Topic: sensor technology
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Elon Musk’s Unconventional Robotaxi Strategy Faces Reality Check
Tesla is launching the camera-only Cybercab in Austin, betting on a cost-effective, lidar-free autonomous system that eliminates traditional vehicle controls to reduce manufacturing expenses. This approach contrasts sharply with competitors like Waymo, which utilize redundant multi-sensor setups ...
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Dutch eyeo secures €40M to commercialise NCOS colour-splitting sensors
Innovation Industries led eyeo's €40 million Series A round, with returning investors imec.xpand, Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund, QBIC, HTGF, and BOM, bringing total funding to €55 million. The funds will advance in-house chip design and accelerate volume production of sensors using eyeo's proprietary ...
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Lego's Smart Bricks: Non-Replaceable Batteries & Missing Sensors
The initial Lego Smart Brick sets have significant hardware limitations, with many built-in sensors like the microphone and light sensor currently disabled and reserved for future activation. The bricks offer limited interactive features, such as basic motion sensing and NFC tile reading, but lac...
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Can Waymo Conquer Winter Roads?
Winter weather is a major challenge for autonomous vehicles, and Waymo must prove its robotaxis can operate safely in snow to expand into colder markets like Boston and New York. Snow complicates autonomous driving by obscuring road markings and signs, requiring advanced multi-sensor systems and ...
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Insta360's smaller 360 cam packs bigger sensors
The Insta360 X6 features upgraded Sony 1/1.1-inch sensors with 33% more area, enabling 8K/50fps video, in-camera Dolby Vision, and improved low-light performance, but costs $699.99,$150 more than its predecessor. The camera is one inch shorter and lighter than the X5, with a 2.32-inch OLED screen...
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Toyota’s $10 billion utopia: inside the secret city
Toyota's Woven City, a $10 billion experimental urban community, has welcomed its first 100 residents as part of the automaker's strategic pivot from car manufacturer to comprehensive mobility company. The city is testing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications with ubiquitous street cameras t...
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Zoox built its robotaxi by starting with sensors, then the design
Zoox, acquired by Amazon in 2020, is deploying purpose-built robotaxis with a sci-fi look in Las Vegas and San Francisco, unlike most competitors that retrofit conventional cars. The robotaxi's sensors are positioned on elevated ledges at its top four corners, providing unobstructed views and sup...
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Rivian's AI Strategy: Beyond Just Competing With Tesla
Rivian is pivoting to develop proprietary AI chips and autonomous driving technology, positioning itself against industry leaders with a vertically integrated strategy. The company is building a "data flywheel" using fleet data to train its driving model and launching a hands-free system, Univers...
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Teradar Secures $150M for Sensor That Outperforms Lidar and Radar
Teradar raised $150 million in Series B funding to advance its solid-state terahertz sensor technology, which combines radar resilience with lidar-like high-resolution imaging for long-range environmental perception in adverse weather. The company is collaborating with five major U.S. and Europea...
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Are We Ready for 'Eyes-Off' Driving?
The automotive industry is advancing toward "eyes-off" Level 3 automation, allowing drivers to remove their hands from the wheel and eyes from the road on certain highways, but safety and legal responsibility remain unresolved. Drivers using Level 3 systems must be prepared to immediately retake ...
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Ricoh Unveils a Camera Made Just for Black and White
Ricoh is launching the GR IV Monochrome, a camera designed exclusively for black and white photography with a specialized monochrome sensor, expected in Spring 2026. The camera features a high ISO range up to 409,600 for superior low-light performance and includes custom Image Control settings to...
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Russia Debuts AI-Powered 'Little Lion' Tram, Aims for 90% Fleet Automation by 2035
Moscow has launched Russia's first autonomous passenger tram, the Lvyonok 71-911EM, marking a significant advancement in public transportation and smart city development. The AI-driven tram operates independently, navigating traffic and responding to signals and pedestrians, having covered over 8...
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This Desk Gadget Fixed My Posture
The Isa desk device uses a Time-of-Flight 3D depth sensor and other environmental sensors to track posture, movement, hydration, and workspace conditions without a camera or internet connection, prioritizing user privacy. It provides real-time visual and vibrational feedback via an Apple Watch-st...
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Volkswagen and Uber test self-driving minibuses in LA
Volkswagen's MOIA America and Uber have begun testing autonomous ID. Buzz vans in Los Angeles, with plans to launch a commercial ride-hailing service with safety operators by late 2026 and a fully driverless service in 2027. The venture must secure California regulatory permits and is conducting ...
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Whisker’s AI litter robot detects my cats’ body swap
The Litter-Robot 5 Pro uses facial recognition and AI to track each cat's health metrics, like weight and waste composition, aiming to detect early illness signs. The device's main flaw is that it fails to distinguish between two similar-looking cats, causing the AI to swap their identities and p...
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Oura Ring 5 Gets Smaller Design, Adds Blood Pressure Tracking
The Oura Ring 5 is 40% smaller than its predecessor and features a completely redesigned internal architecture, yet maintains a battery life of roughly one week per charge. New health-tracking capabilities include Health Radar with Blood Pressure Signals and Nighttime Breathing analysis, plus ded...
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Uber plans to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving tech
Uber plans to equip its human drivers' vehicles with sensors to collect real-world data for autonomous vehicle (AV) companies and AI training, aiming to become the "data layer" for the AV ecosystem. The company's AV Labs program currently uses a small dedicated fleet but envisions scaling to mill...
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Nvidia's Autonomous Driving Chief Reveals Plan to Beat Tesla and Waymo
Nvidia is shifting from a chip supplier to directly competing in autonomous driving with its own integrated AI platform, challenging leaders like Tesla and Waymo by combining advanced AI with traditional safety engineering. The company differentiates itself through a multi-sensor strategy using c...
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Fujifilm 2025: A Year of Peaks and Valleys
Fujifilm's year was defined by an inconsistent product portfolio, ranging from technically flawed but fun gadgets to competent but uninspiring tools, reflecting a transitional period for the brand. Key camera releases highlighted extremes, from a high-end, specialized cinema camera to a playful, ...
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Self-Driving Car for Sale: Experience the Future
The transition from fleet-operated robotaxis to privately owned self-driving cars is advancing, but faces major hurdles including cost, design, and consumer acceptance, despite falling prices for key components like lidar sensors. Ownership introduces complex maintenance and liability issues, pot...
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