The Innovation Report
Smart Mobility Today: 20 July 2026
There are some things you have to do that are just a "job" -- something to get through and not necessarily enjoy. The Astemo Engineering Careers Tour does not fall into that category at all. When we visit a university and start talking to engineering students about...
New Process Turns Mixed Plastic Waste Directly Into Hydrogen Fuel
A team co-led by researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University in South Korea has demonstrated a new chemical approach that converts a mixture of the three most common plastics directly into high-purity hydrogen fuel at temperatures...
Robots Are Hitting The Streets Of Hoboken, NJ., To Improve Accessibility For Pedestrians
Robots that look like "WALL-E" are starting to roam around Hoboken, New Jersey, as the city aims to improve accessibility for pedestrians. Hoboken officials announced residents will see Daxbot robots traveling along sidewalks starting Monday. They will be...
SpaceX Launches Starship, The World’s Largest Rocket
Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on the 57th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Apollo 11 moon mission. This will be Starship's 13th flight overall and its second mission of...
Virginia Tech Researchers Use AI to Gauge Manufacturing Water Needs
As technology advances, demand for natural resources like water and minerals that power semiconductors and data processing centers is growing, too. According to a 2025 report from the World Economic Forum, semiconductors and data centers now consume 1.5 trillion...
Smart Autonomous Underwater Robots Redefine Deep-Sea Critical Mineral Harvesting
A US mining technology company has announced plans to open an Advanced Marine Robotics Hub in Pennsylvania to develop the next generation of autonomous marine systems for deep-sea collection of critical minerals. The new facility by Impossible Metals will bring...
Vertical Aerospace Taps Near Earth For Autonomous Aircraft Tech
Vertical Aerospace said on Thursday it will partner with Near Earth Autonomy to equip its Valo aircraft with autonomous flight capability, as the British electric aviation company expands into uncrewed defense and commercial operations. The companies said Near Earth's...
Uber’s Autonomous Vehicle Strategy: Slow Their Adoption
According to documents viewed by WIRED and another obtained through a public records request, Uber’s lobbyists are pushing to build that strategy into law. The company’s representatives have pressed lawmakers to deploy autonomous vehicles on what it calls “hybrid...
Tesla Wants To Be The First Company To Offer Wheelchair-Accessible AVs
Tesla is developing a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle, at least according to a Tesla lobbyist. India Herdman, a Tesla senior policy adviser, made the claim on Monday while addressing the D.C. City Council on a proposal to legalize robotaxis in the nation’s...
California Creates $3,500 Rebate For New EV Buyers
At the end of last September, electric vehicle adoption in the US began to crater. That followed the abolition of the IRS clean vehicle tax credit as part of a series of moves by President Trump and congressional Republicans to undermine energy efficiency and...
