Autonomous

Dual-mode vehicles that can travel on roads and rails have been around for a while now, but in 2025, we're going autonomous: a Utah-based startup is set to pilot its driverless road-rail vehicle on California's Skunk Train route this year.

Autonomous warships have moved into the large fast-attack league as Eureka Naval Craft announces what it describes as the most advanced autonomous naval attack vessel in the world. It can carry 40 tonnes and reach speeds of up to 50 knots.

DARPA has launched a new prototype warship for the US Navy that not only won't need any sailors, it can't even accommodate them. The 180-ft (55-m), 240-tonne No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) put to sea last month ahead of sea trials.

If you're setting out to build an underwater robot that's speedy, maneuverable and versatile, why not just copy what already works in the natural world? That's exactly what Beatbot has done, with its bio-inspired Amphibious RoboTurtle.

Although autonomous, uncrewed ships are now being trialled, those vessels still need human workers to moor them when they come into port. That could soon change, however, thanks to a new automated suction-based mooring system.

When most of us think of freshly poured concrete, we picture a material that should be left to dry as smooth as possible. A new robot drives right over the stuff, however, gouging its surface to make structures stronger yet also cheaper to build.

The first of 35 driverless trains set for Taiwan's 100% autonomous Light Green Line has been delivered. When complete, the 22.8-km (14-mile) line will shave 30 minutes off the current commute time end to end, from New Taipei City to Taipei.

Back in July, the Japanese government outlined an intriguing idea to connect major cities with what sounded like a giant "conveyor belt" for cargo. Now we have a clearer picture of what that “Auto Flow Road” will look like.

Meet the EV equivalent of a full jerry can – a 141 kilowatt-hour battery charger on wheels, that can autonomously drive itself to wherever it's needed, flexibly extending charging networks and getting much-needed juice to stranded drivers.

Saronic, a defense-technology company based in Austin, Texas, has announced the Corsair, its largest autonomous surface vessel yet. It's a 24-ft-long sleek ship with customizable capabilities that can be deployed in "the thousands" for the US Navy.

In a world first, an autonomous electric ferry began commercial operation in Stockholm last year, transporting up to 25 passengers between islands in the region. Now the vessel has been remotely operated from 600 km away.

Nightmare fuel? Maybe – but in a historic moment for the dental profession, an AI-controlled autonomous robot has performed an entire procedure on a human patient for the first time, about eight times faster than a human dentist could do it.