Autonomy News and Headlines
Autonomy News and Headlines
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DHL Express and LODD Autonomous have signed an MoU to explore integrating LODD’s Hili unmanned aircraft into DHL’s express network. The Hili UAV can lift up to 250 kg, carry two Euro pallets, and fly 700 km with VTOL capability. Both parties will launch operational workshops to pinpoint priority routes and refine payload, turnaround and system interoperability. The partnership targets the UAE, where road congestion is driving demand for aerial logistics solutions.
Certis Group has signed a strategic partnership with FieldAI to roll out autonomous security robots across multi‑site operations worldwide. The collaboration blends FieldAI’s Field Foundation Models—general‑purpose AI that navigates without pre‑mapped routes—with Certis’ Mozart orchestration platform that synchronises robots, human...
Cross Water Production introduces a modular aluminium RIB that combines a long‑life hull with interchangeable deck modules, enabling current crewed missions and a stepwise path to unmanned capability. The hull is built for 25‑plus years of service with 1.5× buoyancy,...
Leonardo UK announced optimism about securing additional funding for its Proteus autonomous‑system demonstrator ahead of the UK Defence Investment Plan. The programme, backed by a £60 million MoD contract awarded in 2022, completed its maiden flight in January 2026, proving key...
Industrial water treatment is shifting from manual oversight to a continuously monitored, data‑driven asset within automated factories. Sensors on reverse‑osmosis units feed pressure, conductivity and flow data into PLCs and SCADA systems, allowing real‑time alignment of water quality with production...
The Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command announced a €15 million purchase of Parrot ANAFI UKR micro‑UAV systems, with deliveries slated for early 2026. The contract builds on years of Finnish experience with Parrot’s ANAFI Thermal SE and ANAFI USA platforms, extending the force’s ISR...
Four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drones have shifted from hobbyist tools to core combat assets. Ukrainian forces rapidly adapted FPV drones for reconnaissance, targeting and defense, compressing development cycles that normally take years into weeks. The conflict spurred...
RCT has installed Epiroc’s AutoNav Tele on an Aramine L350D loader at the Reward Gold mine in New South Wales, enabling remote operation in narrow‑vein underground conditions. The loader arrived from France and required a custom‑built mini AutoNav hut due...
Whitehaven Coal partnered with Caterpillar to install autonomous haulage system (AHS) trucks at its Daunia underground mine, expecting a significant boost in productivity. The AHS rollout delivered lower than projected tonnage and frequent downtime, undermining the anticipated efficiency gains. These...
XPONENTIAL 2026, held May 11‑14 in Detroit, is the world’s largest showcase for uncrewed systems, robotics, and autonomy across air, ground and maritime sectors. The event emphasizes production‑ready technology, with exhibitors demonstrating integrated platforms, advanced manufacturing, and sustainable deployment at...
SteerAI unveiled xRift, an autonomous flat‑deck all‑terrain vehicle at Abu Dhabi's Unmanned Systems Exhibition. The platform replaces a traditional cab with a modular deck, supporting up to 500 kg of payloads ranging from ISR kits to weapon systems. Powered by the...
Titan Dynamics Inc. has been named one of the top 25 firms to compete in Gauntlet I of the U.S. Department of War’s Drone Dominance Program, the first live‑testing phase for small unmanned aerial systems. The initiative evaluates performance, production readiness,...
Four years after launching the world’s first autonomous electric feeder, China’s 300‑TEU vessel Zhi Fei completed its first fully autonomous docking at Qingdao Port, completing the maneuver in just 30 seconds. The ship, capable of crew‑managed, remote‑controlled or unmanned navigation, operates...
Ottonomy unveiled Ottumn.AI, a cloud‑based platform that orchestrates autonomous robots, drones, and smart infrastructure across healthcare, manufacturing, and commerce. The solution runs on NVIDIA AI hardware, leveraging Jetson edge devices, Isaac Sim digital twins, and cloud GPUs for sub‑30 ms decision...
Picogrid and Guardian RF have secured a joint contract to protect Vandenberg Space Force Base from unauthorized drone activity. The deal integrates Guardian RF’s low‑SWaP Scout passive RF sensors with Picogrid’s Expeditionary Command and Control Nodes, creating a unified, real‑time...
Alphabet has reached an agreement to embed its Gemini AI model in Apple’s upcoming Siri, creating a new licensing revenue stream. Simultaneously, Waymo clarified that its robotaxis are never remotely driven, with remote staff providing only high‑level guidance to address...
Uber Technologies unveiled Uber Autonomous Solutions, a turnkey suite that equips partners with data, mapping, regulatory access, financing and operational tools to commercialize autonomous vehicles worldwide. The offering bundles a high‑resolution multisensor data fleet, dynamic geospatial APIs, an AV‑first in‑car...
Motive introduced the AI Dashcam Plus, an edge‑AI device powered by Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QCS6490 processor that runs over 30 neural models simultaneously. The dashcam fuses stereo vision, audio, telematics, GPS and motion sensors to deliver real‑time risk detection with reduced latency and...
French mining group Imerys announced that its British Lithium (IBL) project will be placed into “care and maintenance,” effectively pausing development. The decision comes as the UK seeks to build a domestic battery supply chain, and the move signals a...
Under AUKUS Pillar II, Australia, the UK and the US are testing next‑generation autonomous and uncrewed maritime capabilities. The latest Maritime Big Play exercise in Australia featured live‑fire trials of C2 Robotics’ Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vehicle and involved around 30 emerging systems....
The mining sector is moving toward fully autonomous operations, with 5G networks emerging as the backbone for real‑time worker‑machine collaboration. Newmont’s Cadia mine has deployed teleremote dozers that are controlled over a private 5G slice, delivering sub‑10 ms latency. Early performance...
Neolix announced its autonomous robovan fleet has exceeded 100 million kilometres of real‑world driving, becoming the first company in the segment to reach this milestone. The record validates its self‑driving technology at massive scale and demonstrates reliability across diverse environments. The...
Collins Aerospace successfully demonstrated its Sidekick mission‑autonomy software on a General Atomics YFQ‑42A uncrewed jet, completing a four‑hour autonomous flight controlled from the ground. The test, part of the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, proved seamless integration...
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and the U.S. Air Force completed a joint autonomy exercise at Edwards AFB, pairing an F‑22 Raptor with the MQ‑20 Avenger unmanned jet. The test used government‑reference autonomy software and a tactical data link to let...
The quest for driverless cars began over a century ago, when Leonardo Torres Quevedo’s 1904 Telekino remotely steered a three‑wheeled vehicle. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s American inventors demonstrated radio‑controlled cars, and General Motors showcased infrastructure‑based autonomy at the 1939 World’s...
Eurogate and Embotech have launched a second autonomous terminal tractor pilot at the Hamburg marine terminal, moving containers between the railway and quay. The six‑month trial shifts focus from technical feasibility, proven in Wilhelmshaven, to operational performance metrics such as...
Qualcomm Technologies and Tata Electronics have signed a partnership to produce Qualcomm Automotive Modules at Tata's new semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Assam, India. The $3 bn greenfield plant will integrate Snapdragon Digital Chassis system‑on‑chips into ready‑to‑deploy automotive modules...
Umovity has bolstered its leadership roster with three senior appointments, adding Hans M. Molin as CTO of the ITS division, Hilary Aylesworth as chief product and technology officer for the software arm, and Matthew May as senior vice president of...
LYNEports and AeroVecto Aviation Services have signed a commercial agreement to embed LYNEports' AI‑native digital twin vertiport planning platform within AVAS's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions for Oman. The deal will localize the platform for Omani regulators, developers, airports and...
General Atomics demonstrated its MQ-20 drone operating under direct orders from an F‑22 pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, using Autonodyne’s Bashi pilot‑vehicle interface. The test showed the drone executing tactical maneuvers, waypoint changes, combat patrols and threat‑engagement tasks autonomously....
Stride Dynamics, an early‑stage robotics startup in Rajkot, India, is hiring a Flight Test Engineer to build, configure, and rigorously test UAV systems. The role spans bench, simulation, and field testing, data analysis, and client demonstrations, requiring hands‑on experience with...
A new review of 191 papers highlights that robotic weed control in rice is moving toward AI‑driven sensor fusion and amphibious platforms. Paddy fields pose extreme challenges—water, mud, glare and plant similarity degrade detection and mobility. Researchers argue that edge...
RemotiveLabs has joined the HERE Technologies and AWS SDV Accelerator as an integration partner, focusing on virtual ECU, infotainment, simulator, and location service integration in cloud‑native workflows. Its RemotiveTopology platform orchestrates virtual ECU networks across cockpit, ADAS, body, and central...
IM Motors has introduced its IM5 and IM6 electric sedans in the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia, marking the brand’s first expansion into the MENA region. Both models come equipped with an advanced driver assistance system co‑developed with Momenta, built...
Ascend Engineering has delivered a suite of upstream contributions to the PX4 open‑source drone ecosystem, including a new UAVCAN hardpoint command node, a major QGroundControl joystick refactor, and drivers for the Lightware GRF‑500 rangefinder. The company also fixed a critical...
Cellula Robotics has been chosen for the Canadian Technology Accelerators Maritime Defence and Security program in the United Kingdom. The initiative, led by the Canadian High Commission and BMNT, connects Canadian ocean‑technology firms with UK defence and industry stakeholders. In...
London will launch a national robotaxi pilot this spring, featuring British startup Wayve, US‑based Waymo and China’s Baidu. The trials aim to test autonomous vehicles on the city’s congested, historic streets and support the UK’s push to become a leader...
Chinese mobility firm CaoCao Inc. announced that its robotaxi fleet in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District has reached 100 vehicles, supported by its Green Intelligent Mobility Hub. The company is moving from safety‑driver‑assisted rides to fully driverless operations while trialing mixed fleets,...
Faraday Future’s founder and co‑CEO YT Jia announced that the company will begin its first batch of EAI robotics deliveries next week, marking the start of revenue‑generating robot sales. The update also highlighted new sales and collaboration MOUs for the...
Waymo defended its remote‑assistance model after Senate Commerce Committee questioning, clarifying that 70 agents in the U.S. and Philippines support, but do not drive, its 3,000‑vehicle fleet. The company highlighted that Event Response Teams handle complex incidents from U.S. locations...
Unauthorized drone activity around critical infrastructure is surging, prompting agencies like CISA to issue updated guidance for operators. Incidents have risen dramatically—over 217% across facilities and up to 300% at European airports—driving demand for specialized visual detection systems. The global...
Tekniker showcased a new robotic metrology system at BIEMH 2026, merging a Kuka 7‑axis collaborative arm with Zeiss’s DuraMax measuring head and Schunk handling tools. The integrated solution automatically identifies, picks, positions, measures and classifies parts of identical geometry, delivering in‑process...
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University secured HK$18.6 million from the Smart Traffic Fund to launch three AI‑driven transport projects. One develops an end‑to‑end intelligent driving system for logistics using multi‑modal sensor fusion and a 360° bird’s‑eye view framework. A second creates...
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division won the Best Innovation award at the Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition for Project RED, a system that locates, identifies, and retrieves downed drones using AI and a robotic claw. The solution employs...
Norwegian‑US startup 1X launched Neo, a $20,000 consumer‑ready humanoid robot that can fold laundry and load dishwashers, but it relies on remote operators wearing VR headsets to handle complex tasks. The robot records video of its actions for future AI...
Stellantis announced a €22.2 billion ($26 billion) write‑down tied to its electric‑vehicle strategy and sold its 49 % stake in the NextStar Energy battery JV to LG Energy Solution for a nominal $100. The charge reflects cancelled EV platforms, supply‑chain resizing and quality‑related...
Waymo announced that its sixth‑generation Waymo Driver is now operating fully autonomously on U.S. public roads, deployed in the new Ojai robotaxi built on Geely’s Zeekr Mix. The fleet, which previously relied on Jaguar I‑Pace conversions, will soon include Hyundai Ioniq 5...
CharterUP has teamed up with Holon to fuse Holon’s autonomous vehicle ecosystem with CharterUP’s AI‑first mobility platform and nationwide network. The deal enables CharterUP to roll out Holon’s self‑driving shuttles across campuses, airports, transit agencies and community settings. By offering...
Caterpillar showcased its Intelligent Cab Assistant, an AI‑driven voice interface installed in an excavator, allowing operators to query controls, retrieve manuals, monitor machine health, and order parts hands‑free. The system can set safety ceilings, warn of overhead obstacles, and provide...
The article argues that the Pentagon’s biggest hurdle with drones is technology adoption, not a lack of options, and stresses the need for experienced defense partners to field reliable unmanned systems. It highlights that trust, scalability, and maintainability hinge on...
