Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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06 Jan 22. Lyten Receives Award to Demonstrate Battery Technology for Space Applications. Lyten, an advanced materials company, announced today it secured a prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement in support of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) around high-specific energy storage and management solutions. A core objective of the agreement is to demonstrate a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery solution that will significantly increase the duty cycle of small satellites for the U.S. Space Force, which is one of many applications for the new Li-S battery technology. The ultimate goal of the effort is to develop a lithium-sulfur rechargeable battery capable of 3X, or three times, the energy storage capacity of current lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, enabling the use of higher duty cycle spacecraft and those that function longer during an eclipse.
Lyten has been developing and innovating its pristine, 3-dimensional graphene material that can be formulated and tuned at the molecular level and used to significantly improve batteries – among other applications. When formulated into its advanced Li-S battery chemistry, Lyten’s batteries deliver greater energy density, superior temperature performance, faster recharging time, and greatly improved safety.
“There are significant limitations with lithium-ion batteries, and we have successfully broken through those barriers with our extensive research and development efforts and with our collaboration with the DIU and the U.S. Space Force,” said Dan Cook, CEO and a Co-Founder of Lyten. “By using our unique Lyten 3D Graphene® and proprietary lithium-sulfur cell chemistry, we will be able to deliver a three-fold increase in gravimetric energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.”
Additionally, Lyten’s cell technology is based on sustainable materials, requiring no cobalt, nickel or other rare minerals and provides the lowest carbon footprint of any battery. Through its unique Li-S batteries and proprietary, 3-dimensional graphene technology, Lyten is poised for additional improvements in the near future.
“Our state-of-the-art battery solution gives the DIU and U.S. Space Force a tool that will enable the use of smaller, lighter battery packs, better positioning them to use smaller spacecrafts, reduce the overall cost to orbit, and sustain Low Earth Orbit operations during eclipse,” said Shawn Black, President of Government, Aerospace & Defense at Lyten. “We look forward to successfully fulfilling the testing phase of this project and engaging with the DIU again in the future.”
With advanced energy and materials being a key part of the DIU’s initiative, Lyten was first awarded the contract in spring 2020 and since then has rapidly and successfully prototyped three different battery configurations, including pouch cells and cylindrical cells. The batteries will undergo a comprehensive level of testing as requested by the Space Systems Command, prior to production implementation.
“This project showcases the unique and extensive capabilities and advantages of our next generation material, which will be able to be applied to other industries outside of aerospace and defense,” Cook said.
About Lyten
Lyten is an advanced materials company developing a revolutionary lithium-sulfur battery technology for use in a variety of applications in automotive, aerospace, defense, and many other markets. Lyten 3D Graphene® is the advanced material that enables lithium-sulfur batteries to improve the range and safety of electric vehicles, while also achieving a lower carbon footprint than other EV batteries. Lyten holds more than 260 issued or pending patents on covering technologies. Founded in 2015, the privately held company is based in San Jose, California. Visit www.lyten.com for more information.
About the Defense Innovation Unit
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and growing the national security innovation base. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD), from the services and components to combatant commands and defense agencies, to rapidly prototype and field advanced commercial solutions that address national security challenges. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, and the Pentagon, DIU connects its DoD partners with leading technology companies across the country. (Source: PR Newswire)
07 Jan 22. Advantech Releases HPC-6240+ASMB-622 Industrial Edge Inference Server Powered by NVIDIA A2 Tensor Core GPU. Advantech, a leading provider of industrial intelligent systems, is pleased to announce the HPC-6240+ASMB-622 industrial edge Inference server. This innovative solution is specially designed for the rapid deployment, management, and scaling of AI and inference workloads in the modern hybrid cloud. Advantech’s HPC-6240+ASMB-622 also works perfectly with the newly announced NVIDIA A2 Tensor Core GPU, an entry-level, low-power, compact accelerator for inference and edge workloads.
The Everywhere AI Made with NVIDIA and Advantech
The opportunity for artificial intelligence (AI) to transform every industry is greater than ever. From thousands of sensors and Auto-Optical Inspection (AOI) equipment in smart factories to enhance the safety, accuracy, and efficiency, to over one billion smart city cameras working to ensure public safety, to the 500 million calls per day to contact centers, the demand for AI to serve these needs is enormous.
Inference is key to optimizing production procedures, making them more convenient, preventing revenue loss, and increasing operational efficiency as we ascend into an AI economy. However, developing inference solutions from concept to deployment is not easy. Advantech HPC-6240+ASMB-622, powered by the soon to be available NVIDIA A2, offers a complete end-to-end stack and suite of products and services to deliver the performance, efficiency, and responsiveness that is critical to powering the next generation of AI inference in embedded devices. With only 20.5″ depth and multiple expansion slots, this system is especially suitable in Industrial Equipment Manufactures (IEM), robotics, retail, intelligent video analytics (IVA), and other applications of AI at the edge.
The NVIDIA A2 GPU’s versatility, compact size, and low power requirements exceed the demands for edge deployments at scale. Combined with the Advantech HPC-6240+ASMB-622, it can deliver up to 20X higher inference performance versus CPUs and 1.3X more efficient IVA deployments than previous GPU generations — all at an entry-level price point.
Advantech HPC-6240+ASMB-622 Industrial Edge Inference Server
Advantech’s HPC-6240+ASMB-622 is a 2U short-depth compact edge server with dual 3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® scalable processors. It provides 8 expansion slots and multiple PCIe for flexible GPU, NIC, Frame Grabber Card, and motion-control card integrations. Four PCIeX16 design supports up to four NVIDIA A2 GPUs for AI and HPC.
Low power requirement, compact size, and multiple expansion capability with four A2 GPUs, this solution empowers complex AI Auto-Optical Inspection and manufacturing equipment applications.
Accelerate AI Capabilities with Advantech
HPC-6240+ASMB-622 leverages Advantech’s innovative thermal management system to increase airflow and pressure. This feature enables high computing workloads at the industrial edge by cooling GPU cards and reducing noise output.
HPC-6240+ASMB-622 is able to scale out from a single-GPU node to multi-GPU nodes when needed in industrial applications, especially in the areas of AOI, voice recognition, and translation.
HPC-6240+ASMB-622 enables enterprises to confidently deploy hardware solutions that securely and optimally run their modern accelerated workloads while using the NVIDIA AI platform for inference. The NVIDIA AI platform for inference includes software such as NVIDIA Triton Inference Server and NVIDIA TensorRT, which can be accessed directly from the NVIDIA NGC catalog.
07 Jan 22. Neuron Leverages the Hedera Network for Drone Radar System in UK Government Sponsored Trial. Neuron, a supplier of aviation technology and air traffic critical national infrastructure, has leveraged the Hedera network, the most used, sustainable, enterprise-grade public ledger for the decentralized economy, in a UK government-sponsored trial to demonstrate the capability to safely track the movements of military, enterprise, and government drones once out of visual line of sight. The trials, which took place at Port Montrose in Scotland on 29 April 2021, and at Cranfield University during October 2021, used sensors to track the drones, recording flight data via the Hedera Consensus Service. Over time, Neuron’s vision is to provide a decentralised platform for a range of mobility solutions including drones, air taxis, autonomous vehicles and ground robots. Neuron will do this by connecting sensors, vehicles and management systems to provide a trusted network which can be used for data sharing, record keeping and potentially even decision making.
Niall Greenwood, CCO of Neuron, said,
“Until now, drones have had limited benefit for governments and private enterprises, because they could not be flown safely out of line of sight and therefore could not be used for long distance deliveries, transport, or inspections. With this trial, leveraging Hedera Consensus Service, we have made unmanned, long distance drone travel possible using safety-critical aviation infrastructure. Each flight creates millions of data points, which no other public ledger has been fast enough to log and correctly order. By leveraging the Hedera Consensus Service we can gather, store, and order this data immediately, giving us a real time ‘radar system’ for drones.”
Neuron sensors pick up data points on each drone’s location and direction. From there, the Hedera Consensus Service provides a unique method of logging and timestamping the data from each drone flight onto Hedera’s decentralized public ledger. The Hedera network operates at a higher speed and performance, with a lower cost per transaction than any other public distributed ledger technology (DLT), offering a scalable basis for drone flights to be adopted across industries. The Hedera network offers all applications the highest grade of security possible (ABFT), ensuring data protection for users.
The trial was sponsored by the UK government’s department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and took place as part of a series of experiments by BEIS to explore the use of drones. The trial by Neuron successfully demonstrated safely tracking drone flights once out of sight, allowing the drones to fly longer distances safely and securely.
Neuron aims to deploy its solution for all drone use cases, transforming industries and supply chains in the UK and internationally. Applications for drone flights leveraging the Hedera-powered radar system in healthcare include remote medical testing, transportation of medical supplies to difficult locations, movement of equipment from hospital to hospital, Covid-19 test kits and beyond, as demonstrated across the UK on-demand.
The Hedera Consensus Service has already been adopted in healthcare solutions in the UK through its usage by Everyware and the NHS to track the cold storage of COVID-19 vaccines, in the Middle East through MVC’s use for their track and trace system for pharmaceuticals in Bahrain, and in the US through its collaboration with SAFE and Acoer to provide COVID-19 track and trace systems for Arizona State University, E&I Cooperative, and major enterprises.
Mance Harmon, CEO and Co-Founder of Hedera Hashgraph, said,
“Through this trial, Neuron has exhibited an extraordinary feat, allowing unmanned drones to safely exist in the sky. The Hedera Consensus Service enables the use of drones to transport essential equipment across long distances, which has enormous implications in the fields of healthcare and national security in particular. We are excited to continue Hedera’s work in these sectors, particularly following our notable partnerships with Everyware and Hala Systems, and to see diverse industries realise the benefits of the Hedera Consensus Service.” (Source: UAS VISION)
06 Jan 22. In early December, Microchip Technology announced an expansion of its Gallium Nitride (GaN) radio frequency power device product line. A company press release said this had been expanded to include new Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) and discreet transistors. These products cover frequencies of two to 20 gigahertz/GHz. The press release stated that these products can be used in “applications ranging from 5G to Electronic Warfare (EW), satellite communications, commercial and defence radar systems and test equipment.” All these products are made using GaN-on-silicon carbide technology. Microwave Technology claims this provides longevities exceeding one million hours at a 255° Celsius junction temperature. (Source: Armada)
06 Jan 22. CAES has launched its 8508039-1 wideband GaN high-power radio frequency amplifier. The company is aiming this product at the EW market. This is alongside applications in space and weight constrained environments like UAVs, it said in a press release. The company claims the product has the best RF output power-to-weight ratio. A modular design lets the 8508039-1 be scaled up or down according to customer requirements. CAES’ product brochure says that amplifier modules are available from Very High Frequency (30 megahertz/MHz to 300MHz) up to L-band (1.215 gigahertz/GHz to 1.4GHz). RF output power is scalable up to one kilowatt and the module weighs 10 kilograms (22 pounds). The 8508039-1 was not the only new product to be revealed by CAES. In late November 2021 the firm announced what it claims to be the “industry’s smallest 0.5 to 18GHz single 3U slot wideband up/down converter with integrated local oscillator and preselection.” CAES made the announcement in a press release. Applications mooted for the product include electronic support and electronic attack, it continued. The converter achieves sub-350 nanoseconds tuning which CAES claims is “industry’s fastest threat reaction.” It also provides two gigahertz of instantaneous bandwidth. (Source: Armada)
06 Jan 22. In late November, Spectranetix announced the release of its SX-124 ruggedised 3U Open VPX Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) system. The SX-124 provides PNT information in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) denied environments. A press release announcing the news said that “The SX-124 can accept external resources or use its on-board GNSS receivers as reference inputs for timing and position data. The position data can be fused with internal and external Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs).” The press release said the SX-124 supplements PNT data with an internal atomic clock and IMU. As well as an external IMU, the SX-124 can be connected to a controlled reception pattern antenna. This helps outflank GNSS jamming. (Source: Armada)
06 Jan 22. In December Acromag unveiled its XMC-7AWP/XWP embedded computing modules. The company’s official literature says that applications for these modules include EW. The modules have been enhanced with high-speed memory and a high-throughput serial bus interface. Electronic warfare applications mooted for these memory cards include Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). Other applications include image processing, military servers, hardware simulation and communications. (Source: Armada)
06 Jan 22. EID and Critical Software partnering in the field of defence and security solutions. Portuguese companies EID, a military communications specialist, and Critical Software, an international technology provider, have formed a strategic partnership to expand their supply and market coverage to offer flexible and agile C4I solutions for national and international customers.
The agreement brings together these two experienced companies with the aim of providing complete C4I equipment (command, control, communications, computers and information). The equipment will increase situational awareness, and support faster and more informed decisions for defence and peacekeeping organizations and security, both nationally and internationally.
EID’s digital communication and information exchange capabilities (including personal, handheld and manpack radios, data and power integrators, data terminals, intercom systems, and more) will be used in conjunction with Critical Software’s EyeCommand solution, which provides command and control capabilities and a common operational image. Collectively the capabilities will enable faster and more accurate decision-making at tactical and operational levels.
Nuno Cordeiro, Programs & Strategic Partnerships Director, EID, says: “We are delighted to enter into a strategic partnership with Critical Software. Our collaboration and combined offering will provide national and international organisations a complete solution that delivers secure and enhanced communications in real time, improving situational awareness through the digitization of operational scenarios.”
Nuno Bustorff Silva, Critical Software’s Business Development Manager, recognizes: “We are excited about the opportunities that the cooperation between our two companies will allow. This is a positive step in our joint journey to provide flexible and agile communication solutions for defence, peacekeeping and homeland security clients.”
05 Jan 22. Eying military gains, France goes big on national quantum technology. France is diving into the quantum realm with a new multi-sector, cutting-edge computing platform, and by investing billions of euros over several years to support research-and-development efforts in the emerging technology field.
Cabinet officials announced the launch of a national hybrid quantum computing platform in a Jan. 4 event. The effort stems from the nation’s quantum technology strategic plan, which President Emmanuel Macron started one year ago. The plan earmarked 1.8bn euros ($2bn) to develop quantum technologies between 2021 and 2025, with the state providing 1bn euros ($1.13bn). The remaining funds will come from a mix of industry programs, European funding, and relevant startup investments. Leaders hope to create about 16,000 new jobs within this sector by 2030, per the French government.
An initial 70m euros ($61.9m) and up to 170m euros ($150.2m) will enable the new “hybrid quantum computing” platform to interconnect traditional systems and quantum computers, according to a French government statement. Those systems will then be available for an international community of research institutions, start-ups and industry partners to access.
The platform itself will be managed by France’s National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA), and housed at the country’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission’s (CEA) military tech-focused facilities in Paris.
Leaders representing multiple French government ministries participated in the half-day event on Tuesday. Mastering quantum technology is an “absolutely strategic interest” for France’s national defense, said Defense Minister Florence Parly in a virtual address.
“Everyone can imagine the benefits of autonomous navigation, without the need for GPS, which is possible with some quantum technologies,” she said. “We know that this will be decisive in tomorrow’s conflicts.”
Quantum-based sensors would eventually deliver “unparalleled” levels of precision for sophisticated weapon and navigation systems that would no longer need to rely on satellite signals, but could function by measuring the “tiny variations in the Earth’s gravity,” Parly said.
The communications domain is also a key area of military interest for quantum computers, including breaking cryptographic algorithms for intelligence purposes, she added. While Parly acknowledged that that concept remains theoretical for now, she said France is ready “to face it someday.”
France is eager to become a thriving hub for quantum technology and computing companies. Atos, a French-based information technology company, sees value in quantum computing to more quickly and efficiently support high-performance computing, said Philippe Duluc, chief technology officer for Atos’ big data and security portfolio.
“Moore’s Law is slowing down; we are reaching the limits of the density of chips,” he said during Tuesday’s launch event. “For that reason, we have to find another way to speed up computing. One of these ways is quantum computing.”
Meanwhile, Pasqal, a Paris-based quantum technology startup partially funded by the French Ministry of Defense, will merge with a yet-unnamed European software company “to strengthen our position in this field,” said CEO Georges Olivier Reymond on Tuesday.
European quantum computer builder IQM announced last month that it would open its fourth continental office in Paris. The company’s chief of products, Bjorn Potter, lauded France for having “gained a lot of momentum in accelerating quantum programs” as a major factor in their decision to set up shop there. IQM built a quantum fabrication facility in Espoo, Finland, and also holds offices in Munich and in Bilbao, Spain.
Hosting the platform at CEA’s military facilities will be “a real asset” to attracting defense industrial partners to the quantum world, Parly said. “We need to federate a quantum community … of start-ups, large groups, scientists and researchers to appropriate these new capacities, to test their limits in their respective fields of interest and to disseminate the new methods.” (Source: Defense News)
04 Jan 22. Doosan Partners with Iris Automation, Drone America for Safe Use of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology. Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) has signed agreements with Iris Automation and Drone America to pursue Doosan’s hydrogen fuel cell technology to enhance scalable systems for long range, autonomous beyond line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations.
The companies will work together to integrate technologies and share operational resources to test and evaluate aircraft platforms and infrastructure to support commercial BVLOS operations.
The companies will be attending CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Due to its higher energy density over traditional lithium batteries, and zero-emissions profile, Doosan’s Hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to sustainably expand BVLOS drone operations for both commercial and public flight operations. Traditional lithium batteries and fossil fuel-powered propulsion systems are predominantly used in small UAS aircraft today. Battery-powered systems, such as those currently in use, do not produce carbon emissions but are limited in range and capacity. Fossil fuel propulsion systems have longer range, but at the expense of carbon emissions and high environmental noise.
According to DMI’s research and testing, its UAS hydrogen fuel cells can outperform traditional batteries with an energy density up to four times the current standard. Hydrogen can be produced using 100% renewable energy and when the fuel cell generates electricity it emits only water vapor.
Doosan Mobility Innovation, Iris Automation, and Drone America are looking forward to demonstrating how their combined flight experience, technologies and expertise can help shape the future of BVLOS commercial operations.
Doosan has been manufacturing fuel cell technology since 2014, and now provides safe, miniaturised fuel cell-powered systems for use in drones.
“The potential of hydrogen fuel cell drone technology that delivers the endurance and performance necessary to enable autonomous UAV flight, without carbon emissions, is huge. This partnership is an excellent way to jumpstart the progress we can make by collaborating with two pioneers at the forefront of real-world UAV innovation to actually start BVLOS services.” Soonsuk (Fran) Roh, manager of Americas and Oceania business development at Doosan Mobility Innovation
Iris Automation’s Casia allows an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) to see and react to the aviation environment around the aircraft, enabling real time airspace awareness onboard the BVLOS UAV’s during flight operations.
“Getting to higher density, zero-emissions fuel is an important breakthrough for long-range drone operations. As part of the overall drive to scale, it makes commercial operations increasingly viable and cost-effective. Given Doosan and Drone America’s leadership in this space and very practical roles in enabling drone operations, we’re excited to collaborate.”
Lori DeMatteis, vice president of sales and marketing at Iris Automation
Drone America specialises in designing and manufacturing uncrewed aircraft systems while providing commercial flight services to first responders, critical delivery, and infrastructure surveying and inspections. Drone America is in the process of developing a fleet of certified above 55lb. aircraft that takes full advantage of Doosan’s fuel cell systems and incorporate Iris’s Casia for real-time airspace awareness.
“Shaping the future of commercial BVLOS is not always about one person, but about the team that makes everything happen. From design, engineering, and production to flight services, certification and training, everyone here represents the very best at what they do and a team that Drone America is proud to be a part of.” Mike Richards, Drone America President and CEO. (Source: UAS VISION)
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley offer a range of Military Marine NVG friendly LED lighting that includes navigation lights and controls, flight deck landing lights and interior compartment lighting. Our lighting products are used by Navies around the world including our own Royal Navy on UK Aircraft Carriers, Canadian Frigates, Swedish Submarines, Australian Surface vessels and Submarines, on board French Naval Carriers and in Naval Gun Turrets.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-r/
The technology is extremely energy efficient and built robustly, with proven long life. The lighting is NVG friendly, dimmable and programmable to allow for operations with aircraft pilots using military night vision goggles. They offer superior design giving high reliability for the most demanding environments with high sealing and the ability to meet the most stringent EMC standards.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-y/
Oxley are proud to say that we are working in partnership with SeaKing to enable a control panel to be offered with our LED Navigation Lighting. All of Oxley navigation lights have been specifically developed for vessels over 50 metres.
Contact Marcus Goad on 07850 917 263 for more information or to arrange samples.
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.
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