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Robots play a role in post-disaster relief work in situations that are too dangerous for humans. Image Credit - Centauro
ict | security
22 January 2019

The robots being readied to enter nuclear no-go zones

Robust, intelligent robots that react to their surroundings are being developed to work in situations that are too dangerous for humans, such as cleaning up Europe’s decades-old radioactive waste or helping during a nuclear emergency.

Researchers plan to use drones to monitor bridges and tunnels during intense weather events. Image credit - FADA CATEC
security | environment | transport
17 January 2019

Preparing for extreme weather

From high winds and heavy rainfall to droughts and plummeting temperatures, people in Europe have already begun to feel the effects of extreme weather. As we get used to this new reality, scientists are investigating how it will affect how we get around and whether our infrastructure can cope.

A lot of people are unaware that drones need to stay at least 1km away from an airport, says Dan Hermansen. Image credit - MyDefense
interview | security | transport
11 January 2019

Drone jamming system to protect European airports, public spaces

Airports could be equipped with technology capable of detecting and bringing down drones that stray into their air space, according to Dan Hermansen, chief technology officer of Danish anti-drone firm MyDefence.The company has developed a drone alarm and protection system that is being installed at a number of prominent sites around Europe, including an airport. It has the potential to prevent the kind of costly disruption that hit London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports recently.

Findings about the effect of a volcano's age on its likelihood to erupt will be applied to the Merapi volcano in Indonesia, among others. Image credit - Jimmy McIntyre, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
security | ict
07 January 2019

Age and foaming: how to predict when a volcano will erupt

The eruption of a volcano can have devastating consequences – killing people and destroying livelihoods, as well as releasing vast amounts of ash into the sky that disrupts air travel and alters the climate. Knowing what goes on underground, however, would facilitate better warnings for when an eruption will occur – and help save lives while keeping damage to a minimum.

In recent years, online terrorism-related content has grown in velocity, volume and variety. Paris Image credit - Flickr/Takver CC BY SA 2.0
security
29 November 2018

‘Big picture’ platforms boost fight against online terror activity

The fight against terrorism-related content and illegal financing online is speeding up thanks to new platforms that join up different internet-scouring technologies to create a comprehensive picture of terrorist activity.

young-people-demonstrating
social sciences | security
14 June 2018

Why don’t most people become radicalised?

To understand what leads people into violent extremism, scientists are turning the question on its head and asking why it is that most young people don’t become radicalised.

Using drones to gather information and samples from a hazardous scene can help incident commanders make critical decisions. Image credit - ROCSAFE
ict | security
14 March 2018

Sherlock Drones - automated investigators tackle toxic crime scenes

Crimes that involve chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials pose a deadly threat not just to the target of the attack but to innocent bystanders and police investigators. Often, these crimes may involve unusual circumstances or they are terrorist-related incidents, such as an assassination attempt or the sending of poisons through the mail.

Hackathons are events where people collaborate to develop new software. Image credit – Flickr/ Sebastiaaan ter Burg
ict | security | open innovation
25 July 2017

Police turn to hackathons as crime fighting goes digital

Police and law enforcement staff are turning to hackathons – collaborative events for developing technology – to come up with new ways of searching for clues within the terabytes of data that many people produce every year.

Police forces are testing hidden cameras to catch crimes in rural areas. Image credit – Jonathan Hutchins and licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 2.0
ict | security
18 July 2017

Cameras with inbuilt detective skills to catch rural criminals

Smart cameras hidden in the countryside could soon help police fight back against rural crime and finally bring down secret smuggling routes.

Once they’re ready, electronic sniffer dogs and neutron-emitting machines will quickly be able to check containers for illegal substances. Credit: Flickr/ www.GlynLowe.com
security
24 May 2017

Beyond X-rays - the new inspection tools to thwart smugglers

Criminals who want to smuggle dangerous or illegal substances into Europe could soon find themselves foiled by a new set of high-tech anti-smuggling tools including an electronic sniffer dog and a machine that fires part of an atom at shipping containers.

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