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Important Qs about linear motor actuators that design engineers should ask

Many design engineers overestimate how accurate traditional motors and actuators stay over long travel runs, mistakenly believing that if the solution works well for short runs, it will work equally well on long ones. Do you know what type of actuator you should use for your application? Patrick Lehr, Product Manager, Precision Mechanics at Parker Hannifin, has some really good tips for you.
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Cobots get 4 m tall with the 8th-Axis Vertical Robot Transfer Unit

Designed to optimize industrial processes across various sectors, the 8th-Axis Vertical Robot Transfer Unit (RTU-V) from Bishop-Wisecarver features a vertical travel length of up to 4 m, enabling a single small robot or cobot to cover large areas traditionally requiring multiple robots. This innovation not only boosts productivity but also offers considerable cost savings, making it an ideal solution for industries such as logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, packaging, and more. Extended reach allows robots to perform tasks on oversized workpieces, such as rocket tubes, boat hulls, and aerospace structures, with ease.
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UR AI Trainer for robotics: First lab-to-factory AI model trainer

Universal Robots unveiled the UR AI Trainer last week. Developed in collaboration with Scale AI, the AI Trainer marks a tectonic shift as robots move from pre-programmed applications to fully AI-driven tasks. These systems are powered by robust data generated in AI training cells where robots imitate humans.
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BLDC motors with advanced safety features built in

Dunker-motoren has built advanced safety functions directly into its BG75 and BG95 BLDC motors, so you no longer need a separate safety controller or complex wiring. This means faster installation, lower costs, and simpler designs. With features such as safe stop and speed control, plus secure digital communication, dSafe motors are ready for automation, robotics, and mobile systems worldwide. It's safety that scales with your future.
Learn more.

Mobile robotic platform with contactless charging

MAXOLU-TION, an SEW-EURODRIVE company, has introduced the modular Mobile Robot Platform 1600 (MR P1600). It is designed to move heavy loads such as pallets through factories and warehouses, with less manual handling and more consistent material flow. The platform supports configurable load-handling options, including conveyor transfer, lift, drive-under, and precise docking, using standardized material transfer attachments or custom-engineered load handling. Max load is 1,600 kg.
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Configurable modular precision linear stages

PI's Modular Precision Linear (MPL) stage family is a configurable platform that simplifies specifying and integrating high-precision linear positioning systems. Engineers can select mechanical, drive, and feedback options online, creating application-specific stages without the cost of fixed designs. The MPL series offers 50- to 300-mm travel ranges and servo or stepper motor options -- with linear motors planned for future release -- while maintaining high precision, stiffness, and reliability.
Learn more.

Key considerations for battery-powered motors

Battery-powered motor applications require careful design considerations to pair motor performance and power consumption profiles in concert with the correct battery type. This Power Electric article covers power requirements, performance considerations, and battery choices to assist you in selecting an efficient motor and a battery with the appropriate capacity. Good technical info.
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Motor revolutionizes industrial power tools

Portescap's 40EC-Pro PowerTool (PT) brushless slotless motor facilitates the transition from manual to powered devices and supports the shift from brushed to brushless technologies. It comes in two lengths. The 40EC-Pro PT delivers up to 30,000 rpm and 1.1-Nm peak torque in a compact 40-mm, 230-g package. The 55-mm version adds an integrated fan boosting continuous power from 150 W to 425 W. Cost-optimized and compatible with R32/R40 gearheads and M-Sense encoders, it's ideal for 18-V battery-powered industrial hand tools.
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FlexiSan modular spray system for mobile and efficient equipment and plant sanitation

BETE's FlexiSan™ Modular Spraying System offers a portable, cost-effective spray solution that enables mobility and effective cleaning and sanitization across a wide range of industrial applications. Engineered for flexibility and performance, the FlexiSan system allows operators to quickly rinse and apply cleaning and sanitizing agents to a variety of equipment, including conveyors, hoppers, bins, and mixers, as well as other critical process areas. Handles everything from light washdowns to heavy cleanups.
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HVACR low-voltage vertical drives save space

ABB's ACH580 UL Type 12 and Type 4X Vertical Bypass Drives pair the ACH580 VFD with E-Clipse Bypass technology in a compact, standardized enclosure for mechanical rooms, data centers, and utility spaces. Built for demanding HVACR environments, they ensure continuous operation, protect against dirt and moisture, and deliver precise motor control, energy efficiency, and intuitive operation for fans, pumps, and compressors.
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Mate-XT GO Exoskeleton reduces effort up to 50%

Comau's MATE-XT GO exoskeleton supports arms and shoulders during repetitive or overhead work, reducing muscle and perceived effort by up to 50% to improve comfort, endurance, and posture. Weighing under 3 kg, it dons in 30 seconds and removes in 10. Made in Italy, Category II PPE for industry, logistics, construction, agriculture, and trades.
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New low-noise gearheads for high-torque mini motors

FAULHABER expands its GPT family with the quiet 22GPT LN and 32GPT LN gearheads, engineered for noise-sensitive laboratory, optical, medical, testing, and measurement systems. They pair high torque with compact, reliable design, delivering up to 2.2 Nm (22GPT LN) and 8 Nm (32GPT LN) in intermittent operation, and can handle occasional peak loads of 4 Nm and 12 Nm, respectively.
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Linear voice coil motor tolerates tilting and misalignment

Moticont's new LVCM-051-032-06 linear voice coil motor features an enlarged radial air gap to accommodate tilt and misalignment when clamping out-of-parallel objects or moving off-center loads. It delivers 40.8-N peak and 12.9-N continuous force, with low-inertia, zero-cogging performance suited for sorting, packaging, sampling, machining, and medical automation.
Learn more and find the right VC motor for your application.

Crossed roller bearings dramatically lower weight and size for low- to medium-precision designs

IKO International's LCRB Series crossed roller bearings use press-formed, heat-treated steel rings and high-contact rollers to deliver up to 60% less mass than comparable designs. Their bolt-on flanges, compact profile, and fast response suit rotary positioning, seating, warehouse systems, and lightweight aerospace needs. Two models are available: LCRB 50 and LCRB 70.
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Slash robotic machining deployment times

RoboDK has introduced a CAM platform that cuts machining-automation deployment time by removing manual programming. It automatically generates robot code from CAD models and simulations, supporting milling, drilling, deburring, cutting, and additive processes. Users can create advanced toolpaths, run full-process simulations, detect collisions, and scale from 3-axis to 5-axis machining in one environment. NASA Langley is among its users.
Learn more.

Bats inspire advance in aerial robots -- with a little AI added in

A team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher Nitin J. Sanket has shown that ultrasound sensors and a form of artificial intelligence (AI) can enable palm-size aerial robots to navigate with limited power and computation through fog, smoke, and other challenging conditions during search-and-rescue operations.

The advance, inspired by bats and published in the journal Science Robotics, suggests that ultrasound may be an alternative to existing navigation technologies that add weight and cost to a drone or falter in poor conditions.

An aerial robot developed in the lab of Nitin J. Sanket navigates past trees. [Credit: Professor Nitin J. Sanket/Worcester Polytechnic Institute]

 

 

"Bats that weigh less than two paper clips can accurately navigate in dark, damp, and dusty caves by sending out short chirps and listening to the weak echoes with a limited number of neurons," said Sanket, assistant professor in the Department of Robotics Engineering. "By creating an ultrasound-based system that needs just two tiny sensors and little computation, we can open up opportunities for small aerial robots to perceive their surroundings, make decisions, and independently operate longer in cluttered, hazardous places where current aerial robots struggle."

Sanket's research focuses on robotics inspired by nature, such as bees and bats. The work featured in Science Robotics was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Autonomous aerial robots typically use sensors, controllers, cameras, a power source, and sophisticated algorithms to perceive their surroundings and make navigational decisions.

Some robots collect information about a landscape by analyzing radio waves or light pulses. However, technology based on lidar (light detection and ranging) and radar are heavy, power intensive, and costly. Darkness, poor weather, and noise can interfere with light-based perception systems. Sound from propellers adds complexity to an aerial robot's calculations that aim to decipher useful echoes from propeller noise. Analyzing data requires a robot's time and energy.

The research team, led by Sanket, customized an X-shaped aerial quadrotor drone about 6 in. wide with ultrasound sensors and a physical barrier called an acoustic shield to dampen propeller noise. They also used an AI technique known as deep learning to train the robot's computer to analyze weak ultrasound echo patterns similar to the way a bat brain processes sound to decipher echoes.

They tested the robot, weighing about one pound, outdoors in a wooded area and indoors in a laboratory furnished with obstacles such as transparent plastic or metal poles. Some indoor tests took place in darkness with black obstacles, while others took place as the researchers blew fog or snow onto the obstacle course. The drone had enough battery power to operate for about five minutes per flight while navigating the course autonomously.

The researchers reported that the robot had a success rate of 72 to 100% in navigating through challenging courses during 180 tests. The robot was less successful at dodging thin objects, such as metal poles, and it struggled to avoid slender tree branches, which weakly reflected signals.

The next step for bat-inspired drones may be to use smaller, lighter devices that could fly longer using the team's low-power ultrasound-based system, Sanket said. Future work could also improve flight speeds.

"In a real search-and-rescue mission, a few more seconds of flight time could mean the difference between life and death for a survivor," Sanket said.

Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Published April 2026

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