Christos Cassandras, a Boston University professor and IEEE Life Fellow, has built mathematical models and algorithms that use vehicles' speed, mass, and distance to coordinate self-driving cars without traffic signals. He received this year's IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Outstanding Research Award for the work, which builds on his 1990s theory describing cars as both physical objects and information-processing systems, now known as cyber physical systems.
spectrum.ieee.org
· 2026-10-02
Aurora executives told investors it expects to scale from about 200 driverless trucks by the end of 2026 to over 30,000 by 2030, generating $5 billion in annual revenue. CFO David Maday said the figure is modest relative to the 250,000-300,000 new trucks produced annually by major manufacturers. Despite the projections, Aurora's stock fell over 12% following its September 23 investor day and has continued declining.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-28
Waymo released new safety data claiming its autonomous vehicles caused 82% fewer injury-related crashes and 95% fewer serious-injury crashes than human drivers, based on 271 million driverless miles through June across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta and Phoenix. The company also reported reductions in injury crashes involving pedestrians (93%), cyclists (86%) and motorcyclists (82%), and shared video of near-misses it says its system avoided.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-27
Tesla held an invite-only launch event in Sparks, Nevada, marking the start of high-volume production of its Tesla Semi truck, first unveiled as a concept in 2017. Vehicle engineering VP Lars Moravy confirmed the long-range version will travel roughly 500 miles per charge, with a standard version rated at about 325 miles. Elon Musk appeared only in a pre-recorded video, having skipped the event to attend a White House state dinner.
wired.com
· 2026-09-25
Waymo released updated self-reported safety data covering 271 million driverless miles through June across Atlanta, Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles and the San Francisco-Bay Area, 50 million more miles than its previous report. The company says its robotaxis showed an 82% reduction in injury-causing crashes, 95% fewer serious-injury crashes, and sharply lower rates of pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle injury crashes compared with human drivers.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
Amazon-owned Zoox has grounded its autonomous vehicle testing fleet in Atlanta after safety drivers reported symptoms consistent with exposure to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or hydrogen sulfide inside the vehicles last month. OSHA opened an inquiry after a worker filed a complaint, and a letter from the agency says up to 40 workers may have been affected, though Zoox disputes that figure. Workers say the company sent a group back out in another vehicle after some vomited, and that a second exposure occurred later that day, with the situation escalating to a 911 call on August 22.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-23
While Waymo cites data showing its robotaxis crash far less often than human drivers, a TechCrunch investigation using OSHA records found that Waymo and Amazon-owned Zoox caused dozens of test-driver injuries like whiplash and sprains during 2026 training runs, often from abrupt braking or driving errors. The report notes OSHA's data is incomplete due to narrow reporting requirements, and injuries reportedly continued at Zoox through the year.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-22
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has partnered with SAE International on a new initiative called ASCEND, aimed at creating standardized, data-driven performance benchmarks for automated driving systems. The effort comes as regulators grapple with vehicles like the Tesla Cybercab and Zoox robotaxi, which lack pedals, steering wheels, and mirrors required under existing federal vehicle safety rules. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the goal is to build a framework that prioritizes safety without forcing the agency into reactive, case-by-case policymaking.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-20
Academics led by Eindhoven University's Pavlo Bazilinskyy are hosting an industry workshop this week focused on deterring passengers from having sex in autonomous vehicles, which lack a human driver to enforce norms. The team, drawing from systems engineering, psychology and tourism studies, is using the topic to explore broader questions about behavior and design in shared robotaxi spaces.
wired.com
· 2026-09-20
Waymo announced plans to bring its autonomous vehicles to Singapore, marking its expansion beyond the US and into a second Asian market after Tokyo. Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will arrive soon so specialists can manually drive and map Singapore's roads throughout 2027, adjusting Waymo's systems for local road layouts and weather before public rides begin via its app in 2028.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-18
Waymo announced plans to bring its autonomous ride-hailing service to Singapore, with vehicles arriving within months to begin mapping and safety-driver testing in 2027 ahead of a public launch in 2028. The company must first pass safety assessments from Singapore's Land Transport Authority and its CETRAN testing center before carrying passengers, and it has already set up a local entity and joined the city-state's autonomous vehicle steering committee.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-17
Waymo has relaunched paid robotaxi service in San Antonio five months after several of its vehicles got stuck in an April flash flood, with one car swept away by rising water. The company says it updated its software to better detect and avoid standing water, and will now operate dozens of vehicles across a 60-mile zone covering downtown and the airport.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-17
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