Today's Autonomy Pulse
MIT and UPenn unveil MIGHTY, a fast trajectory‑planning system for drones
MIT and the University of Pennsylvania introduced MIGHTY, an open‑source trajectory‑planning system for unpiloted aerial vehicles. The planner reacts to obstacles in milliseconds while preserving smooth, time‑optimal paths, cutting computation to about 90% of leading methods.
U.S. Contract Sends Revolutionary Naval Drones to Japan
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Liquid Robotics a $25 million sole‑source contract to deliver 20 unmanned surface vehicles to Japan under a Foreign Military Sales program. The award covers control software, mission‑specific payloads, and launch‑recovery equipment, with work slated for completion by February 2028. The vehicles are based on the Wave Glider platform, which uses wave‑and‑solar power for fuel‑free, long‑endurance operations. This deal deepens U.S.–Japan defense cooperation and expands Japan’s autonomous maritime surveillance capabilities.
BAE Systems Completes Successful Trials of ATLAS UGV
BAE Systems announced that its Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System (ATLAS) uncrewed ground vehicle has successfully completed a series of trials covering remote teleoperation, waypoint navigation and full sense‑and‑avoid autonomy. The eight‑wheel, 10‑tonne prototype demonstrated integration of the VANTAGE medium‑calibre...
Brightpick Partners with NAPA on Robotic Fulfillment Deployments at DCs
Brightpick announced a strategic partnership with NAPA to roll out AI‑powered robotic fulfillment across the retailer’s distribution centers. After a successful 2025 pilot, the 2026 agreement will see more than 100 Brightpick goods‑to‑person robots deployed at an initial site, with...
UAV Navigation & Ekolot Aerospace and Defense Partner on ZEUS VTOL Platform
UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía and Ekolot Aerospace & Defense have forged a strategic partnership to embed high‑precision flight‑control and navigation systems into the ZEUS VTOL platform. The ZEUS family, with a maximum take‑off weight of 100‑250 kg and payload capacity of 30‑150 kg,...
Allient Appoints New Director of Engineering to Support Motion Control Development
Allient has named Ben Vespone as Director of Engineering for its Rochester unit, overseeing new product development and value‑add design projects. Vespone brings a master’s degree from the University of Rochester and a track record launching complex electronic and electromechanical...
Global Shop Solutions AI Tools Streamline Manufacturing Processes
Global Shop Solutions launched two AI‑driven modules—AI Accounts Payable Automation and AI Sales Order Entry—integrated into its ERP platform. The AP tool scans invoices, extracts key data and matches them to purchase orders, eliminating manual entry and reducing errors. The...
Run VLAs in Real Time Using Fast Edge Adapter
Check out Noriaki's thread about a way to get VLAs to run in real time with a fast "edge adapter"!
AI Becomes the New UI with Tesla’s Cybercab
What is AI-first design? @Tesla Cybercab is a fully autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel, no pedals, no side mirrors or a rear window - relying entirely on self-driving technology with a target cost of $30K USD by 2026-27. AI is...
Robotaxis Wreck 4x More than Humans, and at Least One Tesla Wants to Swim
Tesla’s autonomous robotaxi fleet in Austin logged five additional crashes this month, pushing the crash rate to more than four times that of human drivers. In China, the company’s sales plunged over 45% amid negative media coverage. A viral video...
Modex 2026: MHI Innovation Award Finalists Announced
MHI announced the finalists for its 2026 Innovation Awards, selecting twelve solutions from 220 submissions. The entries span four categories—Best New Innovation, Best Robotics Innovation, Best IT Innovation, and Best Sustainability Innovation—each judged by eight industry practitioners. Finalists will present...
Geek+ Unveils Gino 1 Mobile Manipulator for Warehouses
Geek+ introduced Gino 1, a dual‑armed mobile manipulator designed for warehouse environments and powered by the company’s AI‑driven Geek+ Brain. The robot combines two seven‑degree‑of‑freedom force‑controlled arms, each equipped with a three‑finger gripper, tactile sensors and an RGB‑D camera, on...
DriveOhio Data Keeps Eyes on Road Assets
Honda and DriveOhio completed a two‑year pilot of a Proactive Roadway Maintenance System in Ohio, using test vehicles equipped with vision and LiDAR sensors to scan roughly 5,000 km of roads. The system achieved 99% accuracy detecting damaged or obstructed signs,...
JFB and XTEND Announce $1.5B Business Combination to Establish AI-Driven Autonomous Defense Robotics Company
JFB Construction Holdings will merge with defense‑software firm XTEND in an all‑stock deal, creating a Nasdaq‑listed AI‑driven autonomous defense robotics company named XTEND AI Robotics. XTEND shareholders will own roughly 70% of the new entity while JFB shareholders retain about...
NXP S32N79 Octa-Core Arm Cortex-A78E/12-Core Cortex-R52 “Super-Integration Processor” Targets Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV)
NXP announced the S32N79 “Super‑Integration” automotive processor, featuring up to eight Arm Cortex‑A78E application cores at 1.8 GHz and twelve Cortex‑R52 real‑time cores at 1.4 GHz, plus a RISC‑V accelerator and eIQ Neutron AI NPU. Built on a 5 nm TSMC process, it...
Waymo Overseas Human Assist Wasn't Secret, But Is It Secure?
Waymo disclosed that a single remote‑assist operator supports roughly 40 autonomous vehicles, a ratio that underscores its reliance on human fallback. The company confirmed that many of these operators are based overseas, a fact previously hinted at but not widely...
Waymo Looking to Buy 50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Robotaxis for $2.5 Billion
Waymo is reportedly negotiating to purchase 50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicles for roughly $2.5 billion, aiming to expand its robotaxi fleet. The cars would arrive without Waymo’s lidar, radar and computing suite, implying a post‑delivery sensor retrofit. At an estimated $50,000-plus...
Hands‑free AI Driving Builds Trust, Fuels Future Sales
Our robot has driven me and the family for two hours in driving rain across one of USA’s most dangerous roads. Without my hands touching the wheel once. It is how it handled pudddles, two brown streams crossing the road that most...
IFR Releases Position Paper on AI in Robotics
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) published a position paper outlining how artificial intelligence is reshaping robotics, from enhanced vision and navigation to generative code creation. It highlights rapid advances in physical AI, deep‑learning perception, reinforcement learning, and natural‑language interfaces...
Ondas’ Sentrycs Secures German State Police Contract to Enhance Airspace Protection
Ondas’ subsidiary Sentrycs has delivered its protocol‑based counter‑drone system to a German State Police office, providing non‑disruptive mitigation for unauthorized UAVs. The deployment coincides with the upcoming launch of the man‑carried Sentrycs Scout at the Enforce Tac exhibition, expanding Ondas...
Autonomous Vehicles Steer Robotics Growth
Barclays analysts project the AI‑powered robotics market could reach a trillion dollars by 2035, with autonomous vehicles acting as the catalyst. The report identifies roughly 200 public companies, half of which already have corporate bonds, as potential beneficiaries. Automakers, logistics...
Autonomous Wheelchair Maps Home, Yet Cost Hurdles Remain
What if your wheelchair could map your house and drive you to specific spots on command? Strutt's EV1 does exactly that. It learns your space, lets you save waypoints, and navigates at 3 mph while avoiding obstacles. Manual override is...
Robot Hand Approaches Human-Like Dexterity with New Visual-Tactile Training
Researchers in China introduced a visual‑tactile pretraining framework that teaches a low‑cost four‑fingered LEAP Hand to manipulate objects with human‑like dexterity. By first watching extensive videos of human hand actions and then training in simulation using only a webcam and...
ARM Institute Opens Project Call for Military Supply Chain Technology
The Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing (ARM) Institute has issued a member‑only project call to modernize the Department of Defense’s organic industrial base (OIB) supply chain. The call seeks proposals that combine digital operations, AI‑driven robotic process planning, real‑time sensors, in‑situ...
Anzu Discontinues Raptor Drone Series Amid Supply Chain Crisis
Anzu Robotics announced the discontinuation of its Raptor drone series after persistent component shortages halted production. The line, launched in 2024 as a U.S.-focused alternative to DJI, saw rapid demand driven by NDAA 2025 considerations, which depleted inventory faster than...
German Grocery Retailer REWE Deploys Cimcorp Solution for New Automated Fulfillment Center
German retailer REWE has opened an automated fulfillment center in Oranienburg, deploying Cimcorp’s robotic handling and Warehouse Control System to manage fresh produce distribution. The facility serves over 370 supermarkets and 580 shops in the Berlin region, processing roughly 29,000...
What Happens to a Car when the Company Behind Its Software Goes Under?
Modern vehicles increasingly rely on cloud‑based software to operate core functions, making them vulnerable if the underlying service provider collapses. Recent bankruptcies of Fisker and Better Place left owners with bricked cars and no recourse, highlighting a new failure mode...
AI Agents Gaining True Autonomy for Business
Agentic AI Explained: The Future of Autonomous AI Systems in Business & Technology 📽️ https://t.co/9GBCWdMbfw What if AI could set its own goals and make independent decisions — just like a human? Agentic AI represents the next evolution of artificial...
Making the Warehouse a Better Place to Work
Warehouse automation promises easier picking and safer loading, yet it alone cannot solve the talent crunch. Industry leaders argue that career growth, cross‑training, and clear development pathways are essential to retain workers. Honeywell highlights training on new technology as a...
Waymo Ojai Spotted in Scottsdale
Waymo’s Ojai engineering vehicle, previously observed in San Francisco and Los Angeles, was photographed in Scottsdale, Arizona. The sighting confirms that Waymo is extending its autonomous‑driving tests beyond California to the Southwest. Scottsdale’s streets provide a new data set of urban...
AtkinsRealis and Anduril UK Partner on Autonomous Aircraft
AtkinsRéalis has entered a teaming agreement with Anduril UK to speed the development and fielding of autonomous aircraft for British defence programmes. The partnership focuses on safety, assurance and navigating emerging certification pathways with the Military and Civil Aviation Authorities....
Delivery Robot Asks Human to Press Traffic Signal Button
Serve Robotics unveiled a sidewalk delivery robot that pauses at a traffic signal and asks a passerby to press the crossing button on its screen. The robot displays a "Thank you" message and a brief light show after the human...
What the Headlines About Waymo’s “Offshore Drivers” Are Getting Wrong
In this episode, John Deniston, co‑founder of AI startup Repair Ally and former autonomous‑vehicle engineer, clarifies misconceptions around Waymo’s use of “offshore drivers.” He explains that remote human assistants are not controlling cars like video‑game drivers but are instead providing...
The Economic Impact of Robotaxis on Ridesharing
The 2026 Gridwise Analytics report finds robotaxis are eroding ridesharing volume and driver earnings in markets where they operate. Trips per hour and average ride duration have dropped in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, leading to lower...
CAN Networks Can Meet EU CRA Requirements, but Security Levels Matter
The CAN in Automation (CiA) group warns that all CAN‑based products sold in the EU now fall under the European Union Cyber Resilience Act (EU CRA) unless covered by sector‑specific rules. Compliance hinges on achieving the appropriate IEC 62443 security level (SL),...
An Inside Look Into DARPA’s RACER Program
DARPA’s RACER program is advancing high‑speed autonomous vehicles that operate in unstructured off‑road terrain without relying on maps or GPS. The initiative has field‑tested modified Polaris RZR and Textron M5 platforms across the Mojave Desert, Camp Roberts, and Fort Hood....
Jevons Robotics Deal with Newmont to Deploy Auto Pre-Split Loading Robot
Jevons Robotics has signed an agreement with Newmont Australia to deploy an automated pre‑split loading robot built on the ARTEV1000 rugged, battery‑electric platform. The deal marks the first payload extension of the ARTEV1000, targeting highwall mining where it will substantially...
Infineon to Supply Semiconductors for BMW Neue Klasse Platform
Infineon Technologies will equip BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse platform with a suite of core semiconductors, including AURIX and TRAVEO microcontrollers, BRIGHTLANE Ethernet, OPTIREG power‑management ICs, and PROFET smart‑power switches and eFuses. The platform adopts a centralized, zonal E/E architecture featuring...
PLP ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH FULCRUMAIR TO DEVELOP NEXT-GENERATION ROBOTIC INSTALLATION SYSTEMS FOR POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION
PLP and FulcrumAir have launched a multi‑year strategic partnership to co‑develop next‑generation robotic installation systems for overhead power line construction. The collaboration builds on prior joint products such as the LineSpider™ and LineFly™ robots, aiming to boost efficiency, safety, and...
How to Integrate Decades-Old Modbus Devices Without Regret
Modbus remains the dominant industrial communication protocol, with the market expected to grow from $1.2 billion to $2.5 billion by 2033. Integrating legacy devices is cost‑effective using gateways, historians, or edge gateways, avoiding expensive rip‑and‑replace projects. Security must be addressed at the...
AGVs You Can Trust at MODEX 2026
MasterMover will exhibit its heavy‑duty automated guided vehicles and electric tuggers at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, highlighting the TOW300 AGV capable of moving up to 44,000 lb across indoor and outdoor environments. The TOW300 combines BlueBotics ANT navigation and SICK safety scanners to...
First Speakers Announced for This Year’s Autonomous Vehicle Tech Expo Conference
Autonomous Vehicle Tech Expo Europe will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, from June 23-25, 2026. The three‑day event combines a free‑to‑attend exhibition of the latest autonomous driving and ADAS solutions with a paid conference featuring industry experts. Among the first...
“Robot, Make Me a Chair”
MIT researchers unveiled an AI‑driven robotic assembly platform that turns natural‑language prompts into physical objects. A generative AI creates a 3‑D mesh, while a vision‑language model determines component placement, enabling a robot to assemble furniture from reusable parts. The system...
Ant Robotics Introduces Autonomous Platform Valera Cube
Ant Robotics has launched the Valera Cube, an autonomous tool carrier designed for polytunnels, vineyards, tabletops, and field crops. The robot features a portal‑style chassis, side‑mounted sprayers, UVC lamps, and modular attachments for insect distribution and monitoring. It navigates using...
Skyeton Upgrades Raybird UAS with Satellite Communications
Skyeton has integrated satellite communications into its Raybird tactical UAV, eliminating data link range constraints and enabling continuous real‑time transmission throughout 28‑plus hour missions. The SATCOM‑enabled Raybird can now operate beyond 2,500 km, supporting deep ISR tasks in contested environments. The...
Tampa International Airport Showcases Three Agentic AI Breakthroughs Ahead of IAR London Breakfast Briefing
Tampa International Airport will unveil three agentic AI breakthroughs at the International Airport Review breakfast briefing in London, developed with Sotereon.ai’s Underwing Overwatch platform. The first solution uses live LiDAR data to automate aircraft turnaround, continuously tracking underwing tasks and...
Australia Prepares for Next Batch of ‘Ghost Bat’ Warplane Buddy Drones
Australia is expanding its collaborative combat aircraft program by adding seven more Boeing MQ‑28A Ghost Bat drones, a AUS $754 million investment that brings the fleet toward ten operational units by 2028. The RAAF already operates eight Block 1 aircraft and is testing...
The Forces Rewiring Modern Manufacturing
Manufacturing is undergoing a digital overhaul where connectivity, data and automation dictate factory efficiency, product consistency, and uptime. Unplanned downtime now averages $260,000 per hour, contributing to roughly $1.5 trillion in global losses each year. Tata Communications frames the CIO agenda...
New US Senate Proposed Legislation “Will Speed FAA Certification of US eVTOLs”
A bipartisan group of nine U.S. senators will introduce the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act to streamline the FAA's type‑certification process for advanced air mobility aircraft, including eVTOLs. The bill mandates transparent timelines, updated delegation guidance for novel technologies,...
Wisk Envisions Autonomous, Accessible Electric VTOL Air Taxis
Re-up! Autonomous and accessible - Wisk's vision for future electric VTOL air taxis #avgeek #Boeing #eVTOL #Wisk https://t.co/tpZctOS8e0
Royal Navy Sees Hybrid Shift as Central to Future Force Mix
Britain’s Royal Navy is accelerating a transition to a ‘hybrid fleet’ that blends crewed warships with uncrewed and autonomous systems, a core element of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review. First Sea Lord Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins said the priority is...