Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: drones

SHIELD activated: Researchers build defense to protect drones from cyberattacks

Fooled into following a hacker’s rogue commands, a drone is liable to do any number of things. Fly erratically. Speed up. Slow down. Hang suspended in the air. Reverse course. Take a new course. And, most dangerously: Crash.

What the compromised drone cannot do, however, is regain control. Lost to its original assignment—whether it’s delivering a package, inspecting an aging bridge or monitoring the health of crops—the machine is essentially useless.

At FIU, cybersecurity researchers have developed a series of countermeasures to fight back mid-flight against hostile takeovers.

‘FlyingToolbox’ drone system achieves accurate mid-air tool exchange despite airflow interference

Flying manipulator robots have shown themselves to be useful in many applications, such as industrial maintenance or construction. Their utility in hard to reach or hazardous locations makes them particularly promising in applications that put humans at risk. While these machines have been continuously improving over the years, they are still lacking in certain areas.

One difficulty for drones in the past has been the ability to stack on top of one another and work cooperatively while in flight. This ability is useful for things like swapping tools, similar to the way a nurse might hand different tools to a doctor during a procedure—allowing the doctor (or manipulator drone) to work uninterrupted.

The difficulty comes from something called “downwash,” which is a strong movement of air generated between two drones that interferes with their precise movements and docking procedures. However, a team of researchers from Westlake University in China has designed a new system of micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) capable of exchanging tools with impressive precision while flying. The design and on the “FlyingToolbox” are documented in their new study, published in Nature.

One-atom-thick filter helps lithium–sulfur batteries keep their charge

Longer-lasting phones, lighter drones, electric cars that drive farther. These are just some of the possibilities thanks to a new battery separator design from University of Florida researchers and their partners.

Think of a tiny coffee filter, but this one works inside a battery. The team recently showed that a one-atom-thick filter can block sulfur chains from shuttling within the battery, potentially unlocking the long-awaited promise of lithium–sulfur batteries.

While lithium–sulfur batteries are lighter and pack more power in a lighter package compared to the more conventional lithium-ion batteries, their fatal flaw is the sulfur doesn’t cooperate well inside the system. It clumps into long chains that clog up the works, draining the battery’s power and cutting its lifespan.

Tiny Multicolor Metalenses Could Revolutionize Drone and Phone Cameras

Engineers created multi-layer metalenses that focus several wavelengths. The design could revolutionize portable optical devices. Researchers have introduced a new way to create multicolored lenses that could pave the way for a generation of compact, low-cost, and high-performance optics for port

US firm’s drone conducts strikes with next-gen loitering munition

A new military test has showcased potential that large drones can work as motherships for smaller loitering munitions. The plan could get a push following a recent air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition (LM) from a General Atomics’ Block 5 MQ-9A unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

It marked the first time a Switchblade 600 has ever been launched from an unmanned aircraft.

The flight testing took place from July 22–24 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds Test Range.

Tiny metamaterial lenses could transform imaging for smartphones, drones and satellites

A new approach to manufacturing multicolor lenses could inspire a new generation of tiny, cheap, and powerful optics for portable devices such as phones and drones.

The design uses layers of metamaterials to simultaneously focus a range of wavelengths from an unpolarized source and over a large diameter, overcoming a major limitation of metalenses, said the first author of the paper reporting the design, Joshua Jordaan, from the Research School of Physics at the Australian National University and the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS).

“Our design has a lot of nice features that make it applicable to practical devices.”

Leaked details reveal China’s uncrewed vessel with stealth design

Report.

A closer look at one widely shared online image shows the vessel dwarfing a four-lane road in Beijing, implying that it likely stretches more than 15 meters (49 feet) in length. Its size, combined with the angular, stealth-oriented design and cockpit windows, indicates that the craft could accommodate either sophisticated onboard equipment or a small crew.

Preparations for a massive military parade in the capital are in full swing as the country readies to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, celebrated as Victory Day. The third major rehearsal ran from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday in Tiananmen Square, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The uncrewed surface vehicle featured in China’s official military parade indicates it has already entered active service. The vessel is significantly smaller than the “Killer Whale” a larger surface stealth drone that was unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow last year, the South China Morning Post reported.

/* */