The Innovation Report
Irvine Deploys Robots To Scout Sidewalks For Accessibility Issues
If Pixar’s Wall-E and Eve had a kid, it might look a lot like Smokey and Turbo — two white, tread-wheeled service robots with big blue eyes that can light up into smiles or even heart shapes. Aim a camera at them, and they cock their heads as if they’re posing. The...
Calfire Partners With Sikorsky To Evaluate Autonomous Capabilities For S-70i Firehawk Firefighting Operations
The California state fire agency is partnering with rotorcraft manufacturer Sikorsky to explore how autonomous vertical-lift solutions can improve wildfire response. Under a five-year initiative announced on 3 September, Sikorsky and CalFire plan to test the...
37 To Lose Jobs As Holland Battery Plant Closes
In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter filed with the state, Natron Energy, Inc. said it is closing both its manufacturing plant at 70 W. 48th St. near I-196 in Holland and its facility in California. A total of 95 employees, including 37 in...
Joby Logs 7,000 Autonomous Miles in Military Exercise
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation has now logged thousands of autonomous flight miles as it seeks to field a self-flying aircraft. The company on Wednesday revealed it participated in the Defense Department's Resolute Force...
Autonomous Rideshare Expanding To Seattle, Waymo Announces
The autonomous rideshare company Waymo announced that it’s expanding its fleet of self-driving vehicles to the cities of Seattle and Denver. “We’re heading North – the Pacific Northwest to be exact! Today, we’re returning to Washington State as we lay the groundwork...
Michigan: Gov. Whitmer Announces $95M Astemo Investment For New Michigan Headquarters
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a $95 million investment from automotive supplier Astemo Ltd. to establish a new regional headquarters in Wixom, Michigan. The company will construct a new facility to accommodate the physical space needed to showcase its...
Toyota To Produce First Fully-Electric Car In Europe At Czech Plant
Toyota announced plans to build the new EV at its plant in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. It will be the first electric vehicle produced at one of Toyota’s European plants, marking the start of a new era. To accommodate the new model, Toyota is investing about €680...
A Tiny 6G Chip Could Make Your Wireless Network 500x Faster
In a new study published in Nature, researchers from the United States and China showed a brand-new, 6G chip that has demonstrated how the upcoming sixth-generation of wireless networks will operate across an expansive frequency range to...
51,000 German Auto Jobs Slashed As Tariffs Crush The Industry
Germany’s once unshakable automotive industry is starting to show visible cracks, with new figures highlighting just how much pressure the sector is under. In the past year alone, the workforce has shrunk by 7 percent, while profits slide and overcapacity weighs...
With Electric Motorcycles, African Cities Hope To Clear The Air And Empower Women
As the streets of Kampala, Uganda come to life early in the morning, Dorothy Namawejje fastens her helmet and revs the engine of her electric motorcycle. Namawejje, a single mother of two, is a taxi driver who ferries passengers around the city's frenetic roads, her...
