Jun 06. SMD Hydrovision spins off Hyball ROV system maintenance to Sonavision. Sonavision and SMD Hydrovision have reached agreement for Sonavision to take over maintenance, service and spares of the Hyball ROV system for its Hyball customer base. The iconic Hyball all electric ROV was introduced by Hydrovision Ltd of Aberdeen in the 1990’s and has been used for many years in a variety of roles including offshore inspection in the oil and gas industry, harbour, dam and ship maintenance, ROV pilot training and biological and environmental survey. An upgrade “offshore” version was introduced and in total around 200 systems have been manufactured. Although manufacturing stopped in 2003, a strong customer base remains committed to the Hyball ROV systems.Sonavision will, under licence, offer spares, maintenance and support services for the Hyball systems from their Aberdeen base. SMD Hydrovision’s parts stock, dedicated tooling and test equipment is transferred to Sonavision’s Aberdeen base under the agreement. (Source: Shephard)
Jun 06. Carnegie Mellon spin-off RE2 Unmanned Systems Software Development Kit. RE2, Inc., a Carnegie Mellon spin-off specializing in agile defense robotics, today announced the general availability of the RE2 JAUS Software Development Kit (SDK) Version 1.0 and its comprehensive RE2 Solution Services. JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) is a DoD mandated software-messaging protocol developed to establish a standard for unmanned ground, surface, and underwater vehicles, enabling interoperability between unmanned systems and components. The RE2 JAUS SDK provides military and commercial unmanned systems developers with a comprehensive toolkit to design and implement a JAUS-compliant system. The RE2 Solution Services provide unmanned systems vendors with a single supplier for all of their JAUS software, development, and engineering requirements. (Source: Shephard)
Jun 06. Sagem Défense Sécurité chosen by the DGA for a UAV weapons-firing study. Sagem Défense Sécurité (SAFRAN Group) has been awarded a contract by the DGA (Délégation Générale pour l’Armement, French defense procurement agency) to study the feasibility of tactical UAV weapons firing. Resulting from a preparatory analysis carried out by Sagem Défense Sécurité since 2001 on the operational concept of an armed UAV, the technical concept put forth is as follows: High terminal precision, especially in asymmetric conflicts and ability to keep soldiers in the loop up till impact in order to minimize operating risks. The armed UAV concept meets new needs, which armed forces have, by drawing on feedback from operational experience.The functional interest of Sagem Défense Sécurité’s concept allows a complete technical problem to be addressed and the study’s lessons to be maximized in order to best prepare possible future operational capabilities. The study is based on a combination of the Sperwer B UAV with a high-precision, guided, light air-to-ground weapon. Sagem Défense Sécurité’s expertise of the UAV system’s functional chain and the capitalization of skills acquired in the AASM (modular air-to-ground weapon) program allows it to offer optimized and highly secure system architecture. Upgrade of the Sperwer A, Sperwer B offers extended capabilities, namely in terms of endurance and range. Its external payload capacity – planned for in the original Sperwer B design – make it suited for carrying external loads under the wings. Sperwer B is 100% compatible with the Sperwer system components: ground station, transmission, catapult and support system. (Source: Shephard)
21 Jun 06. Innova Holdings Inc. announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Mesa Robotics in Madison, Ala. The agreement grants Innova Robotics, an Innova Holdings company, the exclusive worldwide rights to market and sell a full line of Mesa Robotics unmanned ground vehicles in all markets, and makes Mesa Robotics the exclusive supplier of unmanned groun