Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 471 Robot Dog and Travel
Over the past decade or so, drones have gradually become an advanced technology that has attracted much attention in various countries, with the Global Hawk being a typical example.

However, this type of drone technology is mainly medium-to-large long-flight drones, which are strategic equipment, expensive, complex systems, and are mainly remote-controlled drones.

However, the development of small drones is actually very slow.

To be honest, it is the multi-rotor small drones launched by Xiaozhuang Technology for the civilian market that really drove the small drone wave. In addition to being used as toys, they are also used in the field of aerial photography.

But later someone discovered that this kind of civilian aerial photography drone is very useful and can be widely used in aerial reconnaissance at various tactical levels!

This little thing is hard to spot when it's flying in the air...even if it's spotted, there's nothing you can do about it!
It's too small, and it's an electric plane. It would be useless to attack it with traditional portable air defense missiles. Even if you can hit it, it will be a big loss.

When using firearms and other weapons to attack, the hit rate is too touching and it is difficult to hit the target.

So this thing, which was originally intended to be a civilian aerial photography drone, was quickly used in local conflicts after it appeared on the market, and played a significant role.

Some may even be modified to carry small attack ammunition to attack personnel on the ground.

The emergence and application of medium and large as well as small drones have also made countries pay more attention to the development of the drone field, and various types of drones have emerged one after another.

However, all of the above are still limited to the field of traditional remote-controlled drones...and remote-controlled drones have a natural defect: they are easily affected by electronic interference!
Especially in the expected highly complex modern battlefields in the future, the electromagnetic environment will inevitably be highly complex... the efficiency of remote-controlled drones will be disrupted.

In this regard, Xu Shenxue’s suggestion is to use artificial intelligence technology to enable drones to have the ability to perform tasks autonomously... without the need for remote control!
Of course, for a top-level AI unmanned fighter jet of the strategic level such as Project X, anti-interference is only one aspect of the requirement. The main purpose is to obtain the overload resistance, maneuverability and AI decision-making accuracy that exceed those of manned fighter jets.

For small drones, anti-interference is obviously the core requirement, while maneuverability and other things are not very important.

Small drones, especially swarm drones, do not require extreme maneuverability. As long as they can fly, it’s basically enough... Most of them are disposable temporary consumables anyway. If one is not enough, then just use a hundred or ten thousand!

The AntBee UAV system and the Swift UAV system developed by Dongning Technology Company are relatively expensive now, but that is only the case now... Once electronic products are mass-produced and applied, and as technology advances, their costs will drop rapidly.

A drone may look like an aircraft, but it is actually an electronic product.

If production is truly carried out at full capacity, the price of the AntBee drone, especially its wingman, will drop rapidly from the current 100,000 yuan to less than 10,000 yuan, and will quickly drop to a few thousand yuan over time.

At that time, it will be used everywhere!

Even larger and more advanced drones like the Swift are no exception.

Now the production scale is small, and the R&D costs and production line costs need to be spread out. Ultimately, these costs will be reflected in the cost of each aircraft, thereby significantly pushing up costs.

Therefore, the prices of these two types of drone systems mainly depend on how much the other party can purchase... If they purchase less, then the price will be sky-high, and if they purchase more, then the price will be very low.

As for specific purchasing matters, the other party will not make a decision on the spot. They still need to conduct careful follow-up evaluations and tests, and then use it on a small scale to explore various application possibilities.

Only at the end will we decide whether to purchase equipment on a large scale and how much to purchase!

Xu Shenxue is not in a hurry about this. As long as the other party continues to give R&D contracts, Dongning Technology can get the money to continue R&D.

After leaving Dongning Technology, Xu Shenxue summoned the heads of several other subsidiaries engaged in secret projects that evening to learn about some of the project's progress.

The overall progress is quite good, especially Project X, the core project in which Zhiyun Group is deeply involved.

Zhiyun Group has delivered a total of five sets of "X Project" artificial intelligence systems to the X1 project team of its partner companies, and will subsequently assist the other party in adaptation and installation. If nothing unexpected happens, at least five X1 drones will be seen conducting various high-density test flights before the end of this year.

The X3 project will be delayed for a while. It’s not because there are any problems with Zhiyun Group’s X project, but because the other party is preparing to upgrade and improve the aircraft… They are preparing to develop a better twin-engine heavy AI fighter, hoping to do better in all aspects.

In this case, even if the project goes smoothly, it will take until next year for us to see the second X3 prototype... The main reason is that the X3 project has higher technical requirements and is more difficult to develop, so the development progress is slightly slower.

After all, the X3 project is essentially a high-end AI fighter jet to complement future manned sixth-generation aircraft, so we cannot be careless.

The head of the X1 project and one of the X3 projects also reported that they have successively provided three sets of the command version system of the X project to match the existing two-seat version of the fifth-generation aircraft.

The two-seat version of the fifth-generation aircraft, combined with the X1 drone for combat, is the complete X1 project... not just a single X1 drone.

Of course... In fact, the X1 drone does not need the command of a human on board, it can perform any task on its own!

The problem is, everyone is worried!

The X1 drone has a range of several thousand kilometers, a payload of seven to eight tons, and is a powerful weapon capable of carrying a range of advanced domestic ammunition.

It is impossible to completely leave it to artificial intelligence for the time being. In short, some restrictions must be imposed.

For example, the most core attack instructions have not yet been delegated to the artificial intelligence system of Project X. All attack instructions can only be temporarily authorized by personnel in the rear.

Although the engineers in Zhiyun Group have repeatedly emphasized that the artificial intelligence system we have developed, although the name sounds intimidating, such as artificial intelligence, it will never produce any autonomous thinking, will never become a "human", and will not act on its own.

The probability of being cracked is infinitely close to zero. Not only does it use various top software encryption technologies of Zhiyun Group, but the communication also uses quantum encryption technology. Theoretically, this communication encryption technology is impossible to be cracked... At least in the current human technological theory, it is impossible to crack the current quantum encryption.

Rather than worrying about Project X being hacked and invaded by enemy hackers, we should worry about the rebellion of the personnel who control the high-level authorization instructions...

However, there is a saying that goes, it is better to be safe than sorry!
Therefore, Project X has been extremely limited so far, and even for a long time, manned aircraft will be used to command drones.

This also leads to a strong demand for the two-seat version of the fifth-generation aircraft... The X1 drone needs a command aircraft!

At the same time, the X1 UAV is a highly stealth, diamond-shaped, tailless aircraft with the stealth capability of a sixth-generation aircraft. Conventional non-stealth UAVs cannot serve as its command aircraft!
Just imagine, a non-stealth fighter jet flies over with a few X1 drones... the enemy's early warning radar can detect this non-stealth fighter jet from hundreds of kilometers away.

Although the stealth performance of the fifth-generation aircraft is not as good as that of the sixth-generation aircraft, it is much better than that of the fourth-generation aircraft.

Only when the command aircraft has stealth capabilities can it carry the X1 drone deep into high-threat airspace to perform missions.

Therefore, the command aircraft of the X1 UAV must be a fifth-generation manned aircraft now, and a sixth-generation manned aircraft in the future.

Some sixth-generation aircraft are still under development, but the fifth-generation UAVs are developing more smoothly and prototypes have already been produced.

After all, the fifth-generation aircraft is ready-made. Although there are difficulties in developing the command version of the Project X and adding a seat, it is much smaller than developing the sixth-generation aircraft.

Xu Shenxue is looking forward to seeing the fifth-generation command aircraft appear with the X1 drone, thereby deterring strategic opponents and terrifying outsiders.

But it’s impossible to see such a scene in the short term!
Project X is a project with a higher confidentiality level than the manned sixth-generation aircraft... Even if the manned sixth-generation aircraft project is made public in the future, Project X will continue to be covered up.

Just like now, in fact, the X1 project has been intensively tested, and pictures and videos have been shot and exposed one after another, but there is still no public news, and it is even more impossible to participate in air shows.

At the same time, the outside world generally speculates that although this aircraft is something like a loyal wingman, most people believe that it is just a traditional remote-controlled drone.

And things like loyal wingman and unmanned stealth attack aircraft are not new concepts, and there is a lot of public information about them.

Besides, it’s not that no one said this was an AI fighter jet, but no one believed it…

Artificial intelligence fighter jets are too exaggerated... For many people, things of this level belong to the field of science fiction and are impossible to appear in reality.

The progress of the entire X project is smooth, and Xu Shenxue is quite satisfied with the development speed of several subsystems.

As for other projects, the R&D progress varies, some fast and some slow, mainly affected by the degree of attention from the partners and the funding input.

For example, among various ground unmanned terminals, small multi-legged platforms are relatively popular and have a fast development progress. This type of platform was derived from the robot dog in the early years, and later integrated many technologies of Zhiyun Group in the field of intelligent robots. The multi-legged platform finally created has a relatively fast development progress and is not difficult to develop.

The current prototype can already carry guns and even bazookas and walk around... This kind of prototype has practical value and is far from comparable to those robot dogs outside.

Mainly, the intelligent robots in Zhiyun Group have four-legged and six-legged platforms...but these are civilian consumer products, and they are not good enough in terms of resisting electronic interference, crossing obstacles, maneuvering in complex terrain, resisting impact, and endurance.

These require special research and development, and must be supplemented or traded off.

The core artificial intelligence model also needs special training and development of dedicated models.

This small multi-legged platform is simply a more advanced robot dog. Of course, it does not necessarily exist in the form of a robot dog. It may also have six legs, eight legs, or a wheeled model.

The design goal is to replace personnel and perform various dangerous tasks in remote control and autonomous hybrid modes.

Other ground terminals, especially medium and large unmanned terminals, are actually unnecessary. They are expensive and also require real-time human control.

Therefore, the application of artificial intelligence in this field is more focused on auxiliary areas, such as analyzing sensory information and giving results...for personnel to make choices.

There are also surface or underwater platforms, which actually exist, but they are all concentrated in some auxiliary application areas. In addition, there are some inconspicuous small surface or underwater unmanned terminals.

The artificial intelligence applications promoted by Xu Shenxue are actually more focused on perceptual information analysis and decision support.

As the main application terminal, the purely unmanned terminals developed include Project X, AntBee UAV, Swift UAV system and multi-legged mobile platform.

However, there are some core projects in the field of perception information analysis and decision support, such as large-scale artificial intelligence command systems, in which Zhiyun Group cannot participate.

It cannot be said that there is no involvement. At least the underlying core algorithms of artificial intelligence, and the AI ​​series graphics cards required for training and running artificial intelligence are provided by Zhiyun Group.

Zhiyun Group’s AI series graphics cards currently have only two users, one is Zhiyun Group itself, and the other is a cooperative organization.

Anyway, they purchase a large number of AI graphics cards from Zhiyun Group every year. This year, Zhiyun Group just developed the YCL-51 superconducting quantum computer. In addition to Zhiyun Group's own use, they also purchased some for testing and preliminary exploratory applications. Needless to say, it is intended to be used in artificial intelligence training.

Currently, the YCL-51 superconducting quantum computer developed by Zhiyun Group, in addition to being used for calculations in specific fields, is actually used for training and running artificial intelligence... rather than some general-purpose calculations.

Today's quantum computers are still far from being able to replace electronic computers, especially in the field of general computing.

To reach a level that can be used in general computing, it must reach at least a million quantum bits... Don't expect to see it in the short term.

After finishing the inspection of a series of secret projects, Xu Shenxue temporarily left them alone. Anyway, there were people who cared about these things more than he did and valued them more. He didn't have to worry about them on a daily basis, as naturally there would be people who would worry about them for him and urge them to be done.

What he had to do was simple: give the R&D personnel of these secret subsidiaries enough places in the high-level scientific research system, and then use large companies under the names of Zhiyun Group and Xiannvshan Holdings to provide technical support.

For example, the most core fields of semiconductors and quantum computers.

No matter how powerful artificial intelligence technology is, it still needs GPU chips or quantum computers... otherwise it will be like a rootless duckweed!
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At the end of June, Xu Shenxue suspended his frequent field inspections, meetings and other work, and returned to his home in Zhihaiyuan to enter vacation mode!
He had too much to do in the past two months, and he was always running around outside. In total, he only spent about ten days at home in those two months.

Lin Yaxian said that you said two months ago that you would take the children to the playground and the beach, but you never showed up, and when you came back you were in a hurry and left after just one day. The children asked every day when you would take them out to play.

So, taking advantage of the fact that things were almost dealt with, Xu Shenxue simply took himself a long vacation to spend some time with his family.

After all, life is not all about work, there is also family!
Xu Shenxue said he would take a break from work for a few days. Lin Yaxian was very happy. The next day, she took Xu Shenxue and their two children to a seaside resort next door for vacation. This resort was the seaside resort that Xu Shenxue and Lin Yaxian had visited together in the past.

This can be considered as a revisit to an old place.

But this kind of vacation mode is very unfriendly to security personnel!
When Xu Shenxue's security chief heard that the family was going to a seaside resort, he was overwhelmed... It was too difficult to carry out security work in such a public place.

But no matter how difficult it is, you have to bite the bullet and do it.

Therefore, before Xu Shenxue and his family arrived, the security department had already dispatched a large number of security personnel to the resort in advance.

The next day, Xu Shenxue brought his family to the resort, and saw an empty seaside resort except for the staff... After asking, he found out that the logistics office at home had directly booked the entire resort.

So, now, apart from the staff and security personnel, they are the only guests in the resort!
Xu Shenxue could understand the security department's approach. They were afraid that there would be chaos in public places due to the large number of people, so they simply used the simplest method and booked the entire place.

Although the resort was a bit deserted due to being booked out, the seaside scenery and activities were still there...it just lacked the crowded experience that ordinary people get when they go to a resort.

After staying in the resort for two days, Lin Yaxian said that she wanted to take the children to other places, such as the Great Wall.

Xu Shenxue naturally had no objection, so he took a special plane to Beijing again. However, there was no way to book any place for the trip this time, as they had to go to some public places, which made the security department very tired.

In addition, some people also discovered Xu Shenxue's family, and even some media reporters discovered them, and they all wanted to come over to take pictures or even interview them.

Xu Shenxue also selectively answered interviews from several reporters and even responded to several tourists' shouts at him.

It’s just that some young girls are very brave and they shouted from a distance, saying things like “I want to give birth to a baby for you”, which made Lin Yaxian next to them laugh.

She hugged Xu Shenxue's arm and responded: He already has a wife and children!
But the girl was very brave and she smiled and said on the spot: I don’t mind being the younger one... This caused a lot of people to laugh.

The news that Xu Shenxue took his family to visit the Great Wall even appeared in many media reports, and many contents shot by netizens also appeared in short videos.

However, people who were present at the scene would find something wrong... Whether it was official news media reports or videos shot by netizens, there were only Xu Shenxue and his wife Lin Yaxian, and no images of Xu Shenxue's two children.

This is naturally one of Xu Shenxue's measures to protect his children's privacy.

At that time, security personnel will remind you not to take pictures of children, and you must not secretly take pictures and post them on the Internet. Regardless of whether it is used for commercial purposes or not, it will infringe on their portrait rights.

Of course, even so, it cannot stop someone from taking photos from a distance and uploading them to the Internet.

However, these videos or photos containing children will basically not appear on public platforms...Once they are uploaded and detected by the system, they will basically be deleted.

As a well-known business figure, it is normal for Xu Shenxue to appear in the news media. He is even used to his images appearing frequently on the Internet.

As his wife, Lin Yaxian has also attended public occasions many times.

But he doesn't want his children to be exposed too much when they are young, as this will not be good for their future growth.

Therefore, his protection of children's portrait rights and privacy is still in place, and his influence on the Internet industry is enough to ensure that such protection measures are in place.

Therefore, there must be someone who has some secretly taken photos or videos, but they cannot be circulated publicly on a large scale.

After climbing the Great Wall, although it was vacation mode, Xu Shenxue was still dragged to attend a symposium the next day. When people saw that Xu Shenxue was there, they pulled him over to talk about smart electric cars and smart robots.

After the symposium, Xu Shenxue continued his vacation mode in the afternoon and took his children to visit the Forbidden City.

After touring the capital, his family did not stay there for long and soon returned to Shenzhen on a special plane.

The child didn't feel tired after walking around outside for a few days. Instead, he was very excited and ran very fast.

Xu Shenxue's physical fitness is far superior to that of ordinary people, so he didn't feel anything, but Lin Yaxian did feel tired.

Although their family went out for a trip, there were dozens of security and logistics personnel, including the aunt who took care of the children, so she didn't have to do anything.

There is no need to rush around to catch a car or a plane. There are special cars and special planes, so you won't be too tired from the journey.

There is a slight difference between the travel of the rich and the travel of ordinary people.

The problem is that even so, it’s tiring to walk around, especially when climbing the Great Wall, you have to climb on foot…

Lin Yaxian is not a person who has walked much, and her so-called daily fitness is mainly for body shaping and fitness. Walking back and forth these days has made her very tired.

So I had originally planned to take Xu Shenxue to travel around half of China, visit more places, and enjoy the so-called fun of family travel.

But after just going to the beach and climbing the Great Wall, she backed off, saying that going out was too tiring and that she was more comfortable at home!

When they returned home, the other women also said, either explicitly or implicitly, that they also wanted to take the children out to play... Xu Shenxue was speechless.

He doesn't really care what these women think, but he does care more about what the children think.

Come to think of it, he hasn't taken these children out to play in these years. He just spends time with them when he is at home.

This time he might as well take the opportunity to take them out for some fun. Of course, not one by one... There were seven or eight women and a dozen children. He couldn't take them out one by one. He didn't have that much time.

So, Xu Shenxue took the children to fly to other cities to see the scenery.

After seeing the mountains and rivers, I took people to Qiongzhou Island, where I had the opportunity to watch the rocket launch of Nanmen Aerospace: Nanmen Aerospace will launch the No. 2 experimental module of the Centaur space station.

Xu Shenxue has always liked watching rocket launches. This time he brought other children here to let them see what a rocket looks like.

If a child is interested in things like rockets, it would be great if he or she could participate in the aerospace industry to a certain extent in the future like you.

(End of this chapter)