Seneca Deploys Autonomous Fire-Suppression Drones with CAL FIRE

Emesent has raised $25M to power our next chapter, as we expand from mining into defense. Founded in 2018 from a decade of CSIRO research, Emesent is a world leader in autonomous SLAM-based LiDAR mapping and data analytics. Thanks to Daniel Van Boom and the team at Forbes Australia for the great coverage, and to the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation for backing this next chapter. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eU6vNg7B - #Emesent #LiDAR #SLAM #AutonomousSystems #DefenceTechnology #Robotics #Mining #Geospatial #MadeInAustralia

AE Industrial Partners, LP portfolio company Firefly Aerospace acquires Space-ng. Space-ng is a Colorado-based developer of AI-powered vision-navigation and autonomous-guidance technology, spun off in 2024 from agricultural robotics company Farm-ng. Its software guided Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander through two autonomous hazard-avoidance maneuvers to the first commercial Moon landing. Firefly Aerospace, the Nasdaq-listed space and defense company backed by AE Industrial Partners, has acquired Space-ng to integrate vision-navigation and camera hardware across its Blue Ghost landers and Elytra orbital vehicles for upcoming lunar and defense missions. AE Industrial first invested in Firefly in February 2022, acquiring a significant ownership stake in the company. AE Industrial Partners is included on the Leaderboard (https://lnkd.in/gnwb_XC7), which consists of top-tier private equity and growth equity firms vetted and qualified by GrowthCap. Nominate a Top Software Investor of 2026 at https://lnkd.in/g9hfKiY

UAV Lithium Battery Selection Guide: Three Core Dimensions to Avoid Mistakes: The Lithium Battery is the core carrier of a UAV’s flight performance, operational efficiency, and operational safety. Taking the battery of agricultural plant protection UAVs as an example, this paper conducts a selection analysis. Agricultural plant protection UAVs need to … Continue reading → #Business #ManufacturingIndustry #UK #US #World

The Cheap Drone Problem for Tanks 🔷 More often than not, the design lineage in early hardware markets fans out across strange solution spaces before converging on a standard form. World War I tank design is a good example: the UK landed on the rhombohedral Mark V, Germany the armadillo-like A7V, France the nimble Renault FT-17. Before good field data exists, several different designs can look right, which makes getting into the real world quickly and cheaply more important than being perfect out of the gate. The Ukraine-Russia war is producing a similar divergence in drone designs, which appears poised to make 100 years of tank evolution moot. 'A $1000 drone destroying a $10 million platform is still a $1000 drone destroying a $10 million platform regardless of what cage you weld onto the turret.' 🔷 Proxima Fusion raised €411 million to build Alpha, a stellarator fusion demonstrator designed to prove its magnet system can confine superheated plasma long enough to produce net energy. The funding supports a full-scale model coil, high-temperature-superconducting cable and magnet production, and the systems required to build Alpha near Munich. XTX Ventures and East X Ventures led the round. 🔷 If you're ever feeling down about your math skills, remember that Sainte-Chapelle — and almost all ancient architecture — was built by people who never studied formal mathematics or geometry. Using heuristics developed over hundreds of years, the masons built a compact arch system with no proper calculations and no standard length unit, simply laying rope and folding it over the arch to mark fractions that pinned wall widths to the structure needed to prevent buckling. Engineering doesn't always require science. People built cathedrals before there were architects, or engines before thermodynamicsl; theory arrives later to refine centuries of practical knowledge. 🔷 The FCC has approved Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 test hardware — a giant flying mirror to direct sunlight to solar farms, industrial sites, and other places that wish it were always sunny. The largest available energy gradient is between the Sun and Earth, yet most of the Sun's output passes into space. With deployable 59-by-59-foot Mylar mirrors, Reflect Orbital hopes to bend a small portion of that reality back toward the ground. Russia tested a similar concept in the 1990s with its Znamya experiments, but the premise has become far easier for private companies to revisit as launch costs collapsed.

Drone surveys are completing in hours what used to take weeks. And the data quality is often better. Here’s what’s changed in mining operations. Traditional ground surveys meant decisions were made on data that was days, weeks, or months old. That latency had a real cost. A single unexpected slope failure in an open-pit operation can halt production for weeks. Stockpile miscalculations ripple through logistics, sales commitments, and financial reporting. UAV technology is closing that gap fast. Key applications now operating across the mining value chain include highwall and slope stability surveillance without rope-access crews, stockpile volume measurement accurate to within 1-2% of actual volume, and underground mapping using SLAM technology in GPS-denied environments. They also include thermal imaging for predictive maintenance on conveyors and processing equipment, plus environmental and rehabilitation monitoring for compliance reporting. The economics are shifting too. Drone surveys can cost 60-80% less than equivalent manned aerial surveys. But the bigger value sits in avoided downtime, improved inventory accuracy, and compliance cost reduction. The transition from periodic piloted surveys to continuous autonomous monitoring is where the real ROI compounds. BVLOS regulatory approvals and internal capability development remain the primary adoption constraints in most jurisdictions. Enjoy this summary? Hit the like button to let us know and follow this page to stay up to date on mining technology and operations. Want to know more? Read the full breakdown of drone technology across the mining value chain here: https://lnkd.in/g8ew-DRQ

A new engineering approach to reusable launch vehicles🚀 China's Long March-10B has successfully completed its maiden flight while simultaneously demonstrating the world's first offshore net-based recovery of a reusable first stage. For years, the reusable launch industry has primarily explored two recovery approaches: 1️⃣ Falcon 9: Vertical landing with landing legs The booster performs a powered descent and lands precisely on an autonomous droneship. This method has been proven through hundreds of successful recoveries and has fundamentally reduced launch costs. However, it requires the booster to permanently carry heavy landing legs and demands extremely precise terminal guidance and engine control during landing. 2️⃣ Long March-10B: Offshore net-assisted recovery Instead of landing on its own legs, the booster is designed to be captured by a large net system mounted on a dedicated recovery vessel. The recovery infrastructure—not the rocket—absorbs much of the landing impact. By moving the buffering and supporting system from the vehicle to the recovery platform, the rocket can potentially reduce structural mass, simplify refurbishment, lessen engine stress during landing, and preserve more payload capacity. Rather than following the same engineering path, the Long March-10B introduces a third reusable launch architecture, expanding the range of technical solutions available for large reusable launch vehicles. Different engineering challenges often inspire different engineering solutions. As reusable launch technology continues to evolve worldwide, multiple recovery concepts—from powered landings to launch tower capture and now offshore net-assisted recovery—are driving the next generation of lower-cost, higher-frequency access to space. Congratulations to everyone involved in this remarkable engineering achievement. #Space #Aerospace #ReusableRockets #RocketRecovery #Engineering #Innovation #CommercialSpace #LaunchVehicle #LongMarch10B #SpaceTechnology #CNSA

RocketDNA - Drones | Automation | AI has executed a non-binding, non-exclusive MOU with Deswik Mining Consultants, part of Sandvik's Digital Mining Technologies division, to embed autonomous drone data directly into Deswik.CAD software used across more than 20 countries. The partnership was initiated by a tier-one mining customer running both platforms, requesting a direct integration between the systems rather than manual data transfer workflows. 📋 Announcement Highlights: 🔹 Deswik will develop an importer within Deswik.CAD connecting directly to RocketDNA's API to draw SiteTube® data into the model space 🔹 Integration planned as a global product release rather than single-site connection 🔹 Deswik to provide Deswik.CAD licences to RocketDNA for testing and demonstration on approved projects 🔹 Reciprocal promotion arrangements with Deswik showcasing RocketDNA as integration partner across marketing activities 🔹 Each party retains ownership of existing IP with reciprocal non-exclusive licences over foreground IP developed for integration Stephen Rowles, Product Manager – Survey at Deswik, explained: "Bringing high-frequency drone survey data directly into Deswik.CAD removes a step that surveyors and engineers have been working around for years." The MOU runs for 12 months with termination available on four weeks' notice. Commercial terms including revenue share and development funding will be set in a separate definitive agreement. The full enterprise rollout of Skylink across all customers by 30 June 2026 produced more than 1,000 monthly active users and approximately 25,000 pre-booked drone missions. 📅 Upcoming Catalysts: 🔸 Technical scoping commencement under MOU terms 🔸 Definitive agreement negotiations (timing not disclosed) Found this insightful? Hit 'like' and follow for updates on RocketDNA's Deswik integration development and technical scoping progress. 🔗 Read the full partnership analysis and commercial framework breakdown: https://lnkd.in/gpb_Z49i

Technology gives us more data than ever before. But more data doesn't always mean better decisions. The real value comes from knowing what information matters—and how to use it. A drone flight can generate thousands of images and millions of data points. The question is: What story is that data telling? Is production on schedule? Is a stockpile changing faster than expected? Has a site condition changed since the last inspection? Are there potential safety concerns that should be addressed? Collecting data is only the first step. Interpreting it and turning it into meaningful insights is what creates value. That's the approach we take at Elev8 Visions. We don't just deliver files. We deliver information that helps our clients understand their operations with greater confidence and make informed decisions. Because the best technology isn't measured by how much data it collects. It's measured by the decisions it helps people make. 🚁 Aerial Data. Real Insight. Better Decisions. #Elev8Visions #DroneSurveying #AerialMapping #Mining #Aggregates #Construction #Railway #LiDAR #Innovation #Geomatics

🚀 Excited to share our Disaster Response Drone for Remote Areas project! This project was developed with the vision of supporting disaster relief operations by combining autonomous UAV technology, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and real-time communication into a single integrated system. Our goal was to assist rescue teams in locating stranded individuals and delivering essential medical supplies efficiently in remote and inaccessible areas. ✈️ Project Highlights 🚁 Drone Design & Development Designed and developed a lightweight yet robust quadcopter capable of carrying up to 6 kg of medical supplies. Optimized the airframe for stability, payload capacity, and reliable performance in challenging environments. Utilized carbon fiber and additive manufacturing techniques to achieve a high strength-to-weight ratio. 🤖 Artificial Intelligence & Computer Vision Developed and trained a YOLOv8n-based person detection model for real-time human detection. Enabled intelligent target detection to assist autonomous navigation and prioritize rescue locations. Optimized the model for deployment on edge devices such as the Raspberry Pi. 🛰️ Autonomous Navigation Integrated ArduPilot with ROS2 for intelligent autonomous flight. Implemented waypoint-based navigation and AI-assisted mission execution. Established seamless communication between the flight controller and onboard computer using MAVROS and MAVLink. 🌐 Web Application Developed a user-friendly web interface for mission planning, drone monitoring, and payload control. Enabled live telemetry, video streaming, and real-time mission management. 📡 Communication & Mapping Implemented a dedicated Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communication link for reliable, low-latency data transmission. Integrated aerial mapping capabilities to generate high-quality maps for disaster assessment and situational awareness. 💡 Technologies Used Python | YOLOv8 | ROS2 | ArduPilot | MAVROS | MAVLink | Raspberry Pi | OpenCV | Mission Planner | Web Development | Computer Vision | Artificial Intelligence | UAV Systems. This project was truly a team effort, and I'm grateful to have worked alongside Boomika A, Bragadeeswar I, Harish Karthick, SANJEEV KUMAR J, Kavin P, and SUKHADEV J S. Each member contributed their skills, ideas, and dedication, making this project a valuable learning experience and a successful collaboration. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our mentor, Robin Johny K , for his constant guidance, encouragement, and invaluable support throughout the project. GitHub Repo (ML model): https://lnkd.in/gFjCNzWv Drive: https://lnkd.in/gnyqtzeR

I am pleased to share that we recently organised an industry-led guest lecture on "Applications of UAV (Drone) Mapping in Civil Engineering" for students enrolled in the Civil and Construction Engineering Department at Curtin University Malaysia. A special thank you to Mr Christopher Ting from Tekgra Sdn Bhd for sharing his expertise and practical experiences with our students. The interactive activities further enhanced students' understanding of emerging geospatial technologies. We welcome further collaborations with industry partners to enrich students' learning experiences and prepare future-ready engineers. #CurtinMalaysia #CivilEngineering #DroneMapping #UAV #Surveying #Geomatics #EngineeringEducation #IndustryEngagement #GIS #STEM #FutureEngineers https://lnkd.in/gdDX7G4V