The Innovation Report
Waymo Raises $2.25B in External Funding
Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, announced Monday that it has raised $2.25 billion in its first external round of funding. And, it said, it expects to raise even more money as it looks to scale and expand its business. The investment...
5 Ways Healthcare Tech Is Helping Tackle Coronavirus
Healthcare technologies are aiding in the fight to curb the transmission of coronavirus. As of Thursday, the illness — officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization — has infected more than 75,000, with a global death toll exceeding 2,100. Tools that...
Michigan Gov: Help Automakers Shift to Mobility
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is making her mark on efforts to help Michigan’s auto industry make the transition into electric vehicles and new ways of getting from place to place. Whitmer was in Detroit on Tuesday to sign the orders to create an “Office of...
AI Uncovers Outrageous Employee Expense Reports
Guns and bullets. Bulletproof vests. Nail salon excursions, jewelry and hangover kits. These are among the expenses employees bill to their companies, according to AppZen, a provider of financial software. You've got to hand it to them, employees are certainly...
New Chip Brings Ultra-Low Power Wi-Fi Connectivity to IoT Devices
More portable, fully wireless smart home setups. Lower power wearables. Batteryless smart devices. These could all be made possible thanks to a new ultra-low power Wi-Fi radio developed by electrical engineers at the University of California San Diego. The device,...
Robots Make Burgers for $3/hour with No Breaks
In a test kitchen in a corner building in downtown Pasadena, Flippy the robot grabbed a fryer basket full of chicken fingers, plunged it into hot oil — its sensors told it exactly how hot — then lifted, drained and dumped maximally tender tenders into a waiting...
US Pauses Production of Australia’s Triton Drones
The US Department of Defense budget papers for fiscal year 2021 announced a two-year ‘production pause in FY 2021 and FY 2022’ in the Triton program. The budget documents don’t state what is behind the pause. There are a range of potential factors, including finding...
The Next Decade of Smart City Growth
Transportation and energy upgrades are expected to be the big drivers of smart city spending over the next decade. Why it matters: Global spending on smart city projects will reach nearly $124 billion this year, an 18% increase over 2019, according...
Toyota Focus on Fuel Cell Development
Many Saturdays, amateur photographer Tadashi Ogitsu treks the roughly 160 miles up to Yosemite National Park to attempt the perfect shot, timing his arrival to the golden hour before sunset. But he wanted an electric vehicle to lessen the environmental impact....
Blockchain For Good: How The United Nations is Looking to Leverage Technology
Recently, the United Nations was recognised for its use of blockchain technology in Forbes’ second Blockchain 50 List. The 75-year-old organisation, which has an important role to play in global humanitarian efforts, has been looking to leverage the emerging...
