Logistics

Autonomous aircraft in the United Kingdom are getting their own superhighway. The UK government approved Project Skyway, a 165-mile system of interconnected drone-only flight routes.

Computer vision systems are scanning satellite photos to track construction on the Earth’s surface — an exercise in behavior recognition on a global scale.

AI startups are creating high value across a wide variety of industries. CB Insights, which tracks tech startups, published the latest edition of the AI 100, its annual list of 100 notable AI startups.

A wearable device may help warehouse workers avoid injuries. Modjoul, maker of a system that evaluates risks to people engaged in physical labor, received an undisclosed sum from Amazon as part of a $1 billion investment in technologies that might enhance the retailer giant’s operations.

Amazon reported long-term success using machine learning to shrink its environmental footprint. The online retailer developed a system that fuses product descriptions, images, and structured data to decide how an item should be packed for shipping.

Startups are predicting how climate change will affect global commerce. Companies that specialize in climate analytics are training neural networks to help businesses manage risks posed by a warming globe,

Some delivery drivers fired by Amazon contend that the retailer’s automated management system played an unfair role in terminating their employment. Drivers in Amazon Flex, an Uber-like program that enables independent drivers to earn money delivering the company’s packages.

An AI system is helping aircraft avoid bad weather, restricted airspace, and clogged runways. Alaska Airlines will route all its flights using a system from Airspace Intelligence called Flyways.

AI startups continue to roared ahead, global pandemic or no. Tech industry analyst CB Insights published its fifth annual list of the 100 most promising private AI companies.

U.S. regulators for the first time allowed commercial operators of autonomous aerial vehicles to fly out of operators’ sight. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration authorized drone maker American Robotics to fly without requirement.

Covid-19 wreaked havoc with models that predict retail sales — but China’s biggest annual e-commerce event showed that they’re back in business.

An aviation startups is using neural networks to put air freight on autopilot.What’s new: Xwing, a California startup, is test-flying an autonomous pilot system aboard cargo aircraft with an eye toward crewless commercial flights in 2022.

The pandemic has radically altered online shopping behavior, throwing a wrench into many AI systems. AI inventory trackers, recommendation algorithms, and fraud detection systems trained on pre-pandemic consumer behavior have been flummoxed by the different ways people now browse, binge, and buy.

Many of this year’s hottest AI companies are taking the spotlight from last year’s darlings.What’s new: CB Insights, which analyzes early-stage companies, published its annual list of the 100 “most promising” startups in AI.

Robots are moving into a job that traditionally required the human touch.What’s new: A commercial warehouse that ships electrical supplies deployed AI-driven robotic arms from Covariant, a high-profile Silicon Valley robotics firm.