We read with interest this week that Vodafone has just announced that they have developed the world's first Radio Positioning System (RPS) for drones. This new control system uses a 4G modem and SIM embedded within each drone to enable real-time tracking of the drone with up to 50 metre accuracy. The system is intended for use by drone operators helping them to identify and stay clear of unauthorized airspace zones. Authorized bodies such as air traffic control will be able to use the technology to repel unauthorized intrusions into controlled airspace. In addition to position monitoring the system can help drone pilots with beyond line of sight control.

Often referred to as the Amazon of China, JD.com started in 1998 as a brick-and-mortar store in Beijing, but it has aspirations to be the world's leading e-commerce retailer. Based on its tremendous growth, it might not take long for the company to get there. Richard Liu, the company's founder, CEO, and chairman, has even gone so far to predict his company won't need humans and said, "I hope my company would be 100% automation someday…no human beings anymore, 100% operated by AI and robots." JD.com and its competitors such as Amazon, Alphabet, Tencent, Alibaba and more are not only racing to be the world's largest e-commerce business but to create the operating system for retail in the future. JD.com is driving business with artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics while building the retail infrastructure for the 4th industrial revolution.

The Great Elephant Census, conducted in 2014 and 2015, counted more than 350,000* elephants across 18 African countries. Human observers in small planes flew some 294,000 kilometers during more than 1,500 hours to systematically count the animals. Could a future census be managed locally, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, a.k.a. Although surveying the large animals in their individual reserves is a smaller job than the Great Elephant Census, such surveys cost managers substantial time and money. A Swiss research team recently tested a new approach to wildlife surveys.

Intel is contributing its intellectual capital--its innovative thinking and brightest minds and technology--to saving one of the greatest human-made creations on Earth, The Great Wall of China. The monument, which represents thousands of years of culture, is in danger of crumbling. To combat this nearly impossible challenge, Intel has partnered with the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation to launch an innovative new approach to its restoration, using artificial intelligence and drones (the project was announced in April). Intel's team set out on a mission to preserve one of the most iconic landmarks on earth, embarking on an expedition as they reimagined preservation work on this monument with new tools: Intel Drones and Al. "By talking about these products and combining the drone tech with AI, and having that solution built on the Xeon processor, I can tell a very technical story to people who would be interested in that, Then creatively, it's also a super-appealing human interest story that can elevate their perception of Intel outside of the PC," Intel's VP, global creative director Teresa Herd told Fast Company about the project, which bridges technology with cultural heritage, a brand-building exercise with an act of corporate responsibility.

In the Age of Big Data, humans generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. Looking at data related to land surveying for construction, the lack of automated information processing makes the activity expensive and tedious, costing clients an average range of $10,000 to $20,000 for a two-month project. David Morczinek and Adam Kernowski established Airworks, a Cambridge, M.A.-based data analytics startup that automates the processing of 20 million points of data from drone images to help decision-makers at land development and construction make sense of their aerial data. They are playing a more significant role in a variety of commercial applications such as aerial filming and package delivery. The global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, estimates that the commercial drone industry will have an economic impact ranging from $31 to $46 billion on U.S. GDP.

The world's first autonomous indoor drone surveillance system has been developed by two European companies. The unmanned machine carries out its own patrol route through the corridors and rooms of the building it is monitoring, landing itself on a wireless charging pad whenever it runs low on power. A surveillance camera attached to the quadrocopter records and streams real-time footage and alerts human guards to any potential threats. The engineers behind the system claim building owners could replace hundreds of static cameras with a few drones, saving costs while keeping their property secure. The world's first autonomous indoor drone surveillance system (pictured) has been developed by two European drone companies'Drones work best in surveillance applications and are more cost effective,' said David Trillo, CEO of Spanish communications and drone technology developer Avansig, one of two companies working to create the new system.

DAKAR, Senegal – The U.S. military in Africa has taken steps to increase the security of troops on the ground, adding armed drones and armored vehicles and taking a harder look at when American forces go out with local troops, the head of the U.S. Africa Command says. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser told reporters on Monday the U.S. also has cut the response time needed for medical evacuations -- the result of a broad review in the wake of last year's ambush in Niger that killed four U.S. soldiers and four of their Niger counterparts. "Since that happened, there were significant things to change and learn," Waldhauser said. "We've done a thorough scrub really on every level, whether it's at a tactical level ... or how we conduct business at AFRICOM." A report is due in mid-August on actions taken in response to the findings, Waldhauser said.

DAKAR – The U.S. military in Africa has taken steps to increase the security of troops on the ground, adding armed drones and armored vehicles and taking a harder look at when American forces go out with local troops, the head of the U.S. Africa Command said Monday. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser told reporters the U.S. also has cut the response time needed for medical evacuations -- the result of a broad review in the wake of last year's ambush in Niger that killed four U.S. soldiers and four of their Niger counterparts. "Since that happened, there were significant things to change and learn," Waldhauser said. "We've done a thorough scrub really on every level, whether it's at a tactical level … or how we conduct business at AFRICOM." A report is due in mid-August on actions taken in response to the findings, Waldhauser said.

The United States military's Africa Command has confirmed that its forces began deploying armed drones in Niger earlier this year. The West African country's government granted American forces permission in November 2017 to arm their drones - but neither side had previously confirmed their deployment. "In coordination with the Government of Niger, US Africa Command has armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft already in Niger to improve our combined ability to respond to threats and other security issues in the region. Armed ISR aircraft began flying in early 2018," Samantha Reho, spokeswoman for US Africa Command told The Associated Press on Monday. The armed drones are currently deployed to Niger's Air Base 101 in the capital, Niamey.

The U.S. military presence in Niger has expanded in recent years to an 800-strong force that accompanies Nigerien troops on intelligence gathering and other missions, reflecting U.S. concerns about rising militancy in West Africa's Sahel region.