Sponsored by The British Robotics Seed Fund
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10 Aug 20. Japan Bans Drone Flights Over 15 US Military Sites. Japan will ban from next month drone flights over 15 U.S. military facilities in the country including its major bases without prior permission from authorities, as a measure against potential terrorist acts, the Defense Ministry.
The 15 sites include Yokota Air Base in the suburbs of Tokyo and the U.S. Marines’ Camp Schwab on the southern island of Okinawa.
The restrictions based on a law enacted last year will be implemented on Sept. 6 following a notice period, but they have triggered concerns from media organizations over potential disruption to news-gathering activities.
Pilots will be barred from flying drones within 300 meters of the boundary of the designated sites including the Henoko coastal district in Nago, Okinawa, near Camp Schwab where landfill work is under way to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the prefecture despite local opposition.
Police and the Self-Defense Forces are permitted to seize or destroy drones if they are flown near designated zones without permission, and violators face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of 500,000 yen ($4,700).
The U.S. military sites also include the Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, the naval bases in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, and Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, and the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The Defense Ministry also said Friday unauthorized drone flights above 14 SDF facilities including those in Asahikawa and Obihiro in Hokkaido as well as Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture will be banned from Aug. 17.
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, an independent organization run by Japanese mass media, said in a statement when the law restricting drone flights was enacted last year that it would “greatly limit news-gathering activities and infringe upon the right of the people to be informed.” (Source: UAS VISION/Kyodo News)
10 Aug 20. Taiwan’s ‘Teng Yun’ Drone on Schedule. The Taiwan military said Friday (Aug. 7) that the development of its domestically made “Teng Yun” (Cloud Rider, 騰雲) drone is right on schedule.
Resembling the American MQ-1 Predator, a prototype of the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone was first exhibited in 2015. An improved model has been in development by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) since then.
It is compatible with the U.S. AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, which have a range of 0.5-8 km, according to SET News.
A Taiwanese military official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the development plan has been successful and will continue to move forward as scheduled. However, Taiwan’s Air Force will not purchase the unmanned aerial vehicle unless its systems measure up to national defense criteria, the official said.
Teng Yun on display at 2019 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition
According to the official, some components of Teng Yun are imported, and the military is hoping to shake off its dependence on foreign countries in the future. Meanwhile, the government is optimistic about combining its indigenous surveillance aircraft with U.S. purchases to further strengthen its combat powers, reported Liberty Times. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Taiwan News)
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The British Robotics Seed Fund is the first SEIS-qualifying investment fund specialising in UK-based robotics businesses. The focus of the fund is to deliver superior returns to investors by making targeted investments in a mixed basket of the most innovative and disruptive businesses that are exploiting the new generation of robotics technologies in defence and other sector applications.
Automation and robotisation are beginning to drive significant productivity improvements in the global economy heralding a new industrial revolution. The fund allows investors to benefit from this exciting opportunity, whilst also delivering the extremely attractive tax reliefs offered by the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). For many private investors, the amount of specialist knowledge required to assess investments in robotics is not practical and hence investing through a fund structure makes good sense.
The fund appoints expert mentors to work with each investee company to further maximise the chance of success for investors. Further details are available on request.
www.britbots.com/fund
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