Industry Briefing
A single destination for timely, editor-curated robotics news from around the world.
QCraft demonstrates urban NOA on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Ride chip, targets 2026 global mass production
QCraft showcased its urban Navigate-on-Autopilot (NOA) system, powered by Qualcomm’s SA8650P Snapdragon Ride platform, during a live demonstration on June 5 at Qualcomm’s Automotive Technology and Cooperation Summit in Wuxi, China. This event marked a significant step for the autonomous driving company, which is aiming for global mass production of its technology within this year. Attendees had the opportunity to experience live test rides, highlighting the practical applications of QCraft's advancements in autonomous driving. The demonstration underscores the growing collaboration between technology and automotive sectors, as companies like QCraft seek to revolutionize urban transportation through innovative autonomous solutions.
Autonomous Vehicles Computing Technology assisted driving automation news automotive technology
Itera raises $12 million for fluid circuit board that rewires itself in under a minute
Deep tech startup Itera has unveiled its groundbreaking prototype of the world's first fluid circuit board, a technology that enables engineers to rewire and retest physical electronic circuits in under a minute. This significant advancement aims to streamline the design and testing processes in electronics, potentially transforming how engineers approach circuit development. The announcement was made as Itera emerged from stealth mode, highlighting its innovative capabilities. To support its launch and further development, the company secured $12 million in seed funding from notable investors including Upfront Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, and Colle Capital. This funding will facilitate Itera's efforts to bring its revolutionary technology to market, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of electronic circuit design.
Electronics News automation news deep tech startups electronic design automation electronics design
NOAA Sends Autonomous Surface Vehicles Into Hurricanes to Study Rapid Intensification
Saildrone, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has announced the deployment of 10 unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) during the 2026 hurricane season. This initiative aims to enhance hurricane forecasting and improve models for rapid intensification across the Atlantic basin. The partnership reflects a commitment to advancing storm research and understanding the dynamics of hurricanes, which is crucial for better preparedness and response strategies. By utilizing autonomous technology, the mission seeks to gather critical data that can lead to more accurate predictions and ultimately save lives during severe weather events.
Drone News Drone News Feeds News Research Weather Atlantic hurricane season
AI Designs Thermoelectric Generators 10,000 Times Faster Than We Can
Researchers in Japan have developed an artificial intelligence tool that significantly accelerates the design of thermoelectric generators (TEGs), achieving results 10,000 times faster than traditional methods. This breakthrough, reported on April 15 in the journal Nature, aims to enhance the efficiency of converting waste heat into electricity, a technology that has struggled to gain widespread adoption due to high costs and limited performance. The team, led by Takao Mori at the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics in Tsukuba, utilized a neural-network framework named TEGNet to optimize generator designs, enabling rapid screening of thousands of material combinations. The AI tool identifies optimal configurations for thermoelectric materials, which are essential for harnessing the Seebeck effect that generates electricity from temperature differences. Prototypes created based on TEGNet's recommendations demonstrated conversion efficiencies of approximately 9% under typical industrial waste heat conditions, ranking among the better-performing TEGs in this temperature range. Additionally, some of the AI-designed devices could be manufactured using simpler methods and may not require expensive materials like bismuth telluride, potentially lowering production costs and making the technology more economically viable for applications in industries such as oil refining and steel manufacturing. This advancement could unlock new opportunities for harnessing untapped waste heat, contributing to cleaner energy solutions.
Thermoelectric-generator Waste-heat Energy-conversion Clean-energy Thermal-energy
More Than Meets the Eye: NVIDIA RTX-Accelerated Computers Now Connect Directly to Apple Vision Pro
NVIDIA and Apple have announced a collaboration that integrates NVIDIA CloudXR 6.0 natively into visionOS, enhancing the capabilities of augmented and virtual reality applications. This partnership aims to securely deliver high-performance simulations and professional 3D graphics applications, including Immersive for Autodesk VRED, through Innoactive’s XR streaming service. The integration is set to provide users with advanced graphics powered by NVIDIA's RTX technology, significantly improving the experience for developers and users in the XR space. This development comes as both companies seek to leverage their strengths in graphics processing and software innovation to meet the growing demand for immersive experiences in various industries.
Robotics needs a service framework.
RSF defines a common language for robot service capability, lifecycle operations, certification pathways, and service-provider networks.
