Mechanical/​Mechatronics

Product Showcase

See the product showcase, which includes Bodine type 42R hypoid gearmotors; the Pyramid Connectable (“PC”) Twisted Belt; the IMI Norgren VR Valve Manifold; CENTRUM CSF40, a stainless steel encoder scale disc; KHK USA's gear for motion design; ABB Robotics' OmniCore, an intelligent automation platform that is faster, more precise, and more sustainable; and much more.

Engineered Skin Tissue Grants Robots Special Properties and Abilities

Researchers have found a way to bind engineered skin tissue to the complex forms of humanoid robots. This brings with it potential benefits to robotic platforms such as increased mobility, self-healing abilities, embedded sensing capabilities and an increasingly lifelike appearance.

Miniature 3D-Printed Actuators to Control Soft Robots

Researchers from NC State University have demonstrated mini soft hydraulic actuators that can be used to control the deformation and motion of soft robots that are less than a millimeter thick. The researchers also demonstrated that this technique works with shape memory materials.

How a Shear Manufacturer Improved Accuracy While Reducing Costs

Learn about the Force Control Model LC, a form of closed loop positioning control. It reads the machine position on each stop and adjusts, in real time, where to signal the stop for the next part/cycle. Read on.

Portable Engine Can Power Artificial Muscles in Assistive Devices

Researchers have developed a lightweight fluidic engine to power muscle-mimicking soft robots for use in assistive devices. What sets the new engine apart is its ability to...

Soft Robots + Artificial Muscles = Worm-Like Crawling and Biceps-Like Lifting

To demonstrate their new device, an actuator, the researchers used it to create a cylindrical, worm-like soft robot and an artificial bicep. In experiments, it navigated tight curves and was able to lift a 500-gram weight 5,000 times in a row.

Highway Segment Charges Electric Vehicles

Purdue University engineers and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are working to make it possible for electric vehicles ranging from tractor-trailers to passenger cars to wirelessly...

RISING STAR AWARDS 2024 JUDGES

  We want to thank our judges for the Rising Star Awards 2024. Our esteemed panel of judges is comprised of leaders from engineering and technology fields who bring decades of experience and expertise to the...

3D-Printed Mini-Actuators Can Move Small Soft Robots, Lock Them Into New Shapes

Researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated miniature soft hydraulic actuators that can be used to control the deformation and motion of...

Scientists Create Soft Robots Mimicking Human Skin to Provide Medical Treatment

Scientists have created innovative soft robots equipped with electronic skins and artificial muscles, allowing them to sense their surroundings and adapt their...

Molecular Crystal Motors Move Like Microbes When Exposed to Light

At first glance, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi’s molecular motors look like the microscopic worms you’d see in a drop of pond water. But these wriggling ribbons are not alive;...

Robotic Device Restores Wavelike Muscular Function in the Body

The soft-robotic prototype, driven by strong magnets controlled by a wearable external actuator, can aid patients suffering from blockages caused by tumors or those requiring stents.

Why the Hybrid Approach Extends the Range of Electric Aircraft

Jean-Christophe Lambert, Ascendance Co-founder and CEO, joins the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain why the hybrid approach is essential to near-term development of electric aircraft.

A Soft Robot that Crawls like a Caterpillar

Researchers merged origami and modern materials science to create a soft robot that bends and twists through mazes with ease.

Mapping Gravity with Motion Control

As it turns out, motion control can not only help map the world — it might even make it a safer place. Read on to learn how and why.

Snail-Inspired Soft-Suction Climbing Robots

The team demonstrated that the sliding suction is a low-cost, energy-efficient, high-payload, and clean adhesive locomotion strategy, which has high potential for use in climbing robots, outdoor inspection robots, and robotic transportation.

Jet-Propelled Sea Creatures Could Improve Ocean Robotics

Scientists at the University of Oregon have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an...

Aligning Laser Antenna Optical Components for the LISA Space Mission

In January, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Science Program Committee approved the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, the first scientific endeavour to...

Tech Focus: A New Generation of Mechanical Axes

Festo (Islandia, NY) introduced its newest generation of Cartesian-handling-system mechanical axes at Automate 2024. The ELGD-TB, tooth belt, and ELGD-BS, ball screw, axes feature an...

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $54 Million to Expand Clean Transportation Across American Communities

The Communities Taking Charge funding opportunity extends access to electrification opportunities beyond existing Joint Office–supported programs to more communities across America. Funding is available to academic, non-profit, for-profit, and government entities for planning, demonstration, and/or deployment projects that drive innovation in equitable clean transportation.

How Much Do You Know About Automotive Sensors?

As more and more elements of automotive systems are computer-controlled, accurate system-wide sensors are critical for proper operations, whether in internal combustion, hybrid, or completely electric vehicles. How much do you know about automotive sensors? Take this quiz to test your knowledge.

A Novel Approach to Controlling Energy Waves in 4D

A team of scientists has successfully created a new synthetic metamaterial with 4D capabilities, including the ability to control energy waves on the surface of a solid material. These waves, called mechanical surface waves, are fundamental to how vibrations travel along the surface of solid materials.

Precision Motion Control: Six Elements To Consider for Photonics and Optics Alignment Applications

Whether you are manufacturing, inspecting, aligning or bonding, it is essential to have a fundamental understanding of precision motion principles to effectively engage with suppliers and choose one who will maximize your effectiveness. An ideal motion supplier will navigate your precision motion control journey alongside you as a partner who is invested in your longterm success.

New Octopus-Inspired Gripper Enables Versatile Soft Adhesion

A new robotic suction cup which can grasp rough, curved, and heavy stone, has been developed by scientists at the University of Bristol. The team studied the structures of octopus biological suckers, which have superb adaptive suction abilities enabling them to anchor to rock.

RISING STAR AWARDS 2024 - Nomination Form

The nominations for 2024 are now closed. The entries are being evaluated by our esteemed panel of judges, which is comprised of leaders from engineering and technology fields. ⇒ Meet the...

RISING STAR AWARD RULES

The Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program celebrates and recognizes women engineers who are enhancing the engineering profession through contributions to the industry and society. The nominee should be a...