IoT Today: Elon Musk Predicts 1 Billion Humanoid Robots by 2040, Waymo to Expand Self-Driving Taxi Fleet to LA
The latest edition of IoT Today is here with the latest news in emerging technologies! Read about Elon Musk backing a prediction that there will be a billion humanoid robots by the 2040s, as well as Waymo ’s plans to expand its self-driving taxi fleet to LA.?
Plus, read about the advance of flying taxi airport planning in the U.K. and the flying car company partnering with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration for battery design.
Elon Musk Backs Prediction of 1 Billion Humanoid Robots by 2040
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has backed a statement that there will be a billion humanoid robots on Earth by 2040.
Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in agreement with a prediction made by David Holz, founder of AI research lab Midjourney.
Holz wrote that "we should be expecting a billion humanoid robots on earth in the 2040s and a hundred billion (mostly alien) robots throughout the solar system in the 2060s,” with Musk responding “Probably something like that.”
This is not the first time Musk has predicted a humanoid robotics boom. At Tesla’s 2023 Investor Day he said he expected the ratio of AI-powered humanoid robots to humans to “be greater than one to one” and that one day Tesla’s robot business could be greater than its automotive.
Waymo Wants to Expand Self-Driving Taxi Fleet to LA
Waymo has announced plans to expand its self-driving taxi operations to Los Angeles.
In a post on X, the company said it had put in an official request for a license to be granted.
The company has also urged potential riders to sign up for its Waymo Tour, an initiative initially set up in October where passengers can test self-driving taxis in neighborhoods around LA, including Santa Monica, Century City and West Hollywood.
Next, Waymo said the service will be rolled out in Koreatown in February and downtown in March.
Waymo is already running commercial services elsewhere in California, having been granted a license by the California Public Utilities Commission in August last year to run 24/7 in San Francisco.
The news comes as other self-driving taxi brands have seen a tumultuous time, with Waymo’s main competitor Cruise being forced to suspend all operations following a crash involving one of its converted Chevrolet Bolt self-driving taxis in October.
领英推荐
Flying Taxi Airport Planning Advances in the UK
The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the British aviation regulation body, is pushing ahead with regulations to pave the way for flying taxi airports in the U.K.
The CAA has launched what it calls a consultation for vertiport design at existing airports, with the agency saying it will be open for consulting approvals until mid-March.
Regulators are looking to create an infrastructure using airfields across the U.K. for air taxis to travel to and from.
Like the FAA, the CAA is recommending that eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle operations leverage existing airport infrastructure, before expanding to additional locations.?
Flying Taxi Company Teams With NASA for Batteries
Archer Aviation, an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company, has partnered with NASA to study high-performance batteries for space and advanced air mobility (AAM) use cases.
The partners signed a Space Act Agreement, with NASA planning to test Archer’s battery cell and system design and use the results to inform developments in the AAM market. The companies said they will be testing the safety, energy and power performance capabilities of the battery cells.
The deal comes as Archer is beginning to ramp up mass manufacturing of its electric air taxi and follow up on plans to deploy a high-performing battery pack for its Midnight eVTOL air taxi.
BMW-Backed Flying Vehicle Company Plans Hydrogen-Powered Jet
Swiss aviation company, Sirius Aviation, has announced plans to create a hydrogen-powered VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) jet.
Sirius is partnering with BMW Group's DesignWorks, Sauber Group, noted for its Formula 1 work and with Alfleth Engineering AG and ALD Group.?
The company said it is planning to create two models, the Sirius Business Jet for private travel and the Sirius Millennium Jet for commercial aviation. Both are slated for production by 2025, according to the company.
Even after production, the jet models would still have to receive airworthiness flight testing certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before any flight testing in the U.S.?