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Category: military

Bat-Inspired AI-Powered Echolocation Technology Helps Drones Navigate in Darkness

In a remarkable leap forward for machine navigation, researchers funded by the U.S. Army have developed a synthetic echolocation system inspired by the natural sonar abilities of bats and dolphins.

This cutting-edge technology enables drones, autonomous vehicles, and robots to detect and identify objects in complete darkness, relying not on traditional visual sensors like cameras or LIDAR, but on ultrasonic pulses processed by artificial intelligence (AI). The result is a system that promises to transform how machines operate in low-visibility environments, offering new possibilities for military operations and civilian applications alike. From navigating smoke-filled battlefields to aiding search and rescue missions in disaster zones, this bioinspired innovation could reshape the future of autonomous systems.

The U.S. Army’s investment in this research, supported by the Army Research Office and the DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center, reflects a growing need for machines that can function effectively where human senses or conventional technology falter. By drawing on the way bats and dolphins use sound to perceive their surroundings, this system provides a robust alternative to light-dependent sensors, which struggle in conditions such as darkness, fog, or dust. Its potential extends beyond defence, with researchers envisioning its use in fields as varied as medical imaging, industrial inspection, and underwater exploration. What makes this development particularly exciting is not just its versatility, but the clever way it was created—using simulated data to train AI, paving the way for a cost-effective and adaptable solution.

Photonaire develop laser propulsion

Imagine a drone that glides through the air without the familiar buzz of propellers or the hum of motors, a machine so quiet and still that it seems to defy the very principles of flight. This is no longer a vision confined to science fiction. A French startup, Photonaire, based in the vibrant city of Lyon, has brought this concept to life with a drone that flies using nothing but light.

By tapping into the power of concentrated laser beams, this groundbreaking invention generates thrust through a phenomenon known as “optical lift,” offering a glimpse into a future where aerial and space technology could be transformed. Photonaire’s creation weighs a mere 90 grams, a featherweight by any standard, yet it carries the weight of innovation on its delicate frame.

Unlike traditional drones that rely on mechanical components to lift off and manoeuvre, this device uses high-powered lasers reflected off ultra-thin metamaterials—materials engineered with precision to harness light in ways that conventional substances cannot. Drawing inspiration from solar sail technology, which uses sunlight to propel spacecraft, and the subtle forces of quantum pressure, the drone hovers and adjusts its path by altering the angle of these reflective surfaces in real time.

Anti-radar based on metasurface

In advanced multi-static radar (MSR), multidimensional information from target echo signals is collected by different receivers to enable precise localization using various algorithms. Owing to its efficient target localization and tracking capability, MSR has found wide applications in sensing, military operations, aviation, and aerospace. Multi-static nature of MSR also makes it difficult to counter. Here, we propose an anti-radar methodology based on space-time-coding metasurface (STCM) to counter MSR. By designing the physical characteristics of STCM and developing adaptive and robust electronic countermeasure (ECM) control strategies, we realize a cost-effective, miniaturized and low-complexity ECM system with the flexible controlling capabilities. Under non-cooperative and dynamic ECM scenarios, the proposed method shows exceptional concealment and deception performance. To validate the methodology, we develop a prototype of the STCM-based anti-MSR system and successfully demonstrate its ability to neutralize various MSR technologies. The proposed method is expected to find practical applications in the anti-MSR scenarios.

This study proposes an anti-radar methodology based on space-time-coding metasurface to counter multi-static radar, which enables a cost-effective, miniaturized, and low complexity electronic countermeasure system.

Startup founder cuts his legs to demonstrate a new biotechnology — investors give him $4.3 million

Jake Adler, the 21-year-old founder of the biotech and defense startup Pilgrim, literally put his own sweat and blood into developing the business, cutting his thighs to demonstrate the new technology. Surprisingly, this bloody effort paid off and he received $4.3 million from investors.

Pilgrim creates biotechnology for use on the battlefield, with plans to sell to the military and eventually civilians. Their flagship product is the Kingsfoil hemostatic bandage, which startup CEO Jake Adler cut both of his legs on camera to demonstrate.

We won’t publish the video and will avoid giving details. In short: Adler anesthetized his legs with lidocaine and used a biopsy tool to make two precise cuts. One of them was covered with Kingsfoil to stop the bleeding, and the other was used for a control comparison.

My advice to security leaders is that cybersecurity is a team sport and everyone needs to be involved

🎥Podcast Teaser: AI in the Wild Wild West: S4:E44🎙️ LIVE with Chuck Brooks Chuck Brooks.

From Presidential appointee to global cyber thought leader, Chuck Brooks shares insights on AI, quantum, and servant leadership. A blueprint for resilient leaders.

🎥 Watch the full episode of the Leadership & Success Podcast with Coach BZ and read the podcast highlights:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bobfabienzinga_cybersecurity-…ce=share&u

Chuck Brooks Cybersecurity is national security. In my latest Leadership & Success Podcast with Coach BZ Podcast (S4:E44), I sat down with Chuck Brooks — Thinkers360 Cybersecurity Ambassador, Georgetown University faculty, and one of LinkedIn’s Top 5 Tech People to Follow. We explored his remarkable journey from Presidential appointee to global cyber thought leader, highlighting the leadership principles that fueled his success.

Chuck shared powerful insights on the rise of ransomware, the looming threat of quantum computing, and how AI and agentic systems are transforming the cyber battlefield. He emphasized humility, continuous learning, and servant leadership — values equally vital in military command posts and Silicon Valley boardrooms. His call to action for leaders?

Continue reading “My advice to security leaders is that cybersecurity is a team sport and everyone needs to be involved” | >

Engineers develop new transparent electrode for infrared cameras

Infrared imaging helps us see things the human eye cannot. The technology—which can make visible body heat, gas leaks or water content, even through smoke or darkness—is used in military surveillance, search and rescue missions, health care applications and even in autonomous vehicles.

New microscope creates 3D ghost images of nanoparticles using entangled photons

Ghost imaging is like a game of Battleship. Instead of seeing an object directly, scientists use entangled photons to remove the background and reveal its silhouette. This method can be used to study microscopic environments without much light, which is helpful for avoiding photodamage to biological samples.

2 national aerospace companies could move to Loring

Thanks to a military training program that launched in May, two national aerospace companies could be coming to northern Maine.

used the former Loring Air Force Base’s runways for the first run of its five-year aviation training effort. Word of that event spread in aviation circles, and the businesses reached out to the Loring Commerce Centre.

The Loring Development Authority works to attract business, housing and jobs to Loring’s 3,800 acres. Occupants have included Brunswick-based Green 4 Maine and, most recently, the Taste of Maine Potato Chip Co. The two aviation companies, whose names the authority is not yet releasing, would boost the authority’s plan to bring more aerospace jobs onto the former base. They would also ensure a future for its airport infrastructure, including its famed arch hangar.

Chinese nanotechnology fueling advanced bio, cyber weapons, electronic warfare tools, study warns

The Chinese military is building sophisticated biological weapons and small-scale electronic tools made with nanotechnology that could be used in covert warfare, a major study warns.

“China’s invisible arsenals encompass a range of advanced weaponry that are distinctly focused on providing the Chinese Communist Party with a range of asymmetric warfare options, including the delivery of biological, biochemical and neurobiological weapons on target populations,” according to a report by three open-source intelligence analysts.

The People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, is developing nanoweapons using highly sophisticated microscopic materials that enhance the effects of biological weapons, according to the report, titled “In the Shadows of Science: Unravelling China’s Invisible Arsenals of Nanoweapons.” It was made public earlier this month.

Earth Is Broadcasting Its Location to Aliens — And We Didn’t Mean To

Radar from airports and military systems may expose Earth to alien detection. These signals could be used to find intelligent civilizations. New research indicates that radar systems operated by both civilian airports and military facilities may be unintentionally broadcasting Earth’s presence to

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