United Kingdom

Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., announced new data center components aimed at advancing artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and enhancing energy efficiency. The announcement was made during AWS re:Invent 2024 in Las Vegas. The components, which include advancements in power delivery, cooling systems, and hardware design, are designed to provide 12% more computing power while reducing energy consumption. These upgrades will be incorporated into new AWS data centers starting in 2025 and retrofitted into existing ones.

iXi Robotics, a division of Botronics, introduced its autonomous golf trolley at CES 2025, combining advanced artificial intelligence and on-the-go analytics to transform the golfing experience. The product, named iXi, is described as the first self-driving trolley of its kind, offering golfers hands-free convenience and real-time performance insights.

Zivid has introduced the Zivid 2+ R-series cameras, a new lineup designed to improve the efficiency and precision of robotic vision systems in e-commerce, logistics, and manufacturing. These cameras provide faster performance and enhanced data capture capabilities compared to earlier models.

Hesai Technology has entered into an agreement to exclusively supply more than 1.5 million lidar units to Changan Automobile for use across multiple vehicle brands. The deal focuses on Hesai’s ATX compact lidar, a model launched in April 2024, designed to support advanced intelligent driving systems. The supply will cover over 10 vehicle models, with the first set for mass production in the latter half of 2025.

Researchers from Duke University and the Army Research Laboratory have introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) training framework called GUIDE, which enables AI to learn complex tasks through real-time human feedback rather than relying solely on extensive datasets and simulations. The framework, which aims to make AI training more adaptive and responsive, will be presented at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2024) in Vancouver, Canada.

Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest aviation hubs globally, has begun testing an artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to assist air traffic controllers in managing the UK’s highly congested airspace. The system, known as “Aimee,” was developed by Searidge Technologies and is aimed at enhancing efficiency, safety, and situational awareness within air traffic control (ATC) operations. The trial represents a move toward integrating advanced technology into one of the world’s most complex airspace environments.

Robots are becoming valuable teammates for care workers, offering crucial support in their daily tasks. One of these variants is the social robot. A smart example of this is the recently introduced Dutch robot Maatje, developed to support individuals with dementia or intellectual disabilities.

XCMG Excavator presented the PCR300 demolition robot at bauma China 2024, part of its exhibition of 17 excavator models and core component technologies. The PCR300, weighing two tons, is designed to deliver demolition capabilities comparable to a six-ton excavator, offering a solution for tasks requiring compact machinery with high performance.

Meta has announced plans to explore the integration of nuclear power into its energy strategy, aiming to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and further its sustainability objectives. The company unveiled a Request for Proposals (RFP) targeting the addition of 1-4 gigawatts (GW) of new nuclear generation capacity in the U.S. by the early 2030s.

A research team from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed a novel approach to robotic navigation inspired by the neural mechanisms of insects and animals. The study, led by postdoctoral research fellow Somayeh Hussaini and supported by Intel, was published in the IEEE Transactions on Robotics journal. The team included Professor Michael Milford and Dr. Tobias Fischer from the QUT Centre for Robotics.