Sponsored by The British Robotics Seed Fund
http: www.britbots.com/fund
————————————————————————
01 Sep. 20. India’s CMERI highlights indigenous underwater vehicle development. The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), a state-affiliated Indian research and development (R&D) organisation overseen by the government’s Council of Scientific Research (CSIR), is expanding is looking to expand R&D work on underwater vehicles.
A CMERI spokesperson told Janes in late August that the organisation intends to develop long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for commercial and defence applications, although future R&D work hinges on the availability of government funding.
The AUV-150 is an indigenous 150 m-class autonomous underwater vehicle developed by India’s Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute. (CMERI)
CMERI successfully trialled its AUV-500 prototype from the research vessel Sindhu Sadhna – a vessel owned by CSIR’s National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa – some 90 n miles off Goa in March 2017.
The AUV-500 is the culmination of a R&D programme that was initiated in April 2012, which sought to develop a working prototype capable of operating up to a depth of 500 to 1,000 m. The AUV-500 is a 3.7 m long torpedo-shaped vehicle with an overall diameter of about 0.5 m and a weight of 400 kg in air.
The system has a positive buoyancy of about 5–7 kg when underwater and is actuated by three thrusters and actuation fins to control the movements. The vehicle employs radio frequency (RF) communication when surfaced and acoustic communication when submerged. It is also equipped with several navigational sensors that includes inertial navigation system (INS), Doppler velocity log (DVL), depth sensor, altimeter, and acoustic positioning system. It can also carry mission payloads such as an underwater camera, lamp and conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensors. (Source: Jane’s)
01 Sep. 20. Steadicopter unveils its latest additions to its RUAV Black Eagle family – Black Eagle 25E and Black Eagle 50E – featuring electric propulsion, and adapted for law enforcement, HLS and maritime applications, and covert missions.
The lightweight new E models enable operational flexibility, while meeting regulatory and operational needs.
Steadicopter, a leader in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry,
unveils Black Eagle 25E and Black Eagle 50E – the newest models of its RUAV – now operated with electric motors, and designed for a wide range of law enforcement, maritime, civilian, and covert missions. Based on the company’s Black Eagle platform, which has been proven to be operational for military needs, the new systems now enable high performance and operational flexibility for other security forces, as well as many civilian applications.
Converting Steadicopter’s Black Eagle 50 system to an electric-powered engine has significantly reduced the weight of the air vehicle, enabling additional, much required, payload capacity for a variety of missions. Weighing only 18 kg as a platform, each model has the capacity to carry additional batteries for longer flights, heavier payloads and more. The Black Eagle 25E is designed for weights of up to 25 kg, making it suitable for tactical-urban missions, while meeting the strictest weight and category regulations. The Black Eagle 50E, weighing up to 35 kg, enables the best-in-class flight envelope with a wide range of mission payloads, giving the user the highest level of mission versatility for covert operations.
With a zero-logistic footprint, the Black Eagle 25E and 50E are the perfect fit for the ever-important maritime domain. The small dimensions of the platform within the small-tactical unmanned aerial systems (STUAS) allow for efficient and safe operation. From a wide variety of OPVs to the busiest offshore platforms, the Black Eagle family of products offers a comprehensive solution for highly-demanding maritime applications, such as Infrastructure Security, Exclusive Economic Zone Enforcement, Anti-Piracy & Unauthorized Fishing, Search & Rescue, Offshore Cargo Supply and more. All Black Eagle systems are certified for use in the harshest maritime operating scenarios, according to the IP67 environmental standards.
Powered by electric engines, these models are extremely cost effective, simple to operate, easy to maintain and, with no need for fuel storage, both environmentally friendly and safe. They have all the proven capabilities of the gasoline-powered Black Eagle 50, including vertical take-off and landing capability, a robotic observation system for civil, military and HLS missions, and day and night vision. Additionally, they are adaptive to high-altitude flights, thus enabling their deployment in many high-altitude operational scenarios.
According to Noam Lidor, Sales & Marketing Director at Steadicopter, “There is a clear operational need for an electric version of a VTOL aircraft, and the company’s three products – the Black Eagle 50, Black Eagle 25E, and Black Eagle 50E – provide an accurate response to the customer’s regulatory and operational needs, both strategically and tactically. These electric helicopters are suitable for use in a wide range of military and civilian missions, such as search & rescue, cyber, intelligence, gas & oil rigs, and high-end naval missions. They also provide the perfect solution for service companies who until now have used drones to scan and monitor power lines, for example, enabling them to deliver a higher level of service to their customers.”
————————————————————————-
The British Robotics Seed Fund is the first SEIS-qualifying investment fund specialising in UK-based robotics businesses. The focus of the fund is to deliver superior returns to investors by making targeted investments in a mixed basket of the most innovative and disruptive businesses that are exploiting the new generation of robotics technologies in defence and other sector applications.
Automation and robotisation are beginning to drive significant productivity improvements in the global economy heralding a new industrial revolution. The fund allows investors to benefit from this exciting opportunity, whilst also delivering the extremely attractive tax reliefs offered by the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). For many private investors, the amount of specialist knowledge required to assess investments in robotics is not practical and hence investing through a fund structure makes good sense.
The fund appoints expert mentors to work with each investee company to further maximise the chance of success for investors. Further details are available on request.
www.britbots.com/fund
————————————————————————