The long-running effort to move driverless shuttles from closed corporate campuses and isolated testing facilities into live, mixed-traffic public infrastructure is taking a decisive step forward.

On June 24, 2026, a fully automated robot bus line operating in the city of Tampere, Finland, will officially transition to driverless operation, completely removing the physical safety driver from the vehicle.

While autonomous shuttles have routinely been deployed in highly restricted pilot environments globally, this European rollout represents a key milestone: integrating an autonomous, Level 4-capable mass transit asset directly into a commercially active municipal public transportation network alongside standard passenger vehicles.

To establish the mathematical and operational safety profiles required to permanently remove the human operator from the cabin, the platform underwent an intensive, real-world data-collection phase.

The autonomous shuttle has been operating daily within active public traffic lanes since late last year, logging extensive operational miles with a passive onboard safety driver to map system responses, sensor reliability, and complex environmental edge cases.

Sensor fusion and emergency braking architecture

Operating a mass transit passenger vehicle without any manual physical overrides requires a highly redundant sensor architecture capable of instantaneous spatial awareness.

The automated shuttle utilizes an advanced sensor fusion array that combines multiple overlapping modalities, including high-definition optical cameras, radar, and precision LiDAR scanners. These onboard peripherals continuously map a 360-degree digital field around the vehicle’s chassis, identifying dynamic obstacles such as pedestrians, cyclists, and adjacent motor vehicles.

The vehicle operates on a strictly digitized, predetermined virtual route guide. The integrated artificial intelligence navigation engine processes spatial data streams in real time, calculating clearances at a capped velocity of 25 km/h (approximately 15.5 mph).

If a pedestrian intersects the vehicle’s safe stopping distance, or if the sensor fusion matrix identifies a situational anomaly, the central processing unit triggers an automated braking sequence. This specialized subsystem bypasses remote network latency, allowing the vehicle to execute high-g emergency stops autonomously and instantaneously to mitigate collision risks.

Low-latency remote monitoring and teleoperation control

The elimination of the onboard crew does not mean the vehicle operates in total isolation; instead, the physical driver is replaced by an advanced, low-latency remote monitoring and teleoperation framework. Professional fleet dispatchers manage the autonomous shuttles in real time from a centralized operations command center.

The vehicle maintains an active, unbroken broadband communication link with this hub, transmitting live telemetry data alongside a continuous, high-definition audio and video feed capturing both internal passenger compartment activity and external road conditions.

In the event of an operational deadlock—such as an illegally parked delivery truck permanently blocking a lane or an unmapped construction zone—the remote operator can intervene directly via the teleoperation link.

To ensure robust passenger safety and clear communication during these automated transits, the vehicle’s interior features an integrated emergency call subsystem. This hardware provides passengers with an on-demand, instant audio-visual link to a human controller, ensuring continuous oversight even if the cloud-based driving stack encounters an unprecedented software edge case.

Cabin structural safety and fleet optimization

Adapting mass transit for fully driverless configurations requires subtle changes to standard cabin safety protocols. Because the vehicle lacks an onboard operator to visually enforce safety rules or cushion against abrupt automated emergency stops, the structural layout demands specific commuter compliance.

The autonomous shuttle accommodates a maximum payload of exactly 12 passengers and includes dedicated, structurally reinforced space to securely anchor strollers.

For passive safety containment, the onboard system mandates that all passengers remain fully seated and securely buckled into integrated seatbelts throughout the duration of the transit loop.

From a user-experience standpoint, the vehicle integrates seamlessly with standard municipal ticketing systems; passengers interact with a localized automated validator mounted directly beside the entry doors.

Finding out what the universe is actually made of remains one of the ultimate frontiers in modern physics. While scientists know that dark matter and gravitational waves are out there, detecting their incredibly faint signals requires instruments of unimaginable precision—tools that can easily be overwhelmed by the background noise of their own components.

Addressing this persistent bottleneck, an international collaboration led by Imperial College London has unveiled a prototype quantum sensor that successfully isolates cosmic phenomena by neutralizing disruptive experimental interference under realistic operating conditions.

The experimental milestone, marks a foundational step toward deploying long-baseline atom interferometers. These advanced systems work by using specialized lasers to split clouds of atoms and then bring them back together, allowing researchers to measure microscopic changes in atomic motion with exquisite detail.

By comparing two separate atom clouds exposed to the same laser light, any minute discrepancy in their behavior could reveal a passing gravitational wave or a ripple in an exotic dark matter field.

Taming the chaos of laser phase noise

While the underlying math of atom interferometry is sound, practical execution has long been plagued by a severe engineering challenge. The very lasers used to manipulate and interrogate the atom clouds produce inherent “phase noise“.

This systemic fluctuation is orders of magnitude larger than the faint cosmic signals researchers are actively trying to hunt down. Left uncorrected, this internal laser noise completely blinds the data, making it fundamentally impossible to identify any outside cosmic influences.

To bypass this barrier, physicists proposed a differential approach. By arranging two distinct interferometers in a specific configuration, any shared noise from the primary control laser should cancel when the two datasets are cross-referenced. Until this study, however, validating that this cancellation could actually hold up under real-world experimental settings remained unproven.

The tabletop prototype and stress testing

To test the resilience of this technique, researchers inside Imperial’s Ultracold Strontium Laboratory constructed a specialized tabletop testing apparatus. The hardware layout features two macroscopically separated clouds of strontium-87 atoms.

These atoms are cooled to near absolute zero and securely levitated using blue laser light, while being monitored by a single, highly stable clock laser system.

To push their noise-cancellation methodology to its absolute limit, the team deliberately injected massive amounts of artificial phase noise into the matrix—far exceeding the natural fluctuations of standard laboratory equipment. Initially, the introduced chaos completely erased the delicate interference patterns, rendering each individual interferometer completely unusable.

However, when the data from the two separated clouds were mathematically compared, the shared laser noise vanished. The underlying signal emerged cleanly, operating right at the fundamental limit dictated by quantum mechanics.

Unlocking a new window into the universe

To confirm the sensor’s practical utility, the scientists introduced an additional oscillating frequency designed to mimic the exact signature of an elusive dark matter field or a passing spacetime distortion. Despite being buried beneath overwhelming background noise, the differential pair identified the target signal with remarkable fidelity.

The success of this pilot test directly clears the path for scaling up the technology for international installations. The technique is central to the development of next-generation atom interferometer projects currently underway worldwide, including the MAGIS facility at Fermilab and the proposed AICE infrastructure at CERN.

By moving the discussion from theoretical math to a proven hardware reality, this quantum breakthrough ensures that future large-scale observatories will possess the clarity needed to map the invisible architecture of our universe.

The research was first published in the journal Nature.

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At the Eurosatory 2026 defense exposition, Franco-German defense consortium KNDS officially introduced its Long-Range Artillery System (LORAS), a 155mm self-propelled howitzer featuring a barrel longer than any current NATO production standard.

Engineered to push the boundaries of conventional unguided fire, the system achieves a baseline range of exactly 60 kilometers (37 miles) using standard, non-rocket-assisted high-explosive ammunition.

The strategic design goal is to provide frontline units with deep-strike capabilities while completely avoiding the high financial costs associated with specialized precision-guided or rocket-assisted projectile (RAP) munitions.

The physical architecture of the LORAS platform represents a collaborative integration of French and German armored vehicle technology. The base vehicle uses a tracked variant of the Boxer armored chassis, paired with KNDS Germany’s fully automated, unmanned Artillery Gun Module (AGM) turret.

Housed within this remote turret is the system’s core innovation: a specialized 58-caliber gun tube developed and manufactured by KNDS France at its specialized metallurgy facilities in Bourges.

Overcoming internal ballistic wear bottleneck

Increasing the length of an artillery barrel historically creates severe engineering bottlenecks, particularly in managing internal pressure and preventing rapid barrel wear. As the length moves from the current European standard of 52 calibers up to 58 calibers, the friction and thermal stress generated by expanding propellant gases can rapidly degrade the interior rifling of the gun tube.

To mitigate this issue, KNDS engineers designed a significantly larger internal combustion chamber compared to previous long-range experimental platforms, such as the U.S. Army’s canceled Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program.

According to technical specifications released by KNDS France, this enlarged chamber volume creates a much gentler internal pressure curve during detonation. This design choice maintains high muzzle velocity while minimizing destructive thermal erosion inside the tube.

To safely feed this system, KNDS overhauled the automated ammunition-handling layout. While the mechanism borrows mechanical components from the proven Panzerhaubitze 2000, the overall electronics, internal sensors, and modular charge loaders are entirely new.

Custom ammunition ecosystem

To achieve its targeted 37-mile range, the LORAS howitzer requires a distinct propulsion configuration. The system accommodates up to eight modular propellant charges simultaneously, outclassing the six-charge maximum limit of the wheeled Caesar system.

While the 58-caliber barrel remains fully backward-compatible with legacy 52-caliber NATO ammunition, firing older rounds will not yield the extended range benefits. Consequently, KNDS France is self-funding the development of a complete family of proprietary 58-caliber conventional shells, spanning high-explosive, smoke, and illumination variants.

Looking forward, KNDS has already conducted successful live-fire trials using an early prototype layout. While the program is currently self-funded, it received early design validation from France’s Directorate General for Armament (DGA).

Project managers state that while the barrel can theoretically hit ranges of 100 kilometers when paired with future ramjet or precision-gliding shells, the company is prioritizing standard unguided munitions to keep high-volume artillery operations economically sustainable. KNDS targets full serial manufacturing readiness for the system between 2032 and 2035.

Following months of unsuccessful hardware recovery procedures, NASA has officially initiated decommissioning operations for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft.

The formal retirement marks the end of an illustrious 11-year operational run that fundamentally reshaped human understanding of planetary atmospheric degradation. Project administrators noted that the loss of the veteran probe, which went missing following a routine orbital sequence late last year, represents a deeply felt loss for the global space science community.

The fatal operational issue originally occurred in December 2025 during a scheduled communication blackout window while the probe traversed the far side of Mars. When MAVEN failed to check back in with the Deep Space Network, engineers spent months conducting emergency reboots and transmitting blind recovery scripts.

Later telemetry analysis of recorded faint radio frequencies revealed a surprising detail: MAVEN emerged from the Martian shadow stuck in a safe mode, tumbling continuously at a rate of 2.7 revolutions per minute.

Since the orbiter was physically incapable of normal operation while rotating, this uncontrolled spin permanently misaligned its solar arrays, entirely draining the internal battery banks and cutting off main electrical systems.

Tracking the Evolution of the Martian Climate

Launched from Cape Canaveral in November 2013, MAVEN was built as NASA’s premier orbital asset explicitly dedicated to analyzing the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet.

Arriving in September 2014, the spacecraft’s primary task was to investigate why Mars transitioned from a warm, wet, potentially habitable planet into the frozen desert observed today. While its baseline research charter was originally budgeted to last only two Earth years, the robust spacecraft managed to continuously execute scientific sweeps for over a decade.

During its prolonged, extended mission phases, MAVEN completely revolutionized the field of planetary science. Its instrument suite provided the first direct measurements of atmospheric sputtering, a physical process where high-energy solar particles slam into the upper atmosphere and violently knock gas atoms out into deep space.

The orbiter also mapped planetwide auroral arrays, documented the impact of severe solar storms on gas-erosion rates, and tracked how global Martian dust storms physically pump liquid water vapor directly into the upper atmosphere, accelerating planetary drying.

A Critical Void in the Deep Space Relay Network

Beyond compiling an archive that fueled more than 800 peer-reviewed scientific publications, MAVEN acted as an invaluable infrastructure hub for surface exploration.

While it accounted for roughly 8% of the overall planetary relay sessions scheduled during its operational life, its highly sensitive, high-bandwidth antenna pipeline successfully carried nearly 18% of all scientific data transmitted back to Earth from NASA’s ground rovers and landers.

The loss of this high-capacity communication pipeline leaves a temporary logistical gap in the Mars Relay Network, occasionally delaying incoming data transmissions from surface assets.

NASA administrators confirmed that the four remaining functional orbiters stationed at Mars have already altered their flight paths and communication sweeps to absorb the data load.

Though its telemetry is gone and it will slowly slide toward a destructive surface impact over the next century, MAVEN’s deep space findings remain a foundational cornerstone of modern solar system exploration.

Thales Australia has unveiled the next-generation Bushmaster Mulga utility variant at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, marking the most significant evolution of the combat-proven Australian armored vehicle in years.

The Bushmaster 5.6 was officially revealed on the Team Defence Australia stand by Major General Jason Blain, Head of Land Systems for the Australian Defence Force’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, alongside Thales Vehicles and Tactical Systems Vice-President Julien Assoun.

The unveiling forms part of a broader Thales announcement push at Eurosatory 2026, which also included the RapidStriker counter-drone system and a new AI-powered military training analytics platform.

From Bendigo to global market

The Bushmaster has built its reputation over nearly three decades of continuous service. Produced at Thales Australia’s Bendigo, Victoria facility since 1997, more than 1,300 units have been built and deployed in operations spanning East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, the Golan Heights, and, most recently, Ukraine.

The 5.6 variant is explicitly designed for global export. Its most visible change is a new left-hand-drive configuration — a departure from the right-hand-drive layout standard in Australian service, aimed squarely at international buyers across Europe, the Middle East, and other left-hand-drive markets. The redesign also introduces more user-friendly door access and vehicle entry systems, as well as enhanced digital displays in the cabin.

Built around connectivity and counter-drone integration

What distinguishes the 5.6 from earlier Mulga variants is not just cosmetic — it is architectural. Thales says the new version features systems that are more interconnected, supporting both autonomous and crewed operations, and is capable of integrating a range of different sensors, effectors, and mission systems depending on customer requirements.

Counter-drone capability sits at the center of that flexibility. The Bushmaster 5.6 has been designed to support electronic warfare measures, remote weapon stations, and laser-guided rockets — Thales separately unveiled a next-generation 70mm laser-guided rocket dedicated to counter-drone operations at the same event.

The vehicle was also showcased at Eurosatory as the demonstration platform for RapidStriker, Thales’s new mobile air defense system designed to detect and neutralize aerial threats — including drones and low-flying helicopters — within seconds using a combination of sensors, automated fire control, and multiple weapon options.

Thales Australia & New Zealand CEO Jeff Connolly framed the upgrade as a direct response to the changing character of modern warfare, particularly the lessons drawn from drone proliferation on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Already a trusted defender, he said, the Bushmaster 5.6 has been designed to provide greater flexibility for modern missions, particularly in counter-drone operations, sensing, communications, and electronic warfare.

Adaptable by design

Thales Australia Land Vice-President Andrew Downes described the underlying philosophy behind the redesign: a vehicle that allows customers to adapt it for different missions while retaining the protection, mobility, and reliability that made the original Bushmaster successful globally.

One operator may prioritize surveillance equipment; another may opt for missile launchers or electronic warfare payloads — the same chassis accommodating either configuration.

That modularity reflects a broader shift across modern armored vehicle design, where platforms are increasingly expected to function as adaptable mission carriers rather than single-purpose vehicles.

The existing fleet of more than 1,300 Bushmasters in service worldwide stands to benefit as well — Thales has indicated that select capabilities demonstrated on the 5.6, including counter-drone systems, can be retrofitted onto earlier platform variants already in operation.

As militaries worldwide reassess vehicle survivability requirements in light of the drone-saturated battlefields seen in Ukraine, the Bushmaster 5.6’s emphasis on connectivity, adaptability, and counter-drone integration positions it as Thales’s answer to a fundamentally changed combat environment — one where survivability now depends as much on sensor and electronic warfare integration as on armor plating alone.

An elephant’s trunk can haul a felled log across a clearing and, moments later, peel a single banana without bruising the fruit. That range — from raw strength to delicate precision — comes from a boneless, all-muscle structure that has fascinated soft robotics researchers for years.

A new study has now mapped exactly why the trunk’s skin enables that range, down to its microscopic architecture.

Researcher Lucia Beccai and colleagues studied trunk tissue obtained from a single adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that died of natural causes at Zurich Zoo, Switzerland, in 2020.

Using 35 tissue samples taken across the specimen, the team combined biomechanical testing, histology, multiple imaging techniques, and computational modeling to characterize the trunk’s skin in unprecedented detail.

A skin split into two functional zones

The central finding is that the trunk’s skin is not a uniform material — it is sharply divided into two distinct mechanical zones, each engineered for an entirely different job.

The upper skin functions like an armor-like shield: tough, protective, and 3.14 times stiffer than the skin on the underside of the trunk. That stiffness makes sense functionally — the top of the trunk is what drags across rough bark, scrapes against the ground, and absorbs impact during heavy lifting and pushing.

The underside skin is the opposite: highly flexible and acutely sensitive, built specifically for grasping. Its low stiffness allows it to conform tightly to the contours of whatever object the elephant is handling — a log, a piece of fruit, another elephant’s trunk in greeting — maximizing contact area between the skin and the object and producing a steady, secure grip without requiring excessive muscular force.

A mechanical lens hidden beneath the surface

The most striking discovery lies just beneath the surface of the underside skin: dome-shaped structures called dermal papillae. Using finite element modeling — a computational technique that simulates how physical structures respond to stress — the researchers found that these papillae function like a subsurface mechanical lens.

Rather than simply cushioning the skin, the dome-shaped papillae concentrate and amplify mechanical stress at precisely the locations where the trunk’s sensory nerves are positioned.

In effect, the structure acts as a biological signal booster — taking a faint mechanical input, such as the texture of a banana peel, and intensifying it before it reaches the nerve endings responsible for interpreting touch.

What it means for robotics

According to the study’s authors, this two-zone, mechanically tuned architecture offers a direct, ready-made blueprint for engineers designing the next generation of soft robotic systems.

The trunk does not need separate “armor” and “sensor” components bolted together — it achieves both functions through a single continuous tissue with engineered variation in stiffness and subsurface geometry.

The practical implication: by using biomimetic multi-material approaches — fabricating robotic grippers from layered materials with deliberately varied stiffness, much like the trunk’s natural upper-lower dichotomy — engineers could build grippers with passive outer protection that simultaneously amplify faint tactile signals, all without exposing delicate sensors directly to mechanical wear and abrasion.

That combination has been a persistent challenge in soft robotic gripper design: sensors sensitive enough to detect subtle touch are often the same components most vulnerable to physical damage from repeated contact.

The elephant trunk’s solution — concentrating sensitivity beneath a protective, graduated-stiffness shield — offers a structural answer that robotics researchers have been seeking for years.

The study was published in the journal PNAS Nexus.

German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall have officially unveiled its Containerized Missile Launcher (CML), a specialized multi-launcher platform engineered for the FV-014 Loitering Munition System (LMS).

Designed to expand frontline firepower and shorten critical tactical reaction times, the CML serves as a modular, fully autonomous, and digitally networked weapon system.

The new launcher integrates directly into modern multi-domain combat networks, bridging the operational gap between close-range reconnaissance and conventional artillery units.

The technological core of the system relies on a standardized, logistically flexible 20-foot shipping container. This tactical footprint allows the launcher to be transported seamlessly across various civilian and military logistics systems, including commercial trucks, trains, and maritime supply vessels.

By utilizing a universally recognized container format, the CML enables covert deployment strategies and rapid positioning across highly contested operational theaters, functioning either as a standalone ground asset or mounted directly onto land vehicles and seagoing units.

Autonomous swarm capabilities

The internal architecture of the CML accommodates up to 18 ready-to-launch FV-014 loitering munitions. Equipped with an onboard battery system and a dedicated low-power sleep mode, the launcher can remain operational in a standby state over extended periods.

When a fire mission is authorized, the system automatically transitions from standby to active mode, utilizing an integrated power supply and an optional auxiliary generator to sustain prolonged remote operations.

A central highlight of the design is its high degree of automation and minimized crew footprint. Utilizing advanced swarm coordination algorithms, the system allows a single operator to launch and manage multiple FV-014 “kamikaze drones” simultaneously in a single, coordinated salvo.

Network integration

The CML features integrated fire control systems and highly secure communication channels, allowing tactical units to execute remote launch sequences while keeping human operators safely isolated from counter-battery fire.

Digital command is anchored by the Rheinmetall Battlesuite, which provides an open software architecture that leverages standardized military protocols such as ROS2, MAVLink, and established NATO STANAGs.

This open framework is publicly available on GitHub alongside a dedicated digital test environment, enabling the system to be quickly integrated with existing electronic command, control, and reconnaissance systems across different global defense forces.

Specifications of the FV-014 strike system

The FV-014 munition housed within the CML is an EU-designed, 20-kilogram aerial platform built specifically for rapid, high-volume industrial mass production.

Featuring a quiet, low-signature electric propulsion system and folding wings that deploy immediately upon booster launch, the drone is highly optimized for survivability in heavily contested airspaces.

It features a maximum operational range of 100 kilometers (62 miles), a 60-kilometer (37 miles) real-time data link range, and a flight endurance window of up to 70 minutes.

For precise target engagement beyond the line of sight, the drone carries a 6-kilogram total payload capacity, which includes a highly potent High-Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) warhead manufactured by Rheinmetall.

This warhead delivers a rated penetration capability exceeding 600 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA), making it lethal against main battle tanks, heavy artillery emplacements, and protected military infrastructure.

Following a successful demonstration for a NATO client in February 2026, the German Armed Forces validated the system’s strategic importance by signing a multi-billion-euro framework agreement for the FV-014 in April 2026.

By coordinating simultaneous deep-space observations, an international team of astrophysicists has successfully captured one of the most powerful and highly stratified “Ultra-Fast Outflows” (UFOs) ever recorded emanating from a supermassive black hole.

The breakthrough, documented via the WISSHFUL heritage program, focuses on a hyper-luminous, non-lensed quasar known as WISSH13, located at a redshift of 3.294.

This positioning places the object squarely within “Cosmic Noon”—a pivotal epoch in cosmic history roughly 1.6 to 3.5 billion years ago when both star formation and black hole accretion rates reached their absolute evolutionary peak across the universe.

The discovery was made possible by blending the high-resolution spectral capabilities of the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton observatory with the high-energy X-ray sensitivity of NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR).

Together, the space telescopes produced the highest-quality broadband X-ray spectrum of a non-lensed quasar at this extreme distance to date. The data exposed the inner mechanical workings of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and shed light on how supermassive black holes influence their host galaxies.

The Dynamics of a Dual-Wind Structure

When a supermassive black hole aggressively consumes surrounding matter, friction heats the gas in its accretion disk to millions of degrees. This intense energy generates immense radiation pressure that blasts gas streams outward instead of pulling them inward. In astrophysics, these extreme, highly ionized gas streams are called Ultra-Fast Outflows (UFOs).

What sets the WISSH13 observation apart from standard black hole wind detections is the discovery of two distinct, kinematic components moving simultaneously at vastly different velocities. The joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR data revealed specific absorption features at roughly 7.5 and 10 kiloelectronvolts (keV) rest-frame.

Physical modeling of these markers verified a stratified wind structure composed of a slower kinematic layer traveling at roughly 10% the speed of light, paired alongside a secondary, high-velocity layer blasting outward at an astonishing 30% the speed of light.

Archival comparisons with observations from 2017 confirmed that while the slower wind remains a persistent feature of the system, the ultra-fast 30% light-speed component emerged dynamically during a later 2024 observation cycle.

Mass Ejections and Galactic Feedback

The sheer energetics of this stratified wind array place it among the most violent ejections ever observed in the deep universe. According to the research analysis, each independent wind component features a mass outflow rate of approximately 20 solar masses per year.

This massive displacement means the dual ejections are shedding gas equivalent to roughly 15% of the total mass the black hole actively consumes each year.

This phenomenon provides concrete evidence for the theory of “galactic feedback”. As these ultra-fast winds slam into the host galaxy, they generate expansive, large-scale shocks that heat and displace cold gas reservoirs. Because galaxies require cold, stable gas to form new stars, these powerful ejections can effectively “quench” or shut down star production.

By mapping this extreme system from Cosmic Noon, scientists have captured a real-time example of a supermassive black hole actively regulating its host galaxy’s growth during a crucial era of the universe’s maturity.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has finalized design plans for the Deep Synoptic Array (DSA), an unprecedented radio observatory that will be the most sensitive radio telescope ever built.

Following a successful final design review funded by Schmidt Sciences, construction is slated to begin in a remote, radio-quiet valley floor located in Spring Valley, Nevada. The massive facility is engineered to survey the celestial sphere 100 times faster than any existing radio telescope, fundamentally altering how astronomers map the universe.

Historically, radio astronomy has faced a compromise between sensitivity and image clarity. Large single-dish telescopes excel at capturing incredibly faint cosmic signals but lack spatial resolution, while traditional multi-dish arrays take sharp photos but take longer to sweep wide areas.

The DSA resolves this layout bottleneck by deploying a sprawling constellation of 1,650 steerable satellite dishes, each measuring roughly 6.1 meters in diameter, distributed across a geometric grid spanning 20 kilometers (~12.5 miles) by 16 kilometers (~10 miles).

The ‘radio camers’ solution

Operating an array of this magnitude creates a staggering logistical obstacle: data volume. Combined, the 1,650 dishes generate raw electronic data equivalent to the entire current internet traffic of the United States.

To prevent a system crash, storing this information conventionally would require a multi-billion-dollar storage facility housing five million hard drives to hold roughly 100 exabytes of data.

To overcome this issue, Caltech researchers developed a specialized “radio camera” architecture. Utilizing an on-site network of graphics processing units (GPUs), the telescope automatically flags, cleans, and synthesizes the incoming streams of radio waves into finished, high-fidelity images in real time.

This pipeline immediately strips away raw data clutter, reducing the long-term storage footprint to just tens of petabytes per year. Furthermore, the electronics are kept highly stable through the use of specialized indium phosphide transistors that achieve exquisite sensitivity while operating at room temperature, eliminating the need for complex cryogenic cooling systems.

Cataloging a billion cosmic objects

The raw speed of the array will drastically reshape the catalog of known space phenomena. Over the last several decades, all global radio telescopes combined have cataloged approximately 20 million unique radio sources.

The DSA is projected to match that entire historical benchmark on its very first day of operational testing. Over its initial five-year all-sky survey window, the facility is expected to discover more than one billion previously unrecorded radio sources.

Led by Principal Investigator Gregg Hallinan, the telescope will provide critical open-source tracking data to help astrophysicists study fast radio bursts (FRBs), track moving pulsars, and observe black hole explosions. Project managers anticipate full construction to be finished with science operations commencing by 2029.

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In a major structural realignment aimed at maximizing rapid deployment capabilities, the United States Army has officially converted a key cold-weather cavalry unit into a dedicated airborne assault force.

The strategic transition, executed within the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska, shifts the unit’s operational focus from ground-based reconnaissance to high-mobility vertical insertions.

This pivot is specifically designed to project power across two highly challenging environments: the frozen terrain of the Arctic and the sprawling, island-dotted waters of the Indo-Pacific region.

The restructuring centers on the inactivation of the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, a unit long trained in specialized cold-weather scouting and ground reconnaissance. In its place, the Army has activated the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment.

While the personnel remain stationed in the critical sub-Arctic theater, their core tactical mandate has been completely overhauled, turning them into a light, paratrooper-driven infantry asset that can be air-dropped into austere locations at a moment’s notice.

Shifting focus to vertical mobility

Traditional cavalry units rely heavily on ground vehicles, such as light armored transports and tactical trucks, to scout ahead of main forces and screen large geographic sectors. However, the unique geography of the Arctic—defined by extreme permafrost, shifting mountain ranges, and a lack of developed road infrastructure—frequently limits the mobility of heavy wheeled or tracked vehicles.

Similarly, the Indo-Pacific theater demands a force that can bypass vast oceanic stretches to quickly seize isolated airfields or secure contested coastal bridgeheads.

By transitioning into an airborne light infantry configuration, the battalion eliminates its dependence on heavy ground transport. The unit can now pack its entire operational footprint into long-range military transport aircraft, allowing forces to deploy via parachute directly onto objectives.

This vertical mobility ensures that the 11th Airborne Division can insert a combat-ready force into remote regions without roads, providing commanders with a rapid-response option for sudden regional crises.

Strategic alignment and global readiness

The re-designation is more than a change in naming conventions; it represents a comprehensive overhaul of the unit’s training pipeline and logistics. The transformed battalion will undergo rigorous airborne qualification cycles, focusing on cold-weather parachute operations and small-unit tactics tailored for high-altitude or sub-zero environments.

This specialized preparation ensures that the soldiers can operate effectively immediately after landing, maintaining structural cohesion despite harsh environmental stressors.

Military leadership noted that this transformation directly aligns with the broader defense strategy of maintaining a highly agile, lethal force capable of multi-domain operations. As global interests intensify across both the Arctic shipping lanes and Indo-Pacific maritime borders, the availability of a modernized, air-droppable infantry unit based in Alaska bridges a critical logistical gap.

The successful activation of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment establishes a flexible, highly scalable framework for projecting American military readiness into the world’s most isolated geographic corridors.

Cameras have long been limited to capturing images exactly as the human eye perceives them, but a collaborative research breakthrough is fundamentally changing that dynamic.

Researchers from Zhejiang University, in collaboration with RMIT University, have successfully developed a tiny, integrated chip that gives imaging hardware the ability to analyze light wavelengths directly, unlocking capabilities far beyond standard color photography.

Standard imaging systems excel at capturing high-resolution photos but often struggle with specialized tasks such as automated industrial inspection, precise material classification, and granular environmental monitoring.

These applications require the ability to detect subtle differences in light wavelengths—data that reveals the hidden chemical composition or specific surface conditions of an object, even if it looks identical to the human eye. Historically, extracting this level of detail required bulky, external laboratory equipment, making it difficult to deploy in real-world or portable scenarios.

Embedding light analysis into Hardware

The new device solves this by embedding light-analysis capability into the hardware itself. The research effort combined expertise in nanomanufacturing and applied photonics from RMIT’s Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing (CAN), led by Distinguished Professor Baohua Jia, and the team at Zhejiang University, led by Professor Jianrong Qiu.

The collaboration relied on highly specialized nanofabrication lab equipment at RMIT, which is capable of building and imaging structures roughly 1,000 times smaller than a human hair in real time. This unique synergy between ultrafast laser fabrication and applied photonics was instrumental in transforming the physical concept into a functional prototype.

How micro-vortices sort light

The core innovation lies in how the researchers manipulate light at the micro-scale. Using ultrafast laser pulses, the team created precise, spiral-shaped structures within transparent materials. These structures act as microscopic “light sorters,” breaking incoming light into distinct patterns that a standard image sensor can interpret.

By separating light very close to the sensor, the device functions as an integrated microspectrometer. This approach works effectively across both visible and near-infrared light spectra and, crucially, remains largely unaffected by viewing angles—a common limitation in many existing microscale optical technologies.

From prototype to future sensing

To prove the feasibility of this strategy, the researchers integrated the spiral structure with a commercial image sensor. This successful integration demonstrated that the chip could capture spectral information and support microscopic spectral imaging without the need for additional bulky equipment or moving parts.

While the project is currently in the development phase, the team views this chip-level success as a critical milestone. It validates that complex sensing tools can be realistically miniaturized for future consumer and industrial electronics.

The corresponding authors, including Professors Jianrong Qiu, Bo Zhang, and Zhuo Wang from Zhejiang University, alongside co-author Dr. Han Lin from RMIT, noted that the current work establishes a robust new strategy for compact sensing technology.

Future development steps for the team include scaling up the fabrication processes, testing different materials to expand the sensor’s range, and refining the software algorithms required to reconstruct light information.

As fabrication techniques improve, this technology could move from a laboratory prototype to a fundamental component in the next generation of smart vision systems.

The research was first published in the journal Nature Electronic.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are pioneering a new approach to one of the most complicated challenges in drone technology: enabling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transition seamlessly from underwater to aerial flight.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM Army Research Office), the UCF team’s nine-month study could unlock game-changing advances for both defense and civilian applications.

How drones exit water

Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and graduate student Dominic Polidoro ’25 are at the forefront of this research. Their focus is on “egress”—the split-second process in which a drone’s wing emerges from water into the air. While nature makes this look easy—think of birds or rays leaping from the ocean—the dynamics for machines are far more complex.

Using a combination of mathematical modeling and hands-on experimentation, the team is analyzing how the forces acting on a UAV’s wing change during this transition.

Their experiments rely on 3D-printed wings and a specialized water tank in UCF’s Experimental Fluid Mechanics Lab, capturing high-speed interactions as the wings break the water’s surface.

Lift instability: A critical obstacle for amphibious drones

Initial findings highlight a major technical challenge: as the wing leaves the water, the lift generated doesn’t just increase smoothly. Instead, it spikes—what researchers call a “lift overshoot”—then abruptly drops before stabilizing. This rapid fluctuation can destabilize the UAV, threatening control and reliability in real-world missions.

Dr. Bhattacharya points out, “The sudden changes in lift as a UAV transitions from water to air can lead to instability and loss of control. Understanding and eventually mitigating these forces are essential steps for creating robust amphibious drones.”

Potential impact beyond military use

While the U.S. Army’s interest is clear—amphibious UAVs could provide new capabilities in reconnaissance and rapid deployment—the research has wide-ranging implications. These drones could revolutionize search-and-rescue operations along coasts, assist in disaster response, and enhance ocean monitoring by moving easily between aquatic and aerial environments.

Bhattacharya envisions a future where “in 10 years, amphibious UAVs will operate reliably in both air and water, with improved payload capacity and autonomous capabilities, far surpassing current technology.”

Technical approach and future directions

The UCF team’s research involves detailed analysis of surface deformation, wave generation, and vortex shedding—all phenomena occurring in milliseconds as a drone exits water. Their work was recently presented at the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum, drawing attention from experts in fluid dynamics and UAV design.

As the research progresses, the new mathematical models and experimental data are expected to guide the next generation of amphibious drones, making stable, controlled transitions from water to air a practical reality.

Astrobotic has publicly unveiled its Griffin-1 lunar lander — the vehicle NASA has selected to deliver one of the heaviest cargo loads ever sent to the lunar surface — as part of the agency’s emerging Moon Base initiative. The Pittsburgh-based company revealed the completed lander at its headquarters, weeks before it is scheduled to depart for environmental testing.

Griffin Mission One is targeting a launch no earlier than late 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It is the second lunar mission from Astrobotic, following the Peregrine lander’s January 2024 attempt, which ended prematurely after a propellant leak prevented the vehicle from reaching the Moon.

Built for the Moon Base era

Griffin-1 is a significantly larger vehicle than its predecessor. Both landers stand roughly 6 feet (2 meters) tall, but Griffin is nearly twice as wide, measuring approximately 15 feet (4.5 meters) across. Its payload capacity to the lunar surface is rated at 1,377 pounds (625 kilograms), with a commercial pricing of $544,000 per pound of cargo delivered.

NASA selected Griffin as the lander for its Moon Base II mission — part of the agency’s phased effort to establish a permanent lunar outpost near the south pole. Astrobotic CEO John Thornton described the vehicle’s significance in direct terms at the unveiling event.

“This is the first infrastructure-class lander going to the surface of the moon,” Thornton said. “This lander will be part of the cornerstone of building the moon base on the surface of the moon, so I’m just so excited for it to be here today, and to wish it good travels as it heads out to JPL for environmental testing.”

What Griffin-1 is carrying

Griffin-1 will carry 10 payloads from six separate nations, plus four additional NASA payloads aboard the FLIP (Flex Lunar Innovation Platform) rover built by California-based Astrolab — the mission’s marquee scientific platform.

FLIP will be integrated onto the lander in Florida ahead of launch, after the lander itself completes environmental testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where it is scheduled to arrive next week.

Payloads already integrated onto the lander include Astrobotic’s own BEACON CubeRover, developed in coordination with Mission Control Space Services, and the European Space Agency’s LandCam-X — a camera system designed to improve the precision and reliability of lunar landings for future missions.

Among the smaller cultural payloads: a plaque from the Nippon Travel Agency carrying messages from children in Japan; the Galactic Library to Preserve Humanity from Nanofiche, a micro-miniaturized archive of literature and art; and a MoonBox capsule delivering items from around the world on micro SD cards.

“So, this is going to be chock full of interesting science and data that’s going to be coming back from the moon, and some of the best imagery we have seen yet coming back from the surface,” Thornton said.

The CLPS program’s evolving ambition

Griffin-1 is being delivered under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which contracts private companies to provide lunar delivery services in support of the Artemis program. Peregrine Mission One — which failed before reaching the Moon — was the program’s debut flight. Griffin represents CLPS’s second attempt and its most ambitious manifestation to date.

The mission targets the lunar south pole region — the same area where NASA plans to concentrate its base-building activities — making Griffin-1 not just a commercial delivery vehicle, but a direct precursor to crewed surface operations planned for later in the decade as the agency builds the infrastructure needed for sustained human presence on the Moon.

South Korea has formally advanced its Korea Destroyer eXperimental (KDDX) program by designating Hanwha Ocean as the prime contractor for the construction of six next-generation destroyers, according to reports.

The move signals a concrete step in Seoul’s broader naval modernization effort, aimed at replacing aging KDX-I class frigates that have been in service since the late 1990s.

Program architecture and Hanwha Ocean’s role

Hanwha Ocean, formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) before its acquisition by the Hanwha Group in 2023, will serve as the lead shipbuilder for the KDDX fleet.

The company brings substantial warship construction experience, having previously built KDX-II Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class and KDX-III Sejong the Great-class destroyers for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).

The KDDX is designed as a roughly 6,000-ton displacement vessel — placing it between a conventional frigate and a full destroyer — optimized for multi-domain operations covering anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and anti-air warfare (AAW).

The design incorporates an integrated mast architecture that consolidates radar, electronic warfare, and communications systems into a single structure to reduce radar cross-section.

Propulsion and combat systems specifications

The KDDX is expected to adopt a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) or integrated electric propulsion (IEP) system, with final propulsion architecture still subject to program refinement. The ship’s combat management system is slated for domestic development, consistent with South Korea’s stated goal of reducing dependence on foreign defense electronics.

The vertical launch system (VLS) configuration will likely accommodate the domestic Hyunmoo cruise missile family alongside the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) interceptors.

The radar suite is anticipated to include an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) system, developed in collaboration with LIG Nex1, which has been involved in previous Korean naval electronics programs. Integration of a domestically produced 127mm naval gun is also under consideration, though supplier finalization remains pending.

Industrial and procurement timeline

The six-ship order represents a significant production run by regional standards. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has been managing requirements definition, and the program has faced iterative delays tied to technology readiness levels for some onboard systems.

Full-rate production is expected to extend through the mid-2030s, with the lead vessel delivery targeted within the current decade pending contract finalization.

From an industrial standpoint, the contract reinforces Hanwha Ocean’s position in the domestic naval shipbuilding sector following its competition against HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which builds the existing Sejong the Great-class Aegis destroyers.

The award consolidates naval surface combatant work at a single yard, which carries both efficiency benefits and supply chain concentration risks if production bottlenecks emerge.

Operational context and regional calculus

The KDDX program does not operate in isolation. The ROKN is simultaneously pursuing the KDX-III Batch II Aegis destroyer and expanding its submarine fleet under the KSS-III program. Sustaining parallel major acquisition tracks places pressure on defense budgets and domestic industrial bandwidth.

Questions remain about whether Korea’s shipyards can absorb concurrent destroyer, submarine, and future light aircraft carrier workloads without schedule compression on any individual program.

For engineers and defense analysts tracking South Korea’s evolving naval engineering programs, the KDDX contract award with Hanwha Ocean represents a procurement decision with tangible technical and strategic consequences that will play out across the next decade of ROKN fleet development.

A home machinist and microscopy enthusiast has documented a detailed technical conversion of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) into a transmission electron microscope (TEM), demonstrating that sub-nanometer resolution imaging is not strictly confined to professional laboratory settings.

The project walks through the mechanical, electronic, and optical modifications required to redirect the SEM’s focused electron beam through an ultrathin specimen rather than bouncing it off a surface.

SEM versus TEM

In a conventional SEM, a focused electron beam rasters across the surface of a sample and detectors collect secondary and backscattered electrons to construct a three-dimensional surface image.

A TEM, by contrast, accelerates electrons through a thin specimen—typically below 100 nanometers—and a detector or phosphor screen on the far side captures the transmitted beam, yielding internal structural information at atomic or near-atomic resolution.

The two modalities require fundamentally different sample preparation, detector geometry, and beam alignment strategies, which makes the conversion non-trivial.

The modification involved fabricating a custom specimen holder stage capable of holding electron-transparent samples, repositioning a scintillator-based detector beneath the sample plane, and carefully adjusting beam convergence angles to suit transmission geometry.

Beam energy in the converted system reportedly remained in the range typical of low-voltage SEMs—roughly 5 to 30 kiloelectron volts—which is lower than the 80–300 keV found in dedicated TEMs.

That energy gap has direct consequences for penetration depth and contrast, meaning the converted instrument is better suited to very thin biological or polymer films than to hard crystalline materials.

Specimen preparation constraints

At 30 keV, electron penetration through matter is substantially reduced compared to a 200 keV research-grade TEM. Specimens must be prepared to thicknesses well below 50 nanometers to achieve meaningful transmission contrast, which demands either focused ion beam (FIB) thinning or careful ultramicrotome sectioning.

The project does not sidestep this limitation; the builder acknowledges that sample preparation remains the most labor-intensive part of the workflow and that certain dense or thick materials will simply block the beam entirely at these voltages.

Achieving proper alignment in a converted system also presents practical difficulties. Commercial TEMs incorporate sophisticated electromagnetic lens alignment systems, stigmators, and beam-tilt controls that are absent in most SEMs. The DIY conversion relies on mechanical stage adjustment and iterative beam tuning to compensate, which increases setup time per sample significantly.

Detector configuration and image acquisition

The transmitted electron signal was captured using a scintillator coupled to a camera placed below the sample stage. This configuration is conceptually similar to a bright-field TEM detector arrangement, where areas of the specimen that scatter or absorb electrons appear darker against a bright background.

The resolution achievable with this setup is constrained not only by beam energy but also by the point spread function of the scintillator material and the pixel pitch of the camera sensor used.

For engineers interested in electron optics at the amateur level, projects like this one sit alongside other low-cost electron beam experiments that have appeared in the maker community.

DIY scanning electron microscope builds have previously demonstrated that fundamental vacuum and high-voltage engineering skills can be acquired outside institutional settings, though always with serious attention to X-ray shielding and high-voltage safety protocols.

Safety and practical risk factors

Operating any electron beam instrument outside a certified laboratory introduces real hazards. Bremsstrahlung X-ray emission is an inherent byproduct of electron deceleration in the target and chamber walls.

SEMs are shielded from the factory, but any modification to the chamber geometry—including cutting ports for a transmission detector—requires careful verification that shielding integrity is maintained. The builder’s documentation should be read with this in mind by anyone considering replication.

The conversion represents a technically detailed exercise in applied electron optics and vacuum engineering, and it offers a practical reference point for understanding the design constraints that separate entry-level and research-grade electron microscopy instruments.

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A hardware developer known online as 3DprintedLife has unveiled an open-source swarm robotics project that transforms each individual chess piece into an autonomous micro-robot capable of independent navigation, wireless communication, and self-localization.

The custom-engineered setup, appropriately named MiniBots, addresses a major challenge in miniaturization and hardware integration. To build a fully operational self-playing board using this methodology, every single piece must operate as a standalone robotic unit.

This means each individual bot requires its own processing unit, onboard power supply, dedicated motor drivers, locomotion mechanism, and positioning sensors, all while remaining small enough to fit within the standard squares of a functional chessboard layout.

Inside the Hardware of a MiniBot Piece

The physical architecture of each MiniBot piece is built around a highly compact, custom-designed printed circuit board (PCB) that fits neatly inside a 3D-printed outer shell. At the heart of each robot’s electronic stack is an ESP32-C3 microcontroller module.

Chosen for its miniature footprint and integrated wireless capabilities, this single-core module manages the primary firmware operations and low-level control loops.

For movement, each micro-robot relies on two ultra-miniature PMO8-2 stepper motors, each coupled with a specialized onboard stepper driver integrated circuit (IC).

These tiny motors drive a set of miniature wheels using direct friction engagement, allowing the piece to pivot, turn, and travel precisely across the smooth surface of the chessboard. Powering this array is a small 170 milliampere-hour (mAh) Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) battery tucked inside the base.

To coordinate the movements of up to 32 independent robots simultaneously, the system uses a dual-tier control hierarchy. A centralized command hub module acts as the master controller, utilizing the low-latency ESP-NOW wireless protocol to communicate directly with each piece.

The hub’s main board, which also operates on an ESP32-C3 wireless interface, connects to a Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC) via a serial link. The Raspberry Pi handles the high-level coordination and execution scripts using Python-based software.

Overcoming the self-localization bottleneck

The most complex hurdle of the swarm design is positioning. For a piece to successfully navigate to a destination square, it must first establish exactly where it is located on the 8×8 playing grid. While the developer initially considered using ultrasonic location sensors, the final design pivoted to a specialized electromagnetic tracking system.

The completed system embeds a series of scanning electromagnets directly beneath the surface of the chessboard. Concurrently, each MiniBot is outfitted with an internal magnetometer that measures local magnetic field intensity.

By utilizing precise clock synchronization via ESP-NOW, the board activates its underground electromagnets within a strict, sequential timing window.

As the electromagnets fire, the magnetometer inside the chess piece records the shifting field strengths. The onboard software takes these real-time intensity readings and runs a triangulation algorithm.

This process allows the robot to calculate its precise coordinate location relative to the active magnetic sources, effectively mirroring standard radio triangulation techniques on a micro-scale.

Prototype status and open-source potential

While a single-piece prototype has successfully demonstrated the viability of the movement and positioning algorithms, scaling the concept up to a full 32-piece swarm presents ongoing debugging challenges.

During structural testing, the developer noted that the single-core architecture of the ESP32-C3 introduced minor timing bugs in the localization firmware, which will require minor software alterations in a future update.

Additionally, implementing robust power-saving modes and designing a streamlined, multi-device recharging dock remain critical areas of focus before the swarm can play a complete, automated game.

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The Port Authority of Valencia (APV), operating commercially as Valenciaport, has commenced the installation of vertical solar panels on the breakwater wall of the Port of Valencia’s northern extension.

The clean energy initiative represents a practical test step in the port’s ongoing strategy to advance toward a more sustainable, efficient, and thoroughly decarbonized operational model.

The installation contract was officially awarded to Pavener Servicios Energéticos S.L. for a total investment of $195,000, with the physical setup projected to be fully operational by September 2026.

The specialized infrastructure work is a core component of the broader European initiative, Renewport, which focuses on harnessing renewable energy potential to drive clean energy transitions across Mediterranean ports.

To make the installation viable on a vertical sea wall, the project utilizes a unique technological layout called IT3, an engineered solution created and registered by the local Valencian startup SunnerBox.

The engineering behind the matrix

Unlike conventional, rigid solar arrays that require heavy building modifications or sprawling horizontal space, the IT3 framework relies on a matrix layout. The structural footprint consists of a matrix system of photovoltaic panels arranged directly across a specialized mesh network. This mesh is tightly suspended using a system of heavy-duty ties and tensioners anchored directly into the face of the concrete breakwater wall.

According to technical specifications provided by SunnerBox, mounting the panels via a flexible mesh framework drastically reduces upfront structural modification costs and minimizes overall material weights.

Furthermore, the streamlined layout accelerates the physical installation process on the concrete wall, simplifies routine maintenance sweeps in the coastal zone, and significantly enhances the long-term economic viability of scaling up vertical wall energy systems across industrial marine facilities.

Real-time performance monitoring

The newly deployed pilot system consists of 21 distinct photovoltaic modules. Each individual panel carries a capacity rating of 410 watts, bringing the total installed peak power capacity of the vertical wall array to exactly 8.6 kilowatts peak (kWp).

This targeted pilot test is being spearheaded by the Port Authority of Valencia, in active collaboration with the Project Management, Innovation, and Sustainability Research Center (PRINS) at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

The research partners will conduct a rigorous, two-month performance assessment window to observe the system under real maritime conditions. During this data-collection phase, a specialized suite of various onboard sensors will track the total energy generation metrics and measure the structural dynamic behavior of the mesh framework in real time.

The electricity generated by the 21 panels during the trial will be fed directly back into the array to power the diagnostic sensor system. By verifying how the tensioned mesh withstands maritime forces, the project aims to demonstrate how existing harbor breakwaters can be converted into passive clean energy hubs.

Engineering researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed an advanced three-dimensional (3D) image projection system capable of displaying 28 distinct depth layers simultaneously in a single optical exposure.

Led by Professor Aydogan Ozcan from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), the project introduces a compact framework designed to enhance next-generation holographic displays, medical imaging, and virtual reality interfaces.

The research details a hybrid digital-optical architecture that resolves persistent issues of visual distortion and cross-talk in dense 3D imaging.

Traditional multi-layer volumetric projection methods often suffer from image degradation when multiple focal planes are closely spaced. As these layers converge, the light fields often bleed into one another, reducing depth clarity, causing severe blurriness, and diminishing visual sharpness for the viewer.

Deep learning and light programming

To overcome these limitations, the UCLA research team utilized deep learning to co-optimize a digital computational encoder alongside a passive, physical optical decoder.

The system functions by running target visual data through a digital neural network that incorporates explicit depth and coordinate instructions. This network compresses the multi-layered structural information into a singular, unified phase pattern that represents the entire 3D volume.

When light passes through the system, it hits a series of structurally optimized diffractive surfaces that act as an analog decoder. These surfaces physically manipulate the light wave, routing specific components of the image to their exact pre-assigned depth planes.

This precise “light programming” allows the system to suppress data leakage between adjacent layers, maintaining clean visual separation even when planes are separated by distances near the scale of a single light wavelength.

Scalability and experimental validation

Through numerical modeling, the team demonstrated that the framework scales effectively to accommodate complex volumetric scenes split into 28 independent axial slices.

Additionally, the system features a dynamic adjustment capability, allowing operators to alter the target depth positions of the projected images on demand without modifying the core physical architecture.

To confirm the practical viability of this digital-optical pipeline, the researchers built a physical, two-plane hardware prototype that uses a single-layer optical decoder operating in the visible light spectrum.

Experimental measurements confirmed that the projected light distribution closely matched both the target designs and computational simulations. The experimental setup significantly outperformed unassisted free-space optical systems, validating the real-world stability and accuracy of the design.

Future tech integration

The compact layout of this encoder-decoder architecture provides an energy-efficient foundation for high-resolution volumetric imaging. Beyond immediate integration into near-eye augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets, the technology holds potential applications in multi-depth microscopy, real-time 3D medical visualization, and optical computing.

Moving forward, the research team aims to expand the capabilities of this framework by exploring multispectral operations to support full-color projections, multi-perspective holography, and the integration of physically fabricated multi-layer decoders suitable for commercial manufacturing form factors.

The research was first published in the journal Light: Science & Applications.

For years, the idea of a fully autonomous weapon system killing a human being on the battlefield existed as a warning, a thought experiment, and an unconfirmed rumor. It is no longer any of those things.

A Ukrainian drone manufacturer has confirmed to New Scientist that a test involving 10 fully autonomous AI-controlled drones — operating with no human oversight or connection — killed Russian soldiers on the front line of the Ukraine war approximately two years ago.

The disclosure, made at a press event hosted by the Ukrainian embassy, marks what weapons experts are calling a historic threshold in the history of warfare.

“Everything it sees will be killed”

The drone-maker behind the technology, Alexander Kokhanovskyy, described the operation in blunt terms. The drones were launched toward the front line near the cities of Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar during a Ukrainian counteroffensive push, programmed to cover between three kilometers (1.86 miles) and five kilometers (3.10 miles) over approximately 10 minutes, at which point they entered what Kokhanovskyy called “Terminator mode” — a state in which an onboard AI model independently searched for, identified, and attacked targets with no human input.

“We just launch it, and we know everything will be dead — everything that will be found there in this particular area will be dead,” Kokhanovskyy told New Scientist. “There is no connection to the drone at all, you cannot see the video, nothing. Everything it sees will be killed.”

Because the autonomous drones transmitted no live footage during the mission, there was no way to monitor them in real time. After the test concluded, human-piloted drones were sent into the area to manually survey results. What they found: “a couple of soldiers, one truck.”

Kokhanovskyy was not personally present at the test, which was carried out by an unnamed military unit. He was clear that it remained a one-off experiment and was never expanded into wider deployment. “It’s a test. We never implemented it more widely,” he said.

What makes this different from every prior incident

The distinction matters. Traditional armed drones transmit live video to a human operator who makes the decision to fire. A fully autonomous drone detects its target, decides whether it meets the engagement criteria, calculates an attack path, and executes the strike — entirely in software, with no human consulted at any point. In Terminator mode, that decision — whether a person lives or dies — was made by an algorithm.

A UN report in 2021 suggested that a Turkish Kargu-2 quadcopter may have been used to autonomously attack humans in Libya in 2020, but that account contained no confirmed casualties and gave no specific sourcing. The Ukraine disclosure, by a named manufacturer speaking on record at a diplomatic event, is the first confirmed account with stated outcomes.

What Kokhanovskyy wants

Ukraine’s current regulations prohibit fully autonomous lethal operation in the final stage of an engagement, requiring human verification before a strike is executed.

Kokhanovskyy acknowledged this constraint in the same conversation — while noting that his company’s upcoming ALITA counter-drone system, consisting of 16 launch pads and 64 drones, will require just two human operators to manage the entire battery. The system can travel toward incoming threats at 280mph, engaging everything from small drones to helicopters.

Even with humans required in the final step, Kokhanovskyy made his personal view clear: “I would love to operate without that restriction.”

That position is not universal inside Ukraine’s military. Major Danylo Polozhukhno, a senior figure in Ukraine’s 21st Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment who was unaware of the test, told New Scientist that his soldiers use semi-autonomous systems but always maintain a human in the loop.

An international team of space physicists and engineers has unveiled a highly ambitious planetary defense concept designed to protect Earth from the devastating impacts of extreme space weather.

The proposal, dubbed “StormWall,” outlines a space-based system that can artificially reinforce the planet’s natural defenses just before a major solar storm strikes.

According to researchers, applying serious physics to the problem demonstrates that humanity no longer has to simply brace for impact and accept whatever the Sun throws at the planet.

The fragility technological infrastructure

Geomagnetic storms occur when a massive surge of solar energy—often carried by coronal mass ejections—violently interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, the magnetic bubble protecting the planet.

While these events trigger beautiful auroras, they pose a severe threat to modern civilization by inducing major electrical currents that can overload power grids, destroy multi-million-dollar transformers, damage satellites, and knock out global GPS and communication networks.

Historically, severe events such as the 1859 Carrington Event disrupted telegraph lines across continents. In today’s hyper-connected society, a similar extreme storm could cause trillions of dollars in economic damage and leave entire populations in prolonged darkness.

The physics of the ‘orbital airbag’

The core breakthrough of the StormWall concept lies in suppressing a process known as magnetic reconnection. During powerful solar storms, the magnetic fields carried by the solar wind can align with Earth’s magnetic field, linking the two. This cosmic link opens a pathway that allows solar energy to pour directly into near-Earth space.

To exploit this physical vulnerability, the StormWall system functions similarly to an automotive airbag. The proposed architecture involves a constellation of six spacecraft strategically deployed into geosynchronous orbit. These satellites would carry stores of safe solid or liquid alkaline materials, such as barium, lithium, sodium, or calcium.

When space weather forecasters detect a dangerous solar storm barreling toward Earth, ground operators would trigger the fleet to release the materials into space. Upon release, solar radiation would rapidly vaporize and ionize the elements, forming a thick cloud of electrically charged plasma.

This artificial plasma would drift toward the sun-facing frontier of the magnetosphere, effectively thickening the planet’s shield and forcing the harsh solar wind to slide around Earth rather than break through.

High rewards and earthwide benefits

To test the viability of the concept, the research team ran advanced computer simulations modeling the historic May 2024 geomagnetic storm. The data revealed that under normal conditions, the storm caused major magnetospheric disruptions, but when the simulated StormWall plasma shield was activated, the overall intensity of the geomagnetic storm was slashed by more than half.

Crucially, this geoengineering approach features minimal long-term environmental risk. The artificial plasma cloud is highly transient and would naturally dissipate within roughly six hours as it is swept into deep space by the solar wind, avoiding re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Furthermore, because the magnetosphere blankets the entire globe, StormWall would act as a collective, democratic shield. The system cannot be modified to protect just one country or a specific corporate satellite fleet; it inherently shields the entire planet and everyone on it simultaneously.

The primary hurdle moving forward is reducing the steep manufacturing and deployment costs. Future phases of the project will focus on identifying the single most cost-effective element for mass release and optimizing orbital trajectories to minimize upkeep.