The Innovation Report
MIT Scientists Are Developing AI For Humanoid Robots
We've all seen what artificial intelligence can do on our screens: generate art, carry out conversations and help with written tasks. Soon, AI will be doing more in the physical world. Gartner, a research and advisory firm, estimates that by 2030, 80% of Americans...
Tiny “Talking” Robots Form Shape-Shifting Swarms That Heal Themselves
Scientists have designed swarms of microscopic robots that communicate and coordinate using sound waves, much like bees or birds. These self-organizing micromachines can adapt to their surroundings, reform if damaged, and potentially undertake complex tasks such as...
Autonomous Air Taxis Making Their Way To Hotspots Like Houston and Miami
Air taxis aren't yet officially in operation, but the industry is already gearing up for autonomous ones. The road for autonomous eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing) is longer and harder, but their expected impact is tremendous. At the moment, a major...
US Proposes New Drone Rules That Could Lead To Starbucks, Amazon Deliveries
The U.S. Transportation Department is proposing new rules to speed deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, a key change needed to advance commercial uses like package deliveries. Under current rules, operators need to get individual waivers...
Why Hydrogen-Powered Cars Have Yet to Blow Up
The world’s very first internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle wasn’t powered by gasoline but rather by hydrogen. Way back in 1807, Francois Isaac de Rivaz used a hydrogen-filled ballon to drive an engine he developed to propel an experimental vehicle—more than 50...
Study: Clean Energy Is Here, But Getting It To EVs Is Not
Even if enough renewable energy is available, simply switching from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles (EVs) won't be enough to fight climate change—unless the U.S. also upgrades its transmission grid, a new Northwestern University study finds. If every gas-powered...
Beshear Joins Lawsuit To Unfreeze Federal Funds For Electric Vehicle Chargers
A lawsuit complaint states that Kentucky has been denied access to about $18 million in federal funds for electric vehicle chargers. (Getty Images) Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has joined other Democratic governors and attorneys general in an ongoing lawsuit seeking to...
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Enables Faster, More Precise Seafloor Earthquake Monitoring
Megathrust earthquakes are large earthquakes that occur on faults found along the boundaries between tectonic plates. The Nankai Trough is a megathrust earthquake zone lying off the southwestern coast of Japan, and experts estimate that this zone could generate a...
AI Powers New Smart City Wave
There’s a rush to adopt AI in most every American institution — including cities. Mayors across the country are rapidly integrating AI into public services. Los Angeles launched an AI zoning pilot for rebuilding homes lost to the Palisades Fires. Raleigh, North...
Auto Industry Takes $12 Billion Hit From Trade War
President Trump’s tariff war has inflicted almost $12 billion of losses on global automakers, the biggest hit they have faced since the pandemic. The scary reality: This may be just the beginning. Beyond the continuing cost of tariffs, automakers in the U.S., Japan,...
