Smarter Pneumatic Valves Enhance Automation Systems

Pneumatic technologies such as control valves continue to evolve, incorporating sensors, industrial network interfaces, wireless technology, and more.

Soft Robots Turn Rigid on Demand

A new type of control system may broaden robots’ range of tasks and allow safer interactions with people.

Lightweight Crane Technology for the Moon

A prototype version could be demonstrated on a large cargo lunar lander.

3D-Printed Smart Gel Changes Shape When Exposed to Light

The invention can become color-changing “artificial muscle.”

New Flexible and Highly Reliable Sensor

Real-time health monitoring and sensing abilities of robots require soft electronics, but a challenge of using such materials lies in their reliability.

Innovation on a Larger Scale: Robotic Fiber Placement and 3D Printing

“The disruption promised by Industry 4.0 has already begun,” says Jason Melcher from the aerospace manufacturing company Ingersoll.

5 Ws of the Screen-Printed Battery

The battery can be used in flexible, stretchable electronics for wearables as well as soft robotics.

Miniscule Robots of Metal and Plastic

A technique enables manufacturing of minuscule robots by interlocking multiple materials in a complex way.

Ultra-Thin, Battery-Free Strain Sensors for Industrial Robotic Arms

These nanomaterial strain sensors are ten times more sensitive when measuring minute movements compared to existing technology.

4D Printing of Morphing Structures

A new method manufactures complex shapeshifters for soft robots and biomedical implants.

Linking Materials May Transform Robots Made of Robots

A new method of linking materials with unique mechanical properties could enable robots made of robots.

Processor Power and Energy Efficiency

Just like smartphones, the same trend of combining separate components into one device is also apparent in industrial automation.

Solid-State Technology Enables Smaller, Safer Batteries

The technology is inherently safer and more energy-dense than today’s lithium-ion batteries.

Special Section: The Winners of the 2020 'Create the Future' Design Contest

Your 2020 winners include a bacteria-repelling wrap, an advanced prosthetic leg, flash graphene, and more.

Executive Roundtable: Robotics Design

A panel of experts explains how robots are playing a larger role in manufacturing.

Raising the Ergonomics Bar with Smart Electric Actuators

Smart electric actuators not only enable fine position adjustments, but they also provide real-time feedback on the extent of those adjustments.

Collision Detector Mimics Locust Swarms

This detector could help robots, drones, and self-driving cars avoid collisions.

Compact, Long-Reach Robotic Arm

Applications include retractable covers and awnings, camera booms, and spacecraft and astronaut positioning.

Upper Body Robotic Exoskeleton

This lightweight, portable garment is designed for active shoulder and elbow positioning.

Toroidal Radiation Pattern Patch Antenna

The antenna is designed for use in extreme conditions such as outer space.

Human-Like Hands with Flexible, Hybrid Pneumatic Actuators

These hands, with a large grasping force, enable safer human-robot interactions.

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing/Robotics/Automation Category Winner — RadiBond

RadiBond technology, based on nanometer-thin coatings, provides ultra-strong and ultra-tight bonding between metals and plastics.

Robot Takes Contact-Free Measurements of Patients’ Vital Signs

The mobile system could reduce healthcare workers’ exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Tactile Robot Finger with No Blind Spots

This robotic finger has a highly precise sense of touch over a complex, multi-curved surface.

Technology Aids Surgeon-Guided Robotic Hands

This method enables users to control their robotic fingers precisely enough to gently land on fragile surfaces.

Measuring Layer Thickness Using a Microscope

With Nikon's Layer Thickness software module, comprehensive information about a specimen is obtained more quickly than if an operator is making all the measurements by hand.

Robotic Assembly of Photovoltaic Arrays

Adaptable automation reduces manufacturing time and costs.

Psychosensory Electronic Skin Technology for AI and Humanoid Development

This technology enables robots, electronic devices, and prosthetic devices to feel pain through sense of touch.