Tech Briefs

Motion Control/​Automation

Access our comprehensive library of technical briefs on motion control and automation, from engineering experts at NASA and major government, university, and commercial laboratories.

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Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
The piezoelectric “meta-bot” is capable of propulsion, movement, sensing, and decision-making.
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Briefs: Medical
The device uses soft robotics, ultra-thin electronics, and microfluidics.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Researchers have developed the first ethical algorithm to fairly distribute the levels of risk rather than operating on an either/or principle.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
The technology could be useful in manufacturing and assembly plants for sorting packages, or in any environment where humans and robots collaborate.
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Briefs: AR/AI
Robotic vision has come a long way, reaching a level of sophistication with applications in complex and demanding tasks, such as autonomous driving and object manipulation.
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Briefs: Motion Control
Interactive program aids motion planning for environments with obstacles.
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Briefs: Aerospace
This novel flightpath control system exploits the dihedral effect to control the bank angle of the vehicle by modulating sideslip.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Scientists have developed a novel concept for a lunar navigation system based on the reverse-ephemeris technique.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
This system can track the motion of the entire body with a small sensory network.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Accomplishing motion control with digitally commanded electric motors is a responsive, precise, and energy-efficient approach suitable for a wide range of applications.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Research reveals that expertly timed lasers shined at an approaching LIDAR system can create a blind spot in front of the vehicle.
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Briefs: Data Acquisition
Real-time health monitoring and sensing abilities of robots require soft electronics but a challenge of using such materials lies in their reliability.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The sensor can be stretched up to 50 percent with almost the same sensing performance.
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Briefs: Design
In-space and planetary surface assembly for human exploration is a challenging domain that encompasses various technological thrusts to support human missions.
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Briefs: Unmanned Systems
The robots will be challenged to carry out work too dangerous for humans.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Researchers have been able to successfully teach micro-robots how to swim via deep reinforcement learning, marking a substantial leap in the progression of micro-swimming capability.
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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
This mechanism improves rotordynamic stability in turbomachinery.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
The model allows robots to ask clarifying questions to soldiers.
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Briefs: Aerospace
Potential uses include MEMS accelerometers, vibration monitoring, and other precision motion control applications.
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Briefs: Transportation
The tiny device accurately measures acceleration in smaller navigation systems and other devices.
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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A prototype version could be demonstrated on a large cargo lunar lander.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
The software can be integrated with existing hardware to aid people using robotic prosthetics or exoskeletons.
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Briefs: Design
Researchers designed a new type of soft robotic gripper that uses a collection of thin tentacles to entangle and ensnare objects.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
A team has installed electronic “brains” on solar-powered robots that are 100 to 250 micrometers in size so that they can walk autonomously.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
The new system learns directly from visual inputs to let a robot with a two-fingered gripper see, simulate, and shape doughy objects.
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Briefs: AR/AI
A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University believe they have developed the first AI pilot that enables autonomous aircraft to navigate a crowded airspace.
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Briefs: Design
Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have designed an Active Debris Removal Vehicle that can remove large orbital debris from low-Earth orbit.
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Briefs: IoMT
The design goal is to provide exceptional RF signal range and stability, while also reducing power consumption, in a miniaturized package.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
NASA is developing the next generation of spacesuits for future missions.
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