A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed the first unmanned car in Hong Kong. The research team from the Robotics Institute at the HKUST developed an “advanced unmanned passenger vehicle system” made up of several subsystems, ranging from the sensor systems to the dynamic modelling. Among its many capabilities, the unmanned car can avoid obstacles as it travels using LiDAR (laser range finders), which achieves the perception of the obstacles, and can measure the surroundings 100 times per second. The perception system, which is three-dimensional, generates more than 100,000 points per second, “indicating the pose of the vehicle to the surroundings.”

After testing shelf-scanning robots in stores in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and California, Wal-Mart has announced that approximately 50 of its stores across the United States will start using the robots to “replenish inventory faster,” in an effort to save employees time when products run out. The two-foot tall robots, which are a product of a company called Bossa Nova Robotics, are equipped with cameras that scan aisles to check stock and identify items that are missing and misplaced, as well as incorrect prices and mislabeling. The data obtained by the robots is passed on to store employees, who then stock the shelves and correct errors.

Nissan has demonstrated a prototype of its most advanced autonomous driving technology, known as ProPILOT, on the roads in Tokyo, Japan. The technology was tested on a modified INFINITI Q50 sports sedan. A vehicle equipped with Nissan's ProPILOT technology can operate autonomously on urban roads and freeways, starting at the beginning of the vehicle’s journey when a destination is chosen by the driver using the navigation system, until the vehicle arrives at its destination.

Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) Wind Power Technology Instructor Wayne Kilcollins, who recently became certified to fly UAS for business and work, will begin teaching Wind Power Technology students at the college about UAS. Kilcollins will use his knowledge to teach students about the technology, and demonstrate how to use UAS to inspect wind turbine blades and nacelles. Kilcollins will do this, in part, using a UAS that NMCC purchased. “We always aim to provide our students with the latest industry practices to keep them highly competitive in the workforce,” Kilcollins says.