Drones will have to be registered and users forced to take a safety awareness test under new regulations announced by the UK government. Dozens of near-misses with aircraft around airports have stoked fears over the safety of drone use. Under the rules, owners of drones weighing more than 250g – heavier than many available on the high street – will have to register their details and demonstrate that they understand safety and privacy laws that affect their use. The move follows research that showed strikes by drones of more than 400g could critically damage helicopter windscreens, while a bigger drone of about 2kg could critically harm airliner windscreens at higher speeds. Pilots have been calling for a clampdown after a series of near-collisions between drones and passenger jets, particularly on approach or take-off from major airports, including Heathrow.

The UK government has announced plans to introduce drone registration and safety awareness courses for owners of the small unmanned aircraft. It will affect anyone who owns a drone which weighs more than 250 grams (8oz). Drone maker DJI said it was in favour of the measures. There is no time frame or firm plans as to how the new rules will be enforced and the Department of Transport admitted that "the nuts and bolts still have to be ironed out". The drone safety awareness test will involve potential flyers having to "prove that they understand UK safety, security and privacy regulations", it said.

A husband and wife team believe they have the solution to one of the biggest hurdles to drone package delivery. By law in the U.S., a dedicated pilot must maintain a line of sight to the vehicle in order to ensure safe operation. This setup is untenable for the large-scale rollout of drone fleets, such as those planned by Amazon to handle customer deliveries in urban areas, or for public service missions involving scanning for forest fires, search and rescue operations, or shark surveillance. Lou Glaab, an aerospace technologist and NASA researcher, and his wife, Trish Glaab, a software engineer, have developed a system that they believe solves the problem. Safe2Ditch is a package of software algorithms and logic that resides within the vehicle either as in a small separate flight computer or an integrated mode in an autopilot. In the event of a mechanical failure, or a drained battery, Safe2Ditch will enable the vehicle to land safely, mitigating the risk of injury to people in urban and suburban areas.

Seen from overhead, this large body of water with cascading waterfalls might appear to be a remote lake. But the recently captured drone footage actually shows a flooded industrial rock quarry just south of Burlington, Wisconsin. Heavy rains in the area have caused the area's Fox River to crest above normal levels. By July 13, the river had reached a historic high of 16.5 feet. Several hundred people have been evacuated from their homes, mudslides have sprung up in the area, and the National Guard has been deployed to assist in disaster aid.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has unveiled the first images captured by its spherical camera drone on the International Space Station. 'Int-Ball' arrived at the ISS on June 4, and can be controlled from the ground to gather photos and videos of its surroundings in the space environment. The camera can also navigate autonomously, and scientists are aiming to improve its capabilities so it can move and record'anywhere at any time' without human intervention. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has unveiled the first images captured by its spherical camera drone on the International Space Station. 'Int-Ball' (pictured) arrived at the ISS on June 4 Int-Ball arrived to the Japanese Experiment Module'Kibo' on the ISS on June 4. The camera ball uses 3D printed internal and external components, and uses drone technology such as Miniaturized Attitude Control Sensors and Actuators in an'All-in-one Module.'

Officials say that Turkish security forces have used an armed drone to locate and kill six Kurdish militants who allegedly were responsible for kidnapping and killing a school teacher in southeast Turkey.

Just one week after the sheriff's department in Cecil County, Md., got its brand new drone up and running, it was asked to investigate a case of stolen construction equipment. So the Cecil County Sheriff sent his Typhoon H Pro to investigate. The sheriff's department in Somerset County, N.J., hopes its drones could help it find missing people. "Years ago, when we had people wander off, we would bring out the rescue department, the fire department, fire department volunteers, K-9 if we had it and we'd search and search and search and never find the person," said Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provensano.

This article was first published on the IEC e-tech website. Rapid advances in technology are revolutionizing the roles of aerial, terrestrial and maritime robotic systems in disaster relief, search and rescue (SAR) and salvage operations. Robots and drones can be deployed quickly in areas deemed too unsafe for humans and are used to guide rescuers, collect data, deliver essential supplies or provide communication services. The first reported use of SAR robots was to explore the wreckage beneath the collapsed twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York after the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Drones and robots have been used to survey damage after disasters such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan in 2011 and the earthquakes in Haiti (2010) and Nepal (2015).

The maker of the world's most deadly firearm has unveiled plans for a radical AI controlled gun for the Russian military. Kalashnikov, best known for its AK-47 rifle, is building'a range of products based on neural networks,' including a'fully automated combat module' that can identify and shoot at its targets. The new products were revealed in an interview with Kalashnikov spokeswoman Sofiya Ivanova by TASS, a Russian government information agency. The Kalashnikov'combat module' will consist of a gun connected to a console that constantly analyses image data to identify targets. According to Kalashnikov it will be able to'make decisions' on whether to shoot.

US Navy officers are currently testing the world's first drone-killing laser capable of blasting targets with 30kW of power. The $40 million (£30 million) super laser moves at the speed of light and is'more precise than a bullet', according to naval officers. Live-tests of the new super laser have now begun in the Persian Gulf, and officials have predicted that it will be used in combat by 2020. While laser weapons have been a staple in science fiction films for decades, the US military is inching closer to making these a reality. US Navy officers are currently testing the world's first drone-killing laser capable of blasting targets with 30kW of power (pictured) The LaWS, which stands for Laser Weapons System, is currently being tested on board the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship.