Autonomous

If you've heard of SoftBank Robotics, it's likely been in regards to the company's Pepper and NAO humanoid robots. This Tuesday, however, SoftBank announced North American availability of its new Whiz robotic vacuum sweeper.

MIT engineers have developed a system that looks at shadows on the ground to help autonomous vehicles avoid collisions with objects like cars or pedestrians appearing from around corners or behind buildings.

After showing off an early developmental version back in 2017, Piaggio Fast Forward has wheeled out a consumer-ready courier robot built to carry up to 40 lb of everyday items for folks traveling on foot.

Although camera drones can already automatically circle or follow a subject, they don't know what sort of shots actually "look good" artistically. That could be about to change, as a new system turns drones into self-directed aerial cinematographers.

Boston's Sea Machines Robotics has developed and launched the Sharktech 29 Defiant autonomous patrol boat with shipbuilder Metal Shark.

Bell has joined the cargo drone space with its APT 70, which has just nailed its first autonomous test flight.

In the not-too-distant future, folks dealing with oil spills may have a robotic helper to call on.

​Tesla is poised to add yet more entertainment options for owners of tis electric vehicles, with CEO Elon Musk confirming that Netflix and YouTube streaming will soon be enabled on its generously-sized in-car displays.

We've seen a number of solutions aimed at automatically parking the car so that drivers don't have to. Bosch and Daimler say that their app-controlled system is the first fully autonomous, completely driverless parking service to be officially approved by authorities for everyday use.​

Bentley celebrates its 100th birthday in grand fashion, taking a look at what ultra-luxury will mean in the year 2035 – and gettin' weird with it. The EXP 100 GT combines artificial intelligence with a 435-mile (700-km) electric drive and rare premium materials like 5,000-year-old river wood.

​Fans of the movie Prometheus will recall the probes that were sent into the alien structure, autonomously flying through it to create a 3D map of its interior. Well, something kind of similar is now in development, in the form of an underwater robot that maps the flooded tunnels of abandoned mines.

​When a forest fire is starting, it's vitally important for firefighting crews to know exactly what it is that they're up against, so they can prepare most effectively. A new Spanish project is helping to make that happen, utilizing an autonomous intel-gathering drone.