Author: markdickinson

The Observer

Drones (military)

Britain funds research into drones that decide who they kill, says report

Investigation reveals that technology for autonomous lethal weapons with artificial intelligence is being funded by MoD

American military aerial drones.
Photograph: Northrup Grumman/EPA

Technologies that could unleash a generation of lethal weapons systems requiring little or no human interaction are being funded by the Ministry of Defence, according to a new report.

The development of autonomous military systems – dubbed “killer robots” by campaigners opposed to them – is deeply contentious. Earlier this year, Google withdrew from the Pentagon’s Project Maven, which uses machine learning to analyse video feeds from drones, after ethical objections from the tech giant’s staff.

The government insists it “does not possess fully autonomous weapons and has no intention of developing them”. But, since 2015, the UK has declined to support proposals put forward at the UN to ban them..

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DJI has said its latest industrial drone – the Mavic 2 – will soon survey power grids for Southern Co, while American Airlines Group Inc will test the craft for plane inspections. — AFP

Hackers had access to the flight paths, photos, and aerial video footage collected by the world’s largest seller of drones for consumers, adding to fears about the security of pilotless flying devices.

Access to customer accounts of Chinese-based drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co could be gained via a vulnerability on the company’s website forum, according to a report from Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

DJI dominates the US$6bil (RM25.05bil) market for consumer drones, but has been subject to criticism over security holes. Last year, the US Army directed its personnel to stop using drones made by DJI and to uninstall all DJI software, after it became aware of security breeches in the Chinese company’s products.

Following the Army ruling, DJI set up a bug bounty program, where it pays inde..

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AdvertisementMitchell traders want to leverage the impending launch of a household drone delivery service in the suburb to position the precinct as a testing ground for new technology.
Tech company Wing is establishing a full-time base for its drone service in the north Canberra suburb, with plans to start delivering to homes and businesses in nearby Gungahlin, Palmerston, Harrison, Crace and Franklin early next year.
Mitchell Traders' Association secretary Julian Kusa said a number of local businesses had expressed interest in having their products delivered by Wing's drones, including a brewery, clothing store, toy manufacturer and gaming outlet.
Mr Kusa said the arrival of the innovative service – which Wing is promoting as world-leading – presented an opportunity to reposition the industrial suburb as the capital's innovation hub.
Mitchell Traders' Association secretary Julian Kusa is excited tech company Wing will establish a permanent base for its delivery dro..

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China unveils stealth combat drone in developmentA Chinese state-owned company says it is developing a stealth combat drone in the latest sign of the country's growing aerospace prowess. State-owned company plans to test fly CH-7 next year, mass produce it in 2022 for sale abroadChina's new-generation stealth unmanned combat aircraft prototype, the CH-7, is displayed during the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China 2018, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Zhuhai city, south China's Guangdong province. (Kin Cheung/Associated Press)A Chinese state-owned company says it is developing a stealth combat drone in the latest sign of the country's growing aerospace prowess.
The CH-7 unmanned aerial vehicle also underscores China's growing competitiveness in the expanding global market for drones. China has won sales in the Middle East and elsewhere by offering drones at lower prices and without the political conditions attached b..

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RALEIGH – Drone technology and services startup PrecisionHawk is taking off to target another business sector with its fifth acquisition in recent months.

And the Raleigh-based firm is prepared to capitalize on opportunities with a growing network of more than 15,000 drone pilots who work as contractors.

“You need drone pilots across the United States to capitalize on opportunities and to service clients,” says PrecisionHawk Michael Chasen in an interview with WRAL TechWire. The company’s Droners.io, which was acquired earlier this year, was launched in order to get PrecisionHawk the certified operators it acquired as an acquisition strategy enabled by investment capital spurred the acquisition binge.

“We have a lot of momentum, and we are pursuing a lot of opportunities,” Chasen, who was named CEO in January of 2017, says.

Founded in 2010 as the private sector drone industry began to gain traction, PrecisionHawk raised a whopping $75 million in January. Chasen has grown the compan..

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$26.8 Billion Military Drones Market by Type, Application, Range, Propulsion Type, Launching Mode, Endurance, MTOW & Region – Global Forecast to 2025

/EIN News/ — Dublin, Nov. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Military Drones Market by Type, Application (ISRT, Delivery and Transportation, Combat Operations, Battle Damage Management), Range (VLOS, EVLOS, BLOS), Propulsion Type, Launching Mode, Endurance, MTOW, Region – Global Forecast to 2025” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The military drones market is projected to grow from USD 12.1 billion in 2018 to USD 26.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.00% during the forecast period.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are increasingly being used in the defense sector for a number of applications such..

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