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Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence startup Shield AI recently announced that its valuation has nearly doubled to $5 billion in a new funding round. The San Diego-based company focuses on developing AI-driven software for drones and autonomous aircraft, planning to raise approximately $200 million from several defense and aerospace companies, including well-known firms such as Palantir, Airbus, and L3 Harris. Venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Point72, and Ri.

Recently, US defense contractor Anduril Industries announced the launch of two new autonomous aircraft, Bolt and Bolt-M. These drones are equipped with advanced artificial intelligence technology and are touted as easy to operate and highly precise, aiming to change the traditional use of drones. The Bolt is a reconnaissance drone with a maximum flight range of over 20 kilometers, a flight time of over 45 minutes, and weighs approximately 5.4 kilograms. Anduril states that this drone is not only suitable for reconnaissance but can also

Munich-based drone manufacturer Quantum Systems has recently completed a new Series B funding round, securing new investments from ion Capital and Porsche Holding. This funding round raised over $110 million, initially targeted at $71 million, primarily led by HV Capital and DTCP, with subsequent interest from Project A, Thiel Capital, and Bavaria Growth Capital.

IKEA has launched an AI-powered drone system aimed at improving warehouse management efficiency. By using RFID and barcode scanning, it enhances inventory accuracy, with data collection speed 15 times faster than manual methods, reducing stocktaking time. Following the successful pilot, there are plans to expand this system to more locations over the next year. The drones not only enhance efficiency but also can navigate obstacles flexibly to perform various tasks. This trend is expected to continue growing at a rate of 15.7% annually. Automation leads to cost reductions but impacts the labor market, requiring companies to balance development with human resource management.

The 'Swarm Laboratory' at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is dedicated to the development of autonomous micro drones, aiming to enable a swarm of 100 drones to perform various tasks such as factory gas leak detection and search and rescue operations. The drone swarm can recharge itself and continue flying without human intervention. The lab's director, De Kroon, stated that the team studies the collective behavior of insects and animals to create cooperation programs for the drones. Despite challenges such as the complexity of predicting swarm behavior and limitations in the sensors and computational power of small drones, the researchers have developed mutual perception capabilities among the drones.

U.S. company Auterion has launched the Skynode S chip, capable of autonomously guiding Kamikaze drones to targets in Ukraine. Auterion is a drone operating system provider that has introduced the Skynode S, a new computer and flight control system for military drones. This cost-effective technology can be integrated into various civilian and military vehicles and has proven its effectiveness in combat operations in Ukraine.Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, provided by Midjourney Specific

Professor Li Xuelong's team at Xi'an University of Technology has developed a new autonomous drone control framework that incorporates large models to enable human-Drone dialogue, enhancing task autonomy. The framework includes human-like dialogue interaction, proactive environmental perception, and autonomous entity control, allowing drones to better understand requirements, perceive environments in real-time, and execute tasks independently. It has wide applications, including security inspections, disaster relief, and aerial logistics, and holds significant importance. This technology upgrades drones to flying robots, enabling them to grasp objects and collaboratively perform different tasks.

The research team utilized AI to simulate a system that directs drone traffic through automated decision-making, significantly reducing the occurrence of accidents by employing collision avoidance algorithms and strategy conflict resolution methods. By integrating 'noise sensors' and a 'fuzzy reasoning system', the system can automatically decide to prevent collisions while considering various variables such as 'rogue drones' straying from their designated flight paths. The results are very promising.

The US Department of Defense plans to invest hundreds of millions to expand its fleet of drones and autonomous systems. The initiative aims to incorporate more artificial intelligence technology to enhance military capabilities. This includes developing 'small, intelligent, and cost-effective' AI systems, strengthening surveillance equipment and networks to provide real-time information. This has sparked discussions about the ethical and security implications of applying artificial intelligence in the military sector.

The U.S. Air Force plans to invest approximately $5.8 billion over the next five years to build up to 2,000 AI-driven drones. These drones will collaborate with human pilots in combat, with an expected cost of around $3 million each. The drones will first test their dogfighting and target tracking capabilities in simulated scenarios in the Gulf of Mexico.