and for Italy. The multi-year collaboration with the Politecnico of Milan is a concrete example of this. By putting our wealth of skills in line with those of the academic world – adds Profumo – we can accelerate the processes of innovation and technological development, create synergy and mutual benefit to support the competitiveness of Italy.”
Collaboration between the PoliMi and Leonardo is aimed at completing highly innovative projects, of which the following are important examples. The object of the research will be the development of innovative mechanical components based on new materials, allowing the transfer of loads from the rotor to the main gear box of the helicopter. This will provide a significant simplification of the existing mechanical system, thanks to the use of a single flexible component rather than a complex mechanical system. Through project Comfort, Leonardo and the PoliMi are also developing technologies to reduce the vibration and noise of helicopters. The reference platform for the study is the AW139 helicopter. The research activities are concentrated on three main areas: the rotor, from which the vibrations originate; the main gear box attachments, through which rotor vibrations are transmitted into the helicopter structure thereby reducing the level of comfort, and finally on the airframe itself. The ultimate goal of the programme is to demonstrate a significant vibration and internal noise reduction, through the coordinated use of passive and active systems. The development of solutions suitable for achieving the objective includes simulation activities and experimental research validation. Under the agreement, an innovative project looking at predictive maintenance for helicopters based on its health status provided by Health & Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS), a continually advancing technology, will start by the end of the year. This will help provide advance indications of anomalies helping to increase safety levels and reduce operating costs. Furthermore, within the Innovation Hub, e-GEOS, a subsidiary of Leonardo’s join venture Telespazio (80%) and the Italian Space Agency (20%), has signed a further agreement for the joint development of innovative data analytics of satellite services. The partnership will allow e-GEOS to offer new and powerful tools for the detailed analysis of our planet. The analysis will support specific market sectors: from insurance to precision agriculture, from oil and gas to defense, from emergency management to all the activities in which the monitoring of large-scale distributed assets is strategic. Artificial Intelligence techniques, developed by e-GEOS in partnership with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) of the PoliMi, will be able to reveal insights, trends and other information contained in satellite data when integrated with information generated from other sources. (Source: ASD Network)
01 Aug 18. V-Bat UAS gets Persistent Systems’ MPU5 MANET radio. MartinUAV’s V-Bat unmanned aircraft system (UAS) will be fitted with Persistent Systems’ MPU5 radio to transmit data and control the system. The autonomous V-Bat, a long-endurance vertical take-off and landing UAS, will use the MPU5 Wave Relay Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) technology to send video, voice, or other sensor data as well to conduct command and control (C2) of the air vehicle, Louis Sutherland, vice-president of business development for Persistent Systems, told Jane’s .
“The Wave Relay MANET allows a distributed and decentralised group of fully mobile users to communicate continuously and efficiently without the need for fixed infrastructure or MAC-level timing. Because Wave Relay does not require any pre-existing infrastructure, it is ideal for applications that require rapid set-up and complete mobility,” according to Persistent Systems.
An embedded version of the MPU5 radio will now be standard equipment on the V-Bat. V-Bat weighs 37.19kg, is 2.4m tall, and has a wingspan of 2.74m. It can travel up to 166 km/h and has a 2.2 to 3.7 kg payload capacity that includes signals intelligence, electronic warfare, synthetic aperture radar, and target marking. Additionally, the UAS carries a high-resolution digital single lens reflex camera for mapping. Sutherland said the embedded version is quite a bit lighter to meet the size, weight, and power (SWaP) limits of a UAS.
“We spent a lot of time releasing a product that was already optimised for SWaP. We use stack integration on the embedded board so it is a very efficient small form factor integration that is much tighter than the standard MPU5 components,” he said.
Unique to the MPU5 is the ability to change bands by simply swapping modules. Persistent Systems currently offers three modules: L-, S-, and lower C-band. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 Jul 18. DARPA seeks to halt threats to US microelectronics. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected teams from academia and commercial industry to explore flexible computer architectures that can exploit specialised hardware to quickly and efficiently solve a range of computing problems. These selected teams have also been chosen to determine the advantages that new materials and radically different architectures can bring when integrating disparate chip components into larger systems. The teams will also investigate methods to co-optimise software and hardware without introducing programming complexity through its Software Defined Hardware (SDH) and Domain-specific System on Chip (DSSoC) programmes. Both efforts aim to prove that efficiency and flexibility can be achieved, without compromising either characteristic as seen in current technology such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
————————————————————————-
Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
———————————————————————-