Technology 1/7: China announces mosquito-shaped micro drone

Super small drone disguised as mosquito

A Chinese defense research institute has just unveiled a mosquito-shaped reconnaissance drone, measuring only about 2 centimeters long and weighing 0.3 grams. This tiny device is designed to carry out espionage and information-gathering missions on the battlefield without being detected by radar.

China has just introduced a super small drone. (Source: CCTV)

This "bionic" drone is said to have flapping wings 500 times per second and is equipped with miniature sensors for covert surveillance. Another version with four wings that can be controlled via smartphone is also being developed by a team at China's National Defense University.

According to experts, the tiny size and bionic shape of the device makes it difficult to detect using traditional technology. Although it is unclear what kind of data the drone can collect, its intended use is clearly for reconnaissance and special operations in urban or complex environments.

China is not the only country pursuing this technology. The United States, Norway and many other countries have also developed microdrones for military use. For example, Norway’s Black Hornet – a pocket helicopter – is used by the US military for rapid reconnaissance with cameras and infrared sensors. As early as 2006, the US experimented with implanting micro-electromechanical devices into real insects as part of DARPA’s HI-MEMS project.

Tesla Makes First “Fully Self-Driving” Car Delivery

Tesla made headlines when it sent a fully autonomous Model Y from its factory to a customer's apartment – marking the company's first "fully autonomous" vehicle delivery.

The Model Y completed a 15-mile (24 km) drive through Austin streets and highways using self-driving software built into Tesla’s robotaxi fleet that is being tested there. The car was completely unmanned and was not remotely controlled during the journey, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla Model Y on the street. (Source: Techcrunch)

The 30-minute video released by Tesla shows the car handling complex situations such as merging on the freeway, turning right on red, entering a small roundabout, and making a left turn without a signal—problems that were challenging for self-driving cars just a few years ago.

While this is a big step forward, experts question whether Tesla’s software can repeat the journey dozens or hundreds of times with the same level of safety. Tesla was previously criticized for staging a self-driving video in 2016, and it’s unclear how much technical preparation went into this latest trip.

The only downside, according to some, was that the vehicle stopped in a fire lane upon arrival — a minor blemish given the complexity of the trip.

Apple Considers Integrating OpenAI or Anthropic AI into Siri

Apple is reportedly in talks with two leading AI firms, OpenAI and Anthropic, to integrate their technology into Siri – a move that represents an effort to rebuild the virtual assistant that was announced at WWDC 2024 but has been delayed.

According to Bloomberg, Apple planned to deploy an improved version of Siri with the ability to understand personal context and interact deeply within the application, but this plan has been pushed back to 2026. In the meantime, the company can switch to using a third-party AI model, running on Apple Private Cloud Compute servers equipped with "homegrown" chips.

Apple speeds up Siri upgrade. (Source: Internet)

While some of Apple Intelligence’s features already use ChatGPT, handing over all of Siri to an outside platform would be a major shift in Apple’s “self-sufficient AI” strategy. It’s also a management shift: the Siri team is now headed by Mike Rockwell, who previously led the Vision Pro project.

Apple’s move is said to follow a similar model to Samsung, where the Galaxy AI combines custom software with Google’s Gemini model. However, Apple also has a history of “reinventing itself” – as it did when it ditched Google Maps in 2012 to develop Apple Maps.

A new version of Siri isn't expected until 2026, while iOS 26 and other operating system updates this fall will bring only more modest AI features.

Minh Hoan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cong-nghe-1-7-trung-quoc-cong-bo-drone-sieu-nho-hinh-muoi-ar951999.html