Tech news: Drones piloted by AI could prevent wildfires

Drones piloted by artificial intelligence (AI), rather than humans, could soon work together in teams to prevent wildfires, say researchers.

Swarms of up to 30 autonomous planes would be able to spot and put out flames which can lead to wildfires by working collectively using AI, if a study in the UK is a success.

The team of firefighters, engineers and scientists working on the research – which is still in the test phase and has not yet been used on a wildfire – say their project is the first to combine unpiloted drone technology with swarm engineering for firefighting.

Drones piloted by people are already used in firefighting, to detect hidden blazes and assess safety risks, among other tasks.

The drones that researchers want to eventually use for firefighting are large twin-engined aircraft with a wingspan of 9.5 metres and huge water-carrying capacity. They are already designed to fly without any intervention from remote pilots.

Now the next stage of the project, swarm engineering, aims to make lots of robots work together in real-world applications.

Professor Sabine Hauert, from the University of Bristol, one of the project partners, told the BBC: “When you look at birds and ants and bees, they can do beautiful, complex behaviours by coordinating – and so we take inspiration from that to coordinate large numbers of robots.”

For more on how technology can be used to combat the impacts of climate change, see the Forum's Tech for Climate Adaptation initiative.

Colorado has become the latest US state to introduce a law which gives consumers the ‘right to repair’ for electronics such as smartphones and laptops.

Six states have now adopted the law, which forces manufacturers to provide consumers and repair shops with the parts, software and documents needed to fix a device.

The aim is to make it easier and less expensive for consumers to fix their electronic devices while reducing the 7 million tonnes of electronic waste that ends up in landfills.

In April this year, the European Union voted to enforce similar rules, which are estimated will save customers $195 billion over 15 years and prevent the emission of 18.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

A fast-food chain and robotics company have teamed up to use autonomous sidewalk robots to deliver orders placed via Uber Eats. The Shake Shack and Serve Robotics partnership will cover selected restaurants in Los Angeles, US.

A police force is rolling out cameras which use artificial intelligence to automatically detect drivers on phones and those not wearing seat belts, as part of a national trial of the technology. Greater Manchester Police in the UK will begin the regional pilot from September.

Meta Platforms is reportedly planning to develop a mixed-reality device that resembles a bulky pair of glasses. The project is said to focus on designing an alternative to the heavy headsets currently on offer for mixed reality, which merges augmented and virtual reality and allows real-world and digital objects to interact.

Robotic ‘coaches’ programmed to help people recover from stroke and brain injuries are being trialled in Scotland, following a successful trial run in Vienna, Austria. During the rehabilitation process, patients wear a headset that enables the robot to pick up on their brain waves, identify the movement they are trying to achieve, and then guide them through the therapy.

Apple plans to use organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays for all iPhone models from 2025, it has been reported. The move comes as television and smartphone makers increasingly adopt OLED displays over liquid crystal displays due to the more vivid colours and sharper contrast.

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