Robotics, Automation & Control

Automation

Access your resource for innovative automation technologies and applications. Find technical briefs and applications that play an essential role in today's age of automation in industrial manufacturing and medical industries.

Blog: Motion Control
A Gentle-Yet-Strong, Dexterous, Precise, Robotic Gripper
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a robotic gripping device that is gentle, strong, dexterous, and precise enough to pick up microfilms that are 20 times thinner than a human hair.
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Quiz: Automotive
How Much Do You Know About Sensor Fusion for Navigation Systems?
Sensor fusion is an important element of navigation systems especially with the rapid growth of driving automation. At each step of the levels of driving automation from ADAS toward driverless vehicles, sensor fusion becomes more critical.
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INSIDER: Materials
New Ferroelectric Material Could Give Robots Muscles

A new type of ferroelectric polymer that is exceptionally good at converting electrical energy into mechanical strain holds promise as a high-performance motion controller or...

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INSIDER: Unmanned Systems
Training Robots How to Learn, Make Decisions on the Fly

Mars rovers have teams of human experts on Earth telling them what to do. But robots on lander missions to moons orbiting Saturn or Jupiter are too far away to receive timely...

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INSIDER: AR/AI
Robots Learn from Videos

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have enabled robots to learn household chores by watching videos of people performing everyday tasks in their homes.

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Quiz: Robotics, Automation & Control
How Much Do You Know About Soft Robots?
Unlike rigid-body robots, which have a finite number of joints and thus limited freedom, soft robots are made of flexible materials and operate by continuous deformation. So, how much do you know about soft robots? Find out with this quiz.
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Products: Electronics & Computers
New Products
See the new products, including digital servo drives, the PM2 pinion series from Neugart, valve controller modules, electric cylinders, and more.
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Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
A Cobot Spot Welder Promises Ergonomic Safety and Productivity Gains
Pro Spot International was founded in 1984 by Ron Olsson, shortly after coming to America from Sweden. Almost 40 years later, Pro Spot is one of the leading companies in automotive repair tools.
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Briefs: Design
A Gripper That Grasps by Reflex
Looking to give robots a more nimble, human-like touch, MIT engineers have now developed a gripper that grasps by reflex. Rather than start from scratch after a failed attempt, the robot adapts in the moment.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Biomimetic “Myriapod” Robot Relies on Dynamic Instability to Navigate
Researchers have invented a new kind of walking robot that takes advantage of dynamic instability to navigate. By changing the flexibility of the couplings, the robot can be made to turn without the need for complex computational control systems.
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Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control
Products of Tomorrow
See the products of tomorrow, including a spoofing device, a deployable electrode, and a snake robot.
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Quiz: Robotics, Automation & Control
The Rise of Autonomous Mobile Robots
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) for warehouse and industrial operations are surging, and this growth is expected to increase for the foreseeable future. Test your knowledge about AMRs in this quiz.
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Application Briefs: Motion Control
Taking Industrial Robot Automation to New Heights
Combining an industrial robot, computerized vision system, AI, and machine learning, Skyline Robotics has succeeded in automating window washing for the world’s skyscrapers.
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Podcasts: Robotics, Automation & Control
Here's an Idea: Automating Warehouse Inventory Monitoring with Drones
Gather AI is using drones to automate inventory monitoring processes for warehouse operators to decrease the cost of inventory, improve productivity and boost revenue.
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White Papers: Robotics, Automation & Control
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Automotive Applications

Tolomatic’s Automotive Applications resource guide will help you learn the scope of how actuators are being used in the industry at both manufacturers and tiered providers. Explore our wide range of electric and...

NASA Spinoff: Robotics, Automation & Control
Tensegrity Robots to the Rescue
Squishy Robotics’ tensegrity sensor robots gather data at the scenes of fires, crashes, explosions, and other disasters to help first responders determine their approach to a disaster scene.
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Special Reports: Energy
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Vehicle Electrification - July 2023

Read this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Automotive Engineering and Battery & Electrification Technology to learn about the latest advances in e-powertrain design, batteries/energy...

Special Reports: Sensors/Data Acquisition
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Space Technology - July 2023

Read about ten surging space startups, robotic construction on the moon, metal 3D printing in orbit, and much more in this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense...

Special Reports: Medical
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Robotics - July 2023

Read about the latest advances in robots for space exploration, healthcare, manufacturing, and more in this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Tech Briefs, Medical Design Briefs, and Aerospace &...

White Papers: Test & Measurement
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Submicron Precise Displacement and Thickness Measurements on All Types of Targets

A relatively new technique is the confocal chromatic technology, which is suitable for submicron displacement measurement and even one-sided thickness...

INSIDER: Imaging
Physics-Aware Neural Networks Improve Camera-Based Machines

Researchers from UCLA and the United States Army Research Laboratory have laid out a new approach for enhancing artificial intelligence-powered computer vision technologies by...

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Blog: AR/AI
'Artificial Memory' Can Help Robots Find Missing Objects
Engineers at the University of Waterloo have discovered a new way to program robots to help people with dementia locate objects they need but have lost.
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White Papers: Automotive
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The Fundamentals of Power Inductors

Understanding the fundamentals of power inductors is critical for both newer engineers and savvy veterans as they attempt to obtain performance data critical to their design. For various applications,...

White Papers: Robotics, Automation & Control
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Which Features Make Reed Switches and Sensors Ideal for Industrial Design?

With industrial robotics on the rise, designers need components to provide suitable speed, operational life, and varied switching abilities.

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Blog: Design
AI Can Run 10,000 Microbial Experiments per Day
The artificial intelligence platform — BacterAI — mapped the metabolism of two microbes associated with oral health — with no baseline information to start with.
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Videos of the Month: Robotics, Automation & Control
Videos of the Month
Watch the videos of the month, including one on the DARPA RACER program, one on a NASA supercomputer's theory on the Moon's formation, and more.
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Application Briefs: Design
A Harvesting Robot Automates Apple Picking
“AurOrA” is a small autonomous vehicle, which in the future will move independently around fruit orchards and detect full fruit boxes, pick them up, and take them to a defined unloading point.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Chip-Free, Autonomous OrigaMechs with Conductive Materials
Roboticists have been using a technique similar to origami to develop autonomous machines out of thin, flexible sheets. These lightweight robots are simpler and cheaper to make and more compact for easier storage and transport.
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Products: Power
New Products
See the new products, including a crossed-roller linear bearing, a lifting column, a motion-sizing tool, and more.
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Top Stories

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Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

A Stretchable, Fabric-Based Li-ion Battery

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Videos: Electronics & Computers

The Pouch Cell Batteries Powering Joby's eVTOL

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Blog: Electronics & Computers

An Approach to Inexpensively Mass Manufacture Micro-LED Displays

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Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Sensors — the Heart of the IoT

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Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Revolutionizing Motion Control with Linear Motors

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Podcasts: Aerospace

Here's an Idea: This Electric Autonomous Drone Can Enable Networked...

Webcasts

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Upcoming Webinars: Software

Reducing the Need for Physical Prototyping With Sensor Design

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Upcoming Webinars: Manufacturing & Prototyping

The Smaller the Part, the Bigger the Advantages of Miniature...

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Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

Maximize Fleet Availability With Virtual Twins

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Upcoming Webinars: Automotive

The Road Ahead: From R-134a to R-1234yf Refrigerants

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Upcoming Webinars: Software

Accelerating Product Development With the Digital Twin

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Upcoming Webinars: Imaging

High-Resolution In-line X-ray Imaging for Lithium-Ion Battery...

Videos