These elements will crown the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona for the highest viewpoint in the city
The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death
But operating them is still illegal under the country’s legislation
Finnish researchers have developed a system for control and detection of forest wildfires that is entirely reliant on autonomous drones with AI. The system has the potential to replace human-operated fire watch flights, which hints at its green benefits in terms of reducing carbon-intensive air traffic.
There is one problem, however. Finnish law doesn’t allow the operation of fully autonomous drones…at least not yet. It’s another classic case of legislation amendments lagging behind the pace of technological inventions, according to the researchers.
The system is the fruit of a collaborative project between the National Land Survey of Finland's Finnish Geospatial Institute (FGI), the Finnish Research Centre for Technology VTT and the Universities of Oulu and Jyväskylä.
The AI-equipped drones have a variety of cameras that can detect and recognize fire below and send pictures to emergency services. In addition, the images are sent to a cloud server where they get converted into a real-time map.
The project has also figured out a creative way to circumvent the problem with internet connectivity in remote areas where there is no data transmission infrastructure.
Another drone hovering at the end of a cable is used as a temporary base station to relay signals. That base drone can soar up to a height of 100 metres and has its own satellite link. The cable also carries power from a ground station.
"It can stay in the air 365 days a year, 24 hours a day," says Eija Honkavaara, the FGI research professor leading the project, as quoted by Yle news agency. Think of it as a flying and anchored WiFI hotspot base.
The researchers have not stopped at that, however. The AI system has also been trained to predict the spread of forest fires based on historical data.
The project is funded as part of the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility.
The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus Christ will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death
The city officials announced that the start of the works is planned for 2028
The Municipality Kazanlak will put the decision to a local referendum with the argument that Buzludzha would boost its tourism appeal
But operating them is still illegal under the country’s legislation
Literally embracing an ‘old-school’ approach to education
The municipality provides the tool to encourage more sustainable thinking and planning in the field of urban design
The incorporation of the underground network into the logistics sector has in view the reduction of street traffic above
The city officials announced that the start of the works is planned for 2028
Travelling anywhere in the regional public transit networks will cost either 2 or 2.5 euros
The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus Christ will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death
On the eve of the new academic year, the ranking considers several distinct but essential factors
The Municipality Kazanlak will put the decision to a local referendum with the argument that Buzludzha would boost its tourism appeal
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital