[Avionics Magazine 07-01-2016] Boeing has opened a new research laboratory to test hardware and software that will make a new generation of autonomous air, sea and land vehicles work together more effectively as a team or unit.
The CASL ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo: Boeing.
The 8,100-square-foot Collaborative Autonomous Systems Laboratory will serve as the company’s leading location for collaborative autonomous technology development with academic institutions and research partners, including government agencies and other companies.
A look at the inside of the new CASL. Photo: Boeing.
The cornerstone of the lab is an 80,000-cubic-foot motion capture system that allows the facility to simultaneously operate multiple unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles. The indoor flying test range contains a high-resolution blended projection system for the development and testing of vision-based technologies, such as image processing algorithms or detection of moving objects in scenery. The projection system can work in concert with the motion capture system and high-fidelity simulations to support live-virtual testing in realistic simulated scenarios. The facility also includes an enclosed, vented area that enables an around-the-clock reliable test environment and access to Global Positioning System (GPS) and other signals used for ground testing and static engine runs of small UAVs.