A robot pilot is learning to fly — and it has just passed its pilot’s test and flown its first plane. But it has also had its first mishap too. From a report: Unlike a traditional autopilot, the ROBOpilot Unmanned Aircraft Conversion System literally takes the controls, pressing on foot pedals and handling the yoke using robotic arms. It reads the dials and meters with a computer vision system. The robot can take off, follow a flight plan and land without human intervention. ROBOpilot is a drop-in system meaning that the pilot’s seat is removed and replaced with the robot. ROBOpilot has passed the Federal Aviation Administration’s Practical Test for piloting light aircraft and carried out its first flight on August 9 in Utah. A few weeks later it also had its first incident where the robot was damaged, although the extent of the damage is not known.

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Source: Slashdot – Robot Pilot That Can Grab the Flight Controls Gets Its Plane Licence

Following an Apple notice that a “limited number” of 15-inch MacBook Pros may have faulty batteries that could potentially create a fire safety risk, multiple airlines have barred transporting Apple laptops in their checked luggage — in some cases, regardless of whether they fall under the recall. From a report: Bloomberg reported Wednesday that Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia had joined the growing list of airlines enforcing policies around the MacBook Pros. In a statement by email, a spokesperson for Qantas told Gizmodo that “[u]ntil further notice, all 15 inch Apple MacBook Pros must be carried in cabin baggage and switched off for flight following a recall notice issued by Apple.” Virgin Australia, meanwhile, said in a “Dangerous Goods” notice on its website that any MacBook model “must be placed in carry-on baggage only. No Apple MacBooks are permitted in checked in baggage until further notice.”

Both Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways also recently instituted policies around the MacBook Pros. In a statement on its website over the weekend, Singapore Airlines said that passengers are prohibited from bringing affected models on its aircraft either in their carry-ons or in their checked luggage “until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer.” Bloomberg previously reported that airlines TUI Group Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Air Italy, and Air Transat also introduced bans on the laptops. The cargo activity of all four is managed by Total Cargo Expertise, which reportedly said in an internal notice to its staff that the affected devices are “prohibited on board any of our mandate carriers.”

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Source: Slashdot – Airlines Worldwide Are Banning MacBook Models in Checked Luggage Regardless of Recall Status