Business
German autonomous strike drones startup Stark has acquired a Berlin-based company building autonomous navigation software for drones to boost its swarming capabilities. Two-year-old Pleno creates an AI pilot to turn low-cost quadcopters into autonomous systems that can use vision-based navigation for GNSS-denied environments, as well as neural network-based computer vision
Business
* Shield AI, the deep-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software products and defense aircraft, has announced that the Netherlands Ministry of Defence has procured eight V-BAT unmanned aircraft systems to enhance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations for the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marine Corps. The deal was publicly announced
Business
* RTX and Shield AI announced a new partnership to integrate Shield AI capabilities into select RTX defense products, like loitering munitions and sensors. This collaboration will deliver enhanced, autonomous capabilities to US and allied defense forces. RTX will integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind to field the first operational weapon powered
AI
A team of scientists and students from TU Delft in the Netherlands has taken first place at the A2RL Drone Championship in Abu Dhabi - an international race that pushes the limits of physical artificial intelligence, challenging teams to fly fully autonomous drones using only a single camera. The TU
Law Enforcement
* Cambridge Pixel has announced its recent collaboration with OpenWorks Engineering, renowned for innovative optical systems and counter-UAS technology. The partnership combines OpenWorks' advanced optical tracking system, Vision Flex, with its radar processing software and system engineering expertise to deliver tailored counter-drone systems that meet the operational needs of multiple
AI
An autonomous drone carrying water to help extinguish a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada might encounter swirling Santa Ana winds that threaten to push it off course. Rapidly adapting to these unknown disturbances inflight presents an enormous challenge for the drone’s flight control system. To help such a drone
Business
When seconds matter, real-time software updates can make or break a mission. That's why Lockheed Martin teamed up with Red Hat to accelerate the rapid deployment of swarm autonomy technologies, enabling software updates to make unmanned aerial systems smarter at scale in tactical environments. Enhancing Tactics with Swarm
C-UAS
Ukrainian engineers have developed Sky Sentinel, an AI-Powered Anti-Drone Turret, in response to the ongoing Russian drone and missile attacks. What is Sky Sentinel? At first glance, Sky Sentinel might look like just another turret. But that’s a serious understatement. It is an autonomous, AI-controlled air-defense turret, equipped with
FPV
Chinese researchers have allegedly developed a new algorithm that lets first-person-view (FPV) drones perform autonomous aerobatic manoeuvres better than those by veteran human operators during flight missions. Inspired by sparrowhawks, falcons, and bats, the new artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade can facilitate high-speed, high-risk movements that usually only the most skilled
Business
* TEKEVER, a European provider of AI-driven Autonomous Systems, has announced the raise of a new funding round. Fully committed by existing investors, including round leader Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Iberis Capital and Crescent Cove, the round confirms TEKEVER’s valuation above £1 Billion. This milestone
Business
* Quantum Systems – a supplier of AI-powered aerial intelligence systems for defense, emergency services, and industry – has raised €160 million in new funding, led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Hensoldt, Airbus Defense and Space, Bullhound Capital, LP&E AG and existing investors, including HV Capital, Project A, Peter Thiel,
AI
* Palladyne AI Corp., a developer of artificial intelligence software for robotic platforms in the defense and commercial sectors, and Red Cat Holdings, Inc., a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, have announced a significant testing milestone in their ongoing collaboration - the