A new technology teaching drones to feel pain could stop your self-driving car from harming itself

The same real-time early warning signals that prevent drones from losing control could one day tell your self-driving car that something is about to go wrong.

Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh
Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh

Zoox, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon, unveiled a new look for its boxy, bidirectional robotaxi, calling it the “next evolution” of the vehicle intended for mass production. The company is currently operating a free robotaxi service in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin, and Miami while it waits for the federal government to approve […]

Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh
Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh

Zoox, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon, unveiled a new look for its boxy, bidirectional robotaxi, calling it the “next evolution” of the vehicle intended for mass production. The company is currently operating a free robotaxi service in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin, and Miami while it waits for the federal government to approve […]

The Cybercab is the lightest, most efficient Tesla ever made
The Cybercab is the lightest, most efficient Tesla ever made

Against all odds, the Tesla Cybercab is in production. And while Elon Musk’s company may not have a very coherent plan for the tiny, autonomous two-seater, it’s still taking the necessary steps to certify the EV’s legitimacy. As such, Tesla recently filed paperwork with the Environmental Protection Agency that reveal many of the Cybercab’s specs, […]

Waymo introduces $30-a-month premium tier for riders who want faster pickups
Waymo introduces $30-a-month premium tier for riders who want faster pickups

Uber One, meet Waymo Premier. The robotaxi operator announced a new $29.99-a-month premium tier for riders who want a more elevated and exclusive autonomous experience. The invite-only membership service is aimed at Waymo customers who use the service most frequently, offering them a number of perks, including priority pickups, 10 percent cash back on every […]

Waymo built a virtual driver to study how humans react to surprises on the road
Waymo built a virtual driver to study how humans react to surprises on the road

Waymo has a lot of experience building virtual systems to help its autonomous vehicles better understand the real world. It built realistic 3D worlds to better anticipate natural disasters and unpredictable edge cases. It created a virtual representation of a hyperattentive driver to test against its own autonomous vehicles in a series of simulated scenarios […]

The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itself
The Rivian R2 is too much fun to let drive itself

Rivian may be all in on robotaxis and autonomy, but it’s still got human drivers – and EV buyers – to win over. The pricey R1S SUV and R1T pickup brought Rivian A-list media attention and cult-hit status, but the company faces a critical next step. The 2027 R2 is Rivian’s bid for mainstream success, […]

Uber tells London to get ready for robotaxis
Uber tells London to get ready for robotaxis

Uber is getting ready to put robotaxis on London’s streets, opening an interest list for riders who want to be among the first to hail one of Wayve’s autonomous vehicles when the service goes live later this year. The rollout would be a milestone in one of Uber’s biggest markets and an early test of […]

People are leaving a lot of weird stuff in their robotaxis
People are leaving a lot of weird stuff in their robotaxis

A unicorn Beanie Baby. A 15-pound green bowling ball. A pair of dentures. These are just some of the items left behind in robotaxis in the past year, according to Uber’s annual Lost and Found Index. For the first time, the company is expanding its annual of accounting of things forgotten in Uber vehicles to […]

Waymo to begin passenger rides in its new Ojai robotaxi
Waymo to begin passenger rides in its new Ojai robotaxi

After several months of testing, Waymo is finally ready to invite non-employee passengers into its newest vehicle, the Zeekr RT minivan, which has been rebranded as Ojai. Waymo says it will begin offering “select riders” access in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, before “gradually” expanding to more riders and cities. Trips will be free […]