Transportation

Australia announces new UAV competition
Queensland contest open to high school and university students; A$60,000 prize intended to raise awareness of this major local industry; “Smart State” is home to 30 percent of the country’s UAV production
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Developer of traffic safety technology raises $28 million
Maker of safety technology for vehicle fleets raises more money, bringing its total to date to $46 million, which it is going to use to expand operations abroad and delve more deeply into the consumer market
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Israel takes delivery of long haul Heron UAVs
Manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, internationally popular model comes home and is renamed the Shoval; as craft can fly forty hours without refueling, move is certain to raise eyebrows in Tehran
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T-rays to help in airport screening
New laser design creates usable terahertz radiation — radiation which penetrates materials but does not harm human tissue
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IndigoVision cameras to protect new Canada light rail system
$2 billion effort to protect Vancouver’s Canada Line will deploy 400 analog cameras; signals will be converted into MPEG-4 format for transmission to an eighty screen command center
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Feds consider expanding Indian tracking service
Established in the 1970s, Shadow Wolves play a critical role in border security; many now sent to train Central Asian security forces in hunt for al Qaeda; efforts underway to expand the fifteen member, all-Indian force
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Hitachi unveils world's smallest RFID tags
Shipping companies and private detectives have much to marvel at; Treasury department considers embedding them in paper bills, but the technology is not entirelty mature; “like powder”
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Universal Guardian teams up with CIBER
Companies sign a deal intended to conquer the global shipping and tracking market; agreement follows Universal’s recent purchase of MeiDa Information Technology; risk analysis for asset protection and anti-counterfeiting investigation among other improved capabilities
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Navy begins planning for next generation of EOD robots
Packbot, Talon, and Bombot are doing the job well, but the military wants to build a scalable system from the ground up; wireless communication a major concern due to interference from IED jammers; 2012 proposed production date
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Navy PLUSNet system to revolutionize underwater warfare
Networked UUVs will operate independently and adjust to ocean currents; system relies on a series of surface and underwater sensors, as well various gliders
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Technical committee advises against TWIC encryption
National Maritime Security Advisory Committee says encryption would lead to higher costs, increased processing times, and roll-out delays, with little added security value; unencrypted fingerprint template offered as alternative
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DHS abandons RFID for US-VISIT exit tracking
Tests at land border crossings found the technology unreliable; RFID tags were embedded in government forms; Smart Card Alliance applauds
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Stanford unveils entry for DARPA Urban Challenge
Modified Volkswagen Passat navigates city streets without aid; software processes data to make smart decisions about right of way, speed, and direction; effort builds on 2005 victory at the Grand Challenge
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Fast Track announces improved amphibious vehicle
Unlike other such machines, Fast Track’s uses only a single method of propulsion regardless of environments; tracks pull the vehicle along at 39 mph on water and 55 mph on land
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SAIC wins $39 million DHS security services contract
Five year deal requires company to perform risk assessments, build system architecture, and assist with technology policy and implementation
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