Emerging Tech

From firefighting and social services to increased accessibility, public-sector agencies are using virtual and augmented reality to improve how staff train to interact with citizens — and it’s only the beginning.

The company has been growing very quickly, reaching its Series D and operating in 40 states within four years of its founding. With a mountain of cash at its disposal, it plans on growing further.

Intentional or not, untrue information propagating on the Internet threatens democratic institutions and the public good. Emerging tech tools aim to help government combat the threat.

States like Arizona and Texas have positioned themselves as hubs for autonomous vehicle testing and deployments, in part, by creating regulatory landscapes that are easy for new companies to navigate.

The federal government recently approved an idea from Amazon to track people's sleep patterns through new technology. Experts warn that Amazon is taking a creepy step into American bedrooms with this approach.

As more government entities look to adopt facial recognition, concerns have been raised about its potential risks and how the technology might have disproportionate impacts for transgender and nonbinary individuals.

A New Jersey state lawmaker has proposed the creation of an "innovation partnership" to help fund emerging tech companies within the state. The effort is being pitched as a way to renew the state's innovative roots.

New technology developed by University of California San Francisco scientists has done the impossible, allowing a man who lost his ability to speak years ago to relay messages directly from his brain.

The 10th annual Transportation Research Board Automated Road Transportation Symposium explored the myriad policy questions and debates surrounding connected and autonomous vehicle technology.

A National Institute of Standards and Technology-funded study, conducted by Health Scholars, aims to evaluate the efficacy of using virtual reality to train emergency medical services personnel in pediatric assessment.

More and more states are rolling out digital driver’s licenses, and experts see that trend continuing as federal standards take shape and citizens embrace an improved government experience.

Drones can now do lots of things in this city better than people can. They can help look carefully at buildings’ roofs and facades without the need for scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, among other things.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology broke with tradition to define critical software based on what it does, not how it’s used by agencies. The vendor community should take notes.

Plus, the U.K. launches an emergency alert system, Walgreens turns to AI to improve targeted email campaigns and one fan of a 46-year-old calculator endeavors to outfit it for wireless charging.

A vehicle-to-everything project deployed on The Ray, a highway technology testbed in rural Georgia, will add roadside communication units and in-vehicle technology to improve communications and highway safety.

As California faces a drought and another fire season this year, public safety agencies are looking to cutting-edge tech solutions, like drones and satellites, for new ways of putting out flames.

The Missoula City Council approved a $307,000 request by the police department for new tasers as well as training — which includes a set of new virtual reality headsets — at Monday night's meeting.

While governments have traditionally been risk-averse as they strive to do the people’s work responsibly, embracing new technologies and being open to how they can change and even improve the public sector is essential.