Nichols Martin
Aurora Flight Sciences has helped the U.S. Marine Corps deliver cargo through an autonomous flight platform during the service branch’s recent integrated training exercise.
A UH-1H helicopter equipped with the Aurora-built Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System delivered 520 pounds of water, gasoline, ready-to-eat meals, communications equipment and a cooler that contained urgent necessities to the California-based Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the Boeing subsidiary said Thursday.
AACUS is designed to automate helicopter flights through the use of installed sensors, computers and algorithms designed to form route plans for navigation and landing on unmapped and austere environments.
Aurora developed the system as part of the Office of Naval Research-backed Innovative Naval Prototype program.
