I attended the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2015 show in Atlanta in May. It was my first visit to this event, which is much heralded by VITA members. From what I could tell, I came to the conference at an inflection point for the industry of unmanned vehicle systems.
AUVSI is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the unmanned systems and robotics industry. For most of the 40-plus-year history of this organization, the driving market was military applications of unmanned vehicles, primarily because it was one of the few industries that had both the need and resources to spearhead the development that was possible with available electronics technology. But now all of that has changed, with electronics becoming so ubiquitous and inexpensive, a whole new wave of capabilities has emerged.
The members of AUVSI recognized and acknowledged this shift by renaming the event XPONENTIAL. In a press release at the show, AUVSI stated, “We are at an exciting inflection point today, where advancements in technology are allowing us to build upon our noble heritage of protecting citizens around the world. XPONENTIAL captures the potential of this industry, and defines our commitment to you – now and into the future. Serving as the intersection for commercial and defense applications, and advancing all domains collectively, XPONENTIAL is committed to serving as your ultimate industry brand experience.”
I ran into a longtime associate, David French of GE Intelligent Platforms, who acknowledged the changing atmosphere at this year’s event. In a post on the GE website (www.geautomation.com/blog/auvsi-day-3-sparking-unmanned-evolution), he commented that, “It is remarkable to see the unmanned systems market shift from what had traditionally been the purview of the military to a fast and growing commercial must-have capability. Commercial unmanned system suppliers and technology providers at this year’s AUVSI event now represent probably 80 percent to 90 percent of the show floor real estate.”
He also pointed out that the demonstrated applications were varied but tended to revolve around agribusiness, critical infrastructure inspection, news surveillance, search and rescue, entertainment, basic science, and other applications. The majority of platforms displayed were unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and the overwhelming form factors were relatively small UAS platforms.
AUVSI is excited about the future for unmanned systems of all types, announcing that the market is poised for explosive growth. The industry and regulators have opened unprecedented dialogue. Speakers at the opening keynote agreed that there is a potentially huge market for unmanned aircraft, and they are able to fly and accomplish more than what was possible just a few months ago.
While the industry is mobilizing to explore the seemingly endless possibilities available, many obvious challenges still exist. The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) has been developing rules for the operation and certification of small, unmanned aircraft systems. According to the FAA, “this rulemaking would adopt specific rules for the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace System. These changes would address the classification of small unmanned aircraft, certification of their pilots and visual observers, registration, approval of operations, and operational limits in order to increase the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.”
Agencies in countries around the world are frantically addressing the issues of unmanned vehicles of all types. After recent intrusions by drones, police departments are studying technology to detect and capture drones. For example, the Tokyo police department has plans to study whether it is possible to capture suspicious drones using police drones carrying nets. Other agencies are studying the use of security cameras that detect the heat of drone batteries and motors, and are employing technologies for identifying flight sounds, even looking at a method of blocking drone radio control by jamming signals. Some states are studying or passing legislation giving landowners the right to shoot down drones, though this is not a realistic option due to technical difficulty and safety concerns.
What does this mean for VITA technology suppliers? First, the demand for unmanned vehicles of any type is just beginning and will remain significant long into the future, requiring a strategy rethink for many companies. Second, given that size, weight, and power (SWaP) sensitivity is critical to success, small form factors are a must. Third, devices must be as autonomous as possible with onboard intelligence and sensing to make them as safe as possible, demanding more processing and better sensor performance. And finally, although the defense market remains a major player, it is starting to take a secondary role to commercial applications that have less stringent demands on reliability and performance, leading to reconsideration of target markets for some suppliers. To me, this indicates that there is still much work to be done in the creation of standards for critical embedded systems.