This week’s highlights showcase how self-driving technologies are expanding into new frontiers—from rural roads and highways to harsh weather environments and massive construction zones. Read on for the latest breakthroughs and policy pushes shaping the autonomous future.
🏗️ Caterpillar and Luminar Bring Autonomy to the Construction Site
In a significant leap forward for industrial automation, Caterpillar has partnered with LiDAR company Luminar to integrate advanced sensors into its line of heavy construction vehicles. The first step includes outfitting autonomous mining trucks with two Luminar LiDAR units, enhancing the precision and safety of off-road navigation. These vehicles are part of Caterpillar’s Cat Command platform, which has already racked up more than 207 million miles autonomously and moved over 9.3 billion tons of material. The partnership highlights the potential of LiDAR in rugged, non-urban environments, where human operators face more significant risks and inefficiencies.
🔗 Read more at The Verge
🏞️ UK Pushes for Rural Autonomy with New Self-Driving Blueprint
The UK is taking a bold step in expanding autonomous vehicle infrastructure beyond cities and into rural communities. A new government-backed initiative, led by the Smart Mobility Living Lab, outlines strategies to deploy self-driving vehicles on rural roads, where public transit is often limited. The blueprint focuses on real-world testing in less predictable environments—think narrow lanes, limited GPS connectivity, and unique local traffic patterns. The goal is to bridge transportation gaps for rural residents while proving that autonomy isn’t just for urban centers.
🔗 Watch and read more at CNN
🚙 Rivian Rolls Out Hands-Free Driving with Enhanced Highway Assist
Rivian is entering the autonomous arena with the launch of its Enhanced Highway Assist system—a hands-free feature now available in its second-generation R1T and R1S electric vehicles. Covering approximately 130,000 miles of mapped highways in the United States and Canada, the system features lane-centering, adaptive cruise control, and braking capabilities. A driver-facing infrared camera ensures attentiveness, but Rivian’s ambitions don’t stop there: The company plans to expand the feature’s coverage and move toward Level 3 automation by 2026, allowing for true eyes-off driving under limited conditions.
🔗 More at Automotive Dive
❄️ Aurora Prepares Driverless Trucks for Real-World Extremes
Aurora Innovation is pushing the envelope in AV readiness by testing self-driving freight trucks in challenging weather and road conditions. With commercial launches on the horizon, the company will soon begin operating driverless trucks across Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, navigating a wide range of speed zones, traffic densities, and environmental hazards. Their expanded Operational Design Domain (ODD) includes nighttime driving, highway construction zones, and urban sprawl. Safety remains a top priority, with Aurora deploying extensive simulation and real-world validation ahead of deployment.
🔗 Full story at Reuters
🏛️ Automakers Urge Washington to Clear the Road for Self-Driving Cars
A coalition of leading autonomous vehicle (AV) companies—including Ford, Waymo, a popular ridesharing company, Zoox, and Volkswagen—is calling on President Trump and federal regulators to modernize outdated policies that restrict the deployment of autonomous vehicles. In a letter to the Department of Transportation, the industry group warned that without national regulatory clarity, the United States risks falling behind global competitors in the autonomous vehicle (AV) race. They propose a unified framework that encourages innovation while maintaining safety oversight, particularly as more automakers push toward large-scale deployment in the coming years.
🔗 Coverage by USA Today
