Today's Autonomy Pulse
Volkswagen to Deploy Full-Domain AI Agents in New Models by H2 2026
Volkswagen announced that its Agentic AI for All roadmap will see full deployment in vehicles built on the CEA architecture starting in the second half of 2026. The locally trained large-language-model system moves beyond passive assistants to proactively manage parking, route adjustments and cabin preferences while keeping all data inside the vehicle.
Schaeffler Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with ROKAE
Schaeffler and Chinese robotics firm ROKAE signed a strategic cooperation agreement on April 7 to co‑develop core components for humanoid robots, including joint modules. The partnership blends Schaeffler’s high‑performance sensors, harmonic drives and precision manufacturing with ROKAE’s full‑stack robotics expertise and deployment experience. It creates an end‑to‑end ecosystem covering R&D, component supply and full‑machine deployment, positioning Schaeffler as a primary supplier for ROKAE’s embodied‑intelligence solutions. The deal deepens Schaeffler’s push into China’s fast‑growing humanoid robot market.
![[Gasgoo Express] NIO's William Li Discusses ES9 Design, Saying Originality Is Difficult but Must Be Done; March Passenger Vehicle Exports...](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://gascloud.gasgoo.com/production/2026/04/d969c976-b941-4bc9-8450-b8c17fb24f4a-1775916343.png)
[Gasgoo Express] NIO's William Li Discusses ES9 Design, Saying Originality Is Difficult but Must Be Done; March Passenger Vehicle Exports...
NIO founder William Li highlighted the difficulty and necessity of original design while unveiling the ES9, an intelligent executive flagship SUV that blends Chinese cultural aesthetics with cutting‑edge technology. On the same day, China’s passenger vehicle exports surged to 695,000...
How Ottonomy Robots Are Mapping Last-Mile Delivery With Contextual AI
Ottonomy, a US‑based deep‑tech startup manufacturing in India, has raised $7.8 million to commercialize Contextual AI‑powered delivery robots for indoor‑outdoor logistics. Its two SKUs, Ottobot 2.0 and 3.0, can carry up to ten parcels per trip and adapt to hospitals, airports, malls...
French Engineers Launch Ultra-Stable Drone for Precise Flights
French Engineers Unveil Ultra-Stable #Drone System Redefining Aerial Precision by @tweetciiiim #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/f4k3aS6ptn
Waymo Robotaxi Drives Wrong Way Through San Antonio Whataburger Drive‑thru, Sparking City Outcry
Waymo’s driverless taxi entered a Whataburger drive‑thru in San Antonio from the opposite direction, forcing police to manually move the occupied vehicle. The episode underscores operational flaws in Waymo’s emergency response system and fuels growing municipal criticism of robotaxi fleets.
Ukraine Deploys Ground Robots for 9,000 Monthly Missions, Targeting One‑Third of Infantry Roles
Ukraine’s armed forces ran more than 9,000 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) missions in March, a three‑fold increase from five months earlier. The commander of the Third Army Corps says the robots could soon handle up to one‑third of forward‑deployed infantry...
Tesla Owners Demand Mandatory First-Time FSD Activation Quiz
'@elonmusk, a lot of Tesla owners are actually calling for this - mandatory first-time FSD activation video quiz - to be a requirement everywhere, including the US. It is not often that customers ask to introduce friction by themselves. Might be...
Tesla FSD Mileage Resets on Chrome Window Resize
Tesla FSD Safety page bugs out and returns to 6,226,277,786 miles driven (and equal city miles), if resizing the window on desktop Chrome. I have no clue who should know this, but thought I'd share it regardless https://t.co/rzmMgMtfnY
Deep Dive WeRide: Business Model, Unit Economics, Fleet Data, Financials and More
WeRide, one of China’s leading autonomous‑vehicle firms, now operates five distinct AV products in 12 countries and holds driverless permits in eight. The company’s revenue model blends asset‑light robotaxi services with higher‑margin robobuses and robosweepers, differentiating its China and international...
China Deploys Drones for High‑Rise Fire Rescue
China Unveils #Drone Firefighting Tech for High-Rise Rescue and Fire Control by @MarchUnofficial #Innovation #EmergingTech #Technology #Tech #TechForGood https://t.co/X3TFjnP0XV
Claude AI Grows Tomatoes Autonomously for 100+ Days
Anthropic’s Claude #AI #Autonomously Grows Tomatoes for 100+ Days in Groundbreaking Experiment by @d33v33d0 #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #ML https://t.co/lhMuLS70zA
Indonesia Can’t Stay Silent on China’s UUV Incursion
A Chinese‑built unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) marked “CSIC” was recovered by a fisherman in Indonesia’s Lombok Strait, a vital maritime corridor linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The incident exposes a gap in Indonesia’s under‑sea domain awareness and challenges its...
Tree‑Climbing Pruning Robot Outpaces Monkeys
Faster Than a Monkey: This Tree-Climbing Pruning #Robot Is Wild by @IntEngineering #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/7Hldaa6bJU
Tesla’s Supervised Self-Driving Software Gets Dutch Okay, First in Europe
Dutch regulator RDW approved Tesla's Full Self‑Driving Supervised system for highways and city streets, marking the first European authorization of the technology. The approval follows 18 months of testing and positions the Netherlands as a gateway for EU‑wide certification. Tesla...
Waymo's Scattered Rollout May Avoid Rapid
Why does Waymo spread their cars across dozens of cities? They should completely saturate one city til they match Uber’s pick up times. I assume they’re trying to lose because winning in self-driving means putting too many people out of work,...
Zelensky's Interceptor Drones Deployed Across Eurasia, Now Shooting Down Iranian Shaheds
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian drone specialists have helped five Gulf states build low‑cost interceptor‑drone air defenses and have already shot down Iranian Shahed UAVs in the region. The $20,000 interceptor drones provide a cheap counter to Shahed drones...
AeroVironment Appoints Raytheon Veteran Robert Smith as COO to Accelerate Manufacturing Scale
AeroVironment, the NASDAQ‑listed defense‑technology firm, named Dr. Robert (Rob) Smith as executive vice president and chief operating officer effective April 13, 2026. The former Raytheon executive will oversee the company’s autonomous systems, space, cyber and directed‑energy units, and its global...
Hong Kong: Advancing Smart Mobility and Unmanned Systems
The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Tongji University inaugurated a joint research laboratory focused on smart transportation and unmanned systems. The lab has already produced an amphibious unmanned platform that operated in both air and water, supporting a national...
Iowa Mowbotics Brings AI-Driven Lawn Care Into Daily Life With a Focus on Time and Practical Value
Iowa Mowbotics, founded in 2024 by sixth‑generation farmer Schyler Bardole, offers AI‑driven robotic mowing systems for residential and commercial properties. The mowers combine GPS mapping, obstacle detection and app‑based monitoring to operate autonomously, promising consistent upkeep with minimal human input....
NATO Ally Taps Red Cat’s Black Widow Drones for Next-Gen Defense
Red Cat Holdings’ Black Widow small unmanned aircraft system has won a contract from an unnamed NATO ally after a competitive tender. The sUAS will be deployed in 2026 to augment the ally’s short‑range air‑defence and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance...
Tesla FSD Supervised Approved in Netherlands
Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) Supervised system earned type approval from the Dutch vehicle authority (RDW) after more than a year and a half of on‑track and public‑road testing. The regulator highlighted continuous driver monitoring as a safety advantage over competing...
STRADVISION Seeks $70‑$80 M KOSDAQ IPO to Fund AI Vision Software for Autonomous Vehicles
STRADVISION filed a registration statement to list on Korea's KOSDAQ, aiming to sell 7 million shares at KRW 12,400–14,800 each, a raise of roughly $67‑$80 million. The capital will back its SVNet vision perception suite, already in mass‑production programs with global OEMs, as...
China's Kung‑Fu Combat Robots Spark Global Security Concerns
China's Unitree displayed martial‑arts humanoid robots at the Spring Festival Gala, seen by 400 million people, prompting experts and a congressional committee to warn of a growing national threat. The demonstration underscores China's rapid advance in AI‑driven robotics and a widening...
Tesla Plaid X’s FSD Surpasses Expectations, Drives Itself
Traded in my 2020 Model S for a brand new plaid X before they discontinue it. Car is amazing, but the FSD hype is real. It blew away my expectations coming from the 2020 hardware. 95% of my miles are...
Tesla Could Bring Driverless Robotaxis to Europe
Europe doesn’t have driverless car services like we do here in the U.S. They have never seen anything close to FSD before on their local roads Hopefully Tesla can follow this up with a Robotaxi service in the Netherlands
Ukraine Fields Helsing HX-2 UAVs: First Videos Surface
Ukraine’s 59th Assault Brigade has begun fielding German‑made Helsing HX‑2 attack drones alongside the older HF‑1 model. The first frontline video shows the HX‑2 launched from a catapult striking tanks, artillery and supply trucks up to 100 km away. Analysts describe...
RDW Claims Tesla’s Driver Monitoring Makes It Safest System
“Due to the continuous strict monitoring of the driver in the vehicle, the system is safer than other driver assistance systems. We have thoroughly researched and checked this system, more than a year and a half” — RDW on Tesla...
EU FSD Goes Hands‑Free, Drivers Must Stay Ready
“The hands do not have to be on the steering wheel but should be able to take over the steering wheel immediately if necessary” — RDW, confirming FSD Europe will be hands free
Over 100 Self-Driving Cars Leave Passengers Stranded in China After Sudden Outage
On March 31, 2026, more than 100 Apollo Go robotaxis in Wuhan abruptly shut down, leaving passengers stranded on busy streets and an overpass. The company attributed the blackout to a possible system failure and launched an internal investigation. While no one was...
Proper Use of Driver System Boosts Road Safety
“The proper use of this driver's system makes a positive contribution to road safety” — RDW on FSD
Dad’s
legendary document too bad my dad drives HW3 😂 #alwaysberiding #FSD #RDW ⚡️⚡️⚡️ thank you RDW, today you surprised me! #tesla https://t.co/XpN0Udg8No
Why Automation Systems Fail Without Weather Intelligence
Automation systems often fail due to missing weather intelligence, despite advanced sensors and AI. Weather variables such as rain, wind, and temperature directly affect robot traction, drone stability, and battery performance. Raw weather data is inconsistent, delayed, and too coarse,...
Tesla Robotaxi Arrives in Europe Sooner than Expected
The Tesla robotaxi service will also be coming to Europe far faster than people imagine.
FSD Supervised Approved by RDW, Launching in Netherlands
IT. IS. DONE. FSD Supervised was approved by RDW and will start rolling out in the Netherlands shortly.
MODEX 2026: FANUC America Showcases Robotics and AMRs for Warehousing and Logistics
FANUC America unveiled five high‑performance robotic systems at MODEX 2026, highlighting a mobile manipulator (CRX‑30iA) paired with Rockwell’s OTTO 600 autonomous mobile robot. The integrated solution demonstrates palletizing, box scanning, weighing, transport and sorting, operating at up to 2 m/s while using...
Europeans Stunned by Leap From Basic Autopilot to FSD 14
Europeans heads are going to explode when they go from Basic Autopilot to FSD 14
Snowflake Pivots to Autonomous AI Agents, Not Just Chatbots
Snowflake is betting the future of AI goes beyond chatbots to autonomous agents that actually get work done. This week on @EquityPod, I spoke with CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy about how the company is reorganizing around that shift. https://t.co/p9perHFu3X
RoboSense Q1 2026 LiDAR Shipments Jump 204% as Robotics Segment Explodes 1,459% YoY
RoboSense announced that it shipped 330,300 LiDAR units in the first quarter of 2026, a 204.1% year‑on‑year increase. The robotics segment alone grew 1,458.8% YoY to 185,500 units, surpassing the automotive ADAS segment for the first time, underscoring rapid hardware...
Questioning Proven AV Safety Is Irresponsible, Like Vaccine Skepticism
The data on AV traffic safety improvements is so clear and overwhelming that I think it's a bit unethical to run stuff like this. It's basically the transportation planning equivalent of vaccine skepticism.
Waymo Car Witnesses Chaotic
MyPOV - Just saw a @Waymo Engineering car in #SanDiego. Existing. And why we need them - deicer turned without turn signal - in the wrong lane.
Philadelphia Residents Clash with Uber Eats Autonomous Delivery Robots After Launch
Uber Eats' Avride autonomous delivery robots, launched in Philadelphia on March 10, have been repeatedly kicked and even toppled by pedestrians. The incidents highlight growing public resistance to sidewalk robots and raise questions about regulation and acceptance of urban automation.
Flytrex Launches Autonomous Pickup for Future Drone Delivery
Flytrex Unveils #Autonomous Pickup for Next-Gen #Drone Delivery by @flytrexcom #Logistics #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/HbAlHfyxFA
Top Beta Testers Drive Exceptional FSD 14.3 Results
David and Scott have been doing some of the best FSD 14.3 testing We really have an amazing group of early access beta testers
Amazon to Scale up Drone Delivery in 2025, CEO Says
Amazon announced a major expansion of its Prime Air drone service, aiming to reach 30 million customers by the end of 2025 and deliver 500 million packages annually by 2030. The rollout will use more than 85 same‑day fulfillment centers and over...
Robots Dive Deep: Ocean Exploration with Simona Aracri
Robot Talk Episode 151 – Robots to study the ocean, with Simona Aracri by @RobotTalkPod https://t.co/0U6hWVrjc9
Top Ten Users Near Perfect Self-Driving Scores
Highest self-driving percentage on @fsd_database this week 1. @VangeloMedia — 100% 2. @GregMcFarland16 — 100% 3. @drewinnovations — 100% 4. @MstrHappyJustin — 99.9% 5. @A_pad91 — 99.9% 6. @LandonoftheWest — 99.8% 7. Brandon P — 99.8% 8. Tom Kelly — 99.8% 9. @4JimLee — 99.8% 10. @wholemars — 99.7%
Chef Robotics Expands AI-Powered Automation Into Meatpacking
Chef Robotics, a San Francisco‑based food robotics firm, has extended its AI‑driven automation platform to tray assembly for meatpacking. The system can pick, orient and place raw, frozen and precooked proteins—such as pork loins, chicken breasts, steaks and sausage links—onto...
New Framework Boosts Safety for Robot and Car Networks
US-led team introduces framework to make networks of #Robots, self-driving cars safer by Prabhat Ranjan Mishra @IntEngineering Learn more: https://t.co/CkNDgK0qUj #Robotics #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/8bIsp9UrPr
Sky Robots Showcases Integrated Drone Security Model for Mines, Other High-Value Assets
Sky Robots unveiled an integrated drone security platform aimed at mines and other high‑value assets, combining VTOL fixed‑wing aircraft for persistent surveillance with rapid‑response multi‑rotor drones. The solution bundles remote piloting, ROIP communications, AI‑driven flight safety, and a full suite...
Waymo Robotaxis Are Now Finding Potholes
Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis are now detecting potholes across five test markets, transmitting the information to city agencies and the Waze navigation app. The fleet’s lidar and camera sensors feed high‑resolution road‑condition data into a shared platform, enabling real‑time alerts for...