For the first time, AMREL is selling deeply discounted Demo computers & Eval units online! UP TO 70% OFF on select fully rugged laptops, tablets, and handhelds. See the great deals at shop.amrel.com!
AMREL will be at Modern Day Marine next week. Come by AMREL’s booth #1037 and see the “largest” and the “smallest.” The “largest” would be the RF9, which has the biggest display of any fully rugged laptop on the market. The “smallest” would be the ROCKY DB6, which is the smallest fully rugged handheld in the world that can run full Windows/Linux OS. See you at Quantico!
I recently showed a video of Boston Dynamic’s Legged Squad Support System (LS3) to a former Marine. I pointed out that its capability of following a human was similar to the one demonstrated in a Robot Rodeo Video.
Some interesting charts came our way recently. The people at Armada International put together an exhaustive overview of UAVs, detailing payload, engine type, length, and other specs. You may think you understand the diversity of UAVs out there, but you have to see pictures of all of them at once to truly appreciate the astonishing variety that exists. See UAV Overview for download. The other chart comes from the graphic information folks at Column Five Media. It illustrates various attitudes of the public toward UAVs, including the completely predictable fact that people are more comfortable with UAVs conducting Search & Rescue missions than identifying traffic speedsters. See Public Attitudes toward UAVs.
AMREL is no stranger to achievements at the annual Robot Rodeo. As reported by Defense Professionals, our team had success again at this year’s annual evaluation event staged by Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and other military stakeholders. For more information on AMREL’s role in this groundbreaking demonstration of autonomy, check out AMREL COTS Handheld Used for OCU & Payload Controller at Robot Rodeo.
In Part One of our series on GPS, we discussed its uses, problems, and alternatives. In Part Two, we take a look at the role of GPS in Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV).
Inertial Navigation System
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and ground vehicles often use a combination of GPS and Inertial Navigation System (INS). INS depends on input from motion sensors (accelerometers) and rotation sensors (gyroscopes). Through a process known as “dead reckoning,” the vehicle’s current position is calculated utilizing time passed from previous locations and estimates of speed.
Read more
What was the buzz at AUVSI North America conference, besides the UAVs being demonstrated? I talked to many, many people at the show, trying to glean information for future blog postings as well as newsletters. It’s hard to generalize, but I did notice certain topics being frequently discussed on the exhibitor’s floor. For the purpose of this blog post I am excluding conversations at the seminars.
What happens in Las Vegas, stays permanently on your work record
A number of people commented that this year’s attendance and exhibits were smaller than last year’s (I don’t know if this is true; this is my first show). I heard a rumor that the GSA scandal that occurred a few months back made Las Vegas a questionable destination for some participants. Read more
GPS is cheap, available, accurate, and wildly successful. That has freaked out some people. To learn about GPS vulnerabilities, proposed enhancements, and possible alternative navigational systems, read here.
AMREL will be in Las Vegas next week for AUVSI North America 2012. Some big changes are coming, which we think will define the parameters of OCUs for the next few years. Drop by our booth, and we can talk about them. Also, I will be there, looking for story ideas. If you have any, or want to talk about sharing content, email me at editor@amrel.com.
AMREL customizes a lot of computers. Sometimes, the customization is almost a complete build-to-order. Other times, it’s as simple as adding a connector to a laptop or tablet. Actually, adding a connector isn’t so simple. Consider the conventional way of adding a connector to a mobile computer:
- First space must be found to accommodate the connector
- A hole and mount points must be machined into case wall
- Power and signal wires must be soldered to mainboard and routed to backside of the connector
- Finally, the laptop or tablet is reassembled and tested Read more
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