Briefs: Test & Measurement
Sensor-Packed Glove Learns Signatures of the Human Grasp
Wearing a sensor-packed glove while handling a variety of objects, researchers compiled a dataset that enables an AI system to recognize objects through touch alone. The information...
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Cable Construction for Machine Vision Connectivity
Along with the onslaught of Internet of Things (IoT) and wirelessly enabled devices, cloud connectivity has become a major benefit for a range of applications from commercial to military. As...
Briefs: Motion Control
Hybrid Robot Flies, Creeps, and Leaps Off Buildings
There is great potential in using both drones and ground-based robots for situations like disaster response, but generally these platforms either fly or creep along the ground. The flying...
Products: Motion Control
New Products: August 2019 Motion Design
PI, L.P. (Auburn, MA) offers the L-505 miniature linear translation stages for precision motion, alignment, and positioning applications where space is...
Articles: Imaging
Stepper Motor Drives: Factors to Help Determine Proper Selection
Stepper motors and stepper-based linear actuators are often selected for open-loop motion control devices and equipment. These can be found in a wide range of products and...
Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Lunar Surface Manipulation System
NASA's Langley Research Center offers a novel lifting and precision positioning device with hybrid functional characteristics of both crane-type lifting devices and robotic manipulators. The design of the...
Articles: Software
Simulation of Autonomous Vehicles
The emergence of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) systems is gradually preparing consumers for a time where they relinquish control of their vehicles. A heated source of...
Facility Focus: Nanotechnology
Facility Focus: National Energy Technology Laboratory
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory — with sites in Anchorage, AK; Albany, OR; Morgantown, WV; and Pittsburgh, PA...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Tiny “Walking” Motor Made with Five Parts
A new approach developed at MIT to building robots is based on a set of five millimeter-scale components, all of which can be attached to each other by a standard connector. Using this simple...
INSIDER: Motion Control
MEMS Accelerometer Begins with Multi-Layer Metal Structures
A high-sensitivity and low-noise MEMS accelerometer was developed using multi-layer metal structures composed of multiple metal layers. The accelerometer achieves 1 µG level...
Articles: Motion Control
The Sensors Behind the GEN II Wearable Device
The population is aging and more people need healthcare support, which is having a big impact on the overall cost of medical care. As a result, authorities and health insurance companies are...
Products: Electronics & Computers
New on the Market: July 2019
The induSENSOR MSC7401 sensor controller from Micro-Epsilon, Ortenburg, Germany, is used for displacement and distance measurements and is operated with LVDT and LDR measuring gauges...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Tool Tells Robots Where Nearby Humans are Headed
On a factory floor, robots are programmed to stop momentarily if a person passes by. The robot often freezes in place long before a person crosses its path. While robots can predict where...
Products: Motion Control
New Products: June 2019 Motion Design
NB Corporation of America (Hanover Park, IL) released a rotary ball spline that can be used for both rotational and linear motion. Applications include SCARA robots, the...
Briefs: Materials
Snake-Inspired Robot
Researchers have developed a new and improved snake-inspired soft robot that is faster and more precise than its predecessor.
Briefs: Test & Measurement
Calculating the Estimated Fatigue Life of a Disc Spring
In discussing fatigue life, it is important to distinguish between disc springs and conical spring washers, as they differ by design and intended usage. Conical spring washers are...
Articles: Motion Control
Pneumatics for Mechanical Motion
Employing fluid power to achieve mechanical motion can be implemented via hydraulics using uncompressible liquids or via pneumatics using compressible gasses; typically, air. The latter provides several...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Ultra-Low-Power Chips Enhance Performance of Small Robots
An ultra-low-power hybrid chip inspired by the brain could help give palm-sized robots the ability to collaborate and learn from their experiences. Combined with new generations of...
Briefs: Imaging
Model Gives Robots a Better Feel for Object Manipulation
A new learning system improves a robot’s ability to mold materials into target shapes and make predictions about interacting with solid objects and liquids. The system, known as a...
Articles: Photonics/Optics
Vision Sensors in Factory Automation
There are a number of ways to extract data from a production line. In factory automation, sensors are used in work cells to gather data for inspection or to trigger other devices. These sensors fall into...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Gear Bearings
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developed gear bearing technology that combines gear and bearing functions into a single unit that significantly improves gear drives for electrical, internal combustion, and turbine motors. The...
Application Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Cross-Training Made Possible by Common Control Platform
EMAG L.L.C. is the U.S. subsidiary of a major German machine tool builder that specializes in machine tools for the production of automotive, off-highway, agricultural, and oil field...
Application Briefs: Transportation
Plastic Bearings Redefine the Wheelchair
For wheelchair users, the feeling of uneven ground can seem all too familiar. Determined to make ride discomfort a thing of the past, Israel-based SoftWheel has completely reinvented the wheel for a...
Briefs: Wearables
Smart, Soft, Back Orthosis Uses Real-Time Motion Detection
Back pain is inevitable with constrained posture over a number of hours. Permanent damage such as premature spine wear is not uncommon in people who do not adopt proper ergonomic...
Briefs: Motion Control
Improved Directed Flux Motor
Electromagnetic motors typically convert electrical energy into rotational mechanical energy and are employed across a wide array of applications. While motors represent relatively mature technology, practitioners continue to seek ways to enhance motor operation including a decrease in cost, drop in size/weight,...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Changing How Sound Moves Particles
Researchers at Aalto University have discovered a surprising phenomenon that changes how we think about how sound can move particles. Their experiment is based on an experiment in which particles move...
INSIDER: Motion Control
“Knitting” Soft Actuators
Carnegie Mellon University researchers used computationally controlled knitting machines to create knitted objects that are actuated by tendons. The objects emerge from the knitting machines in their desired...
Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control
A Leech-Like Robot Climbs Up the Walls
Doctoral Programs student Ayato Kanada came up with his leech-like robot in a place you’d least expect it: His bathroom.
INSIDER Product: Imaging
New Products: May 2019 Photonics & Imaging Insider
Prima Power Laserdyne (Champlin, MN) released of the FASTTRIM™ CAD/CAM software for use with its multi-axis precision laser processing...
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Blog: Unmanned Systems

Experts Weigh In: How Will a Robotic Future Impact Nature?
INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

Orbiting Instrument Hints That Stored Magnetic Energy Heats Solar...
Podcasts: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Videos: Test & Measurement

Test System Could Enable Reduced Helicopter Vibration
Blog: Automotive

CES 2021: How COVID-19 Turned the Car into a Personal 'Second Space'
Videos: Automotive
Webcasts
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Reducing the Cost of Quality in Automotive BiW
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Electric-Vehicle Transmission Development Priorities
Upcoming Webinars: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The Critical Role of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors in Medical...
Upcoming Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Zinc Die Casting Concepts to Achieve Precision, Performance, and...
Upcoming Webinars: Test & Measurement
Radar Measurements: Triggering, Analysis, and Generation
Upcoming Webinars: Materials
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INSIDER: Imaging

Orbiting Instrument Hints That Stored Magnetic Energy Heats Solar Atmosphere
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Special Section: The Winners of the 2020 'Create the Future' Design Contest
Briefs: Energy

Solid-State Technology Enables Smaller, Safer Batteries
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Double-Vacuum-Bag Process for Making Resin-Matrix Composites