Automation

2024 Award Finalists

The Create the Future Design Contest, launched in 2002 by SAE Media Group, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. Read on to learn about the finalists in all seven categories chosen from new product ideas submitted from more than 50 countries. The Grand Prize winner and category winners will be chosen at a live competition on November 15.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on a humanoid robot that can effortlessly learn and perform a variety of expressive movements all while maintaining a steady gait on diverse terrains; one on Picotaur, the first legged robot of its size to run, turn, push loads, and climb miniature stairs; one on the DoD’s All Domain Test Range; and one on using generative AI and cutting-edge scene-mapping technology to elevate robots from simple tools to being capable of providing aid in disaster and battlefield scenarios.

Robots with Artificial Muscles that Can Walk and Jump

Inspired by living creatures, they jump across different terrains in an agile and energy-efficient manner. Read on to learn more.

3 Imaging Technologies that Will Catch Your Eye

Watch this video to learn more about three new imaging technologies, including one on a new scientific technique that could significantly improve the reference frames for GPS navigation services. One on off-road autonomous driving tools with a focus on stealth for the military and agility for space and agriculture clients, and one on a novel approach for creating high-performance, ultrafast lasers on nanophotonic chips.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including the posirot® PRAS20 angle sensor from ASM; PCIe Designer from Keysight Technologies; a new testing procedure from Würth Elektronik; Advanced Energy's new hardware accessory for its high-power supplies, PowerPro Dongle; and Eggtronic's family of EPIC mixed-signal power conversion controller ICs.

A Powerful Vision-Based Autonomy Alternative to LiDAR, Radar, GPS

Southwest Research Institute has developed off-road autonomous driving tools with a focus on stealth for the military and agility for space and agriculture clients. The vision-based system pairs stereo cameras with novel algorithms, eliminating the need for LiDAR and active sensors. Read on to learn more.

Simplified Motion Control

High-performance servo motion is now more affordable and accessible than ever due to integrated controllers, making the technology viable even for applications, which could not formerly support the cost or complexity of traditional implementations. Read on to learn more.

Rising Star Award Winner 2024: Manufacturing

Stephanie de Boissieu, Vice President General Manager, Factory Automation, Emerson from Niedersachsen, Germany is the 2024 Rising Star Award Winner for Manufacturing.

RTK and Sensor Fusion for Autonomous Vehicle Navigation & Guidance

This is an exciting time in robotics and vehicle automation, and sensors of all kinds provide critical data to drive this technology forward. But the sensor stack for AVs and ADAS is incomplete without a reliable source of absolute positioning. Read on to learn more.

New Products

See the new products, including Delta Motion's EtherCAT communication module, which adds to its flagship RMC200 Motion Controller family; Teledyne FLIR IIS' Dragonfly S 5MP, the first camera in the new Dragonfly S series to enter full production; Akribis Systems' SGR Series rod motor positioning module; and more.

DNA-Based Controller to Operate Swarm Molecular Robots

Researchers have successfully developed a DNA-based molecular controller that autonomously directs the assembly and disassembly of molecular robots. This pioneering technology marks a significant step toward advanced autonomous molecular systems with potential applications in medicine and nanotechnology.

Origami Inspires Shape-Shifting ‘Transformer Bots’

Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, North Carolina State University engineers have discovered a way to make a single plastic cubed structure transform into more than 1,000 configurations using only three active motors. Read on to learn more.

Innovating Non-Destructive Test Systems Using Advanced Automation

Designing non-destructive test (NDT) systems for aerospace clients can feel like engineering with blindfolds on. Even when the parts under test aren’t confidential, they can change rapidly as companies optimize their designs. But how do you create precision inspection systems without knowing what they’ll inspect in the field? Read on to find out.

Cobot Enables Production Leap with Automated Stacking

Mi Rancho has been delighting customers with authentic and fresh tortillas, chips, and salsas since its establishment in 1939. Originally founded as a grocery store in Oakland, CA, the business has evolved into a food provider for large nation-wide retail partners. To enable continued growth, Mi Rancho recently partnered with Formic to introduce robotic automation to their food processing and packaging production operations. Read on to learn more.

Autonomous Vehicles Could Understand Their Passengers Better With ChatGPT

Imagine simply telling your vehicle, “I’m in a hurry,” and it automatically takes you on the most efficient route to your destination.

Generative Design Pairs with Digital Manufacturing for Space-Ready Parts

NASA engineers partnered with digital manufacturer Protolabs for a generative design experiment at the recent PowerSource Global Summit, a technology conference held in Orlando. Read on to learn more about the space-ready parts that came out of it.

Swimming Microrobots Deliver Cancer-fighting Drugs to Metastatic Lung Tumors

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, capable of swimming through the lungs to deliver...

Autonomous Aerial Robots Prioritize Rooms in Multiroom Exploration

An estimated 100 earthquakes worldwide cause damage each year. This damage includes collapsed buildings, downed electrical lines and more. For first responders, assessing...

A New Model Offers Robots Precise Pick-and-Place Solutions

Pick-and-place machines are a type of automated equipment used to place objects into structured, organized locations. These machines are used for a variety of applications — from...

Test Your Knowledge About AI Adoption in Engineering

With advancements like large language models, we are seeing increased integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into engineering processes. Design engineers of advanced machines and systems such as robots, medical devices, automotive components, and manufacturing lines, are already using AI to streamline design and production processes. How much do you know about AI adoption in engineering? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

5Ws of Film-Balloon Soft Robots

A novel fabrication approach enables lightweight, untethered operation of soft robots with advanced biomimetic locomotion capabilities.

Using AI to Streamline Robotic Warehouse Operations

Getting 800 robots in a warehouse to and from their destinations efficiently while keeping them from crashing into each other is no easy task. So, a group of MIT researchers who use AI to mitigate traffic congestion applied ideas from that domain to tackle this problem. Read on to learn what they built.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on ETH’s student-built drone, which will operate free of external and visible propellers; one on a soft robotic hand that combines vision, motor-based proprioception, and soft tactile sensors to identify, sort, and pack a stream of unknown objects; one on the Environmental Toolkit for Expeditionary Operations; and one on how integrating AI into robotic systems can enhance their capabilities and enable them to perform more complex tasks.

Total Versatility: Flexible Test Station With a Cobot and Camera

Manually checking the quality of components or products in industry is labor-intensive for employees and error-prone on top of that. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM is unveiling a solution that provides total versatility in this area. Read on to learn more about it.