Motion Control/​Automation

New Vision-Based System Teaches Machines to Understand Their Bodies

In an office at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), a soft robotic hand carefully curls its fingers to grasp a small object. The...

My Opinion: How to Move to Agriculture 4.0

All the pieces are in place for agriculture to become smarter — it’s time to move ahead. Here’s how to move to Agriculture 4.0.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: STMicroelectronics' LEOPOL1 point-of-load step-down converter for low-Earth orbit deployments targeting the needs of equipment developers in the space market.

AI-Powered Vision System Helps Drones Navigate Safely

The skies are getting crowded. Every day, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration manages tens of thousands of flights — from drones and helicopters to commercial jets. As air traffic...

Friction That Cools

How can a horde of active robots be automatically brought to a standstill? By arresting their dynamics in a self-sustained way. This phenomenon was discovered by physicists at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU)...

AI Shapes Autonomous Underwater “Gliders”

Marine scientists have long marveled at how animals like fish and seals swim so efficiently despite having different shapes. Their bodies are optimized for efficient, hydrodynamic aquatic...

A ‘Real-Time Programmable Robotic Sheet’ Can Grasp and Walk on Its Own

Folding structures are widely used in robot design as an intuitive and efficient shape-morphing mechanism, with applications explored in space and aerospace robots,...

5Ws of the Ping Pong Bot

MIT engineers have developed a ping-pong-playing robot that quickly estimates the speed and trajectory of an incoming ball and precisely hits it with precision.

Hibiscus: New Possibilities in Satellite Thermal Imaging

When Hibiscus is sent into orbit at the end of 2026, it will open new possibilities to combat global warming and increase heat efficiency for urban planners.

How Much Do You Know About Pneumatic Valves?

Determining how much and in which direction air passes through, pneumatic valves play an important role in any pneumatic system. How much do you know about pneumatic valves? Find out with this quiz.

My Opinion: Here Comes Agriculture 4.0

My Opinion: Industry 4.0 is already here — Agriculture 4.0 will catch up. Bringing automation and AI to agriculture is a necessity.

Next-Gen Automotive Semiconductors Are Critical for Level 5 Driverless Cars

The driverless robotaxis chauffeuring around San Francisco, and the advanced driver assistance features on more than half of new vehicles sold this year show just...

Robotics in Rehabilitation: Enhancing Recovery and Patient Independence

Robotics in rehabilitation enhance recovery and enable patient independence.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including a solution for actuating choke and other valves in subsea applications; Sumida's new CEP1311F Flyback Transformers, designed for use with “no-opto” isolated flyback circuits; SPIROL's range of 2024 aluminum Press-In Inserts; Instron's AVE3, an advanced non-contacting video extensometer that delivers precise strain measurement with unparalleled, micron-level accuracy; and more.

Mid-Air Transformation Helps Flying, Rolling Robot to Transition Smoothly

Specialized robots that can both fly and drive typically touch down on land before attempting to transform and drive away. But when the landing terrain is rough, these robots sometimes get stuck and are unable to continue operating. Now a team of Caltech engineers has developed a real-life Transformer that has the “brains” to morph in midair, allowing the dronelike robot to smoothly roll away and begin its ground operations without pause. Read on to learn more.

New System Enables Robots to Solve Manipulation Problems in Seconds

Researchers from MIT and NVIDIA Research have developed a novel algorithm that dramatically speeds up a robot’s planning process. Their approach enables a robot to “think ahead” by evaluating thousands of possible solutions in parallel and then refining the best ones to meet the constraints of the robot and its environment. Read on to learn more.

Advanced Motion Control Components for Critical Aerospace Applications

Using higher-quality, custom-engineered motion control components provides significant advantages for aerospace manufacturers. Whether through advanced gas springs, precision dampers, or electric linear actuators, the right components ensure that equipment will operate smoothly and reliably for the expected lifespan, while meeting the rigorous standards of modern aerospace. Read on to learn more.

Faster Wire Connection Technology Generates Quantifiable Savings

Today, there is innovative conductor terminating technology, known as SNAP IN technology, that allows for the fastest wiring connections to date. Read on to best understand the advantages that SNAP IN technology brings to motion control systems.

New Products

See the new products, including Bosch Rexroth’s space-optimized SMS screw-driven small modules; the updated capabilities of PI's PICMA® piezo stack actuator series via the introduction of the new PICMA® Plus actuators; Beckhoff's expanded MX-System control cabinet-free automation platform; and more.

A Soft Robot Can Carry Loads Through the Air

Researchers have created a light-powered soft robot that can carry loads through the air along established tracks, similar to cable cars or aerial trams. The soft robot operates autonomously, can climb slopes at angles of up to 80°, and can carry loads up to 12 times its weight. Read on to learn more.

Electronics-Free 3D-Printed Robots

Imagine a robot that can walk, without electronics, and only with the addition of a cartridge of compressed gas, right off the 3D printer. It can also be printed in one go, from one material. That is exactly what roboticists have achieved in robots developed by the Bioinspired Robotics Laboratory at the University of California San Diego. Read on to learn more.

Advanced Simulation Enables Better Robot-Object Interactions

A human clearing junk out of an attic can often guess the contents of a box simply by picking it up and giving it a shake, without the need to see what’s inside. Researchers from MIT, Amazon Robotics, and the University of British Columbia have taught robots to do something similar. Read on to learn more.

An AI System Empowers Robots with Human-Like Perception

Researchers from Duke University have developed a novel framework named WildFusion that fuses vision, vibration, and touch to enable robots to “sense” complex outdoor environments much like humans do. Read on to learn more.

Automated Pallet Inspection Separates the Good from the Bad

To make pallet inspecting easier and more efficient, COOP automated the process with industrial robots from KUKA Robotics and an advanced pallet inspection system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) from KUKA System Partner IVISYS called PALLETAI. Read on to learn more.

Drywall Finishing Robots Accelerate Construction Schedules

San Francisco startup Canvas has developed a robotic system handling one of the most labor-intensive trades in construction: drywall finishing. Leveraging robotic arms from Universal Robots, Canvas has built a machine that reduces the usual five to seven days of spraying and sanding the drywall to just around two days for both Level 4 and Level 5 finishes. Read on to learn more.

Retrofit in Industrial Production: Digitization of Existing Systems

Retrofitting offers a technically and economically sensible way to adapt existing production facilities to the requirements of modern manufacturing processes. The use of image processing, measurement technology, and deep learning in existing machines and systems can be decisive in this context. Read on to learn more.