The Industry Innovation Report
50th Mission: Rocket Lab Launches 5 IoT Satellites
An Electron lifted off from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 2:13 p.m. EDT on June 20 (1813 GMT; 6:13 a.m. local New Zealand time on June 21). The rocket was operating with an instantaneous launch window but lifted off at the first...
Robots & Specialized Software Open New Solar Farm Development Opportunities
A solar farm development startup just received a boost, lining up $20 million in Series A funding from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Khosla Ventures. The company promises to cut down on land and labor needed, allowing solar to be built in previously...
AI Algorithm Counts Flowers On Trees To Predict Crop Yields
Scientists have trained an AI algorithm to count the number of flowers on fruit trees using only smartphone images. The system could predict the size of a harvest months in advance — saving farmers time, money, and water. Researchers from Chile,...
AVs Safer Than Human Drivers, Except In Two Situations
A pair of engineers at the University of Central Florida has found that autonomous vehicles are generally safer than those driven by humans except under two conditions. In their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, Mohamed Abdel-Aty and Shengxuan...
Modified Shipping Container Can Launch Swarm Of Kamikaze Drones
German defense contractor Rheinmetall has introduced a new containerized launcher system for the Hero family of loitering munitions, better known as kamikaze drones. A rendering shared by The War Zone shows the system as a modified shipping container equipped...
Kinetic Rolls Out Robots To Fix EVs & Robotaxis
While electric vehicle demand is still increasing in the U.S., the sales growth rate for cars that pollute less has cooled down in 2024 due partly to the high cost of insurance and repairs for tech-laden new models. A 2024 study by J.D....
‘ESA Space Bricks’ Landing At Lego Stores Could Help Build Real Artemis Moon Base
Scientists may have just found the "building bricks" for future moon bases in the toy store — and the public can soon see them there, too. European Space Agency (ESA) researchers discovered more than inspiration when they looked at Lego sets while working on possible...
GE Aerospace Developing Hybrid Engines For Single-Aisle Jets
GE Aerospace is developing a hybrid electric engine with the hopes it will power next-generation narrow-body jets by the middle of the next decade. While the technology is still being tested, should GE be successful, it could produce hybrid-engine jets - like a Toyota...
Hydrogen Aviation: Preparing The Runway For Zero-Carbon Flights
The aviation industry is turning to hydrogen as an essential solution to aid the decarbonisation drive. To deliver on this ambition and harness the potential of clean fuel in aviation, Scotland has a series of initiatives aiming to prove the viability of zero-emission...
Major League Baseball — Robot Umpires
Baseball's top minor leagues are switching to a challenge system full-time for their test of robot umpires. Major League Baseball has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019. It has been used at all Triple-A ballparks...
