Global Scans · Robots · Weekly Summary

• [New] Cornell researchers used stretchable fiber-optic sensors to create a soft robot gripper that can predict the ripeness of strawberries by touch, then gently twist them off their branch or vine without causing any damage. Robohub
• [New] Toyota is investing in long-term infrastructure through its Woven City project, which will act as a testing ground for fully autonomous urban mobility. Persistence Market Research
• [New] As AV deployments attract growing attention from disability advocates and federal regulators in the US, Waymo's approach could become a reference point in policy discussions about accessibility requirements for commercial autonomous passenger vehicles. Automotive World
• [New] The drone sector is experiencing renewed momentum as investors anticipate a significant shift in defence priorities under the Trump administration. investing.com
• [New] Companies capable of integrating autonomous software, EV platforms, real-time analytics, and scalable fleet operations will gain significant competitive advantages over the next decade. DataM Intelligence
• [New] The year 2026 is expected to represent a major commercialization milestone as several companies expand beyond pilot operations into large-scale autonomous ride-hailing deployments. DataM Intelligence
• [New] Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, supported by large-scale robotaxi deployments and government-backed autonomous mobility initiatives. DataM Intelligence
• [New] Daimler Truck recently revealed its first autonomous truck and announced that its driverless semi-trucks will be on the road by 2027. Darden Ideas to Action
• [New] Level 4 autonomous driving systems for passenger cars could generate $170 billion to $230 billion in revenue by 2035. Darden Ideas to Action
• [New] Humanoid robot revenue is expected to reach $15 billion by the year 2035, largely driven by U.S. and China adoption. Robotics 24/7
• [New] Mercedes-Benz plans to begin rolling out its urban autonomous driving technology in select German cities by the end of 2026 before expanding nationwide in 2027. Driverless Commute
• [New] As numerous autonomous taxi companies launch pilots in China and the U.S., more vehicles and fleets will see broader testing and promotion from the second half of 2026 through the first half of next. Gasgoo Auto News
• [New] Autonomous agents will achieve near-mass consumer adoption in 2026. TechRadar
• [New] Tesla itself has been suffering from a decline in sales, dramatically shown in the first-quarter figures from California, and might see its ambitious promises regarding unsupervised autonomous driving and the Cybercab turn into yet another disregarded milestone. MEXC
• [New] Torc, which is preparing for its commercial launch in 2027, recently expanded its autonomous truck testing to public roads in Michigan. Transport Topics
• [New] The bottleneck in the early innings of commercial deployment will not be interest on the part of fleet operators, but the initial supply of trucks equipped for autonomous driving. Transport Topics
• [New] From the total fund, $500m will go towards advancing next-generation aerospace technologies and supporting the development of autonomous defence systems. Investment Monitor
• [New] Artificial intelligence warfare, drone systems, Arctic security, cybersecurity threats, NATO spending, and geopolitical fragmentation are all converging simultaneously. Kalkine
• [New] Ukraine is containing the Russian drone threat at current levels of damage while Russia is currently unable to stop Ukraine from increasing its level of damage. Sarcastosaurus
• [New] Russia's only hope is to replicate Ukraine's drone interception teams. Sarcastosaurus
• [New] In 2026, AI has graduated from basic automation to Agentic AI - autonomous systems that plan, decide, and execute without human prompting. Kylin Machine

Last updated: 01 June 2026