The Innovation Report
Honda Offering Cars with Level 3 Self-driving Capability in Japan
Despite what some prognosticators and auto manufacturers say, self-driving cars aren't a thing. But they are getting closer to reality every year. Pushing forward to this autonomous future, on Thursday, Honda announced that in Japan it will offer a limited...
This Start-up is Building Tiny Injectable Robots to Attack Tumors
Doctors take a microscopic craft loaded with cancer-killing chemicals, inject it into the human body, and drive it to a malignant tumor to deliver its payload before making a quick exit. For most of the 55 years since "Fantastic Voyage" shrank Raquel Welch and company...
A New Program Can Animate Old Photos – – But There’s Nothing Human About AI
It's hard to explain the mix of emotions that spark upon seeing a photo of Frederick Douglass come alive with the click of a button. And yet, there he is, blinking and nodding as if he were just alive yesterday, as if he hadn't died in 1895, years before film...
Drones Reportedly Owned by More than 20 US Police Agencies
More than 20 police agencies around the US own drones from US manufacturer Skydio, according to Forbes, which calculated the figure based on a combination of freedom of information requests and public announcements. The report follows news that Skydio is the...
HydraOne Autonomous Mobile Robot Facilitates Multiple Mobility Projects
Researchers at Wayne State University have released a new version of the HydraOne Autonomous Mobile Robot. Developed as a research and education platform for connected and autonomous driving, the robot facilitates the work of researchers focused on such projects as...
Robots Pour and Deliver Beers in Seville Bars During Pandemic
Robots are serving drinks in the bars of Seville to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Spot, a robot created by Boston Dynamics and partner Spain-based Macco Robotics, delivers beers to customers, therefore minimising contact and maintaining virus safety measures....
Heavy Rain Affects Object Detection by AV LiDAR Sensors
One of the issues of LiDAR sensors is the degradation of its performance in rain. If a LiDAR beam intersects with a raindrop at a short distance from the transmitter, the raindrop can reflect enough of the beam back to the receiver, therefore detecting the raindrop as...
School District Fights COVID-19 with UV-C Light Disinfection Robots
Thirty-seven UVD Robots®, originally designed to fight hospital acquired infections (HAI) in healthcare facilities, kills 99.99% of pathogens in ten minutes without the use of chemicals. The autonomous robots will supplement existing sanitation efforts throughout the...
iPhone Maker Foxconn Developing EV with Fisker
Electric-car maker Fisker said it will work with Apple supplier Foxconn to produce more than 250,000 vehicles a year beginning in late 2023, sending its shares up 18%. The deal, codenamed "Project PEAR" (Personal Electric Automotive Revolution), is looking...
Ex-Google CEO Stresses Urgency in China AI
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt called on the US government to fast track development of emerging technology including artificial intelligence (AI) to catch up to China's lead. The United States is "one or two years ahead of China, not five or 10" and "the Chinese are...
