Washington expanded its restrictions on foreign-made robotics and drones in July and August, citing national security, adding steep tariffs on imported drones that take effect this September, with component tariffs to follow in 2027. The rules extend the FCC's Covered List, which previously targeted telecom firms like Huawei and Hikvision, to now cover drones and advanced robotic devices, even as Chinese firms dominate global humanoid robot shipments.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-31
Forensic investigators in Zaporizhzhia recovered downed Russian drones containing Nvidia Jetson Orin minicomputers, suggesting the aircraft used onboard AI to identify and strike targets rather than being remotely piloted. The drones lacked antennas or radio signals, and Ukrainian officials say one struck propane tanks near a gas station with precision consistent with autonomous targeting. UN and Red Cross leaders separately warned this week that autonomous weapons targeting humans cross a dangerous moral line.
futurism.com
· 2026-08-28
Meteoric, a startup founded by two Cambridge engineers, is developing autonomous drone fleets designed to fly into low- and mid-altitude clouds above solar farms and physically alter water droplets to reduce cloud reflectivity. The company says this chemical-free approach could boost energy output from existing solar installations by 10-30%, costing an estimated $30-60 per hour to operate, far cheaper than traditional cloud-seeding aircraft.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-08-23
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