Volvo's H-powered combustion engines to hit the road in 2026 - China's humanoid robots: marketing mirage or innovation? - Moon mapping in unprecedent

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Volvo Trucks is set to shake up the heavy transportation industry with its plan to test hydrogen-powered combustion engines on real roads in 2026, eyeing the end of the decade for a commercial launch. But can hydrogen engines compete with the growing dominance of electric vehicles?

Hydrogen combustion engines offer several advantages, especially for long-distance trucking. Speaking to Interesting Engineering, Jan Hjelmgren, Volvo Trucks’ Head of Product Management and Quality, highlighted the dual benefit of these engines: diesel engine-like performance but with potential net-zero C02 emissions.

The company further revealed that its hydrogen-powered combustion engines will incorporate High Pressure Direct Injection (HDPI) technology, which involves injecting a small amount of ignition fuel at high pressure to facilitate compression ignition before introducing hydrogen.

The hydrogen-powered combustion engine trucks will enhance Volvo’s range of alternative options, including battery electric trucks, fuel cell electric trucks, and trucks running on renewable fuels such as biogas and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil. We also take a look at China’s humanoid robot industry, seeking to differentiate between marketing mirages and actual innovation in our Must Reads.

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Weekly Must Reads

China’s humanoid robotics industry has been abuzz with excitement lately, fueled by two recent developments involving UBTECH and Xiaomi. However, a closer look reveals that the ground reality may not be as rosy as it seems.

UBTECH’s partnership with Dongfeng Motor to deploy its Walker S humanoid robots on assembly lines and Xiaomi’s intentions of deploying humanoid robots into its own production facilities while ambitious, lacks concrete evidence of real-world implementation. Insiders suggest that UBTECH’s collaboration may be more symbolic, with details and future plans remaining unclear.

Despite the fanfare surrounding these announcements, the Chinese humanoid robotics industry is still grappling with significant challenges. From financial losses and a lack of clear monetization options to technological limitations and high costs, these companies face an uphill battle in bringing their visions into commercial successes. (Read More)

Hot topics

Innovation

> Researchers at the University of Tokyo propose a simpler, and cost-effective approach to autonomous driving: giving humanoid robots the reins of cars

> SoftBank Corp unveils “emotion cancelling” AI technology that turns customer screams into calm conversations

Culture

> Harvard paper makes ‘cryptoterrestrials’ claim, says UFOs could be aliens visiting their kind on Earth

> Businessman-backed AI candidate Steve to contest UK parliamentary election, aims to redefine political engagement through advanced technology

Science

> Elephants can call each other by name, just like humans, study finds

> Federal investigation proves Titan submersible transcript fake, passengers were unaware of the danger

Energy

> Swedish startup Sinonus says anything can be turned into energy stores, including wind turbine blades

> Bill Gates begins building 345-megawatt Natrium nuclear reactor in US

And another thing

> Opinion: Are hypersonic weapons just hot air? [Interesting Engineering]

> Digital fine wine startup introduces first real asset metaverse for connoisseurs [Interesting Engineering]

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