62 The PCB Design Magazine • November 2017
Drones to Grow Mind of Their Own
The use of drones is gaining popularity among en-
vironmentalists and law enforcement officials alike
due to the robots' ability to reach far-flung locales
not easily accessible to humans. A person typically
sets the drone on a pre-determined path to collect
data.
New Radar Sensor Provides Clear Vision
in Any Weather
DARPA's Video Synthetic Aperture Radar (ViSAR)
program recently completed flight tests, success-
fully demonstrating a new sensor that can capture
real-time video through clouds.
Global Defense Spending Momentum
will Provide $771 Billion Opportunity
for Industry
The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems
(ADS) service report, "Global Defense Spending
Outlook 2016-2026," forecasts the global defense
budget will grow to $2.41 trillion in 2026, with
the opportunities available to industry growing at
a CAGR of 3.5%, to reach $771 billion.
Rockwell Collins' Cabinconnect Wireless
Offering Addresses the Growing Trend
Toward Bring Your Own Device
Rockwell Collins is addressing the growing passen-
ger demand to be connected on their own devices
while flying with its CabinConnect™ inflight wire-
less connectivity and entertainment solution.
Cloudy with a Chance of Radiation:
NASA Studies Simulated Radiation
In each life a little rain must fall, but in space, one
of the biggest risks to astronauts' health is ra-
diation "rain". NASA's Human Research Program
(HRP) is simulating space radiation on Earth follow-
ing upgrades to the NASA Space Radiation Labo-
ratory (NSRL) at the U.S. Department of Energy's
Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Sensible Design: Thermal Management—
The Heat is On
Thermal management materials are designed to
prolong equipment life and reduce incidences of
failure. They also maintain equipment performance
parameters and reduce energy consumption by re-
ducing operating temperatures, and minimising
the risk of damage to surrounding components.
Update on IPC's Validation Services
and Hints of What's to Come
SMTA International is the perfect time to get up-
dates on IPC happenings. One that I'm always cu-
rious about is the Validation Services programs. At
the busy show, I managed to find a quiet spot so
Randy Cherry, IPC's director of Validation Services,
could fill me in on the latest.
Developing New Magnetic Device Materials
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Luqiao
Liu is developing new magnetic materials, known
as antiferromagnets, that can be operated at room
temperature by reversing their electron spin and
can serve as the basis for long-lasting, spintronic
computer memory.
American Standard Circuits Upgrades
to ISO 9001:2015
American Standard Circuits has recently upgraded
their ISO quality management certification to the
latest standard, ISO 9100:2015.
Developing Sensors to Defend Aircraft
Against Lasers
MIT Lincoln Laboratory team is working on ground-
based cameras that detect sources of laser beam at-
tacks on aircraft and may lessen dangers for pilots.
MilAero007
Highlights
