Meta's India and SE Asia VP leaves for OpenAI to lead growth in Asia-Pacific. Sandhya Devanathan, Meta's vice president for India and Southeast Asia, is leaving the company after over a decade to join OpenAI. She will be based in Singapore and oversee consumer growth, enterprise adoption, partnerships, regulatory engagement, a...
A recent episode of the “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast produced by the Michigan Department of Transportation discusses federal-level efforts to expedite the deployment of “robotaxis,” which are autonomous vehicles operated by ridesharing companies. [Above photo via Amazon] This episode interviews Joann Muller, who writes the Axios Future of Mobility newsletter, about her recent reporting on Amazon’s Zoox (pronounced “zooks”) robotaxis. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration recently granted a temporary exemption to commercially deploy up to 2,500 robotaxis annually for two years. All of this comes as Waymo, Uber, and other companies are making investments in the rapidly evolving automated vehicle industry to try and bring more robotaxi services to the U.S. market. Muller explained that federal regulators are right now “trying to very rapidly clear out a lot of rules that were written years, even decades ago” regarding motor vehicle safety. “The idea here is if you have a car that doesn’t have a human in it, why do you need side view mirrors? Why do you need windshield wipers? Why do you need a steering wheel or brake pedals?” she said. “And, so, they’re like basically modernizing the rule book for the modern [autonomous] car, which doesn’t have a driver, though they’re still requiring that the stopping distance still has to be the same.” Muller also discussed what she called the “underappreciated importance” of the human remote monitors for robotaxis. “These are people who are sitting in an office somewhere and, when a robotaxi gets into trouble, pings this office,” Muller explained. “At that point, the human gets engaged through cameras and through other technology to figure out what’s happening and they sort of [figure out] here’s the alternate route [the vehicle] should take,” she said. “They are not taking control of the vehicle remotely; that is
A Jacksonville Transportation Authority executive said autonomous public transit development in Downtown Jacksonville and surrounding neighborhoods will be reexamined amid a second straight year of revenue shortfalls and expense increases for the JTA. Cleveland Ferguson, who was named interim CEO of JTA at the Aug. 27 board meeting, said “everything is on the table” as the authority considers how to spend $247 million that was planned for the build-out of the Ultimate Urban Circulator, or U2C, as the authority faces cuts to staff and service along with increases in rider fares. Ostensibly, options for JTA’s autonomous transit program could be slowing it down or eliminating it. “We are going to work through a plan,” Ferguson said, asked about the future of revenue from a local six-cent gas tax. “We will be having conversations with the city, both the mayor’s office and the City Council, about making those decisions in the future. So we are definitely going to have those conversations.” Read the rest of this story from Jacksonville Today partner the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Dutch company MyWheels adds Tesla full self-driving software to shared fleet Dutch car-sharing company MyWheels is introducing Tesla Full Self-Driving software in its fleet, beginning with one Tesla Model 3 in Den Bosch. The company plans to expand the FSD-equipped vehicles to at least 50 this year. MyWheels operates nearly 3,000 electric shared cars in the Netherlands. The Teslas are not fully self-driving. Customers must collect the vehicle themselves and hold a driver's license. “You can switch it on and then let it drive without having to intervene,” MyWheels CEO Laurens van de Vijver said. “But you are expected to be able to drive the car if necessary.” The company’s longer-term vision is a shared car ordered through an app that drives itself to a customer’s door and, after the trip, continues on its own to the next user. Van de Vijver rejected estimates that fully driverless operation remains a decade away. “If people tell me this will still take 10 years, I don’t believe that,” he said. “I really suspect that we will see this within five years.” MyWheels says driverless shared cars could be used more intensively because a vehicle would not sit idle between customers. That could mean fewer cars overall and more available parking space in cities. “I think you and I will still experience that there are no more cars standing on the canals in Amsterdam,” Van de Vijver said. He also pointed to opportunities outside major cities. Self-driving cars and vans could eventually serve as an alternative to regional bus service in areas that now have limited service. MyWheels intends to use the first FSD vehicles primarily to study how customers handle the technology and what effect it has on damage claims. Claims are a significant cost for a car-sharing operator because the vehicles
28 August 2026 Tekcapital plc ("Tekcapital" or the "Company") Portfolio Company Update Guident Corp. & Florida State College at Jacksonville Launch Autonomous Mobility Training Center Tekcapital plc (AIM: TEK), the UK intellectual property investment group focused on creating valuable products that can improve people's lives, is pleased to announce that Tekcapital portfolio company Guident CORP, a leader in autonomous vehicle remote monitoring and human-in-the-loop operations, has announced a strategic collaboration with Florida State College at Jacksonville (https://www.fscj.edu), ("FSCJ"), to advance workforce development for the rapidly evolving autonomous transportation industry. The partnership will support the development of an autonomous vehicle remote monitoring and control training program at FSCJ's Downtown Campus. The program gives students, faculty, and transportation professionals practical exposure to the technologies, workflows, and operating models required for transportation systems to transition from conventionally driven vehicles to autonomous and human-supervised mobility services. As a first major milestone, Guident has installed its GuideOn™ remote monitoring and operations technology at FSCJ, establishing the college as Guident's sixth Remote Monitor and Control Center (RMCC) location globally and marking the sixth GuideOn vehicle integration through the addition of FSCJ's "Olli" autonomous shuttle. The Olli autonomous shuttle will be incorporated into the training environment to provide hands-on experience for students learning remote assistance, analytics, safety procedures, and operational oversight. As autonomous vehicles become more common, the workforce will evolve beyond traditional drivers and maintenance technicians to include new roles focused on remote supervision, incident response, mobility data analysis, safety monitoring, and autonomous fleet operations. The partnership combines FSCJ's workforce-development mission with Guident's experience in human-in-the-loop autonomous vehicle operations and is designed to help prepare students and transportation professionals for the next generation of mobility jobs. It also supports a local talent pipeline for public transportation, campus mobility, airports, ports, logistics, municipal services, and commercial robotics.
Waymo is bringing driverless taxis to Munich, its third city outside the US, as data suggests autonomous vehicles are far safer than human drivers. Following technology news about Europe on social media can be frustrating, as positive news is often overshadowed by complaints that consumers lack access to the latest innovative technologies and services due to a plethora of regulations from Brussels. The autonomous vehicle (AV) sector, however, looks positive in Europe this year — the United States’ leading autonomous vehicle company, Waymo, just announced that Munich will be its latest addition to its ongoing global expansion. While Waymo already offers services in dozens of cities across the United States, it recently began its international rollout, with London, Tokyo and Munich as the first three cities abroad. This is not the first good news for Europe’s consumers, lazy drivers and AV-enthusiasts this year. Yael Ossowski recently pointed out that a Dutch decision to greenlight Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Supervised (FSD) led to a domino effect of approvals, with Danish, Lithuanian and Estonian regulators quickly following suit and giving Tesla owners more choice in how much they trust their car's semi-autonomous features. AV taxis are 12 to 20 times safer than human-driven taxis Waymo coming to Munich’s streets is not just good news for passengers dreading the music choice of local taxi drivers but also has wider implications for road safety. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman suggested early on that machines will ultimately be better and safer than humans at decisions about navigation and driving. A few years later, we do have hard data to back this up. Data from major US cities show that AV-taxis are between 12 and 20 times safer than human-driven taxis, helping prevent many accidents and injuries. Given that we still have around 20,000 road fatalities in Europe
SporTran launches Louisiana’s first self-driving bus New pilot program to expand across Shreveport-Bossier area SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - SporTran now has a self-driving bus, a first for the state of Louisiana. The new bus is part of a pilot program, and SporTran hopes to expand it across the Shreveport-Bossier area. Program starts with one bus The program starts with one bus that seats 12 passengers. It will cycle through different routes across the city. Right now, there is a driver behind the wheel to make sure everything runs smoothly. “We’re taking this first vehicle, and we’re putting drivers behind the wheel because we want to make sure the vehicle is doing everything it’s supposed to do,” said Dinero Washington, SporTran CEO. “That feedback will come back to us, and we’ll be able to provide the information we need to make sure we’re doing safe transportation in the Shreveport-Bossier market.” Federal grant funded the program The innovation was made possible through a nearly one-million-dollar federal grant. The U.S. Department of Transportation says hundreds of applicants applied nationwide. “It’s a major milestone for Shreveport to be able to pass all the rigorous, competitive testing it took to get this award, at this city, at this time,” said Seval Oz, U.S. Department of Transportation. Washington said the move creates more than a new way to get around. It’s also expected to create new jobs. “There will be new positions created,” Washington said. “Some new technologies that’s created that we’re using — we will drive these vehicles from the facility, such as SporTran City. In that facility, we have an operation control center. Part of the operation control center — those technicians in that center will be able to actually drive the vehicle and put it back on track.” Riders react to the new
FTI Consulting News Bytes Although UK temperatures are cooling down this week, the tech world has been heating up. We begin with the news of Bill Gates’ 6,000-word essay, warning world leaders about the dangers of AI and the risks the technology poses to the labour force. Then, we cover the news that Anthropic is set to spend $45bn to rent AI computing power from Nscale’s West Virginia Data Centre, marking another step in the company’s build-up to an autumn IPO. Also in the U.S., Meta has agreed to an $18bn settlement in its lawsuit against 29 U.S. states regarding child protection on the company’s platforms, after being found liable for breaching several federal and state privacy laws. From courts to cars, autonomous vehicle company Waymo is starting a third venture into Europe, having announced plans to begin phased testing in Germany. Finally, British business leaders are calling out overseas tech giants and the stifling impact they’re having on promising UK-based digital infrastructure and AI firms, advocating for stronger backing from the CMA. This week’s news The AI floodgates are open Tech Billionaire Bill Gates has published a 6,000-word essay warning that AI will introduce “one of the most turbulent times in human history,” reports the Financial Times. Gates issued the warning to world leaders and governments who, in his view, are not prepared for the “turbulent times” the technology will bring. The Microsoft co-founder warned that the response to AI is too slow, calling for certain jobs to be “human reserved” to stop them being replaced by AI. While Gates’ essay contained sweeping concerns about the labour force, the intervention comes amid growing anxiety over the societal and economic impacts of AI, particularly the lack of policies to govern the technology and mitigate risk. U.S. AI frontrunners Anthropic and
A2RL Emirati Women’s Day: Building the future of autonomous mobility From the garage to the forefront of AI-driven racing, Emirati women are helping shape the next generation of engineering and autonomous technology As the UAE marks Emirati Women’s Day 2026 under the theme “We Emerge Stronger and Better”, the occasion offers an opportunity to reflect on the growing role of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Across the country, Emirati women are increasingly contributing to advanced industries, from artificial intelligence (AI) and aerospace to robotics and autonomous mobility. One example is Amna AlMarzooqi, race car mechanic at the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), where she works at the intersection of traditional engineering and cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technology. Her role shows how the UAE’s investment in innovation is creating new pathways for women to enter highly technical fields that were once largely male-dominated. For AlMarzooqi, one of the most exciting aspects of working in autonomous motorsport is witnessing how multiple disciplines come together to make advanced technologies function reliably in the real world. “What excites me most is seeing how intelligence and engineering have to work together,” she says. “The AI can only make good decisions if the sensors, electrical systems and mechanical components supporting it perform reliably.” That challenge has become even more apparent as A2RL prepares for its first international race at Italy’s Imola circuit. Unlike Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Imola presents narrower racing lines, elevation changes and significantly less margin for error, creating a new testing ground for autonomous systems. Race circuits are the ultimate testbed While autonomous racing may appear niche, the technologies being developed have implications far beyond motorsport. Advances in sensor fusion, autonomous navigation and real-time decision-making could eventually support sectors such as public transport, logistics, infrastructure management and emergency
Gasgoo Munich- On the evening of August 27, UISEE Technologies (01511.HK) released its first interim earnings since going public. The filing shows revenue reached 163 million yuan in the first half of 2026, a 64.9% year-on-year surge. Gross profit climbed 54.6% to 85.99 million yuan, delivering a margin of 52.9%. Given that the L4 autonomous driving sector is still grappling with heavy R&D spending and protracted commercialization cycles, that pace of growth is notable. Yet, profitability remains the elephant in the room. For the first half, the company recorded a net loss of about 126 million yuan attributable to owners, widening 17.6% from a year earlier. In other words, while scale is arriving, the bridge from revenue expansion to stable profit is still under construction. That question lies at the heart of UISEE's debut post-IPO report: After a decade of heavy tech investment, is L4 autonomous driving finally wrapping up the verification phase—or just embarking on the era of mass commercialization? AI Drivers Start to Pay Off as the Business Model Shifts UISEE officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's main board on May 20. Its public offering was roughly 6,777 times oversubscribed, making it one of the most closely watched debuts under Chapter 18C. Yet, the stock broke its issue price on day one—a signal that capital markets have shifted how they value autonomous driving firms. The size of the narrative matters less than hard numbers: orders, revenue, cash flow, and profitability. UISEE's revenue mix is already showing signs of evolution, according to the interim report. Revenue from autonomous vehicle solutions hit 74.55 million yuan in the first half, up 29.9%, while software solutions brought in 62.36 million yuan, a 56.1% jump. Notably, revenue from autonomous kits reached 25.12 million yuan. Accounting for 15.4% of total revenue, this
SporTran to unveil autonomous public transit vehicle at Riverview Hall Theatre An unveiling and public demonstration will happen at 1:15 p.m., open to the public. SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - SporTran Transit is set to unveil Shreveport-Bossier’s first autonomous public transit vehicle on Thursday, August 27. The unveiling will take place at Riverview Hall Theatre at 1:15 p.m. and will be open and free to the public. Guests will receive a live autonomous vehicle demonstration and interactive technology displays with opportunities to learn the ways in which autonomous mobility can expand access and connectivity across the region. Present at the event will be federal, state, and local transportation leaders, including Glenn Ledet, Jr., Louisiana Secretary of Transportation, and Seval Oz, Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation. In March 2024, the U.S Department of Transportation awarded SporTran nearly $1 million through its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant Program. The funding supports SporTran’s EVOLVE Initiative, which helps to develop workforce training to operate electric and autonomous transit technologies. SporTran was selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, helping to establish it as a leader in shaping the future of transportation. “Selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, the SMART Grant positioned SporTran among a select group of agencies, as a leading agency helping to shape the future of transportation in America,” said SporTran in a statement. SporTran emphasizes that this is a “first-of-its-kind public demonstration.” Copyright 2026 KSLA. All rights reserved.
Under Decision No.4554/QD-UBND issued by the Hanoi People’s Committee on August 25, the trial will last 24 months. Vehicles may operate only on designated routes equipped with high-resolution digital maps and monitoring systems. | | | | | A mini autonomous bus undergoing testing in Hanoi (Photo: Phenikaa-X) | The project aims to assess the safety, reliability and readiness of autonomous vehicles under real traffic conditions, as well as the effectiveness of autonomous public transport and compatibility with existing systems. Its results will contribute to developing technical standards, operating procedures and management models suited to Hanoi’s traffic conditions. The system integrates LiDAR, cameras, HD 2D and 3D digital maps, high-precision GPS and artificial intelligence algorithms, including machine learning and deep learning. Operations will be conducted in for specific groups of vehicles and routes under defined conditions an din designated phases. At Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, robotaxis and delivery robots will be tested for on-demand passenger transport and deliveries along a route of about 11.5km. At the Hoa Lac campus, autonomous buses are expected to transport students between dormitories, lecture halls, military training facilities and bus connections. Cleaning and delivery robots will also be tested along a route of about 2.8km. Testing will take place from 9am to 4:30pm daily, including weekends and holidays where necessary. Speeds will be determined for each route and are expected not to exceed 40km per hour. Vehicles must not operate during heavy rain, thunderstorms, flooding, strong winds, dense fog, natural disasters or infrastructure incidents affecting traffic safety. Autonomous buses and robotaxis must have onboard safety supervisors capable of taking manual control in emergencies or when safe operating limits are exceeded. Supervisors must hold appropriate driving licenses and receive relevant training. Cleaning and delivery robots must also have personnel supervising them on site. Each trial run
Martha Stewart Reveals Her Must-Haves for Driverless Car Rides: ‘This Is the Future’ (Exclusive) The lifestyle mogul chatted with PEOPLE all about her love for self-driving cars while speaking about her latest partnership with Waymo for their new Ojai vehicle By Natalia Senanayake Natalia Senanayake Natalia Senanayake is a Writer-Reporter, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She first joined the brand in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 27, 2026 11:00AM EDT Leave a Comment Credit : Yana Yatsuk NEED TO KNOW Martha Stewart is partnering with Waymo to spotlight their new Ojai autonomous vehicle, calling it a “home away from home”The Ojai features a spacious design, LED screens, and AI tools, offering riders comfort and customizable travel experiencesStewart praises autonomous vehicles as the future and highlights their privacy, convenience, and work-friendly environment Martha Stewart is embracing the future! The lifestyle mogul, 85, chatted with PEOPLE all about her latest partnership with Waymo in celebration of the autonomous driving technology company’s new Ojai vehicle. Stewart says the roomy self-driving car is especially perfect for her as someone who’s always working, “even when I’m on vacation,” because she has enough space and comfort to get tasks done. “I use my time in any vehicle to do work,” she explains, adding that she loves using Waymo because she can “arrive at my destination safely, having done whatever I wanted to do.” As for her car ride “essentials” the star keeps it simple: “I have to have a mode of communication, my bottle of ice cold water, a seatbelt and good visibility.” Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Referring to Waymo’s new Ojai vehicle, Stewart says she prefers it because it’s “a convenient and lovely way to travel.” “There’s privacy, there’s no driver and there’s nobody
The rapid scaling of robotaxis over the last two years has come with a hidden human cost. Test drivers for Waymo and Zoox sustained more than two dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025 from hard braking or other sudden movements made by the autonomous vehicles, according to a TechCrunch review of data submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These test drivers, who put autonomous vehicles through their paces on public roads, have suffered sprains, strains, whiplash, and more, according to OSHA data and interviews with former and current workers. Some have been sidelined for weeks or months. Transdev, which employs and manages Waymo’s test drivers, reported 16 injuries tied to Waymo depot locations in three cities that were caused by the autonomous software braking hard or swerving suddenly. Zoox reported as many as eight worker injuries linked to hard braking. Other autonomous vehicle companies do not appear in the dataset, though it’s possible they’re exempt. The Zoox and Waymo injuries appear because the companies classify themselves as taxi, limo, or transit services, which OSHA subjects to greater disclosure because they’re “higher-hazard” industries. OSHA also only requires establishments with 100 or more employees in these industries to make this information public, meaning test drivers in newer cities where operations haven’t scaled may have been injured on the job without appearing in this dataset. TechCrunch was unable to learn whether Waymo or Transdev logged any new injuries in 2026. OSHA does not require companies to submit annual data until the following year as part of the agency’s Injury Tracking Application. In Zoox’s case, injuries are still happening, according to sources who spoke to TechCrunch on condition of anonymity. Two current and three former Zoox contractors told TechCrunch that the company’s test fleet vehicles — modified Toyota Highlander SUVs equipped with
SHREVEPORT, La. — SporTran will host a public unveiling and demonstration for its new autonomous vehicle program, SporTran Evolve, Thursday afternoon at Riverview Hall. The initiative aims to improve public transit mobility and accessibility across Shreveport and Bossier City. The pilot project focuses on connecting key local corridors, including the future Bus Rapid Transit medical corridor and the city's redeveloped entertainment district. As part of the pilot, SporTran is partnering with ATU Local 558 to launch an autonomous workforce training program to prepare local transit workers for emerging vehicle technology. Events begin Thursday at Riverview Hall, located at 600 Clyde Fant Parkway in Shreveport. A VIP leadership luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by the official vehicle unveiling and public demonstration at 1:15 p.m. Featured guest speakers include Glenn Ledet Jr., Louisiana secretary of transportation, and Seval Oz, assistant secretary for research and technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Transit officials say the program marks a key step toward building a more inclusive and modern transportation system for the regional community.
Updated: 10 hours ago Clear the Shelters: Pender County Animal Shelter Updated: 10 hours ago A Supply man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Stephen Russell Bradshaw Wednesday evening, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Updated: 10 hours ago Brunswick County Social Services is looking for community members to step up for children in crisis by becoming foster and adoptive parents. Updated: 10 hours ago Birthdays and Anniversaries: August 27, 2026 Updated: 10 hours ago Coming up are events hosted by the Shreveport Police Department.
Updated: 10 hours ago A Supply man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Stephen Russell Bradshaw Wednesday evening, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Updated: 10 hours ago Brunswick County Social Services is looking for community members to step up for children in crisis by becoming foster and adoptive parents. Updated: 10 hours ago Clear the Shelters: Pender County Animal Shelter Updated: 10 hours ago Birthdays and Anniversaries: August 27, 2026 Updated: 10 hours ago Coming up are events hosted by the Shreveport Police Department.
By Sam Rathburn, Technical Manager, Safety & Product Leadership -- The enormous potential of autonomy and its expected impact on the non-road industry cannot be denied. From helping to create safer work environments and improving productivity to reducing the need for consumable resources, autonomous equipment is already beginning to make an indelible mark on how the agriculture and construction industries build, power, and feed the world around us. In order for technology to be developed for autonomous equipment to live up to its vast and yet-to-be-fully-realized potential, however, our industry relies heavily on an important consensus standards process. In recognizing the key role standards play, AEM and its members have been advocating for and participating in the creation of standards since 1968. A standard is an engineering specification that defines materials, products, processes, tests, test procedures, and performance criteria to achieve a specified purpose. Standards are important in that they: - Improve product and component compatibility - Reduce risk - Improve safety More specifically, product standards also lead to economic benefits. The specifications found in standards help drive the product design process. And by establishing a single set of global requirements, standards can help reduce trade barriers and promote international product marketability. The standards creation process itself is designed to ensure open and balanced participation, with wide recognition, acceptance, and harmonization. Two standards in particular, ISO3471:2008 and ISO10987:2012, have played a huge role in improving the safety, sustainability, and productivity of earth-moving machinery over the past decade-plus. There are many other examples. And now, given the enormous opportunity autonomy presents to the heavy equipment industry, standards around autonomous equipment are now starting to take center stage. Autonomous equipment is a developing technology that OEMs continue to advocate for today. This technology intends on creating a safer working environment for workers,
Updated: 10 hours ago Brunswick County Social Services is looking for community members to step up for children in crisis by becoming foster and adoptive parents. Updated: 10 hours ago Clear the Shelters: Pender County Animal Shelter Updated: 10 hours ago A Supply man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Stephen Russell Bradshaw Wednesday evening, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Updated: 10 hours ago Birthdays and Anniversaries: August 27, 2026 Updated: 10 hours ago Coming up are events hosted by the Shreveport Police Department.
Updated: 10 hours ago Clear the Shelters: Pender County Animal Shelter Updated: 10 hours ago A Supply man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Stephen Russell Bradshaw Wednesday evening, according to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Updated: 10 hours ago Brunswick County Social Services is looking for community members to step up for children in crisis by becoming foster and adoptive parents. Updated: 10 hours ago Birthdays and Anniversaries: August 27, 2026 Updated: 10 hours ago Coming up are events hosted by the Shreveport Police Department.