Kodiak AI, General Dynamics Land Systems Partner for Military Vehicles
Kodiak AI and General Dynamics Land Systems have formed a strategic partnership to build autonomous ground vehicles for defence. Kodiak will supply its Physical AI "Kodiak Driver" software while General Dynamics handles vehicle integration, power and communications. The joint effort builds on the Leonidas AGV, a driverless Ford F‑600‑based platform equipped for mobile counter‑drone missions. Both firms aim to market scalable, cost‑effective AGVs to the U.S. Army and allied forces worldwide.
Safety Agency Opens Probe Into Startup Avride’s Autonomous Crashes in Texas
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into 16 crashes involving Avride’s autonomous vehicles operating in Dallas, Texas. NHTSA says the vehicles displayed excessive assertiveness, unsafe lane changes, and failure to avoid obstacles, raising possible traffic safety...
AI-Guided Labs Are Approaching Full Autonomy
Ginkgo Bioworks is building fully autonomous biopharma labs that combine 70 robots, 90 lab devices and AI‑driven software in an 18,000‑square‑foot Boston facility. Scientists can submit dozens of unique protocols each day, which the system executes without human intervention. In...
SANY Rolls Out 1,000th Electric Excavator & Launches 5G Remote Control
SANY Group has delivered its 1,000th electric excavator, underscoring a rapid shift toward zero‑emission construction equipment. The company also launched the SY550HD, a 5G‑enabled remote‑controlled excavator that can be operated from up to 8,500 km with latency as low as 120‑140 ms....
Kodiak AI and Bosch Test Hardware Components for Autonomous Trucking Platform
Bosch has begun supplying camera and actuation hardware to Kodiak AI, integrating early‑prototype sensors into the company’s SensorPods and testing Bosch’s camera samples for its autonomous trucking platform. The partnership, announced in January 2026, has moved from strategic alignment to joint...
Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Program Testing, FIFA World Cup, Amusement Park Restrictions
Leander, Texas, is piloting a two‑week drone‑first‑response program using Skydio X10 units that can launch in 20 seconds and reach incident sites in under 90 seconds, delivering live video and thermal imaging to police and fire crews. The drones can...
The US Marine Corps Is Looking for a Few Good Robots to Build Airfields
The U.S. Marine Corps has issued an SBIR solicitation to develop autonomous robots that can assemble Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) matting in austere, amphibious environments. The program, titled “Automated Expeditionary Airfield Assembly,” seeks systems capable of navigating uneven terrain, handling heavy...
New Rules Will Keep Unmanned Aircraft Away From Prisons and Power Plants
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to create Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restrictions (UAFRs) around critical infrastructure, including prisons, power plants, chemical facilities, and dams. Two tiers are proposed—a standard UAFR that caps drone altitude at 400 feet (or higher...
Boeing Debuts First Successful MQ-25A Stingray Flight
Boeing and the U.S. Navy completed the first operational flight of the MQ‑25A Stingray, a two‑hour autonomous test that demonstrated taxi, takeoff, flight, landing and command response via the carrier mission control system. The flight validated the aircraft’s flight controls,...
South Korea Demo Shows Humanoids, ‘Robot Dogs’ Teaming Up in a Warehouse
LG CNS showcased its PhysicalWorks Baton platform, letting humanoid, quadruped, AMR and AGV robots collaborate autonomously in a Seoul warehouse demo. The system coordinated a Unitree humanoid, Deep Robotics’ M20 quadruped, Dexmate’s wheeled robot and Bear Robotics’ Carti‑100 without human...
How a Robot (Sort of) Made Me Lunch
London startup Kaikaku AI is piloting a food‑assembly robot called Fusion at a poke‑bowl shop, backed by $1.8 million in funding. The machine automatically dispenses vegetables, sauces and raw salmon into a bowl, while a human adds rice and final seasoning....
Tesla Model Y First to Pass NHTSA’s Eight-Point ADAS Test
Tesla’s 2026‑model Year Model Y became the first vehicle to clear all eight criteria of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s revamped Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) benchmark. The test suite adds four new evaluations—pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane‑keeping assistance, blind‑spot...
Brain Corp Reports Strong Results From AI-Powered Shelf-Scanning Robots at Czech Retailer Albert
Brain Corp announced that its AI‑powered shelf‑scanning robots delivered high‑90% accuracy for Albert, the Czech Ahold Delhaize retailer operating 350 stores. The robots outperformed the 90% accuracy benchmark and continued to improve as they learned from each scan. By automatically identifying...
UK Announces GBP10M Prize Competition for Future Flight Solutions
Innovate UK, the research arm of UKRI, is allocating up to £10 million (≈$12.5 million) to accelerate dual‑use aviation technologies such as uncrewed aircraft systems, eVTOL and eCTOL platforms, and autonomous swarms. Grants of £300,000‑£1.25 million (≈$375,000‑$1.56 million) will fund projects at technology readiness...
Rocsys Launches ‘Next-Generation’ Hands-Free Charging System for Heavy-Duty Electric Fleets
Rocsys has introduced the S2, its next‑generation hands‑free charging system for heavy‑duty electric fleets, now available for ports, distribution hubs and logistics facilities. The first unit has been delivered to a large‑scale port customer, and the solution comes in a...
Inside Torc Robotics: How Autonomous Trucking Is Moving Toward Commercial Reality
Torc Robotics, a veteran autonomous‑driving firm founded in 2005, is advancing Level 4 self‑driving trucks on the Freightliner Cascadia platform in partnership with Daimler. The company has broadened public‑road testing to Texas, Virginia and Michigan, gathering data across diverse weather and...
DNV Greenlights TKMS Autonomous Unmanned Watercraft
German shipbuilder TKMS received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from classification society DNV for its 25‑meter autonomous unmanned watercraft demonstrator, named MUM. The vessel complies with DNV’s Underwater Technology class rule and the Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vessels guideline, making...
Madrid Is Preparing the First Fully Automated Metro Line in Its Network
Madrid’s regional government is investing €8 million (≈$8.7 M) to retrofit platforms at all 28 stations of Line 6, the network’s busiest circular line, paving the way for full driverless operation by 2027. The upgrade includes automatic platform doors, new signaling, and accessibility...
ANELLO Photonics Secures $25M to Scale GPS-Denied Navigation & Autonomy Solutions
Anello Photonics raised $25 million in a Series B-2 round led by MESH, with participation from Washington Harbour Partners and existing investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures. The funding will accelerate production of its silicon‑photonic inertial navigation systems that deliver fiber‑gyro...
Rogue Cortex and UAS Nexus Partnerto Launch Modular FPV Developer Kit
Rogue Cortex and UAS Nexus have announced a modular FPV developer kit that pairs the Platform One drone with Rogue Cortex’s SDK and developer program. The out‑of‑the‑box solution provides a production‑grade airframe, swappable components and a full software stack, enabling...
Rosefinch Secures Repeat Order & Strengthens Global Partnership
Rosefinch announced a repeat order that reinforces its expanding global partnership, underscoring growing demand for advanced unmanned solutions. The sector saw a flurry of activity in May 2026, from the upcoming Unmanned Maritime Systems Technology USA conference in Arlington to Embry‑Riddle’s...
Europe’s First Robotaxi Service Is Underway in Croatia at $2.33 a Ride
Verne, a Croatian startup, has rolled out Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, deploying a fleet of ten electric Arcfox Alpha T5 SUVs equipped with Pony AI’s autonomous software. Rides are priced at a flat €1.99 (approximately $2.33) within a 35‑square‑mile...
Kodiak Takes Autonomous Trucks to Canadian Forests
Kodiak AI is deploying its autonomous trucking system to West Fraser Timber's logging operations in Alberta, marking the company's first overseas rollout and entry into the timber sector. The pilot will transport raw timber from remote forest sites to West...
As the US Army Adds Drones to Formations, Here’s How One Base Trains Its Operators
The U.S. Army’s new Marne Unmanned Center of Excellence at Fort Stewart opened in March to train soldiers on combat drones. The curriculum blends classroom instruction, 40‑50 hours of virtual‑reality simulation, and live‑flight tests that include obstacle courses and one‑way...
ABS, HD Hyundai and Anduril Industries to Advance Autonomous Surface Vessels
ABS, HD Hyundai and Anduril Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop autonomous surface vessels. The agreement creates an end‑to‑end pipeline covering ship design, construction, AI‑driven autonomy and classification certification. ABS will provide classification and technical advisory services,...
Toyota Reveals Grand AI Vision for Vehicles and Beyond
Toyota’s software arm Woven by Toyota introduced the AI Vision Engine, a large‑scale vision‑language model that fuses visual, behavioral and environmental data. The engine will underpin the next‑generation Anzen driver‑assist suite and the Arene software platform, enabling hardware‑agnostic updates for...
Virtual Commissioning and Real-Time Data: A Deep Dive Into Digital-Twin Technology
Digital twins are evolving from static CAD models to behaviorally accurate, data‑driven 3D replicas that ingest real‑time signals such as torque, speed, and energy. By integrating decentralized drives, edge computing, and AI‑assisted diagnostics, manufacturers can keep virtual models synchronized with...
Drones Gain Altitude in Manufacturing Facilities (and Challenges Emerge)
Manufacturers are adopting industrial drones to tackle margin pressure, labor shortages, and dispersed assets. Equipped with barcode scanners, computer‑vision, thermal and LiDAR sensors, drones automate inventory counts and inspections that once required scaffolding or shutdowns. The high‑resolution, timestamped data feeds...
MARTAC T38 USV Executes 192-Hour Autonomous Mission 400 NM Offshore
Maritime Tactical Systems’ T38 Devil Ray USV completed a record‑setting 192‑hour autonomous mission 400 nautical miles off California, proving long‑endurance, low‑logistics operation. The vessel maintained station in sea states up to 5, demonstrated 50‑knot bursts, and operated on a single...
Cellular Origins Collaborates with Immatics on Automation for Cell Therapy Manufacturing
Cellular Origins has partnered with immuno‑oncology firm Immatics to integrate its Constellation® automated mobile robotic platform into select steps of Immatics’ cell‑therapy manufacturing workflow. The joint effort will test how robotics can boost efficiency, scalability and cost‑effectiveness for next‑generation therapies,...
'Like a Microscopic Predator': Chinese Scientists Create Tiny Robotic Vacuum to Hunt Radioactive Pollution and Clean the World's Oceans
Chinese researchers at the Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes have created 2‑micron micromotors that self‑propel using hydrogen peroxide and light to capture uranium ions from seawater, achieving up to 406 mg of uranium per gram of material. The robots move about...
ResilienX Selected to Support GrandSKY in Project ULTRA UAS Integration and Simulation Efforts
ResilienX, Inc. has signed a subcontract with GrandSKY to provide engineering integration and operational modeling for Project ULTRA, a Department of Defense‑backed effort to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. The company will deploy its AAM OptiX digital infrastructure as...
Roborock Qrevo QV 35A Robot Vacuum Review: Great for Maintenance, But Not a Full Replacement
Roborock’s QV 35A robot vacuum and mop combo excels at daily floor maintenance, delivering 8,000 Pa suction and an auto‑empty dock. Mapping a 900‑sq‑ft apartment takes about 30 minutes, after which the unit tailors cleaning modes per room via a responsive app. Vacuuming...
HD Hyundai Robotics Secures Order for Robotic Welding Solutions, Enters US Shipbuilding Automation Market
HD Hyundai Robotics secured a contract with Chouest Group to supply its ArcLift GO robotic welding system to three shipyards in the United States and one in Brazil. The deal marks the company’s first automation project in the U.S. shipbuilding sector,...
Pentagon Turns to AI Targeting to Help Troops Shoot Drones
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has launched the C‑UAS Close‑In Kinetic Defeat Enhancement (CiKDE) program to embed AI‑enhanced target recognition (AiTR) into existing remote weapon stations and eventually dismounted small arms. Phase 1 focuses on upgrading CROWS turrets to detect drones...
Shake It Off—NASA’s Curiosity Rover Gets Its Robotic Arm Stuck Inside a Rock on Mars
NASA’s Curiosity rover became stuck on April 25 when its drill arm lodged onto a 28.6‑lb, 1.5‑ft Atacama rock. After several failed shake‑and‑vibrate attempts, engineers tilted, rotated and spun the bit on May 1, freeing the arm and breaking the rock into...
Blue Water Autonomy Partners up to Scale Next-Gen Shipbuilding
Boston‑based Blue Water Autonomy announced a network of strategic partners to accelerate production of its next‑generation autonomous vessels, including the 190‑foot Liberty Class currently under construction at Conrad Shipyards. The collaborations with Tulip Interface, Caterpillar Defense, Precise Power Systems and...
Aurora’s Chris Urmson on Why Self-Driving Trucks Are Finally Ready to Scale
Aurora launched its first commercial driverless trucks in April 2025 and is now expanding the fleet to hundreds of units in 2026. CEO Chris Urmson told TechCrunch’s Equity podcast that long‑haul trucking provides the first viable economics for full autonomy,...
ACSL and Draganfly Strike Exclusive Distribution Deal to Bring SOTEN Platform to Canada
Japanese drone maker ACSL has signed an exclusive master distributor agreement with Vancouver‑based Draganfly Inc., bringing the SOTEN multi‑mission quadcopter to Canada. The SOTEN platform features a swappable payload architecture with four camera options, including a 20 MP sensor and a...
How to Build a Trustworthy Robot
Researchers in Science Robotics argue that future robots should learn collaboratively with humans, building trust through interaction histories. Sharmita Dey of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems explains that such robots must adapt to cultural norms, individual preferences, and...
NOAA Awards $21.6m for Uncrewed Systems Supporting Mapping, Charting
NOAA announced a $21,600,909 contract with Chance Maritime Technologies to deliver up to eight uncrewed marine systems over five years. The systems will be installed on the agency’s new charting vessels, Surveyor and Navigator, to augment traditional seafloor mapping and...
Amazon Launches First Drone Deliveries in the UK
Amazon has launched its first UK drone‑delivery trial, branding the service Prime Air. The pilot operates from a distribution hub in Darlington, near Durham, and promises deliveries within two hours. Using the MK30 drone, Amazon can transport packages up to 2.2 kg...
OPT Demos Autonomous Offshore Charging for Maritime Drones
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) demonstrated that its WAM‑V autonomous surface vehicle can dock, charge, and redeploy without human intervention. The company plans to pair the docking system with its PowerBuoy platform, creating offshore charging points that enable continuous drone operations....
ARBOR Technology Unveils ARES-2100 Series for Next-Generation Edge AI with Intel Core Series 3 Processors
ARBOR Technology introduced the ARES-2100 series, a fanless 1U edge AI system powered by Intel Core Series 3 (Wildcat Lake) processors. The platform delivers up to 40 TOPS of AI compute, including 17 TOPS from a dedicated NPU, and combines CPU, Intel Xe3...
MVTec and ZEISS Collaborate: HALCON Is an Integral Part of the New ZEISS Software Platform Blockwise
MVTec and ZEISS announced a strategic partnership integrating MVTec HALCON into ZEISS Blockwise, the new automated microscopy platform released on April 30 2026. HALCON serves as the core image‑processing engine, combining rule‑based and deep‑learning methods for high‑precision semiconductor inspection. The collaboration delivers...
SYPAQ Systems Announces Successful Delivery and Entry Into Service of Corvo X
SYPAQ Systems delivered its Corvo X small‑uncrewed aerial system to the Australian Army, marking the entry into service under the DEF129 Small Uncrewed Aerial System Program. The rollout includes a multi‑year sustainment contract covering spares, maintenance, training and future upgrades. Corvo X...
AirData UAV Joins the Commercial Drone Alliance Ahead of Historic Part 108 Rule
AirData UAV announced its membership in the Commercial Drone Alliance as the FAA prepares to implement the landmark Part 108 Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rule later this year. The rule will impose rigorous pre‑flight, in‑flight, and post‑flight documentation, risk...
Volarious VIGIL V1 Airborne Drone Detection Payload
Volarious, a Singapore‑based drone technology firm, will exhibit at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit (May 12‑14) showcasing its V‑LINE PRO tethering system that stretches drone flight from minutes to multiple hours. The company will also debut the VIGIL V1 airborne drone detection payload, which provides...
Drones Over the Swamp: How South Walton Is Reinventing Mosquito Control
South Walton County’s Mosquito District has deployed a two‑drone system to spray larvicide over swampy habitats, treating 593 acres of hard‑to‑reach land. The PV‑40X treatment drone can carry up to 40 pounds of pellets, while a Skydio X10 maps and updates treatment...
Pierce Aerospace Selected to Build Remote ID Network for NASA, Paving the Way for Drone and Air Taxi Flight in...
Pierce Aerospace has been selected by Metis Technology Solutions, the prime contractor for NASA’s ARTS program, to deploy its YR1 and YR2S Remote ID sensors across Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The multi‑year effort will feed real‑time...