Drone swarms, space reactors, and the FAA flags Boeing 777 safety issue

??You're reading The Vital Component, a breakdown of the week's engineering news delivered to your inbox. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. Let's dive in.

This week, we share news of several fascinating developments in aerospace and transportation technology.?

Shield AI demonstrated autonomous coordination of drone swarms using its “Hivemind” AI system, bringing the prospect of scalable teams of unmanned aircraft for military and commercial operations much closer.??

However, existing aviation systems still require attention - the FAA proposed fixes for potential engine defects in Boeing 777s that could impact flight safety.

In space technology, British scientists developed a robust new nuclear fuel to power compact reactors for lunar and deep space missions. Bringing things back down to Earth, a Floridian's solo crossing of the Atlantic in a human-powered wheel contraption did not get very far.

Overall, it’s been another eventful week in the world of engineering and technology, as you'll see below.

?? Also, Generative AI is the future of business and is here to stay for the long term. Join experts Andrew McAfee & Erik Brynjolfsson on Tuesday Sept 12 at 11 a.m. PDT, as they unveil transformative research on AI's impact on workforce productivity. Don't miss out!

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MUST KNOW

?? Defense tech company Shield AI has successfully coordinated three Northrop Grumman V-BAT drones using its "Hivemind" AI pilot system. This demonstrates the potential for autonomous drone swarm operations and was part of a collaboration with the U.S. Air Force.?

Shield AI aims to deploy the V-BAT teaming capability operationally within a year, including in GPS-denied environments. The company says the versatile Hivemind AI can be customized for various missions and aircraft types, and view this as an important step toward fielding scalable, affordable autonomous systems that can execute critical missions. Read more

?? The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new proposal to address a potential defect in some of the engines that power Boeing 777 aircraft. The defect is related to a substance called “iron inclusion” that could affect the quality and durability of certain compressor components. Read more.

?? Trisofuel was developed at the Bangor University Nuclear Futures Institute, a world leader in fuels, and works with partners such as NASA, Rolls Royce, and the UK Space Agency. The Rolls-Royce micro nuclear generator could power a portable device roughly the size of a small car that can travel to the Moon on a spacecraft. Read more.

WEEK'S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS?

?? INNOVATION

• ?? Korea leads the world in manufacturing robots, US is seventh The nation boasted 1,000 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers. China had 322 robots per 10,000 workers compared to 274 in the US.
• ?? This 2-liter car engine can run entirely on hydrogen The new hydrogen engine can reduce carbon dioxide and fine dust emissions by 99% and 90%, respectively.
• ?? Wireless energy transmission one step closer thanks to DARPA DARPA has selected RTX Corporation, Draper Laboratory, and BEAM Company to participate in the first phase of its ambitious POWER program.

?? MILITARY ?

• ?? China's new 'Force' gun can move things from afar A Chinese military scientist team has reportedly developed a 'force gun' that can manipulate objects at a distance using magnetic 'force' rings.
• ?? Russia is covering its aircraft with rubber tires, but why? Satellite imagery has been released showing that Russia is covering their aircraft with rubber tires. Military experts are not entirely sure why.
• ???? Japan's 6th-gen 'Godzilla' fighter to get homegrown missiles The design team behind Japan's planned 6th-generation "Godzilla" fighter has recommended that it be armed with a domestically-made air-to-air missile.

?? CULTURE

• ?? Did Elon Musk prevent a Russia-Ukraine nuclear war? New details of Musk's involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war revealed in his biography.
• ?? Generative AI will supersede 2.4 million US jobs by 2030 A new report claims generative AI will replace approximately 2.4 million jobs in the United States by 2030.
• ?? How Huawei's new chip changes the US-China tech landscape The launch of Mate 60 Pro has become the subject of intense scrutiny, primarily due to the chip powering it—dubbed Kirin 9000s.?

JOB ALERT

In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: jobs.interestingengineering.com

“If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.”

Elon Musk explaining why he denied extending Ukraine’s access to Starlink

RECOMMENDATIONS

• ?? Tonga volcano ruined 124 miles of underwater telecom cables A study uncovers how volcanoclastic currents from the 2022 Hunga volcano forcefully transformed the underwater terrain, destroying critical infrastructure.
• ?? Man tried to cross Atlantic in human-powered hamster wheel The Floridian repeat offender told the authorities that he planned on wheeling himself to London, England.
• ?? The hidden potential of ocean waves The Waveline Magnet, a decade-long development, taps into ocean wave energy, despite marine challenges.
• ?? Your car may be listening, watching and collecting your data The Non-profit Mozilla Foundation reviewed 25 car brands and found that all of them breach the privacy of the user data collected by their vehicles.