Mechatronics Zone News Feed

Maxon Introduces Mini-Servo Motor for Robot Design, Automation

April 18, 2013

Maxon has added a new miniaturized OEM plug-in module to its
ESCON servo controller family line that can control permanent-magnet activated brushed and brushless DC with Hall sensors up to approximately 250W.

Mitsubishi's Dexterous Robots for Factory Automation

March 28, 2013

Mitsubishi has released the latest in a series of vertical-axis robots that are designed to perform particularly dexterous and complex tasks formerly operated by humans in a factory setting.

Maxon Releases New Digital EtherCAT Controller

March 1, 2013

Maxon Motor has released a new compact digital controller with EtherCAT that allows for real-time positioning and high-speed synchronization of multi-axis systems, including robotics, automation, and mechantronics.

NASA Awards Bigelow Aerospace $17.8M to Add New Module to ISS

February 20, 2013

NASA has awarded Bigelow Aerospace a contract to deliver its Bigelow Expandable Activity Module to the International Space Station for experimental use for two years upon its launch to the station in 2015.

Agile Planet Launches Plug-and-Play Smart Motion Controllers

January 23, 2013

Texas-based startup Agile Planet has released two new smart controllers as part of its flagship product line aimed at simplifying motion control for manufacturing automation and other types of robots.

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Mechatronics Zone Blog

Design News Radio: Smart Machines Make the Grade for Control Applications

By Rob Spiegel | June 18, 2013

Design News's latest radio show explores the benefits - and tradeoffs - of smart machines.

Connectivity Enabling Smart Manufacturing

By Al Presher | June 17, 2013

The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.

Slideshow: Flying Robots Take Action

By Ann R. Thryft | June 12, 2013

Surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue in military and first responder situations are popular applications for aerial robots. Yet not all the robots are considered unmanned aerial vehicles.

Video: Students Develop Tornado-Seeking Drones

By Elizabeth Montalbano | June 10, 2013

An unmanned aerial vehicle under development at Oklahoma State University can penetrate severe thunderstorms, including the supercells from which tornadoes can develop.

Managing Complexity & Reducing Risk

By Kevin Craig | June 10, 2013

How should engineers respond to high-risk technologies?

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Mechatronics Zone Featured Resources

Lower the Cost and Risk of Machine Design: Get It Right the First Time

See how today’s machine builders have switched from designing single-purpose machines to creating flexible and highly effective multipurpose machines by adopting modern control systems and sophisticated algorithms as well as integrating high-end electronics into their mechanical machines...

National Instruments Motion Control Resources Kit

National Instruments transforms the way engineers and scientists around the world design, prototype, and deploy systems for test, control, and embedded design applications. Using NI open graphical programming software and modular hardware, customers at more than 30,000 companies annually simplify...

Design News, Mechatronics Technology Roundup: Innovation at the Crossroads of Technology

The editors of Design News have gathered a series of articles covering the cutting edge of cross-discipline systems engineering, and packaged them in this special electronic edition!

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