Most Read: Air Taxi to Take Flight Down Under, Humanoid Robots Express Realistic Emotions

Here are this week’s most-read stories in IoT World Today:

Air Taxi Company Files to Fly in Australia; $2B Raised

Flying taxi company Joby Aviation has filed for its electric aerial vehicle (EAV) to be certified to be operated in Australia.

Joby also filed to have its certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) validated by regulators at the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority once it receives it.

The Australian request follows a bilateral agreement between the FAA and Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Joby is at the third of five stages of the type certification process, which takes years and involves elaborate testing and documentation to meet stringent regulations.

The electric Joby flying taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and travel up to 200 mph. The company plans to operate its EAVs in New York City and Los Angeles along with its partner Delta Air Lines.

Read more about the Toyota and Delta Air Lines backed Joby >>>

Humanoid Robots Display Realistic Emotions, Thanks to New Research

Chinese scientists have developed a way to make humanoid robots express emotions more naturally and accurately.

Researchers from Hohai University and Changzhou University created a two-stage method to help robots make more natural and complex facial expressions to improve how humans interact with and relate to humanoid robots.

Related:FAA Authorizes First Beyond Line of Sight Drone Delivery Flights in Dallas

The new AI system can generate detailed examples of facial expressions. A specially designed robot with multiple degrees of freedom for facial movements then learns to perform those expressions.

The method enabled humanoid robots to successfully perform specific facial expressions when instructed.

It was presented at the annual meeting of the China Association of Science and Technology and the research was published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

Find out how the new method addresses limitations of the humanoid robot faces >>>

Flying Car Company Raises $150M; Road Vehicle Detaches

Flying car company XPeng Aeroht has raised $150 million in the first segment of a series B funding round.

The Chinese company plans to use the funds for the development, mass production and commercialization of its flying vehicle the Land Aircraft Carrier, according to founder Zhao Deli.

The manned air module of the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle is being  developed for users in China.

The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) has a distributed electric propulsion system with redundancies.

Related:Mercedes to Test Level 4 Self-Driving Tech in Beijing

XPeng Aeroht already had a deal with the Guangzhou Development District in China for the manufacturing, mass production and sales of its flying vehicles.

Learn more about the XPeng flying car >>>

Background Check Company Data Breach Exposes Data of 2.9 Billion

A background check company has reportedly experienced a massive data breach, leaking the personal information of 2.9 billion people on the dark web.

Lawyers on behalf of victims filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against National Public Data, which also operates as Jerico Pictures.

National Public Data provides services to businesses enabling them to perform background checks on prospective employees.

The lawsuit alleges that personal data was collected without consent, meaning victims likely had their data stolen without knowledge it was taken in the first place.

National Public Data is alleged to have gathered data by scraping it from non-public sources and then failed to store it properly, including failing to encrypt it or delete old, irrelevant information.

Uncover more about what could be the largest data breach of the year >>>

AI-Powered Dental Robot Completes World's First Automated Procedure

A Boston-based startup has conducted the world’s first fully automated dental procedure on a human using its robotic dentistry technology.

Perceptive’s FDA-approved dental robot is powered by AI-driven 3D imaging software, which guides a robotic arm to perform dental procedures.

The system can perform restorative dentistry works, such as replacing crowns in 15 minutes, a procedure that typically takes two office visits. 

It can also identify potential issues with a patient’s teeth and gums with high accuracy.

Learn more about Perceptive's AI-powered robotic dentistry system >>>