The Innovation Report
Tariffs Make Transit Buses More Expensive
The cost of new transit buses soared 68% from 2021 to today, Soubry said, with the average selling price for heavy-duty transit buses up 2.7% year-over-year. “We were directly impacted by tariffs on the imports of steel and aluminum to the U.S. and Canada”...
Smart Mobility Today: 4 August 2025
When I was in grade school, one of my friends' family was giving away their 20 gallon aquarium, and my mom and dad said it was OK for our house to become its new home. Along with the filter, gravel and assortment of hoses, I also inherited a couple of angel fish. I...
Self-Driving Wheelchairs Could Transport Passengers
Researchers and students at Morgan State University have been developing the autonomous wheelchair over the past five years As the wheelchair rolled toward a TSA gate from the ticket counter, the thing that stuck out the most was what wasn’t there — someone pushing...
A Tiny 29-Pound Electric Motor Just Beat Everyone In Power Density
No less than a week ago, a small British company called Yasa unofficially set the world record for the highest power density in an electric motor. Its prototype electric motor—weighing in at just 28.8 pounds—was able to output an eye-popping 737.5 horsepower. The...
NASA Taps Firefly For 2029 Moon South Pole Mission With $180 Million Contract
Firefly Aerospace said on Tuesday it has secured a $176.7 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract to deliver five NASA payloads to the Moon's South Pole in 2029, marking another step toward expanding private sector participation in U.S. lunar...
EIA: Solar Outproduced Wind For The First Time Ever In May
Solar provided over 11% of total US electrical generation in May, while wind + solar produced over one-fifth, and the mix of all renewable energy sources generated nearly 30%, according to data just released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA)....
Scientists Innovate A Tiny Robot Fish That Eats Up Microplastics In Ocean — And It Needs No Battery
A 13mm-long black fish silently patrols the ocean, not to feed or predate, but to clean. Soft and squishy to touch, the flesh of this fish is made of the same material as pearls are made of. As it propels through the ocean, it magnetizes the plastic particles...
Detroit Axle Suing Trump Administration Over Import Tariffs
Mike Musheinesh, owner of Detroit Axle, said the 72.5% tariffs on imported goods have significantly increased costs, forcing the company to pay $725,000 in tariffs for every $1 million worth of goods imported. “There was a possibility of a 40/50% reduction in sales so...
Aurora’s Autonomous Trucks Now Driving At Night; Next Big Challenge Is Rain
Over the next year, Aurora Innovation CEO Chris Urmson wants to “unlock” the Sunbelt of the United States, a southern route where its self-driving trucks will carry goods for companies like Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines. Aurora, which launched...
This AI Breakthrough Could Put The Same Brain In Every Robot
Traditional robots are essentially one-trick ponies. Each machine requires specialized programming for narrow tasks. A warehouse robot can’t suddenly help with surgery, and a cleaning bot can’t navigate construction sites. But robots equipped with Skild’s brain can...
