Motors & Drives

Application Briefs: Test & Measurement

Practical Design Solutions to Improve Contactless Current Sensing in Electric Vehicles

With new vehicles, automotive manufacturers will need to closely monitor the current flowing to the motor.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Keeping Drones Flying When a Motor Fails

Onboard cameras can be used to keep damaged quadcopters in the air and flying stably, even without GPS.

Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New Products: February 2021 Motion Design

Industrial robots, motor disconnect switches, position sensors, and more.

Application Briefs: Motion Control

Online Tools Reduce Time and Expense in Selecting, Configuring, and Ordering Motion Control Components

New online tools — coupled with online libraries of pre-selected and tested component specifications — simplify machine design.

Articles: Motion Control

Direct Drive Servo Motors: Key Terms and Trends

When specifying servo motors for applications like a new machine or CNC retrofit, there are many considerations regarding servo motor performance and sizing.

Briefs: Aerospace

High-Efficiency Megawatt Motor

This partially superconducting machine can be used as a motor or generator.

Briefs: Motion Control

Compact, Long-Reach Robotic Arm

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

Articles: Motion Control

Selecting the Best Power Supply for Your Stepper or Servo Motor Application

We review three of your power-supply choices.

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

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.

Products: Motion Control

New Products: December 2020 Motion Design

Linear slides, electric motors, gears, and more.

Briefs: Motion Control

16-Atom Molecular Motor

The tiny motor can be powered by both thermal and electrical energy.

Briefs: Motion Control

Multirotor Aircraft Noise Reduction

NASA's phase-locked rotors reduce noise.

Articles: Propulsion

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Automotive/Transportation Category Winner — Low-Noise Laser for Lidar

Compact lasers now offer precise colors.

News: Transportation

New Composite Material Revs Up Pursuit of Advanced EVs

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have used new techniques to create a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a...

Blog: Aerospace

What Role Will Motors Play in Mars 2020 Missions?

The great tasks of retrieving samples and flying a helicopter on Mars requires a number of small parts — specifically motors and drives.

Application Briefs: Motion Control

Custom Gimbal for JHU-APL Shows Promise for Others

See how Blue Joule developed and delivered the Mini Mount (MM) Gimbal to Johns Hopkins University.

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Products: October 2020 Motion Design

Accelerometers, actuators, hexapods, and more.

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Torque Limiters 101: Benefits, Types, and Comparisons

Torque limiters protect against damage and downtime caused by machine overloads.

Briefs: Unmanned Systems

Hummingbird Robot Uses AI to Maneuver in Tight Spaces

The robots could fly silently for covert operations and stay steady through turbulence.

Briefs: Motion Control

Thermally Conductive, Stretchable Rubber Material

This material could be used for artificial muscles that power bio-inspired robots.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Aerogels Protect Against Electromagnetic Interference

Aerogels based on cellulose nanofibers can effectively shield electromagnetic radiation over a wide frequency range.

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

How to Guarantee Autonomous Driving Levels — When Vision is Obstructed

A reader asks: How can self-driving car manufacturers guarantee safety when snow, ice, or mud impair a vision system?

Podcasts: Robotics, Automation & Control

Here's an Idea: A Jumping 'SpaceBok' Robot Makes Giant Leaps Toward the Moon and Mars

Hendrik Kolvenbach sees the best way to get around on the moon as less of a step and more of a giant leap. Learn how Hendrik created a jumping space robot called Spacebok.

Application Briefs: Motion Control

Traverse System Enables Vertical Farming

See how a system feeds plants, delivering about 5,417 gallons of water per hour.

Articles: Energy

Wiegand Wire: Energy Harvesting and More

With the emergence of a new generation of ultra-efficient electronic chips, the Wiegand technology is showing significant promise, especially in the exciting area of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Gripper Handles Freely Moving Cables

The gripper’s soft, sensitive fingers could enable robots to help with tying knots, wire shaping, or surgical suturing.

Briefs: Materials

Wireless Aquatic Robot Cleans Water

Inspired by a coral polyp, this plastic mini robot moves by magnetism and light.

Briefs: Motion Control

Planetary Exploration Rover Avoids Sand Traps with “Rear Rotator Pedaling”

Complex locomotion techniques enable the rover to climb hills covered with soft granular material.

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Flexible Feet Help Robots Walk Faster

This technology can help robots walk up to 40 percent faster on uneven terrain such as pebbles and wood chips.