The Innovation Report
How Drones Are Aiding In International Development
When many people think of international development, their thoughts tend to land on traditional efforts like fundraising and community service rather than the power of cutting-edge technology, like drones. While advocacy and community service remain crucially...
CAR Lab in Detroit Develops Research and Education Platform
A new platform named ZebraT has been developed for outdoor delivery research and education at Detroit’s Wayne State University. Together with the HydraOne indoor platform and Hydra highway platform, the CAR lab has now developed a full spectrum of research and...
Robots Replace Workers in Vineyards as Wineries Struggle with Labor Shortages
Machines already pick about 90% of the grapes used to make wine in the U.S., but full adoption of machine use for the growing, pruning and harvesting process hasn't yet occurred. But the COVID-19 pandemic and a continuing labor shortage has accelerated the move toward...
Autonomous Challenge to Feature Driverless Race Cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The 2020 Indy 500 had no fans in the stands. But imagine a race with no drivers in the cars? That's going to happen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this fall. The IMS and Energy Systems Network have partnered up for the Indy Autonomous Challenge: a 50-mile...
This Greek Island Can Have Any Car, So Long as They’re Electric VWs
There’s a famous quip attributed to Henry Ford: his customers could have a Model T in any color, as long as it was black. On one small Greek island in the coming years, people will have their choice of any set of wheels they like, so long as it’s...
Siemens Mobility Working on Hydrogen Tech for Trains
Siemens Mobility has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Germany-based organization to undertake joint research into the use of liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology in the railway sector. In a statement earlier this week Siemens Mobility's CEO of Rolling...
Report: Shared Mobility Industry Finally Recovering from COVID-19
With a year of pandemic restrictions now elapsed, mobility providers in Europe are taking stock of how rolling curfews, travel restrictions and lockdowns have impacted their businesses. Shared mobility operators are no different. But while the sector has indeed been...
Storm Experts Will Send Tough Robots Directly Into Hurricanes
A seafaring drone can sail where people can't: straight into a hurricane. During the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season (it's predicted to be busy), that's exactly what scientists will do: send marine robots into the heart of churning cyclones. The unprecedented mission...
‘Giant Flexoelectricity’ Breakthrough in Soft Elastomers
Researchers have demonstrated "giant flexoelectricity" in soft elastomers that could improve robot movement range and make self-powered pacemakers a real possibility. In a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of...
The UN Needs to Start Regulating the ‘Wild West’ of AI
The European Commission recently published a proposal for a regulation on artificial intelligence (AI). This is the first document of its kind to attempt to tame the multi-tentacled beast that is artificial intelligence. “The sun is starting to set on the Wild...
