Europe

MEPs are due to vote whether to give robots legal status as “electronic persons” and if a kill switch is required.

Lawbot is a chatbot which can help with determining whether users have been a victim of crime. It is an online tool which covers 26 different criminal offences and takes users through a series of questions designed to help them with the next steps to take whether that is consulting a solicitor or contacting the police.

Amazon has launched beta testing of its long-anticipated Prime Air service. The testing has begun in Cambridge, UK, and the first successful delivery of a package took place on the 7th December, officially revealed a week later on the 14th.

Following a similar move from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and National Air Traffic Control Service, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has released a new interactive map designed to show restricted air space for drone users.

Drone Assist: the UK’s National Air Traffic Control Service new app that lets users know if they are flying in or near to restricted airspace.

In an effort to improve safety, after a series of near misses of drones and aircraft, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and air traffic control body NATS have issued a new code for drone users.

Eurosport, the European sports broadcaster, is in talks with potential partners to broadcast drone racing, making it the latest network looking to televise the growing sport in which contestants try to navigate small, remote-controlled aircraft at high speeds through aerial obstacle courses.

A new start-up called Luminance is being heralded as a new breakthrough in the development of AI, specifically designed for the legal sector. Focussing on assisting with the reading of huge amounts of data, it is quickly establishing a reputation as a game-changer.

An examination of some of the main issues surrounding the use of Automated Vehicle Technologies (AVTs) by global insurance law firm Kennedys.

At the end of May this year, the European Parliament issued a paper, calling on the Commission to update the regulatory framework surrounding the area of robotics, with a request to consider that some forms of autonomous robots should be granted the status of “electric persons with specific rights and obligations”.

A special surveillance permit is now required for the use of camera drones in Sweden.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to predict the outcomes of cases heard at a major European court for the first time. Developed by scientists at UCL, it has managed to accurately predict the result in hundreds of cases.

Brexit could provide the spur UK manufacturers need to revolutionise their assembly lines and provide a boost to UK productivity

AI startups are increasing in number, up by 6.7 % in 2013 compared with 2012, and they face new and unique challenges. Maurits Westerik, of Bird & Bird from the Netherlands, discusses highlights some of these issues faced by startups in the EU.

Driverless cars are presenting themselves as a challenge for the insurance industry and is calling for clarity and a legal right to claim damages from manufacturers.

Karl Chapman, the CEO of a technology-led legal service, discusses the changing legal infrastructure. He anticipates the change to a more technological landscape and discusses what this means for Riverview Law with the Robotics Law Journal.

Ten associations in the EU have made a request for a registration system for all UAV owners in Europe.

In response to a potential threat from drones, this year's European football championships, held in France, have had anti-drone technology deployed as part of its security measures.

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is a very fast growing part of the technology sector. To get an idea of the processes involved in helping these types of start-ups to grow, Robotics Law Journal talked to Alessandro Maiano, the Managing Partner of Wilbe, a London based advisory and investment firm for founders of early-stage innovative ventures.

Robotics Law Journal interviews Marc Beltran an aerospace engineer who works for CATUAV a drone manufacturer based outside Barcelona.