Science and Technology News

Category: Artificial Intelligence

  • Port of Dover enhances operational excellence new pilot vessel

    Port of Dover enhances operational excellence new pilot vessel

    The Port of Dover is proud to announce the arrival of its newest pilot vessel, DHB Diligent, a state-of-the-art addition to its fleet, developed in collaboration with Holyhead Marine. This investment underlines the port’s ongoing commitment to enhance operational excellence, crew welfare, sustainability, and safety within one of the UKs busiest ports.

    DHB diligent is equipped with the award-winning BareFLEET system, an advanced vessel performance monitoring system designed by AST Reygar, which was specified as a mandatory requirement in the tender process. The decision to include such a monitoring system reflects Dover Harbour’s focus on leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve fuel efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure strict adherence to harbour regulations.

    The Port of Dover, a vital gateway to the UK United Kingdom, manages over 12 million passengers, 2.5 million trucks, and 20,000 shipping movements annually. With such a high volume of traffic, maintaining operational efficiency and environmental stewardship is paramount.

    AST Reygar’s BareFLEET system, which was installed whilst the vessel was under construction at Holyhead Marine, providing the port with real-time accurate data on vessel performance. This includes monitoring fuel consumption, enabling behavioural adjustments for coxswains, and ensuring compliance with mandatory speed limits within the harbour area. BareFLEETS real-time alert monitoring is essential for maintaining safety and minimising environmental impact.

     

    Investing in DHB Diligent and its advanced monitoring technology with AST Reygars BareFLEET system, marks a significant advancement for the port” said Luke Hedges, Technical Superintendent at the Port of Dover. The BareFLEET system will play a crucial role in helping us achieve our operational and environmental goals. This is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and innovation, ensuring that our port remains at the forefront of maritime technology.

     

    AST Reygar is a leading provider of vessel monitoring systems, known for their innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency and safety of maritime operations. Their BareFLEET system is widely recognised for its robust and reliable performance and ease of integration, making it an idea choice for DHB Diligent. The arrival of the vessel represents a key milestone in the port’s efforts to modernise their fleet and maintain a status as a leader in the maritime industry.

  • African Development Fund releases initial support of $99 million to finance the development of rice cultivation value chains in West Africa

    African Development Fund releases initial support of $99 million to finance the development of rice cultivation value chains in West Africa

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved initial funding of $99.16 million to develop regional rice cultivation value chains as part of the Regional West Africa Rice Development project.

    The aim of the project is to increase food security and sovereignty in West Africa by encouraging public and private investments in rice value chains to increase self-sufficiency in rice in the region by 2030.

    The funding of $99.16 million is intended for the first group of beneficiaries, which includes Gambia and Guinea-Bissau at the national level, as well as the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS and the Africa Rice Center Africa Rice at the regional level.

    It will be provided in the form of separate grants of $15.95 million, $43.88 million and $19.94 million from the African development Bank Group’s concessional loans window. A fourth grant from the Bank, of $19.39 million, will come from the transition support facility, a bank mechanism aimed at supporting the resilience of the continent’s most fragile countries.

    In total, grants from the African Development Bank Group represent 91.2 percent of the total cost of the project. The governments of Gambia and Guinea-Bissau will each contribute 5.2 percent, with the beneficiaries contributing 1.7 percent in kind. ECOWAS and Africa Rice will contribute 1.2 percent and 0.8 percent of the total project cost respectively.

    The project will help to increase production and the productivity of rice cultivation, as well as improving income generation for farmers, particularly women and young people. It will also help to increase the resilience and capacity for adaptation of rice farms and production systems in response to climate change, as well as processing, marketing and the intraregional trade in rice.

    At the national level, the project plans to develop irrigation infrastructure and to improve the sustainability of irrigation services, support the distribution of supplies and improved, climate-smart seeds, and strengthen processing units and the marketing of local rice, with a particular emphasis on skills development and access to finance for women and young people. The project also aims to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and access to mechanization, while improving farmers’ capacity for adaptation and resilience in response to climate change and extreme events.

    At the regional level, the first regional project, supported by Africa Rice, will provide regional technical support for encouraging innovation in rice cultivation value chains in the project’s intervention countries in West Africa. This includes a needs assessment for seeds and varieties in the various countries, as well as the production and distribution of improved seeds.

    The second regional project, supported by ECOWAS, will concentrate on regional policy and regulatory reforms and harmonizing these across the region. It will contribute to improving governance in the West African rice sector through the ECOWAS Rice Observatory, which will also be supported by the project.

    The project’s beneficiary countries are therefore all 15 countries in West Africa, each benefiting from the implementation of regional projects.

    In Gambia, the beneficiaries will be 20,000 rice farmers, including 6,000 women and 4,000 young people; 10,000 producers, including 3,000 women and 3,000 young people who will be supported in accessing seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, mechanization and agricultural equipment, and 40 women who will receive support for financial inclusion.

    In Guinea-Bissau, 16,000 rice farmers, including 5,000 women and 3,000 young people will benefit, along with 50,000 producers, including 15,000 women and 15,000 young people, who will be supported in accessing seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, mechanization and agricultural equipment.

  • AI-powered drone swarms transform industries beyond defense

    AI-powered drone swarms transform industries beyond defense

    While drone swarms have been an area of technological development for many years, their practical applications have only recently gained significant momentum, particularly following increased attention during the Russia-Ukraine war, as reflected in Google search trends.

    The rapid advancement in AI technologies has further accelerated drone swarm control capabilities, enabling the integration of computer vision algorithms and geospatial data to recognize patterns and automate previously impossible operations.

    This evolution has led to drone swarms finding diverse applications across multiple industries, earning recognition as a high-impact innovation, according to technology foresights, an innovation intelligence platform by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    The latest advancement in drone swarm technology significantly enhances operational efficiency by eliminating the traditional requirement of one operator per drone. This breakthrough achieves advanced autonomy through onboard intelligent agents, developed using human-in-loop and trustworthy ai systems.

    These agents can independently assess their surroundings, exchange target data with other drones, and make mission-priority decisions without requiring constant communication with the control station. This innovation addresses a critical weakness in swarm-based warfare systems, where electronic warfare tactics frequently overwhelm communication systems and disrupt the data connection between drones and their control stations.

    Sourabh nyalkalkar, practice head of innovation products at globaldata, comments in an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, drone warfare has emerged as a pivotal element in modern military operations, with armed forces globally embracing unmanned aerial vehicles for a diverse range of tactical and reconnaissance missions.

    In a significant development, defense industry major Thales recently showcased a full-scale demonstration of drone swarm deployment, featuring multiple autonomy levels that significantly reduce operator cognitive burden. The company’s expertise in this domain has not gone unnoticed, as Thales has been recognized as one of the leaders in drone swarm control innovation, according to Technology Foresights.

    In response to the current geopolitical climate and growing military demand for advanced drone capabilities, drone swarm control technology is expected to experience significant growth. Patent analysis reveals that over 50 percent of technology patents in this field have been granted within the past three years, with major corporations holding the majority share.

    Though smaller in proportion, startup-owned patents are rapidly increasing, accompanied by growing investment activity in the sector. Recent developments highlight this trend, as demonstrated by Ukrainian startup Swarmer securing $2.7 million in funding for the development and commercialization of its AI-based swarm control technology, Styx, while another US-based startup, EchelonAI, entered into M&A with Skyfire.

    Nyalkalkar continues thehe innovation landscape in drone swarm control technologies extends well beyond the defense sector, with significant developments emerging from the communications and networking industry. Telecommunication companies are rapidly adopting drone swarms for various applications, including network optimization, infrastructure monitoring, and emergency coverage deployment in critical areas.”

    The technology’s development ecosystem is diverse and competitive, with over 100 companies actively innovating in this space. While defense industry leaders like Thales, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems continue to advance military applications, specialized drone manufacturers such as SZ DJI, Skydio, and Tevel are making significant contributions.

    Additionally, major telecommunications players including Qualcomm, Ericsson, Verizon, and AT&T are developing their own drone swarm solutions, while geospatial solution providers like Here and Geofrenzy are expanding the technology’s capabilities.

    Nyalkalkar concludes The rapid advancement of AI technology has catalyzed unprecedented growth in drone swarm applications across diverse sectors. Retail and logistics giants such as Amazon, Walmart, and UPS are developing autonomous master-slave drone networks for last-mile delivery, while agritech companies such as Nileworks are creating innovative solutions for crop monitoring.

    As drone swarm control technologies continue to evolve beyond traditional entertainment and light shows, this dynamic field promises exciting developments and transformative applications across multiple industries in the coming years.

  • Dryad Networks raises €6.3 million to develop drone-based system for detecting wildfires

    Dryad Networks raises €6.3 million to develop drone-based system for detecting wildfires

    Dryad Networks, a pioneer in ultra-early wildfire detection technology, has received a major financial boost to advance its wildfire prevention solutions.

    The company has been awarded a €3.8 million grant from the European Regional Development fund ERDF, via Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg ILB, to accelerate the development of its revolutionary  wildfire suppression project, codenamed Florian.

    This significant grant will drive the development of an autonomous drone-based system designed to combat wildfires at their inception.

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  • Hitachi Digital Services launches R2O2.ai framework to build, scale and operate ‘trustworthy AI’

    Hitachi Digital Services launches R2O2.ai framework to build, scale and operate ‘trustworthy AI’

    Hitachi Digital Services, the digital consultancy and technology services subsidiary of Hitachi, has launched its generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offering: Reliable, Responsible, Observable and Optimal AI or R2O2.ai.

    The R2O2.ai framework is designed to bridge the gap between conceptualizing AI workloads and deploying them at scale, delivering reliable, responsible and observable AI models at unprecedented speed and efficiency – ideal for enterprises aiming to scale their AI projects responsibly and optimally.

    The R2O2.ai framework will further expand our proprietary HARC (Hitachi Application Reliability Centers) offering, a suite of engineering services that helps our customers build and manage systems with reliability, resiliency, security and cost efficiency. (more…)

  • The First Release of Artificial Intelligence: A Historic Milestone in Technology

    The First Release of Artificial Intelligence: A Historic Milestone in Technology

    The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has fascinated scientists, researchers, and technologists for decades, but the journey from theoretical discussions to practical applications began with the first release of AI systems.

    This moment marked a pivotal milestone in technological evolution, paving the way for the intelligent systems we rely on today.

    In this article, we’ll explore the early days of AI, the development of foundational systems, and the tools that help us manage modern AI innovations, including AI detector free systems, which are crucial for understanding and managing AI-generated content. (more…)

    The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has fascinated scientists, researchers, and technologists for decades, but the journey from theoretical discussions to practical applications began with the first release of AI systems.

    This moment marked a pivotal milestone in technological evolution, paving the way for the intelligent systems we rely on today.

    In this article, we’ll explore the early days of AI, the development of foundational systems, and the tools that help us manage modern AI innovations, including AI detector free systems, which are crucial for understanding and managing AI-generated content. (more…)

    The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has fascinated scientists, researchers, and technologists for decades, but the journey from theoretical discussions to practical applications began with the first release of AI systems.

    This moment marked a pivotal milestone in technological evolution, paving the way for the intelligent systems we rely on today.

    In this article, we’ll explore the early days of AI, the development of foundational systems, and the tools that help us manage modern AI innovations, including AI detector free systems, which are crucial for understanding and managing AI-generated content. (more…)

    The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has fascinated scientists, researchers, and technologists for decades, but the journey from theoretical discussions to practical applications began with the first release of AI systems.

    This moment marked a pivotal milestone in technological evolution, paving the way for the intelligent systems we rely on today.

    In this article, we’ll explore the early days of AI, the development of foundational systems, and the tools that help us manage modern AI innovations, including AI detector free systems, which are crucial for understanding and managing AI-generated content. (more…)