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🚗 World's first commercial satellite network to boost self-driving cars' safety

Plus: Biodegradable sensor can tell if your food is safe from pesticides

Geely Holding Group, a Chinese automotive giant, launched its second batch of 11 satellites into low-earth orbit on Saturday as part of its ambitious plan to create a high-tech network for autonomous vehicles and other applications.

Geely owns several brands, including Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, and Lotus. With the help of its satellites, Geely could monitor the status and location of its vehicles, optimize the routing and charging, and provide real-time updates and services to its customers. Find out more about how the boundaries between the automotive and space sectors are fading by reading today’s Must Read.

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MUST READ

Geespace, led by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, aims to establish the world's first commercial satellite network, seamlessly integrating communication, navigation, and remote sensing. With ambitions in the automotive industry, the company plans to deploy 72 satellites by 2025 and eventually expand to 240.

As well as other tech capabilities, such as AI remote sensing, the satellites will provide clear and high-resolution images from space to enhance the accuracy and safety of self-driving cars.

Brazilian researchers have developed a sensor crafted from cellulose acetate, a plant-based material known for its biodegradability and eco-friendliness. This innovative sensor can be affixed to the surface of fruits and vegetables, serving as a valuable tool to detect potentially harmful pesticides.

Finland's AW-Energy is poised to transform renewable energy through Waveroller technology, now adapted for serial manufacturing and deployment in WaveFarms. Comprising 10-24 units, these arrays will rest on the sea bed. The tech achieves a competitive US$100-150 megawatts per hour (MWh) levelized cost, outperforming offshore wind costs of US$82-255/MWh.

Question of the day

What are your thoughts on deploying tech like AW-Energy's Waveroller on the sea floor for renewable energy?

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YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

We asked, ‘How do you feel about the use of autonomous robots in space habitats for maintenance tasks?’ Here are the results.

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Excited about space tech advancements (54%)

🟨🟨⬜️️⬜️️⬜️️⬜️️ Concerned about reliance on autonomy (15%)

🟨⬜️️⬜️️⬜️️⬜️️⬜️️ Indifferent if it boosts safety (14%)

🟨🟨⬜️️⬜️️⬜️⬜️ Curious about more uses (17%)

The key with autonomous is the whole ecosystem. One of the keys to having a truly fully autonomous is vehicles talking to each other”

Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors

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