The Innovation Report
Smart Mobility Today: 23 June 2025
My Dad was an engineer at his day job for GM, and it spilled over to his home life and on to me. As his retirement neared, he decided he needed a good hobby to keep busy and sharp. So he built his own Ham radio station, and I'm not talking just about the desk (which...
Breakthrough In Transistors Could Launch Revolutionary 6G Era
Self-driving cars that glide through cities without ever hitting traffic, virtual doctors diagnosing you instantly at home, and the ability to feel the touch of someone thousands of miles away may sound like scenes from a sci-fi movie. But a recent breakthrough in...
Thales, Skydweller To Offer Solar-Powered Drone For Month-Long Patrols
French defense electronics maker Thales is teaming up with U.S. startup Skydweller Aero, which makes a solar-powered drone with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, to offer an unmanned maritime-patrol aircraft that can remain on station for weeks to months at a time. The...
Fleets Urged To Back Calls For UK To Match EU Hydrogen Plans
The European Commission has mandated that by 2030 there should be at least one hydrogen filling station every 120 miles on all major routes, and in all towns with a population of 100,000 or more. Heartened by such plans, BMW has committed to launching its first...
Amazon’s Zoox Opens Robotaxi Production Site In California
Amazon.com Inc.’s Zoox autonomous driving unit opened a robotaxi production facility in California in the latest move by a deep-pocketed tech company to expand the nascent industry. The site in the San Francisco Bay area city of Hayward will be able to churn out...
Autonomous Shuttles Are Popping Up Across America In Time For The World Cup
While the world waits for autonomous cars to become a reality, autonomous shuttles are popping up in towns across America, moving people around college campuses, downtowns and shopping locations. And soon, the crowds gathering to watch World Cup soccer will be able to...
Waymo Will Start Testing Its Autonomous Cars In New York Again
Waymo's autonomous cars are heading back to New York City in July, the company announced today. Cars will be manually driven for now, not unlike the mapping tests Waymo ran in 2021, but the company says it ultimately wants to bring the same autonomous ride-hailing...
Denmark Sends Robot Sailboats To Monitor Russia’s Shadow Fleet
Denmark's armed forces have deployed four uncrewed robotic sailboats, named "Voyagers," for a three-month operational trial in Danish and NATO waters. Built by Saildrone, a California-based company, these 10-meter-long vessels are designed for surveillance and can...
Boeing’s Air Taxi Developer Acquires Austin-Based Skygrid
An Austin-based tech company is joining forces with a California firm working to bring air taxis to Texas skies. SkyGrid, developed by Austin's SparkCognition and Boeing in 2018, has become a subsidiary of Wisk Aero. Both companies are owned by Boeing. SkyGrid...
Cephalopod-Inspired Synthetic Skins Could Enable Color Switching For Soft Robots And Wearables
Taking a cue from ocean-dwelling species, University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers are developing synthetic skins that will support the emergence of next-generation "soft" machines, robots and other devices. The skins closely approximate the mechanical action of the...
