WeRide and Lenovo Announce Ambition to Deploy 200,000 Autonomous Vehicles by 2031
WeRide and Lenovo have expanded their partnership to target the deployment of 200,000 Level‑4 autonomous vehicles worldwide by 2031, beginning in 2026. The plan includes robotaxis, autonomous minibuses and sanitation vehicles, leveraging Lenovo’s AD1 domain controller and Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor chip. Their joint HPC 3.0 platform promises over 2,000 TOPS of AI performance while cutting hardware costs by half and reducing total cost of ownership by 84%. The collaboration aims to create a global, scalable autonomous‑driving ecosystem that bridges cloud computing, vehicle hardware and supply‑chain logistics.
WeRide Expands WRD 3.0 Across Multiple Chip Platforms
WeRide announced that its WRD 3.0 advanced driver assistance system is now compatible with multiple chip platforms, including NVIDIA DRIVE, Qualcomm Snapdragon and SiEngine’s StarLight AD1000. The expansion enables automakers to deploy L2++ ADAS across a range of computing power—from...
Komatsu Mining Signs New Shuttle Car Deal with Contractor TMC Bringing Total to over 50 in India
Komatsu Mining India has signed a contract with TMC Mineral Resources to deliver two new Joy 10SC32 shuttle cars, bringing its fleet in the country to more than 50 units. TMC, a certified underground contractor, operates several coal mines for...
JAL, GMO to Test Using Humanoid Robots for Airport Ground Operations
Japan Airlines (JAL) and GMO Internet Group will launch a demonstration using humanoid robots to move passenger luggage at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport starting in May 2026. The trial, running through 2028, aims to assess labor‑efficiency gains amid rising travel demand...
U.S. Navy Drills in At-Sea USV Fueling Ahead of CSG Deployment
The U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated at‑sea refueling of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) Seahawk using the fleet oiler USNS Guadalupe off Southern California. The test clears a key logistical hurdle for the upcoming deployment of the Seahawk with the...
Leiden’s Sensor-Free Microrobots Move Like Living Organisms
Researchers at Leiden University have created soft, chain‑like microrobots that move and adapt without sensors, software, or external control. Each 5 µm segment is linked by 0.5 µm joints and powered solely by an electric field, allowing the robot’s shape to dictate...
Focal Point Positioning to Showcase Precise+ High-Precision GNSS Technology at ENC 2026
UK‑based GNSS software firm Focal Point Positioning will unveil its Precise+ high‑precision technology at the European Navigation Conference in Vienna, April 28‑30, 2026. Precise+ applies the company’s patented Supercorrelation method to carrier‑phase measurements, delivering centimeter‑level positioning even in signal‑obstructed environments. Principal engineer...
EPG & Locus Robotics Announce Strategic Partnership
Ehrhardt Partner Group (EPG) has forged a strategic partnership with Locus Robotics, fully integrating Locus’s autonomous mobile robot (AMR) fulfillment solution into EPG’s ONE warehouse management system (WMS). The combined offering is now demonstrated at EPG’s Logistics Solution Center in...
Your Factory Floor Is Ready for AI, but Is Your Network?
Manufacturers are moving fast on AI, with 61% already in active deployment and many adopting agentic AI that autonomously manages production, supply‑chain, and quality tasks. The shift to edge computing means 75% of enterprise data will be processed at the...
The UK Has ‘Significant Opportunity’ to Lead Next Wave of Robotics Innovation
TechUK’s new "Seizing the Robotics Opportunity" report argues the United Kingdom can become a global leader in the next wave of robotics, provided it acts now. The paper highlights converging advances in AI, sensing, computing power and materials that are...
Geely’s Caocao Plans 100,000 Purpose-Built Robotaxis by 2030
Geely’s ride‑hailing unit Caocao unveiled a plan to field 100,000 purpose‑built robotaxis by 2030, with the first Eva Cab units rolling out in 2027. The Eva Cab is designed from scratch for driverless service, stripping non‑essential features to lower purchase...
Tocaro Blue Unveils ApolloCore™ AI Software for Maritime Perception
US‑based Tocaro Blue has launched ApolloCore™, an AI‑driven perception software that converts commercial PTZ marine cameras into high‑performance sensors for autonomous and defense vessels. The solution provides real‑time object detection, ranging, persistent tracking and fuses camera data with the company’s...
When AI Agents Take the Lead in Decision-Making, Who Answers when They Mess Up?
The article stresses that AI agents themselves are not accountable for mistakes; responsibility rests with the people who train, design, and deploy them. It cites real‑world cases such as biased loan approvals, gender‑discriminatory hiring tools, and pricing algorithms that favor...
Partnership to Advance Automated Inspection in Smart Manufacturing
3D Infotech and Doosan Robotics announced a strategic partnership to deliver a fully integrated, AI‑driven inspection system for smart factories. Doosan will provide its collaborative robot platforms while 3D Infotech contributes its metrology automation software, creating a turnkey solution that...
Innovating at the Tactical Edge: Red Hat at Exercise: HEIMDALL
Red Hat participated in NATO’s Exercise HEIMDALL in Norway, a three‑week cold‑weather drill that brought together 13 defense departments and 26 industry partners. The company showcased its open‑source portfolio, including OpenShift, Device Edge and Edge Manager, to run AI‑driven mission planning and...
Vietnam: UAV Technology to Power Smart Aerial Economy
Vietnam has unveiled a national UAV strategy to build a low‑altitude economy below 1,000 metres, positioning Hanoi as a testbed for smart governance, regulatory sandboxes, and eVTOL trials. The roadmap focuses on four pillars: transport, dual‑use civilian‑defence applications, domestic design...
Saronic to Collaborate with Korea on ASVs
Saronic Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan’s National Chung‑Shan Institute of Science and Technology to develop AI‑enabled maritime capabilities, including autonomous surface vessels (ASVs). The partnership will focus on AI‑driven command‑and‑control software, systems integration, and the use...
TECH PROFILE: Navtech’s 360-Degree Radar for Highway Detection
Navtech Radar’s 360‑degree sensor delivers continuous corridor coverage, replacing traditional snapshot detectors with a single unit that monitors all lanes, shoulders and ramps. Design starts with outcome‑based specifications, dictating radar spacing, geometry and mounting height (around 4.5 m) to maintain line‑of‑sight....
Auto China 2026 Deep Dive: From Vehicles to Smart Mobility Ecosystems
Auto China 2026 in Beijing showcased 1,451 vehicles across 380,000 sq m, but its lasting impact lies in the shift from standalone cars to integrated smart‑mobility ecosystems. Automakers such as Chery displayed dozens of models side‑by‑side with semiconductor and AI‑sensor partners, underscoring...
SiEngine Showcases Full-Stack Chip Matrix at Auto China 2026
SiEngine used the 19th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition to unveil its latest full‑stack chip matrix, including the Dragon Eagle cockpit series, Star intelligent‑driving chips, the industrial‑grade Dragon Eagle One, the Tiangong 100 AI accelerator and a new SerDes line. The company...
Pony.ai Unveils Next-Generation Autonomous Driving Domain Controller
Pony.ai introduced a next‑generation autonomous driving domain controller on April 25, built on NVIDIA’s DRIVE Hyperion platform and powered by the DRIVE AGX Thor with NVLink. The system delivers up to 4,000 FP4 TFLOPS of combined compute, supporting both single‑chip...
Honda Postpones Self-Driving Goal to 2028 as EV Retreat Takes Toll
Honda Motor announced it will push back its AI‑driven autonomous‑driving rollout to 2028, a year later than originally planned. The delay follows a recent retreat from an aggressive electric‑vehicle (EV) strategy that forced the cancellation of several upcoming models, including...
Robotaxi Services Put the 'Auto' In Autonomous
Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous‑vehicle unit, now runs more than 800 robotaxis across a 260‑square‑mile zone in San Francisco and is expanding to five U.S. markets covering roughly 700 square miles. Competitors Zoox and Tesla are also scaling, with Zoox fielding purpose‑built, steering‑wheel‑less...
New Robotic Control Software Avoids Jamming Their Joints
Researchers at EPFL have unveiled a framework called Kinematic Intelligence that lets robots share learned tasks across different hardware without retraining. By mathematically mapping each arm’s joint limits and singularities, the system reroutes motions around danger zones, ensuring safe execution....
THEY TOOK R JOBS: New DroneDog Robot Security Guard Gets to Work
Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped has been upgraded with Asylon’s PupPack to create the DroneDog security robot, which can patrol construction sites autonomously. The system logs more than 250,000 security missions and over 150,000 miles of real‑world operation, using thermal imaging,...
Weyerhaeuser Trains AI to Map Every Tree in Its 10M-Acre Estate
Weyerhaeuser, America’s largest private landowner, is deploying artificial intelligence to create a digital twin of its 10.4 million‑acre timber estate. The AI model, trained on satellite, drone and lidar data, will identify tree species, size and spacing, feeding into harvest scheduling,...
The Rule Change that Could End Maddening Car Safety Tech
The EU’s General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), fully effective July 2024, forces all new cars to ship with default‑on intelligent speed assistance, autonomous emergency braking, lane‑keeping and driver‑attention systems. Euro NCAP’s upcoming 2026 testing protocol will tighten driver‑monitoring criteria, likely prompting more intrusive...
This Ukrainian Company Is Upgrading Its Battlefield Robots Like Smartphones. Here's How It's Chasing the Edge in Combat.
Ukrainian robotics firm DevDroid is treating its battlefield robots like smartphones, rolling out software patches every few weeks and delivering remote fixes within minutes. The company can prototype, test with a brigade and field a new capability across all units...
Hardware & Tools Category at 139th Canton Fair Powers a Shift Toward Smarter, Safer and More Efficient Solutions
At the 139th Canton Fair, hardware exhibitors showcased intelligent outdoor maintenance equipment, advanced power tools, and AI‑driven manufacturing systems. Remote‑controlled mowing robots can climb 30‑degree slopes, boosting efficiency by over 500% while keeping operators away from hazardous terrain. A new...
Sparkoz Expands Into Canada with Autonomous Solutions
Sparkoz, a global leader in autonomous cleaning robotics, announced its entry into the Canadian market, deploying a fleet of AI‑driven scrubbers and vacuums for large‑scale facilities. The rollout targets airports, hospitals, shopping centers and warehouses, addressing labor shortages and rising...
CSIST to Partner with Saronic Tech on USVs
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S.-based Saronic Technologies, alongside Maritime Tactical Systems, to co‑develop modular uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). The partnership aims to slash manufacturing overhead, accelerate development and diversify Taiwan’s...
Robotaxi Cost to Drop Under 230,000 Yuan in 2027, Pony.ai Unveils First L4 Autonomous Light Truck
Pony.ai announced that its fully unmanned Robotaxi will cost under 230,000 yuan (about $32,000) by 2027, undercutting the price of a domestically built Tesla Model 3. The company’s fleet already exceeds 1,400 units and serves more than 1 million riders, showing positive...
Who Is Paving the Way for L3 Scaling?
Huawei’s Qiankun division unveiled ADS 5, a full‑stack autonomous‑driving solution aimed at mass‑market Level 3 deployment. The system combines a cloud‑based World Model with adversarial training, the WEWA2.0 reinforcement‑learning architecture, and the industry‑first Qiankun OS that cuts in‑vehicle latency by 30%. Safety...
Seeds | Xingji Guangnian Closes Two Funding Rounds Within Three Months
Xingji Guangnian, a Chinese robotics startup founded in August 2024, closed a Pre‑A++ round led by Shunchuang Industrial Investment, bringing its total funding in the past three months to over 100 million yuan (about $14 million). The capital will fund the rollout of...
Join Our Expert Webinar on Humanoid Robots in Industry
IDTechEx is hosting a 30‑minute webinar on April 30, 2026, led by technology analyst Shihao Fu, to examine the market readiness, ROI, and ten‑year outlook for humanoid robots in industry. The session notes a transition from prototype demos to structured...
HANNOVER MESSE 2026: RealSense Demonstrates Comprehensive GMSL Depth Camera Portfolio
RealSense unveiled an expanded Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) portfolio at Hannover Messe 2026, adding GMSL support to its D401, D415 and D430 depth cameras. The new lineup offers sub‑millimeter precision, mid‑range accuracy and rugged integration for robotic arms, humanoids,...
Ukraine to Field 25,000 Ground Robots in Push to Replace Soldiers for Frontline Logistics
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced a contract for 25,000 unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to be delivered by mid‑2026, more than double the 2025 target. The ministry aims for 100% of frontline logistics to be performed by robots, citing over 9,000 missions...
Pentagon Wants to Water Down Drone Program with Autonomous Subs
DARPA has launched the Deep Thoughts program to create compact, low‑cost autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) capable of full‑ocean‑depth operations. The initiative seeks novel materials, free‑form designs and rapid, weeks‑long development cycles, diverging from traditional, bulky AUVs. It aligns with the...
‘Look, No Hands’: China Chases the Driverless Dream at Beijing Car Show
At the Beijing Auto Fair, Chinese automakers showcased a wave of autonomous‑driving technologies as domestic EV sales slump 17% YoY. Huawei announced a $11 bn (80 bn yuan) five‑year fund for self‑driving software, while Xpeng and Xiaomi demonstrated AI‑powered command and in‑car...
ServiceNow and Google Cloud Unite AI Agents for Autonomous Enterprise Operations
ServiceNow and Google Cloud announced an expanded partnership at Google Cloud Next, introducing a suite of AI agents that can autonomously detect, diagnose and resolve enterprise issues across 5G networks, retail operations and IT systems. The solutions leverage Google’s Gemini...
This Kenyan Startup Wants to Rebuild Enterprise Software Around AI Agents
Kenyan AI startup Lua secured $5.8 million (≈ KES 748 million) seed funding to launch a platform that lets enterprises build autonomous AI agents capable of executing entire business processes. The agents operate through familiar channels such as Slack, WhatsApp and email, handling multi‑step...
This Robot Is Making On’s Spray-On Marathon Sneaker, Its Fastest-Ever Distance Shoe
Swiss brand On unveiled its LightSpray robot in London, showcasing the ultra‑light Cloudboom Strike and the new Cloudmonster 3 Hyper sneakers. The robot sprays a single‑filament polymer onto a shoe last, creating a stretchy mesh upper in just three minutes—replacing roughly 200 traditional...
Hyundai Rotem Enters Vietnamese Market
Hyundai Rotem has secured a $332 million contract to supply driverless trains for Line 2 of Ho Chi Minh City’s metro, marking its first entry into the Vietnamese market. The 64‑kilometre line, featuring 36 stations, aims to open by 2030 and will also receive...
Coco Robotics Deploys Autonomous Delivery Robots with Uber Eats in San Jose
Coco Robotics has rolled out its autonomous sidewalk delivery robots in downtown San Jose, partnering with Uber Eats to offer zero‑emission last‑mile service. The launch follows expansions in Los Angeles, Chicago, Jersey City and Miami and pushes the company toward a global fleet of...
Neura Robotics and Dassault Systèmes Partner to Scale Physical AI Through Virtual Twins and Real World Learning
Neura Robotics and Dassault Systèmes have teamed up to link Neura’s robot‑training platform with Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE virtual‑twin system, creating a closed‑loop workflow that blends synthetic simulation data with real‑world operational feedback. The partnership aims to accelerate robot skill acquisition, lower...
Musk Says Tesla Has Begun Producing Its Cybercab Robotaxi
Tesla announced that it has begun serial production of the Cybercab, its first purpose‑built robotaxi. The two‑seat, steering‑wheel‑free sedan is slated for rollout in Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Las Vegas during the first half of 2026. While shares nudged up...
Bosch Showcases Level 3 Automated Driving in China
Bosch Mobility demonstrated a Level 3 driver‑assistance system at Beijing's automotive trade fair, enabling hands‑off, eyes‑off operation on motorways and expressways. The technology, already being tested on public roads in Wuxi and fitted to the Chery Exeed ES, supports speeds up to...
Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Drone Safety Day, Mt. Everest, Blockchain Black Box
DRONERESPONDERS is urging the FAA to adopt a National Public Safety Waiver that would give U.S. first‑responder agencies a single, performance‑based authorization for BVLOS and over‑people drone flights. The proposal, backed by dozens of law‑enforcement, fire and EMS departments, aims...
Autonomous Resource Corporation and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Partner to Accelerate AI-Enabled Defense Manufacturing at National Scale
Autonomous Resource Corporation (ARC) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the Exascale Foundry, a joint effort that fuses ORNL’s high‑performance computing and advanced manufacturing assets with ARC’s AI‑driven ARCNet platform. The collaboration...
Autonomous Mobility Partnership to Deploy ID. Buzz Fleet in US Public Transit to Start in Orlando
MOIA America, Volkswagen’s autonomous mobility unit, has partnered with micro‑transit operator Beep to launch driverless public‑transit service in Orlando. The collaboration will deploy purpose‑built ID. Buzz electric vans equipped with Mobileye’s self‑driving stack and a MaaS software platform. Initial validation rides...