ASDWire distribution date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 10:00:00 GMT +0100

AeroVironment Wins Its Fourth Best of What's New Award from Popular Science for Wasp

MONROVIA, Calif., Nov. 7, 2006 --[ASDWire.com]-- AeroVironment’s (AV) Wasp small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) today received a Best of What’s New Award from Popular Science in the Aviation and Space category. Wasp was chosen as a breakthrough technology that represents a significant step forward in its category. It will be featured in the December issue of the magazine, which will be on newsstands Nov. 14. Wasp is the fourth system developed by AV to receive a Best of What’s New Award.

“Best of What’s New is the ultimate Popular Science accolade, representing a year’s worth of work evaluating thousands of products,” said Mark Jannot, editor of Popular Science. “These awards honor innovations that not only influence the way we live today, but that change the way we think about the future.”

Weighing less than a pound and with a wingspan of 1.3 feet, the Wasp is the smallest of AV’s family of unmanned aircraft systems used by the U.S. Department of Defense, including the Army, Marines, Navy, and Special Operations, and increasingly allied military forces. It can be launched by one person, provides maximum portability, rapid assembly and launch, and can fly for at least 30 minutes using a rechargeable battery.

The Wasp UAS provides valuable real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) directly to a small tactical unit, or individual warfighter, to increase flexibility in mission planning and execution. AV developed Wasp for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The Wasp UAS wirelessly transmits critical live video and other information generated by its electro-optical sensor payload, enabling the operator to view and capture images on a hand-held ground control unit, facilitating faster, safer movement through urban and mountainous environments so that troops can act on intelligence rather than to an attack.

“DARPA’s vision for Wasp was to exploit unique materials and structures, and innovative designs in order to obtain a structurally efficient platform. Structural efficiency is critical to Wasp-sized vehicles because of the need to minimize parasitic weight and maximize available power,” said Dr. Leo Christodoulou, DARPA program manager for Wasp. “Wasp today offers a level of performance that no other vehicle of its size can match, and provides a new capability for our deployed warfighters.”

“Innovation is the primary driver of our company, so receiving this prestigious award from Popular Science is especially rewarding for everyone at AeroVironment,” said Tim Conver, AV president and chief executive officer. “Our most important objective remains developing and delivering innovative solutions to our customers that help save lives, reduce costs, increase productivity and improve their operational effectiveness.”

Among AV’s innovations is the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered UAS, the Global Observer. Six of AV’s and its founder’s innovations have been acquired for the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. AV’s previous Best of What’s New award recipients are the Charger Electric Bicycle (1997), Helios solar powered UAS (2001), and the Global Observer UAS (2005).

About AeroVironment, Inc. (AV)
AV designs, develops, produces and supports a technologically advanced portfolio of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and fast charge systems. The company’s small UAS are used extensively by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. PosiCharge™ fast charge systems are eliminating battery changing for electric industrial vehicle fleets in factories, airports and distribution centers throughout North America. For more information about AV please visit http://www.avinc.com

About Best of What's New
Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners — the Best of What's New — are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the debut of Best of What's New in 1987. Best of What’s New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 10 categories: Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, General Innovation, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Personal Health and Recreation.

About Popular Science
Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world’s largest science and technology magazine; with a circulation of 1.45 million and 6.5 million monthly readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, with an eye toward what’s new and why it matters. Popular Science is published by Time4 Media, a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

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