Lifeboat Foundation

China’s latest weapon, unveiled during an air show in Zhuhai, could be a game-changer during possible future conflicts with rival powers.

China is making advancements in its multiple military-related technologies that will give it an edge over its adversaries during a possible conflict in the future. During a recent giant air show in Zhuhai, Beijing unveiled multiple game-changer military technologies, including a mobile air defense weapons system.

Called FK-4000, the mobile air defense weapons system is reportedly capable of intercepting the smallest, lightest drones using its high-power microwaves (HPM).

Continue reading “China’s new microwave weapon can fry enemy drones 2 miles away” »

Using drone-based lidar, researchers mapped two medieval cities, Tashbulak and Tugunbulak, in Uzbekistan, revealing detailed urban structures significant to the Silk Road’s history.

The first use of drone-based lidar in Central Asia has enabled archaeologists to uncover details of two newly discovered medieval trade cities high in the mountains of Uzbekistan.

The team used this cutting-edge technology to map the archaeological scale and layout of the cities, which are among the largest ever documented in the mountainous parts of the Silk Road, a broad network of ancient trade routes that connected Europe and Eastern Asia.

SpaceX sent another group of Starlink satellites to orbit aboard a Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 40 this morning. Liftoff was at 8:21 AM.

Around 8.5 minutes later, Falcon 9 booster B1076 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, which had been pre-positioned off the coast of The Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean. The drone ship will return to Port Canaveral and B1076 will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its next flight.

Feline-inspired vision technology enhances accuracy in challenging environments, paving the way for smarter, more efficient autonomous systems.

Researchers have unveiled a vision system inspired by feline eyes to enhance object detection in various lighting conditions. Featuring a unique shape and reflective surface, the system reduces glare in bright environments and boosts sensitivity in low-light scenarios. By filtering unnecessary details, this technology significantly improves the performance of single-lens cameras, representing a notable advancement in robotic vision capabilities.

Autonomous systems like drones, self-driving cars, and robots are becoming more common in our daily lives. However, they often struggle to “see” well in different environments — like bright sunlight, low light, or when objects blend into complex backgrounds. Interestingly, nature may already have the solution to this problem.

Perhaps no technology has shaped the 21st-century battlefield as profoundly as the drone. These uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), along with their land and sea counterparts, have redefined the way wars are fought by providing military forces with unprecedented capabilities in surveillance, precision targeting, and intelligence gathering — all while reducing the risk to their own personnel. Drones have made complex operations more efficient and less costly, enabling militaries to strike with pinpoint accuracy and maintain a persistent presence over the battlefield.

As the century progresses, the influence of drones continues to expand beyond traditional state actors. Non-state groups and non-peer adversaries increasingly have adopted this technology, leveraging it to level the playing field in conflicts around the world. With commercial drones becoming more accessible, these actors can conduct reconnaissance, drop bombs, and challenge conventional military forces in ways that previously were unimaginable.

The influence of drones flows across all domains of warfare. Loitering munitions, or “Kamikaze drones,” have disrupted traditional force structures by providing smaller, more agile units with the ability to strike high-value targets such as tanks, artillery, and command centers.

Amazon has integrated Prime Air into its delivery network.

As some UAVs from Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies keep evading Israel’s air defenses, tech execs say detection is the first step to remedying this defensive weakness.

Israel expects its “Iron Beam” laser defense system to be operational within one year, saying it will bring “a new era of warfare” as it engages in a war of drones and missiles with Iran and its regional partners.

The Jewish state spent more than $500 million on deals this week with Israeli developers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, architect of Israel’s Iron Dome, and Elbit Systems to expand production of the shield. Dubbed the Iron Beam, the shield aims to use high-power lasers to counter an array of projectiles, including missiles, drones, rockets and mortars, Israel’s defense ministry said this week.

“It heralds the beginning of a new era in warfare,” Eyal Zamir, director general of the defense ministry, said in a statement this week. “The initial capability of the ground-based laser system… is expected to enter operational service within one year,” he said.

A new computer vision system inspired by cats’ eyes could enable robots to see the world around them more accurately than ever before.

Robots, drones, self-driving cars and other autonomous systems are becoming more common, but they still struggle to see well in all environments and conditions. For example, self-driving cars perform poorly in rain or fog because these conditions affect the car’s sensors and cameras.