Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH/ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
From driverless cars and drones to the “brains” and vision that power them, Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week offers a comprehensive look at what it takes to make smart mobility a reality and what it means to live in an era of autonomous transport.
One of the innovations on display is what US-based company Tensor claims to be the world’s first fully autonomous personal robot car.
Built from the ground up for safety, privacy and intelligence, the Robocar has been designed for private ownership.
It can perceive, reason and act with human-like awareness, thanks to its advanced multimodal AI system trained on millions of real and simulated driving scenarios.
It is also equipped with over 100 integrated sensors, a true Dual Mode design that allows users to drive or be driven, and on-board data sovereignty that keeps all personal data encrypted within the car.
“This is the world’s first agentic vehicle, it understands natural language, gestures and even interacts with you externally. You can talk to it inside or outside the car,” Hugo Fozzati, Chief Business Officer at Tensor, told Aletihad during DRIFTx.
Integrated with proprietary LiDARs, cameras, and radars, the Robocar features self-cleaning sensor tech and even boasts a foldable steering wheel, offering users the option to drive or relax, Fozzati said.
Autonomous innovations, however, can only thrive within an ecosystem that’s just as intelligent. UAE-based technology company Nexumous showcased solutions described as “the brain for autonomous robots and systems.”
Nexumous connects robotics, AI and enterprise systems – enabling drones, robots and sensors to operate collectively as one intelligent network.
“In an ecosystem like this, you need software, hardware and even charging systems,” said Nicholas Zylberglajt, co-founder of the company. “Nexumous brings all these layers together so autonomous systems can work seamlessly.”
Beyond the technology, innovators at the exhibition agree that government vision and a supportive environment are key to turning autonomous mobility into a public reality.
Abu Dhabi is where innovation meets foresight, said one of the exhibitors, Marcus Bauer, CEO of CycloTech, an Austrian company that showcases a propulsion system that could reshape the future of flight. The firm’s CycloRotortechnology enables aircraft to perform complex manoeuvres, offering unprecedented stability and control.
“There’s a mindset [in Abu Dhabi] of taking bold steps into the future – and that’s exactly what we want to be part of,” Bauer said.
Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer at Archer Aviation, a US-based company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, lauded the country’s vision to become “one of the most innovative places on earth.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), he said, is positioning the emirate at the forefront of urban air mobility, adding that “they have followed through on that promise.”
He highlighted how Abu Dhabi’s comprehensive support system has enabled Archer to expand rapidly into the region.
“Everything from infrastructure to the regulators have aligned to make this vision a reality, which has enabled us to bring air taxis here to the country and slowly scale that technology over time,” he added.
