Know What's Happening in Autonomy
Know What's Happening in Autonomy
ClassNK certifies first autonomous container ship navigation system
ClassNK has granted its AUTO-Nav2 (All) notation to the container ship Genbu, marking the world’s first certification for autonomous navigation on medium‑ to long‑distance routes. The vessel, built by Kyokuyo Shipyard and operated by Suzuyo Marine, is part of the Nippon Foundation’s MEGURI2040 fully autonomous program.
A U.S.-manufactured AEGIR‑W unmanned surface vessel washed ashore on Turkey's Black Sea coast on March 20, 2026, and was found fully operational with an active warhead. Turkish Navy explosive ordnance disposal teams towed the 10‑meter drone offshore and detonated it in a controlled explosion. The AEGIR‑W can travel over 25 knots, cover up to 900 km, and carry a 300 kg payload, making it a potent high‑threat maritime asset. This incident marks the fifth drone recovery in Turkey since September 2025 and the first confirmed foreign‑made system in the region.
Alstef Group announced an AI‑powered autonomous industrial vehicle (AIV) ahead of LogiMAT 2026, featuring a real‑time "perception bubble" that continuously maps its surroundings. The system uses onboard cameras and AI models to classify objects, adjust speed, routing, and docking, and...
The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) has extended its partnership with the EU’s 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G‑IA) by renewing a 5G‑focused memorandum of understanding first signed in August 2022. The renewed MoU emphasizes policy coordination in vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X)...
Ben Miller argues that autonomous earth‑moving equipment should be judged by a mining‑industry version of the Turing Test – can seasoned operators tell a machine from a human driver? He notes that even the most mature autonomous haulage systems from...
Mind Robotics announced a $500 million Series A round, co‑led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, to accelerate its AI‑powered industrial robot platform. The financing follows a $115 million seed round and adds Accel partner Sameer Gandhi to the board. Leveraging Rivian’s manufacturing data...
Hexxabotics will debut a honeycomb‑based automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) at LogiMAT 2026, merging autonomous mobile robots (Hexxabots) with a modular hexagonal grid. The design eliminates fixed rails and in‑rack electrification, promising higher cubic storage density and lower energy use....
Construction is becoming more automated and more precise. The Optimas S19 paving machine is a good example of that shift. Designed for large-scale projects, it automates the placement of paving stones, handling tasks that traditionally required significant manual labor. What stands out...
“Last year, I visited 11 robotics companies in China across five cities…All of them were engaged, in different ways, in the race to…commercialise robots capable of replacing human workers—and some of them already have eager western buyers.” @Changxche https://t.co/jen93jcxA4
Workroom Automation, a Hyderabad‑based connected‑factory platform, secured ₹6.2 crore in seed funding led by the Equirus InnovateX Fund, with participation from Astir Ventures, Venture Catalysts Group, and several angels. The capital will accelerate product development, especially its AI‑powered planning engine, and...
Reinforcement-Learned Atlas Performs Moves Inspired by Human Mocap and Animation via @ZappyZappy7 #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/c4oMdCuXqG
ZIYAN and GreenValley announced a partnership that leverages ZIYAN’s F15 electric VTOL helicopter to deliver precision LiDAR mapping services. The F15 can lift a 5 kg payload, carry GreenValley’s sensors, and fly up to 100 minutes while tolerating Beaufort 8 winds. Integrated...
#Robots on the Frontlines: Testing Next-Gen Earthquake Rescue Systems by @HowThingsWork_ #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/g8AxoQQgWz
a16z Crypto warns that autonomous AI agents could replace traditional online advertising, reshaping the internet’s economic model. The article notes the $291 billion ad market in 2025 may erode as agents shop without distraction. Platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini already offer...
Monash University researchers published a review in the International Journal of Production Research showing that better prediction of human behaviour by robots can make manufacturing safer, more adaptive and efficient as Industry 5.0 evolves. The study compares mechanism‑based, data‑driven and hybrid...
QCraft announced the close of a $100 million Series D round aimed at scaling its physical‑AI hardware platform for autonomous driving and broader mobility applications. The financing, led by XYZ Capital with participation from existing backers and strategic automotive partners, will fund...
Elon Musk is moving quickly to secure an enormous volume of artificial intelligence chips, with estimates pointing to roughly 100 million to 200 million units destined for his expanding ecosystem of products. The chips are expected to support everything from...
China unveiled its first national standard system for humanoid robots, the Humanoid Robot and Embodied Intelligence Standard System (2026 Edition), at a Beijing technical committee meeting. The framework, built by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology with input from...
Dexterity.ai announced that its production‑proven world model, Foresight, now runs on Nvidia L4 GPUs with a 17× speedup, cutting perception cycles from 1,508 ms to 90 ms. The redesign also increased sensor data utilization from 3 percent to 100 percent, delivering 32× more information...
The U.S. Army awarded Skydio a contract exceeding $52 million for more than 2,500 X10D reconnaissance drones, the service’s largest single‑vendor small‑UAS purchase. The award, processed in under 72 hours through Atlantic Diving Supply, reflects a new rapid‑acquisition model for critical tech....
CharterUP, the largest group‑transportation marketplace in North America, has teamed up with autonomous‑technology firm Holon to embed self‑driving shuttles into its AI‑enabled platform. The partnership will roll out Holon’s integrated autonomous mobility solution across campuses, airports, transit agencies and private...
Poland’s Ekolot Aerospace & Defense completed the inaugural test flights of its ZEUS unmanned aircraft, demonstrating stable, autonomous operation in conventional take‑off and landing (CTOL) mode. The modular platform, developed with Spain’s UAV Navigation‑Grupo Oesía, can be reconfigured for VTOL...
Uber announced that autonomous vehicle technology will be its primary growth engine in 2026, though the company disclosed no specific investment amounts or timelines. The move underscores Uber's intent to diversify beyond ride‑hailing and food delivery as the autonomous market...
The U.S. Navy has chosen Anduril Industries’ Dive‑XL autonomous submarine for its Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) initiative. The 27‑foot, free‑flooding design serves as a “mothership” that can launch smaller AUVs such as Copperhead and Seabed Sentry. Its modular payload...
Kazakhstan’s Alatau new city is building a low‑altitude economy and will become the first location outside China to test long‑range electric air taxis above 120 metres. Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev announced signed agreements with U.S.‑based Joby Aero and China’s...
This is how a CEO loses credibility with me. Cofounder of @NuroAi_Official A is making an AI that can drive vehicles, was winning me over through demonstrations of his more flexible AI than Tesla has demonstrated. Drove in left-hand Japan with...
Self-Sufficient #Robot Swaps Its Own Batteries for Continuous Operation by @UBTECHRobotics #AI #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #ML https://t.co/CD0J7ZI1p8
RSI Europe, a fast‑growing Lithuanian defense tech firm, announced a vacancy for a Product Operator focused on its FPV drone systems. The role combines client training, after‑sales support, and direct feedback to product engineers, requiring extensive drone expertise and multilingual...
This is getting dunked somewhat unfairly. Tesla is using LiDAR to get training data to improve their vision-only systems. That should raise some eyebrows - LiDAR is clearly valuable in ways Elon denies. But it's not the same as using...
Chris Anderson Saw the Drone World Coming. The Rest of Us Are Just Catching Up. @chr1sa https://t.co/Umjrp5sfsF
Kodiak AI announced it will begin a fully driverless long‑haul freight service by the end of 2026. CEO Don Burnette said the rollout hinges on solving operational questions such as truck ownership, uptime and revenue, not just safety milestones.
Buckle up. The first wave of physical AI mass adoption will be self-driving cars. The evidence: Tesla’s FSD is making major gains, and Waymo is going from 6 cities at the end of 2025 to likely 25 by the end...
Stanford’s Minimalist Control Lets #Robots Handle Fragile Objects Without Sensors by @lukas_m_ziegler #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/L4Jb9a6A9a
Brazil’s civil aviation authority (ANAC) approved a national framework allowing beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) delivery drones to operate over densely populated areas. The rule lets Speedbird Aero’s DLV‑2 A25 fly over zones with up to 5,000 people per square kilometre and the...
This #Autonomous #Robot Could End Deadly High-Rise Cleaning Jobs by @lukas_m_ziegler #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/JMsIcsHl3g
The rise of the machines begins? Out of control #Robot begins to trash restaurant in San Jose California. (SUN) #Robotics https://t.co/OBlEGgTGax
ePropelled inaugurated its Global Innovation Centre in Coventry on March 20, marking a major expansion aimed at scaling production to over one million electric and hybrid propulsion systems annually by 2027. The facility consolidates propulsion design, software development, and testing,...
Raffi Krikorian, who led Uber’s self‑driving division and maintained a two‑year injury‑free record, reported that Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system caused a crash in his Model X while his children were in the back seat. The incident, detailed in an Atlantic...
Overland AI, Oshkosh Defense and Kraus Hamdani Aerospace used the 2026 AUSA Global Force Symposium to debut three autonomous combat platforms – the ULTRA tactical vehicle, the L‑MAV multi‑mission carrier and the K1000ULE long‑endurance UAV. The showcases underline the Army’s...
Many self-driving cars still have human teleoperators to prevent catastrophe. Humans operating tech remotely isn’t new; drone research from the 1990s can provide guidance on supervisory control. https://spectrum.ieee.org/military-drones-self-driving-cars
Nvidia clarified at GTC that it will not build self‑driving cars but will supply the compute, simulation and operating system needed for a full‑stack autonomous vehicle solution. Uber announced a $1.25 billion partnership with Rivian, front‑loading $300 million and tying the rest...
Turkey’s state‑owned defense firm MKE unveiled the PİRANA kamikaze unmanned surface vessel, a low‑cost, high‑speed USV designed for naval strike missions. The craft can travel over 40 knots, carry a 100‑kilogram warhead and operate up to 200 nautical miles, either solo or...
Eclipse, the venture firm backed by former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, announced that its Atoms platform will now support autonomous robotics across manufacturing, logistics and mining. The move reflects a broader trend of AI making capital‑intensive physical industries more programmable...
Airbus is integrating its European MARS mission system, featuring the MindShare AI, into two Kratos Valkyrie combat drones for the German Air Force. The first flight is targeted for late 2026, with full operational capability expected by 2029. The Valkyrie...
Mobilidata, a Belgian mobility‑data specialist, launched a new online platform that delivers real‑time traffic and transport analytics to city authorities and transport operators. The site showcases services such as data aggregation, API access, and predictive modeling for traffic management. This...
The Cambridge Forum hosted a webinar on robotaxis, featuring Arthur Kay and moderator Stephen Guerriero. The discussion targeted urban planners and policy makers, exploring how autonomous vehicles operate, machine‑learning safety challenges, and cybersecurity risks. Speakers examined “safe enough” thresholds, profit‑driven...
Overland AI will unveil its ULTRA fully autonomous tactical vehicle at the AUSA Global Force exhibition in Huntsville next week. The company ties ULTRA directly to the Army’s Transformation in Contact initiative, which emphasizes early field testing with soldiers. By...
The Pentagon announced the fielding of AI‑driven autonomous weapon systems in the ongoing Iran conflict, while AI startup Anthropic terminated its contract with the Department of Defense over ethical concerns. The twin moves expose a growing clash between rapid military...
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace announced it will unveil updates to its K1000ULE ultra‑long‑endurance unmanned aerial system at the 2026 AUSA Global Force Symposium. The platform is marketed as a dual‑role system delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and resilient communications for...
In 2012, Amazon acquired Kiva. One year later, it had around 1,000 robots. Today, that number exceeds 1 million. This kind of growth didn’t happen by simply adding more machines. Amazon reorganized its warehouses around automation. Robots handle movement, positioning, and flow of goods,...
Meet the Street-Smart Cleaner: Cowa’s #AI #Robot Navigates Every Corner of the City by @Robo_Tuo #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/4rLSWPjlpO
