Latest news with #autonomy
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
SALUTS unveils robot-defined operations at Web Summit Qatar
SALUTS (formerly Salutes Space) a leader in decentralised AI and space-grade autonomy has showcased its groundbreaking Robot-Defined Defense, a next-generation security framework designed to safeguard autonomous operations across space, defense, and critical infrastructure, at Web Summit Qatar. SALUTS has also announced its strategic partnership with Unifiaccess, an industrial technology company in Saudi Arabia. By combining SALUTS' deep-tech expertise in ultra-low-power AI chips and secure satellite connectivity with Unifiaccess' manufacturing scale and regional market insight, the alliance will deliver next-generation IoT, V2X and distributed surveillance solutions powered by space-based infrastructure — and co-develop the first German-Saudi IoT satellite constellation. Together, SALUTS and Unifiaccess will fast-track advanced IoT and V2X applications—from autonomous logistics fleets to distributed surveillance networks safeguarding critical infrastructure. Under SALUTS' AstraDroid programme, the partners will co-develop and deploy a 16-satellite microsatellite constellation over the next decade. This network will provide global distributed systems, precise navigation and resilient communications for industrial operations, smart cities and defense platforms. Saudi Vision 2030: Accelerating sustainability, smart-city deployments and Industry 4.0 with low-latency edge AI; empowering local talent through no-code platforms. UAE Innovation Vision: Bolstering the UAE's Space Strategy 2030 via orbital autonomy; advancing AI Strategy 2031 with energy-efficient, resilient edge computing. At Web Summit Qatar 2025, SALUTS unveiled its robot-defined operations framework, demonstrating two flagship innovations: CHIRB (Computing on Hybrid Interplanetary Relay Basis) – a natural-language AI control layer that bridges Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, enabling code-free, real-time automation across space, defense, industrial and smart-city environments. NEROnaut – a rugged, ultra-efficient Robot-on-Chip delivering on-device AI for instantaneous, resilient decision-making both in orbit and at the network edge. 'Resilient autonomy is the next frontier,' said M Sobhy Fouda, CEO and founder of SALUTS. 'By processing security telemetry on-chip, we eliminate latency and external vulnerabilities—ensuring satellites, UAVs and critical infrastructure detect and neutralise threats in real time.' Attendees responded enthusiastically to live demos of decentralised satellite platforms, energy-efficient orbital data centers and intelligent machine interactions extending far beyond Earth. SALUTS' CHIRB platform transforms mission management by offering: Natural-language interface: Intuitive, code-free control and diagnostics via chat. Edge processing: Sub-millisecond decisions on-device, independent of ground links. Plug-and-play integration: Seamless deployment across satellites, UAVs, industrial machinery and smart-city systems. Decentralised security: Web 3.0-inspired architecture ensuring data sovereignty and built-in audit trails. Multi-agent coordination: Real-time orchestration of heterogeneous fleets—from orbital platforms to autonomous vehicles. Offline resilience: continuous operation in contested or disconnected environments, with self-healing routines. At the heart of this pioneering approach is Robot-on-Chip, SALUTS' proprietary decentralised AI technology. This innovation enables real-time, in-orbit and on-the-ground data processing while ensuring cyber resilience against emerging robotic threats. 'As the CEO and founder of SALUTS and the creator of Robot-on-Chip, my mission is to advance AI-driven autonomy while safeguarding human life from robotic risks. Our work is shaping the future of human-machine interactions, ensuring they are not only intelligent but also secure,' said Fouda. AI systems are prime targets for cyber threats, rogue automation, and adversarial AI attacks. SALUTS' Robot-on-Chip integrates advanced security layers to detect, isolate, and neutralize robotic threats in real time—ensuring mission-critical operations remain secure. Autonomy must be unhackable. Robot-Defined Defense safeguards military UAVs and satellites from cyber intrusion, autonomous industrial operations from adversarial AI attacks, and IoT and smart infrastructure from robotic system breaches. Unlike conventional AI, Robot-on-Chip processes security data on-device, eliminating latency and man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities tied to Earth-based processing. This enables instant anomaly detection, autonomous countermeasures, and resilient AI decision-making in real time. As part of its global mission to secure AI autonomy, SALUTS presented at Web Summit Qatar, one of the world's leading technology gatherings. The event provided a platform for SALUTS to engage with investors, defense organisations, and industry leaders, showcasing how Robot-Defined Defense is shaping the next generation of cyber-secure autonomy. With its rapid ascent on the global stage, Salutes Space has rebranded to SALUTS, symbolising an expanded mission from orbital servicing to critical infrastructure, industrial automation and defense. "Our goal is to develop not only smarter but also more resilient and responsible AI — systems that learn, adapt and operate independently," said Fouda.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Western Sahara: UK backs Morocco's plan for disputed territory to win World Cup deal
The UK has backed Morocco's plan for ending a territorial conflict in Western Sahara, as part of a deal that will secure lucrative investment projects in the 2030 men's football World decades British governments have refused to take sides over who should control Western Sahara, which is considered a "non-self-governing territory" by the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced the UK now supports a plan that would give Western Sahara autonomy but Morocco ultimate a visit to Moroccan capital Rabat, Lammy said Morocco's autonomy proposal was "the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute". Lammy also signed an agreement to boost collaboration between the two countries on critical infrastructure projects for the World Cup, which Morocco is hosting alongside Spain and Portugal in five years' deal would allow "British businesses to score big on football's biggest stage", Lammy which backs the Western Saharan independence movement, said it "regrets" Lammy's said Morocco's autonomy plan was now 18 years old and had never been submitted to the Sahrawis as a basis for Sahara is a mineral-rich former Spanish colony that has been fought over for five decades in what is one of Africa's longest frozen holds much of the 100,000 sq miles (260,000 sq km) of territory but part is controlled by the Polisario Front, an armed group seeking independence for the local Sahrawi recent years, various countries have backed Morocco's position, including the United States, Spain, France, Germany and the diplomats said the UK had decided to follow suit but only in return for business deals and a new commitment from Morocco to support the principle of self-determination, publish a new version of its autonomy plan and restart negotiations.A procurement agreement between the two countries will "create a unique foundation for UK companies to access public tenders in Morocco", the UK Foreign Office said, pointing to deals in the health sector as well as contracts to upgrade Casablanca's joint communique reaffirmed both sides' respect for "the non-use of force for the settlement of conflicts and their support for the principle of respect for self-determination".Previously the UK has always said the status of Western Sahara was "undetermined" and supported "self-determination" for the people Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita welcomed the change in British policy, saying it marked an historic moment in the two nations' 800-year-old relationship. "It represents a genuine pivot toward a definitive resolution of the dispute," he said the deals signed in Rabat would "directly benefit British business". "Thanks to our work, British companies will be front of the queue to secure contracts to build Moroccan infrastructure, injecting money into our construction industry and ensuring that British businesses score big on football's biggest stage," he bitter fighting in the 1970s and 80s, the Polisario Front and Morocco agreed various ceasefires in the 1990s but failed to resolve the underlying United Nations has deployed peacekeepers to the region since 1991. However, a long-promised UN-brokered referendum to allow the people of Western Sahara to choose between independence or Moroccan control has never taken place. You may also be interested in: Macron looks on as France's Africa policy crumblesHow Morocco normalised tied with Israel in US-brokered dealReverse migration: Why I'm moving from France to Algeria Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
UK backs controversial autonomy offer for African region
The UK has endorsed Morocco's plan to grant limited autonomy to Western Sahara, ending decades of official neutrality in one of the most protracted territorial disputes in the North African region. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the shift during a visit to Morocco's capital, Rabat, on Sunday, where he met with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, and signed a series of cooperation agreements, including in infrastructure, healthcare, and water management. 'The UK… considers Morocco's autonomy proposal, submitted in 2007 as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute,' Lammy said, according to a joint statement published on the British government's website following the talks. The Western Sahara conflict has persisted since Morocco annexed the territory in 1975 following Spain's withdrawal. A UN-brokered ceasefire was established in 1991, but efforts to hold a referendum on the region's status have stalled. In April 2007, Morocco submitted its Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara to the UN Security Council. According to the proposal, Rabat intends to delegate administrative, legislative, and judicial powers to local residents while retaining the Moroccan flag and currency. Morocco would also be in charge of the phosphate-rich region's foreign policy, security, and defense. The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, has pushed for full independence and seeks a UN-backed referendum – an idea Morocco has rejected. A year ago, a group of British lawmakers wrote to then-Foreign Secretary David Cameron, urging the government to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the sparsely populated region. They described Rabat's proposal as the 'only realistic and pragmatic' option, noting its consistency with British trade policy and regional stability goals. On Sunday, the UK foreign secretary said a resolution to the Western Sahara dispute is long overdue, adding that it 'would strengthen the stability of North Africa and the relaunch of the bilateral dynamic and regional integration.' The move makes the UK the third permanent member of the UN Security Council, after the US and France, to support Rabat's position. Algeria, which supports an independent Sahrawi state, said on Sunday it 'regrets the choice made by the United Kingdom to support the Moroccan autonomy plan.' It accused Morocco of attempting to use the proposal to delay a political settlement and legitimize 'the illegal occupation of Western Sahara.' The former French colony previously responded strongly to similar endorsements, withdrawing its ambassador from Paris after France backed Morocco's autonomy plan in 2024.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- General
- Bloomberg
UK Joins US, France in Backing Morocco Plan for West Sahara
The UK backed Morocco's plan to administer the disputed territory of Western Sahara, in a historic shift mirroring moves by France and the US. London considers Morocco's proposal, under which it would keep sovereignty over the territory while granting it limited autonomy, the 'most credible, viable and pragmatic basis' to resolve the half-century dispute, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Sunday.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
UK swings behind Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara
The UK has thrown its weight behind Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, marking a shift in Britain's position on one of Africa's longest-running territorial disputes. Speaking during a visit to Rabat on Sunday, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, said Britain considered Morocco's 2007 autonomy proposal 'the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis' for resolving the dispute. The UK has previously said the status of the disputed territory in north-west Africa remains 'undetermined', while supporting 'self-determination' for 'the people of Western Sahara'. The disputed region has a population of about 600,000 people, and is considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN. While Morocco controls most of the territory, the Algerian-backed Polisario front control land in the east of the territory and want full independence from Rabat. Under Morocco's autonomy plan, Western Sahara would remain under Rabat's sovereignty, but with a degree of self-rule. The US recognised Morocco's claim over Western Sahara in 2020 during Trump's first administration. France followed suit last year, along with Spain in 2021. 'The UK will continue to act bilaterally, including economically, regionally and internationally in line with this position to support the resolution of the conflict,' Lammy said after talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. The region has been contested since 1975, when Spain withdrew from its former colony, sparking a conflict between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front. A UN-brokered ceasefire was reached in 1991, with promises of a referendum on the territory's future that has never materialised. Talks have since stalled, and in 2020 the Polisario declared the truce over, accusing Morocco of violating its terms. Algeria, a key regional player, has previously criticised Rabat's plan and US support for the proposals. Bourita described the UK's endorsement as part of 'a momentum to speed up the solution of the conflict'. He said British investments in Western Sahara were under discussion. The two countries also signed cooperation deals on healthcare, innovation, ports, water infrastructure and procurement. Lammy said the partnerships would allow 'British businesses to score big on football's biggest stage', a reference to Morocco's preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. The UN still officially supports a negotiated solution that would allow the people of Western Sahara to decide whether to become independent or remain part of Morocco.
