Welcome to The On-Ramp, the newsletter published by Venable's Autonomous and Connected Mobility Team. The On-Ramp explores legal and policy developments in the world of autonomous and connected vehicles, smart infrastructure, electrification, and other emerging automotive and mobility technologies, from Capitol Hill to the U.S. Department of Transportation and beyond. In recent months, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Congress have continued to advance policies to shape the future of emerging transportation technologies, particularly in the autonomous vehicle (AV) space. The department is moving forward with efforts to update safety standards, advance rulemakings, and engage stakeholders on automated driving systems, while also supporting innovation across areas such as advanced air mobility and infrastructure. At the same time, lawmakers are actively examining a range of transportation technology issues, including AVs, vehicle safety, and national security, signaling ongoing interest in developing bipartisan frameworks to govern these technologies. U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) NHTSA Publishes Third Biannual Report to Congress on ADAS Research and Rulemaking On March 18, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published its third biannual report to Congress summarizing the agency's research and rulemaking activities on automated driving systems (ADS). The report describes several updates at the agency following its second biannual report published in July 2025. Specifically, the report highlights the confirmation of Jonathan Morrison as NHTSA administrator, the expansion of NHTSA's Automated Vehicle Exemption Program for domestic manufacturers, and the Safety Research Portfolio Public Meeting and ADS Workshop held in November 2025. The report also provides updates on research in categories related to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) compliance; system safety performance assessment; component and subsystem testing and functional safety; and crashworthiness and alternative cabin design. On the rulemaking side, the report discusses three rulemaking actions listed in the spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory
Apr 1, 2026 · via jdsupra.com
Tesla has expanded the geofence for its unsupervised “Robotaxi” service in Austin, Texas, growing the area where vehicles can operate without a safety monitor inside the car. But social media sightings indicate that only a handful of vehicles — somewhere between 4 and 8 Model Ys — are actually running without a human safety monitor. And even those still operate under remote supervision from Tesla. Expanding the map, not the fleet The service area expansion is part of a pattern Tesla has followed since launching its robotaxi pilot in Austin in June 2025. The overall robotaxi geofence in Austin has grown to roughly 245 square miles — about 12 times its original 20-square-mile footprint — through a series of expansions over the past several months. But there’s a massive disconnect between the size of the map and the number of vehicles actually operating without supervision. According to tracking data and social media sightings, the unsupervised fleet consists of fewer than a dozen vehicles, with only a few operating at the same time. The total Austin fleet sits at roughly 37-42 vehicles, with the vast majority still carrying safety monitors. But now the “unsupervised” Tesla robotaxies can operate in a slightly larger area of the overall service area in Austin: It’s also worth emphasizing what “unsupervised” means in Tesla’s context. There’s no human safety monitor inside the car, but Tesla still remotely supervises these vehicles. Earlier in the program, that supervision involved physical chase cars trailing the robotaxis; now it appears to involve remote monitoring. Either way, these are not vehicles operating fully independently. Years behind schedule The expansion is real progress, but it needs to be placed in the context of what Tesla actually promised. CEO Elon Musk has a long, well-documented history of missing his own autonomous driving deadlines.
Apr 1, 2026 · via electrek.co
Nexscient(R) Acquires Flipside AI, Completing a $6.2M Deal to Expand Physical AI Data Capabilities Rhea-AI Summary Nexscient (OTCQB:NXNT) closed its acquisition of Philippines-based Flipside AI for approximately $6.20 million on April 1, 2026, acquiring 100% of Flipside's shares via $600,000 cash, a $450,000 convertible promissory note, and 6,846,000 restricted Nexscient shares. The deal adds Physical AI data engineering, 2D/3D vision, LiDAR, sensor-fusion and multimodal curation capabilities and appoints Flipside founder Anthony S. De Luna as Nexscient CTO and director to lead technical integration. Positive - Acquisition closed for $6.20M consideration - Adds Physical AI data engineering and multimodal pipelines - Appointed Anthony S. De Luna as CTO and director - Acquires 100% of Flipside AI shares Negative - Issued 6,846,000 restricted shares, creating shareholder dilution - Assumed a $450,000 convertible promissory note as liability - Used $600,000 cash at closing, reducing liquidity Appoints Anthony De Luna to Board of Directors, Names Him Chief Technology Officer LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2026 / Nexscient, Inc. (OTCQB:NXNT), a leading innovator in artificial intelligence applications and intelligent enterprise solutions, today announced the successful closing of its previously announced acquisition of Flipside Digital Content Company, Inc. ("Flipside AI"), a Philippines-based leader in AI data engineering, and the appointment of Anthony S. De Luna, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flipside AI, as Chief Technology Officer of Nexscient. Mr. De Luna was also appointed to Nexscient's Board of Directors. With the transaction now complete, Nexscient has acquired "The closing of this acquisition marks a defining milestone for Nexscient," said Fred E. Tannous, President & Chief Executive Officer of Nexscient, Inc. "Flipside's specialized expertise in deep annotation and meta labeling for Physical AI, combined with their proven operational infrastructure and talented global workforce, gives us an immediate competitive advantage in one of
Apr 1, 2026 · via stocktitan.net
Waymo Goes On Houston Road—It Wasn’t Prepared For Houston Drivers: 'We About To Have Waymo Road Rage Incidents' 'Houston is probably the worst place to have Waymos.' A woman is going viral on TikTok after sharing what appears to be the aftermath of a crash involving a Waymo vehicle and an 18-wheeler. Lucia Molina (@lmolina2384), who suggests that she’s based in Houston, filmed the scene as she drove past and added her own take in the text overlay. "I don’t think Waymos are built for Houston drivers," she wrote. In the clip, the Waymo appears to have been merging into the left lane on a Houston highway before being rear-ended by the truck. It’s not clear what led up to the crash, but the impact caused a backup that stretched for miles. Molina said the slowdown was significant. "Took me 30 mins to get like 2 miles," she wrote in the caption. As of this writing, the video has more than 240,400 views. In a statement to Motor1, a Waymo spokesperson said, "An autonomous vehicle with a specialist behind the wheel was traveling in Houston when it merged into the left lane of a road and a semi truck made contact with the back bumper and became lodged under the Waymo vehicle. Both vehicles came to a stop and 911 was called. The truck was eventually able to dislodge and both vehicles departed. There are no reported injuries." Since When Are Waymos In Houston—And On Highways? According to Waymo, its presence in Houston is relatively new, and it’s still in the early stages. The company began rolling out its driverless ride service in the city in February, starting in central neighborhoods like downtown, Montrose, River Oaks, and the Heights, according to Click 2 Houston. Access is limited for now, with
Apr 1, 2026 · via motor1.com
Lucid Gravity SUV Recognized as the 2026 World Luxury Car of the Year NEWARK, Calif., April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID), maker of the world's most advanced software-defined vehicles and technologies, today announced that the Lucid Gravity has been named 2026 World Luxury Car of the Year by the esteemed World Car Awards program. In an awards category open to electric, hybrid, and internal-combustion vehicles, Lucid's all-electric SUV was recognized by a global jury of more than 100 acclaimed automotive journalists from around the globe. Lucid is now 2-for-2 in this award category, with the Lucid Air sedan named World Luxury Car of the Year in 2023. Now in its 22nd year, the World Car Awards aim to recognize, reward and inspire automotive excellence, leadership and innovation in a rapidly changing automotive industry on a global scale. "This recognition reflects the strength of Lucid's product vision and the exceptional execution of our team," said Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO of Lucid. "Lucid Gravity brings together the space and versatility of a full-size SUV with sports‑car‑like driving dynamics and a refined luxury experience, enabled by our proprietary technology and engineering. Together, these qualities set a new benchmark for what a world‑class luxury SUV can be." On and off the road, Gravity's exceptional performance starts with a brand-new platform developed from the ground up as a sporty SUV. Featuring two motors, all-wheel drive, and a standard adjustable air suspension, it's an SUV that delivers a smooth, comfortable ride for passengers on any road, even when the pavement ends and the trail begins. The Lucid Gravity's available rear-axle steering system enhances high-speed driving dynamics for exceptional handling on winding roads and makes day-to-day driving easier than ever by shortening the space needed for the vehicle to maneuver through tight city
Apr 1, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
Rivian's E-Bike Spinoff Will Make Autonomous Delivery Bots For Bike Lanes Also, the micromobility company that spun out of Rivian last year, struck a deal with DoorDash to develop self-driving vehicles. Rivian spin-off Also plans to branch out into the autonomous vehicle space. The company, which unveiled its first product last year, announced on Tuesday that it will work with DoorDash to develop and deploy self-driving delivery vehicles. "The intersection of roads and road-adjacent spaces, such as bike lanes, shoulders and curbsides, are the areas that make up the hardest part of the last-mile delivery puzzle," the company said in a press release. "This partnership is focused on unlocking those spaces." DoorDash is investing in Also as part of its $200 million Series C funding round, which values it at $1 billion. ALSO TM-B Also unveiled its first line of products in October: a high-end e-bike called the TM-B, plus a pedal-assist quad called the TM-Q that will be available in both commercial and consumer variants. The vehicles share a basic technology platform that includes a novel pedal-by-wire system and the same battery cells that power Rivians. Its first bikes will be delivered this spring. Amazon plans to deploy the TM-Q for urban deliveries. Now Also is broadening its ambitions beyond human-driven vehicles. In a way, the move shouldn't be all that surprising. Rivian, whose e-bike project eventually turned into the standalone company, has made self-driving technology increasingly central to its future as of late. It aims to bring lidar to the R2 later this year and roll out eyes-off driving features in 2027. It announced plans to make its own self-driving chips. This month, it struck a deal with Uber potentially worth $1.25 billion to add up to 50,000 R2 robotaxis to the ride-hailing platform. Also TM-Q It's not
Apr 1, 2026 · via insideevs.com
In National First, Beijing Launches Dedicated Self-Driving Car Insurance Beijing has become the first Chinese city to launch dedicated commercial insurance for assisted and self-driving vehicles, signaling a strong push toward broader adoption of autonomous driving technologies. Announced on Sunday by the Beijing Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), the insurance policies will be developed by the Insurance Association of China and offer differentiated coverage based on vehicle autonomy levels, covering Levels 2 to 4 of the six-level ranking system. Coverage for Level 2, partially automated vehicles — the most widely deployed form of automation currently — will be the most comprehensive, spanning self-driving hardware and software upgrades, which traditional car insurance policies currently lack. Previously, limited insurance coverage for self-driving cars was available as an add-on to standard policies purchased through insurance companies or automakers. However, existing policies are largely based on human-driver scenarios, with limited coverage for system failures or cybersecurity risks, and do not always cover hardware, such as upgraded driver-assistance systems. The policies will initially apply to new vehicles, allowing new car owners to choose between the new policies and existing auto insurance. A list of eligible models and automakers will be released in batches following evaluation. The move is expected to push automakers and insurers to upgrade their systems and enhance data-sharing mechanisms. As for higher-level self-driving vehicles, the policies will only apply to those that have undergone testing or received road approval in Beijing in accordance with regulations. Experts applauded the move, describing existing self-driving car insurance as inadequate, with terms varying across automakers. “Currently, autonomous driving insurance is more like a fallback solution provided by automakers or autonomous driving system suppliers, rather than a true insurance product,” an industry insider told domestic media. “In essence, it resembles a corporate commitment.
Apr 1, 2026 · via sixthtone.com
SUNRISE, Fla. â Michael White always aims to please. Whether it was during his latest job as Chief Product Officer for Amazonâs autonomous vehicle company, Zoox, or a focal point of one of his senior leadership roles with the The Walt Disney Company, the veteran executive has made a career out of serving consumers. In his role as President of Business Operations with the Florida Panthers, that wonât change. âEverything is going to be in service of the fan,â White said during his introductory press conference at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday. âThe opportunity is pretty massive here.â Itâs also an opportunity that was too good to pass up. Despite being very happy in his role overseeing the business development worldâs first purpose-built autonomous robotaxi with Amazon, White was lured to the world of sports after speaking with the leadership group of the Panthers, including owner Vincent Viola. During the interview process, the entire Viola family gave the thumbs up.  âMike comes from a very accomplished career as a visionary, creative, innovative leader,â Viola said of Whiteâs long and impressive resume. âHe was one of the early entrepreneurs around technology. ⦠Weâre honored. The whole purpose of this organization is to respect our fans and provide them the absolute best experience in sports, both on the ice and off the ice. We toil at that, probably obsess at that, and hopefully weâre getting better and better at that. Choosing Mike to take the helm was a significant decision for the family.â
Apr 1, 2026 · via nhl.com
In February, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) sent letters to seven U.S. companies working on autonomous vehicle technology with a list of questions. He especially wanted to know how often these companies’ vehicles — operated by Aurora, May Mobility, Motional, Nuro, Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox — rely on input from remote staff. They all refused to say, according to the results of Markey’s investigation, which were released Tuesday. The information published by Markey’s office is the latest example of how hesitant autonomous vehicle companies are to share details about how their operations truly work — despite the fact that they are all experimenting with this technology on public roads. “This report has revealed a stunning lack of transparency from the AV companies around their use of [remote assistance operators] to help guide their AVs. The investigation exposed a patchwork of safety practices across the industry, with significant variation in operator qualifications, response times, and overseas staffing, all without any federal standards governing these operations,” Markey’s office wrote in its report. Markey said Tuesday that he is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate these companies’ use of remote assistance workers, and that he is “working on legislation to impose strict guardrails on AV companies’ use of remote operators.” TechCrunch has reached out to each company named. Waymo and Nuro declined to comment. Aurora and May Mobility said they appreciated working with Markey’s office. The others didn’t respond to requests for comment. Markey launched his investigation in February after a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee was held on the future of self-driving cars. During the hearing, Waymo’s chief safety officer Mauricio Peña spoke about how the company’s vehicles sometimes need guidance from “remote assistance” staff when they get stuck in tricky or unexpected scenarios. Peña also revealed that
Apr 1, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
The TRATON GROUP and Applied Intuition Announce TRATON ONE OS, a Unified Software Platform for Improved Fleet Uptime Across TRATON's Four Global Brands MUNICH and SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The TRATON GROUP and Applied Intuition, Inc., the leading physical AI company, today announced TRATON ONE OS, a next-generation software-defined vehicle platform that will power all new vehicles across TRATON's four brands: Scania, MAN, International and Volkswagen Truck & Bus. Building on more than a year of co-development, the two companies are deploying a single unified platform that's at the forefront of innovation to deliver benefits to customers: - Prevent costly downtime: The system's unified data access is designed to enable predictive maintenance capabilities that allow fleet operators to identify and address potential mechanical issues before they lead to breakdowns, service recalls or unplanned downtime. - Future-proof fleets: Customers will be able to receive new applications, features and full-cabin user-interface upgrades via over-the-air software updates, eliminating many workshop visits and allowing vehicles to improve throughout their operational life. - Unlock the autonomous future: The platform's adaptive middleware is designed to serve as a foundation for autonomous driving systems, enabling TRATON to layer autonomous capabilities onto the same architecture over time. Designed to bring the speed, flexibility and continuous update cycles of modern software development to the commercial vehicle industry, TRATON ONE OS will operate on all high-performance computers (HPCs) in TRATON's new vehicle architecture. The platform supports multiple hardware chipsets and global regulatory environments while giving TRATON teams a common foundation to build on — all without compromising each brand's distinct customer experience. Testing of the first integrated ECU hardware will begin in April 2026, with rollout across new trucks targeted for 2028. "Our collaboration with Applied Intuition brings together TRATON's deep expertise in commercial vehicles, including strength
Apr 1, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
A series of letters sent by autonomous-vehicle (AV) developers to Democratic US senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts sheds the most light yet on the human side of robot vehicle operations. In the documents, submitted to Markey as part of an investigation into self-driving-vehicle technology and released on Tuesday, seven companies, including Tesla, Amazon-owned Zoox, and Uber- and Nvidia-funded Nuro, released new details about their “remote assistance” programs. All the companies that responded to the senator's office say they use remote assistants—humans charged with responding to autonomous vehicles when they get confused, stuck, or in emergencies. The programs, experts say, are an important part of any autonomous vehicle company’s safety considerations, a backstop for a technology that’s becoming safer by the year but will continue to run into new situations on the road indefinitely. In a report also released Tuesday, Senator Markey said the new details were not enough. “Every autonomous-vehicle company refused to disclose how often their AVs require assistance from [remote assistants]—hiding key information from the public about their AV’s true level of autonomy,” he wrote. “This information is critical for lawmakers, regulators, and the public to understand the potential safety risks with AVs.” Markey called on the nation’s top federal road safety regulator to look more closely into autonomous vehicle companies’ remote assistance programs, and said he would soon introduce legislation responding to the “safety gaps” his investigation found. Remote-Controlled Robotaxis The responses from the autonomous vehicle developers show that, in one critical way, Tesla is an industry outlier. Six of the firms insisted that their remote assistance workers, who work across the US and even, in the case of Waymo, in the Philippines, never actually drive the vehicles directly. Instead, the humans provide input that the autonomous vehicle software then decides to use or ignore. Not so
Mar 31, 2026 · via wired.com
Man arrested for DUI after being found passed out, intoxicated in moving Tesla, police say VACAVILLE, Calif. (Gray News) - Police in California have arrested a man for driving under the influence after they say he was found passed out while behind the wheel of a moving autonomous vehicle. According to the Vacaville Police Department, a resident called dispatch last Wednesday afternoon after seeing a driver appearing to be unconscious in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that was driving on its own through busy city streets. The caller provided real-time details to police, allowing officers to find the man and stop the vehicle. Police said they checked if the driver was having a medical emergency, but found him to be under the influence of both alcohol and marijuana. Vacaville police said a Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon carrier and a box of Round Table Pizza were among the items seen in the man’s vehicle. Authorities didn’t identify the driver or the car, but it can be seen as a Tesla model with the vehicle’s unique door handles shown in the department’s pictures. Police warned that drivers are permitted to use newer assistive driving safety features in their vehicles. But they need to be conscious, alert and not under the influence while operating them. Vacaville officers thanked the community for their help. Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mar 31, 2026 · via uppermichiganssource.com
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Mar 31, 2026 · via statesman.com
The systems that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel are convenient but don't improve safety because people who use them often pay less attention to the road, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday. Drivers with automated systems engaged are much more likely than other drivers to focus on their cellphones or infotainment screens, Chair Jennifer Homendy said at the outset of a hearing on the NTSB's investigation of two fatal crashes involving Ford’s Blue Cruise system. The 2024 crashes in Texas and Pennsylvania killed three people when Ford Mustang Mach-E cars slammed into stopped vehicles. “These systems function primarily as convenience features rather than safety enhancements,” she said. Ford and other automakers emphasize that partially automated driving systems are not designed to replace the human drivers sitting behind the wheel, who have to be ready to take control at any time. But Homendy said automakers are marketing these systems as safety improvements that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel and focus elsewhere. To illustrate her point, she showed a Ford commercial that depicted a mother in a driver's seat pretending to conduct a symphony with her eyes closed while talking to kids in the backseat. One of the auto industry's challenges in developing systems that take on more driving functions has been how to ensure that drivers stay alert. NTSB members said the evidence is clear that drivers using these systems are more likely to shift their focus away from the road. Currently, there are no clear U.S. government standards for the systems, so each automaker’s version of this technology can vary greatly, said Michael Graham, NTSB vice chair. The NTSB, which previously investigated a number crashes involving similar systems, including Tesla’s autopilot system, is examining the effectiveness of these
Mar 31, 2026 · via spotlightpa.org
Gasgoo Munich- At a recent major achievements release during the ZGC Forum annual meeting, the Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau announced the launch of commercial insurance development for intelligent connected new energy vehicles. It marks the first domestic policy tailored specifically to autonomous driving scenarios, designed to uniformly adapt to L2 through L4 smart connected NEVs. While the L2 tier initially targets new energy vehicles, L3 and L4 levels apply to those legally testing or already road-qualified in Beijing. Just half a month ago, Arcfox announced that its Alpha S (L3 version) has officially kicked off large-scale road trials, with individual users able to book test drives starting in the second quarter of 2026. Image source: Weibo screenshot Policy and product are hitting the accelerator in near unison. The countdown to L3 commercialization has begun. This countdown isn't triggered merely by a few models securing license plates; rather, it’s driven by a comprehensive support system spanning technology, regulation, insurance, and infrastructure that is visibly taking shape. The rollout of Beijing's smart driving insurance is a critical piece of this safety net. Yet, it must be said: the current dedicated policy remains a "pilot" initiative, far from the final product. The debate surrounding it, however, helps illuminate the path still required to move from L3 road access to mass adoption. Why is "Smart Driving Exclusive Insurance" Indispensable? L3 represents conditional autonomous driving, where the system takes control in specific scenarios, but the driver must intervene promptly when a takeover is requested. In essence, primary control shifts from human to machine. That seemingly subtle shift fundamentally destabilizes the underlying logic of traditional car insurance. Traditional auto insurance logic is built on the premise that a human is driving. At the L2 stage, the system is strictly defined as "driver assistance," so insurance remains
Mar 31, 2026 · via autonews.gasgoo.com
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide have launched robotaxi operations without a human safety operator in Dubai as part of a broader expansion in the Middle East. Riders can now book the vehicles through Uber’s app, with operations in commercial and industrial districts like Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investment Park Second, and Jabal Ali Industrial First, as well as suburban areas and the maritime trading hub Al Hamriya Port. The service is operated locally by Tawasul, a mobility and fleet operator in the United Arab Emirates. The companies first introduced robotaxis to Dubai in December under a pilot program but didn’t charge for rides and still had a human safety operator on board. The government’s Roads and Transport Authority issued a driverless vehicle trial permit to the companies last month. The deployment signals an escalation in WeRide’s robotaxi operations in the region and Uber’s continued involvement in the company. Uber holds a 5.82% stake in WeRide, according to documents filed Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Last year, it invested $100 million into WeRide. Uber’s equity stake is valued at around $150 million based on WeRide’s closing stock price on Monday. “Bringing fully driverless vehicles to Dubai is an important milestone in making autonomous mobility a global reality,” Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said in a statement. “This launch underscores our deep commitment to the UAE and our vision for a hybrid world — where drivers and AVs operate side-by-side to create a more resilient network. Especially during challenging times in the region, we are proud to be a partner to this city, ensuring that Uber is always there to help people move seamlessly and with confidence.” Uber increased its investment into WeRide in May 2025 as part of a commercial robotaxi
Mar 31, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
Cyngn Deploys 4 DriveMod Tuggers at Vann Family Orchards The deployment expands Cyngn's footprint into the agricultural processing market, and reflects growing adoption of autonomous material handling across food and agriculture supply chains. Cyngn (NASDAQ: CYN) today announced a commercial DriveMod Tugger deployment at Vann Family Orchards, a large-scale agricultural processor based in northern California. The deployment includes four DriveMod Tuggers automating the transport of raw materials between storage and processing areas across connected warehouse facilities. The deployment expands Cyngn's footprint into the agricultural processing market, and reflects growing adoption of autonomous material handling across food and agriculture supply chains. The system replaces a portion of the facility's manual forklift transport operations and efficiently maintains human labor for loading and unloading products, creating a hybrid workflow designed to improve consistency, safety, and asset utilization. "At Vann Family Orchards, raw materials must move continuously between warehouses and processing equipment to keep production running," said Lior Tal, Cyngn's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This deployment demonstrates DriveMod's ability to operate reliably in agricultural environments where throughput, safety, and uptime are operationally critical. Agriculture represents one of the largest and most demanding physical industries in the world, and automation is becoming essential infrastructure for it." California alone generates more than $61.2 billion in annual agricultural output, producing roughly 50% of U.S. vegetables and 75% of U.S. fruits and nuts, across more than 400 distinct agricultural commodities. The state anchors a vast downstream processing, logistics, and export economy that depends on consistent, high-volume material movement. As labor availability tightens and processing volumes scale, automation is increasingly central to maintaining throughput, reliability, and cost discipline across the food and agriculture value chain. Founded in California's Sacramento Valley, Vann Family Orchards operates large-scale processing facilities serving domestic and international markets, making it well suited for autonomous
Mar 31, 2026 · via roboticstomorrow.com
Applied Intuition launches first mobile operations center for autonomous systems: Applied Edge Company unveils field-deployable, persistent autonomy development and operations platform. SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Intuition, Inc., the leading physical AI company, today launched the first mobile operations center purpose-built for developing, testing and operating autonomous systems. Applied Edge packages rugged compute, satellite and radio communications, and the Axion autonomy toolchain into a field-deployable node, enabling teams to build, iterate and operate at mission speed without standing up new infrastructure. "Applied Intuition is collapsing the distance between the lab and the mission," said Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition. "Today, every team building advanced autonomous systems hits the same wall: the exercise ends, the racks go dark and the telemetry sits in the field while the clock resets in the office. The cycle of standing up and tearing down autonomy stacks between events is over. The teams that move at mission speed will define the future of autonomous systems, and Edge is how they get there." Deploy where the mission is. Pick up where you left off. Defense autonomy is moving fast, but the infrastructure behind it has not kept up. Government test ranges — designed for hardware, not software — add months of scheduling overhead and offer no persistent DevSecOps environments. The gap between autonomy needs and infrastructure has never been wider. As autonomy programs move from one-off demonstrations to repeated field operations, teams need software-defined infrastructure that stays warm between events. The same pressure exists in defense and in heavy industry: mining, construction and other environments where machines must be developed and validated where they work, not only in the lab. Axion Sim and Mission Control run natively on Edge so teams can plan missions, replay logs, evaluate behavior, coordinate multi-asset operations
Mar 31, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
Florida Panthers announce hiring of Michael White as business president The Florida Panthers have named tech and guest-experience executive Michael White as their new president of business operations SUNRISE, Fla. -- Michael White got a call a few weeks ago from someone in Italy who was offering to provide any insight he could about how the Florida Panthers do business. The caller was Bill Zito, the Panthers' hockey operations president. And that's when White knew he'd fit in as the team's business operations president. The Panthers officially announced White, who has spent a 25-year career working in the technology and guest experience worlds, as their new business chief on Tuesday. He will oversee “all business aspects,” the team said, of its four facilities — Amerant Bank Arena, Baptist Health IcePlex, Panthers IceDen and War Memorial Auditorium. White said the idea to work alongside Zito, the architect of the team that won Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, was a major factor. Zito called him last month from Italy, where he was part of the leadership for the U.S. men's hockey team that won gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics. They've been off and running ever since. “We clicked automatically. Our first meeting was supposed to be 30 minutes, went an hour and a half and we probably could have talked another two hours," White said. "And we just stayed in touch throughout the process. I would say that we’re off to a really great start together and he was one of the primary reasons I came over here. He's one of one, a legend, but also somebody that you want to partner with.” White came to the Panthers after most recently serving as Chief Product Officer at Amazon’s autonomous vehicle company, Zoox — helping to develop an autonomous robotaxi.
Mar 31, 2026 · via abcnews.com
Applied Intuition launches first mobile operations center for autonomous systems: Applied Edge Company unveils field-deployable, persistent autonomy development and operations platform. SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Intuition, Inc., the leading physical AI company, today launched the first mobile operations center purpose-built for developing, testing and operating autonomous systems. Applied Edge packages rugged compute, satellite and radio communications, and the Axion autonomy toolchain into a field-deployable node, enabling teams to build, iterate and operate at mission speed without standing up new infrastructure. "Applied Intuition is collapsing the distance between the lab and the mission," said Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition. "Today, every team building advanced autonomous systems hits the same wall: the exercise ends, the racks go dark and the telemetry sits in the field while the clock resets in the office. The cycle of standing up and tearing down autonomy stacks between events is over. The teams that move at mission speed will define the future of autonomous systems, and Edge is how they get there." Deploy where the mission is. Pick up where you left off. Defense autonomy is moving fast, but the infrastructure behind it has not kept up. Government test ranges — designed for hardware, not software — add months of scheduling overhead and offer no persistent DevSecOps environments. The gap between autonomy needs and infrastructure has never been wider. As autonomy programs move from one-off demonstrations to repeated field operations, teams need software-defined infrastructure that stays warm between events. The same pressure exists in defense and in heavy industry: mining, construction and other environments where machines must be developed and validated where they work, not only in the lab. Axion Sim and Mission Control run natively on Edge so teams can plan missions, replay logs, evaluate behavior, coordinate multi-asset operations
Mar 31, 2026 · via prnewswire.com