Motion Control/Automation

Explore the latest developments in motion control and automation. Discover innovative advances from NASA and major research labs in robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, PID controller applications, motor drives and power transmissions.

Stories

Briefs: Motion Control

Thermally Conductive, Stretchable Rubber Material

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

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

EEG-Based Technique for Controlling a Robotic Arm with the Brain

This technique can be used by people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

Application Briefs: Materials

Force/Torque Sensor Helps Rover Sample Mars

See how one company reached out to NASA with an offer to develop a custom sensor for the Mars 2020 mission rover.

Briefs: Energy

Soft Robotic Insect Survives Being Flattened by a Flyswatter

The ultra-light robotic insect can be folded or crushed, yet continues to move.

Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Automated Robotic Device for Faster Blood Testing

This technology provides rapid results, improving hospital workflow and patient care.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to Prosthetic Hands

The “E-dermis” will enable amputees to perceive through prosthetic fingertips.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Nanomaterial Gives Robots Chameleon Skin

Features include unusual color changes and high touch sensitivity.

Briefs: Aerospace

Hummingbird Robot Uses AI to Maneuver in Tight Spaces

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

INSIDER: Motion Control

“Drive-By Science” Helps Rovers Go Farther, Faster

A NASA team is working on Mars robot autonomy to make future rovers more intelligent, to enhance safety, to improve productivity, and to drive faster and farther. Two novel capabilities...

INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

Army Readies Robots for Underground Tunnels

The Army Research Laboratory released a software suite that simulates conditions of an underground tunnel network. Researchers interested in developing robots for subterranean environments can now...

Question of the Week: Robotics, Automation & Control

Will Sound Support Valuable Robotics Tasks?

Our lead story today demonstrated how Carnegie Mellon researchers are building a dataset of sounds to help robots detect specific objects.

Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Clang! Robots Detect Objects By Sound

Carnegie Mellon researcher Lerrel Pinto wants to prove that sound can be a valuable asset for robots.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Scientist Proposes Life on Mars, Below the Surface

Although life has not been found on Mars just year, a researcher from NYU thinks there could be life...under it.

Blog: 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?

Question of the Week: Robotics, Automation & Control

Will SpaceBok Someday Reach the Moon?

Our lead story today highlights the jumping space robot known as SpaceBok. “We are at the stage where we want to go into more challenging environments: caves, craters, highlands, areas in which we would find water or other volatiles, or information about the geological history of a certain place,” ETH...

INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control

NASA’s Robot Hotel Gets Its Occupants

A protective storage unit for robotic tools called Robotic Tool Stowage (RiTS) was among the items launched to the International Space Station last December as part of SpaceX’s resupply services...

Podcasts: Motion Control

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.

Special Reports: Connectivity

Smart Manufacturing - August 2020

Factories are getting "smarter" and more automated by the day, thanks to advances in connectivity, controls, sensors, and robotics. See the future of manufacturing in this compendium of recent articles from the...