The Innovation Report
What BUILD America 250 Means for Autonomous Trucking
The bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill released May 17 — the BUILD America 250 Act — included details on the typical investment programs for U.S. roads, bridges, rail transportation and motor carrier safety programs. For the first time,...
FDA: 17 Drugs Approved Using Continuous Manufacturing
Adam Fisher, the staff director of the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), reported that the agency has approved 17 pharmaceuticals that utilize continuous manufacturing...
Could Artificial Intelligence Improve Special Education?
Special education teachers are using artificial intelligence to manage crushing paperwork. Could it help instructors spend more time with their students? Millions of students qualify for special education and they need qualified teachers to help them. But...
Major US Airline Bans Human-Like Robots on Flights
Southwest Airlines, a major US airline, has banned ‘human-like’ and ‘animal-like’ robots from its flights, citing safety concerns tied to the lithium-ion batteries that power these devices. The Dallas-based carrier updated its safety guidelines to keep such robots out...
Rivian Founder’s New Company Aims To Evolve Humanoid Robots
In a conversation about humanoid robotics RJ Scaringe references Rosie, the robotic house cleaner in the 60’s animated TV show “The Jetsons,” and C3PO and R2D2, the “Star Wars” saga droids, and personal digital assistants Siri and Alexa. To the founder and CEO of...
What AI Taxis And Robots Can Learn From Bees
Even advanced technology can struggle when the real world becomes unpredictable. In April 2026, a Waymo robotaxi in San Antonio, Texas, drove into a flooded lane during severe weather, prompting the company to recall about 3,800 vehicles for a software fix. No one was...
Reuters: One In Three Japan Firms Using Or Considering AI Robots
One-third of Japanese companies are already using or considering deploying AI-powered robots, with automakers and other transportation equipment manufacturers leading the way, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday. The Japanese government expects the introduction of AI...
Ohio Needs Power For Data Centers : Redefining ‘Clean Energy’ to Get It
Legislators are considering classifying natural gas and some coal as “clean” energy sources while effectively banning solar and wind in a race to secure electricity for AI training Lawmakers in Ohio are considering a proposed bill that would redefine the state’s...
Oklahoma Prepares For Autonomous Trucking With Coordinated Highway Safety Plan
Oklahoma officials said fully autonomous commercial motor vehicles could begin appearing on state highways soon, as the technology continues to advance and freight movement grows nationwide. The effort is being led by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma...
Smart Mobility Today: 18 May 2026
Every week we cover the great strides forward that all the smart people out there are accomplishing. Robots that do more than vacuum your floor, production environments with improved automation and an interconnected environment, EV's and hybrids that make sense,...
