EU boosts counter-drone efforts with €130m funding injection

The European Commission has announced an additional €130M to help EU countries develop drone and counter-drone capabilities for border security. The money will be provided under the Border Management and Visa instrument, an EU funding programme that supports border management and Visa policy.

The Commission said the funding is intended to help member states improve “ Situational awareness ” and respond to Unauthorised or hostile drone activity.

The new funding builds on the EU action plan on drone and counter-drone security launched in February, which includes the creation of a Counter-Drone centre of excellence to support innovation in systems designed to detect or stop malicious drones. Separate EU-level funding is also available through the European Defence Fund to develop advanced drone and Counter-Drone technologies; member states have committed to joint procurements of drone and counter-drone systems through the Security Action for Europe programme.

The latest Top-Up brings total funding available for surveillance and Counter-Drone technology under the Eu’s home affairs funds to more than half a billion Euros.

Reference Sources

1. brusselstimes - EU boosts counter-drone efforts with €130m funding injection

Panasonic to make humanoid robots, leveraging its battery business

Panasonic Holdings plans to develop Humanoid robots by 2029, according to Akira Sakakibara, the company's chief AI officer.

The Japanese Tech group initially envisions marketing the robots for use on factory production lines and in warehouses.

Sakakibara said there is "nothing we can disclose yet" in terms of concrete achievements, but added that Panasonic has begun research and development on AI models and other Technologies needed to power the robots.

Panasonic's new AI and robotics R&D division, set up on Thursday, will lead the effort.

Sakakibara expressed confidence that Panasonic can develop safer Humanoids.

The risk of fires sparked by batteries built into robots has been flagged as an obstacle to their widespread adoption.

He pointed to the safety record of batteries made by its subsidiary, Panasonic Energy, saying its batteries have not been involved in any serious fire incidents to date.

Panasonic's competitors in China and elsewhere are ahead in the development of Humanoid robots, but Sakakibara expressed confidence that Panasonic can develop safer Humanoids.

Reference Sources

1. nikkei - Panasonic to make humanoid robots, leveraging its battery business

Scientists find 2 planets where life may be more advanced than on Earth

Scientists have found that the amount of energy available through Photosynthesis may be far more important than a planet's age.

They analyzed conditions on 29 nearby Exoplanets where liquid water could potentially exist. Modeling showed that only two of them had a chance for life to evolve beyond the stage reached on Earth. For most of the other worlds, limited light, high temperatures, and insufficient rainfall would be major obstacles. To assess each planet's evolutionary potential, scientists compared the amount of carbon fixed throughout Earth's history with what could be possible on other planets. Over the 3.2 billion years before vascular plants appeared on Earth, about 2.4 1025 grams of carbon was fixed.

The emergence of vascular plants added another 7 1025 grams — enabling the emergence of mammals and humans. On the known planet Trappist-1E, only 21% of the amount accumulated on Earth before the emergence of vascular plants has been fixed over its entire history.

Most of the studied worlds orbit dim red dwarfs and are Tidally locked, meaning they always face their Star with the same side. As a result, their average annual amount of available light is much lower, while only half of the planet's surface can receive light suitable for Photosynthesis.

Reference Sources

1. newsukraine - Scientists find 2 planets where life may be more advanced than on Earth

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.  

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