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April 2025 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 49 No. 4

April 2025

Navigating the
Executive Insights: Challenges of Motor
Humanoid Robots Commutation

AI Accelerates
Automotive Design
Maximizing Mobility
with Rehab Robotics

How Automakers Boost Quality

via Servo-Electric Test Systems

Elevating Welding Operations

with Collaborative Automation

Supplement to Tech Briefs

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April 2025 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 49 No. 4

Executive Insights:
Humanoid Robots

AI Accelerates
Automotive Design
Maximizing Mobility
with Rehab Robotics
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 April 2025 • Vol. 49 No. 4

Contents
Features 17
6 Products of Tomorrow

12 Executive Insights: Humanoid Robots

17 Why AI-Powered Engineering Matters in Automotive

Design and Lightweighting

38 Bioprinting Artificial Organs in Space to Benefit Human

Life on Earth

40 Redefining Rehabilitation with Wearable Robotics

26
Tech Briefs
20 Power & Energy er
troll
Con

20 Building an Affordable Grid-Scale Alternative to Batteries

sor
Sen
21 How to Detect Battery Failures Quicker
22 Nail Penetration Adapter for Li-Ion Battery Testing
23 Imaging
23 A Step Toward More Accurate 3D Object Detection
28
24 Single-Shot Polarization Imaging System Provides Complete
Picture
25 Bio-Inspired Cameras and AI Detect Obstacles Faster
26 Sensors
26 An Innovative Sensing Platform for Ultrahigh Sensitivity in
Conventional Sensors
27 Sensors for ‘Smart’ Wound Bandage Track Healing, Immune
Response
28 Manufacturing & Prototyping
Product of the Month
28 Fabricating Ultrastrong Aluminum Alloys for Additive
Manufacturing ControlAir LLC (Amherst, NH) has released its Type CG330 and
CG340 gas regulators designed to deliver accurate pressure con-
29 Flexible Lightweight Radiation Shielding trol while ensuring near-zero atmospheric leakage under dynamic
or steady-state flow conditions.
29 New High-Speed Microscale 3D-Printing Technique

Departments 35
On the Cover
4 Click
Once a staple of science fiction, humanoid robots such as
Apptronik’s Apollo robot shown on the cover, are rapidly
8 5 Ws
turning into reality and are poised to proliferate in sec-
tors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and
10 Q&A hospitality. Despite their immense potential, humanoid
robots face several challenges before they can achieve
mainstream adoption. In the feature on page 12, two
New for Design Engineers robotics experts share their insights about the current
state and future outlook for humanoid robots.
35 New on the Market (Image: Apptronik)

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2 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

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 CLICK
VIDEO PODCAST

Integrating and Testing the Nancy Grace UxV/35: A New Approach to Lowering the
Roman Space Telescope Cost of Designing Drones
At the end of 2024, NASA began the integration and testing UxV/35 is a new standard recently adopted by the PC104
phases of the mirrors, sensors, and other instruments for the Computing Consortium to enable rapid development and
new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. This video provides manufacturing of drones, AVs, and vessels. In this podcast,
an overview of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s mis- Dom Koenig of Kairos Autonomi, explains how UxV/35 could
sion, capabilities, and timeline to launch. lower the cost of designing and manufacturing drones.

Watch this video and more on Listen to this episode at

TechBriefs.TV TechBriefs.com/podcast

BLOG QUIZ

Mass 3D Printing in Space for the First How Much Do You Know About Microwave
Time Heating?
Auxilium Biotechnologies has successfully deployed its 3D Almost everyone has a microwave oven, but do you really un-
bioprinter aboard the International Space Station. The plat- derstand how they work? What was the breakthrough invention
form is the first of its kind, making history by printing eight that made microwave ovens possible? How much do you know
implantable medical devices simultaneously in just two hours. about microwave heating? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Read the full interview at Find the answer on

TechBriefs.com/blog Techbriefs.com/tb/stories/quiz

Instagram: @TechBriefs X: @TechBriefsMag Facebook: @TechBriefsMagazine LinkedIn: Tech Briefs Media

4 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

Fast Track
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 This column presents technologies that have

Products of
applications in commercial areas, possibly
creating the products of tomorrow. To learn

Tomorrow
more about each technology, see the contact
information provided for that innovation.

Copper
u
Nanoflowers
A team of re-
searchers from the u Drone Detection
University of Cambridge and the University of Cali- Traditional radar sys-
fornia, Berkeley, has developed a practical way to tems are powerful but
make hydrocarbons — molecules made of carbon cannot effectively detect
and hydrogen — powered solely by the sun. The low-flying aircraft below 400 feet. While the Federal
device they developed combines a light absorbing Aviation Administration (FAA) has some regulations
‘leaf’ made from a high-efficiency solar cell materi- to manage small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
al called perovskite, with a copper nanoflower cata- or drones, tracking and safety can be problematic —
lyst, to convert carbon dioxide into useful mole- especially in congested or restricted airspaces. Re-
cules. Unlike most metal catalysts, which can only searchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) may
convert CO₂ into single-carbon molecules, the cop- have the solution. Using a network of small, low-cost
per flowers enable the formation of more complex radars, Engineering Professor Cammy Peterson and
hydrocarbons with two carbon atoms, such as eth- her colleagues have built an air traffic control system
ane and ethylene — key building blocks for liquid for drones that can effectively and accurately track
fuels, chemicals, and plastics. The team envisions anything in an identified low-altitude airspace. The
applying their platform to even more complex or- small radars could potentially be installed on struc-
ganic reactions, opening doors for innovation in tures such as light posts or cell towers. While the BYU
sustainable chemical production. With continued researchers focused on three radars — each able to
improvements, this research could accelerate the track a circular airspace about 500 feet across — the
transition to a circular, carbon-neutral economy. technology could be scaled to a broader network with
many radars. With the algorithms driving the system,
Contact: Sarah Collins the radar units could be swapped out or more could
Phone: +44 (0)753-311-5249 be added, allowing for different capabilities.
E-mail: [email protected]
Contact: Todd Hollingshead
Phone: 801-422-8373
E-mail: [email protected]

Infrastructure Reconnaissance
u

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a robotic system

whose primary structural platform, or “orb,” can be injected into a pipe network and
perform reconnaissance of piping infrastructure and other interior volumes. When
deployed, this technology uses throttled fluid flow from a companion device for passive propulsion. A tethered line
facilitates directional control by the orb’s operator, allowing it to navigate through various piping configurations, in-
cluding 90-degree junctions. This technology was developed to facilitate a cost-effective method to inspect deep un-
derwater oil wells residing under oceanic drilling platforms slated for decommission. Instead of initiating an expen-
sive and environmentally risky operation to perforate the containment system of an underwater oil well to inspect its
contents, the orb can be navigated through existing pipe networks to conduct real-time video and sonar investigations.

Contact: NASA’s Licensing Concierge

Phone: 202-358-7432
E-mail: [email protected]

6 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

5 Who
Ws of a 3D-Printed
Electrospray Engine
MIT engineers have demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed,
droplet-emitting electrospray engine which can be produced
rapidly and for a fraction of the cost of traditional thrusters.

What
An electrospray engine applies an electric field to a con-
ductive liquid, generating a high-speed jet of tiny droplets
that can propel a spacecraft. These miniature engines are
ideal for small satellites called CubeSats that are often
used in academic research. To help break down barriers
to space research, MIT engineers have demonstrated the
MIT engineers have demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed,
first fully 3D-printed, droplet-emitting electrospray en- droplet-emitting electrospray engine. (Image: Courtesy of the
gine. Their device, which can be produced rapidly and for researchers)
a fraction of the cost of traditional thrusters, uses com-
mercially accessible 3D-printing materials and techniques.
The devices could even be fully made in orbit, as 3D print- Microchannel Emitter spout
ing is compatible with in-space manufacturing. By devel-
oping a modular process that combines two 3D-printing
methods, the researchers overcame the challenges in- 50 µm ID
volved in fabricating a complex device comprised of mac-
roscale and microscale components that must work to-
gether seamlessly. Their proof-of-concept thruster
comprises 32 electrospray emitters that operate together, 7 mm
generating a stable and uniform flow of propellant. The
3D-printed device generated as much or more thrust than 7 mm
existing droplet-emitting electrospray engines. With this
technology, astronauts might quickly print an engine for The device requires a complex hydraulic system to store and
regulate the flow of liquid, efficiently shuttling propellant
a satellite without needing to wait for one to be sent up through microfluidic channels to a series of emitters. (Image:
from Earth. Courtesy of the researchers)

Where
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Why
Ideal for propelling tiny satellites, the lightweight devices could be produced onboard a spacecraft and cost much less
than traditional thrusters.

When
In the long run, the researchers hope to demonstrate a CubeSat that utilizes a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine
during its operation and deorbiting.

For more information, contact Melanie Grados at [email protected]; 617-253-1682.

8 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
 SERIES CL220
Q& A
Compression
Limiters AI and Humans as Teammates
Duke University Pro- with AI. Instead, we will enable AI to adapt
fessor Boyuan Chen and to all kinds of different human individuals.
his team have devel-
oped a platform called Tech Briefs: If you’re having 100
CREW that is used to different people, how do you
create algorithms to generalize when each of those
optimize human-AI co­ persons is different? How do you
operation. get a general answer from a
particular group of people?
Tech Briefs: What got you started on
Protect plastic components this project? Chen: We don’t have any answer for
from compressive loads and that, and nobody knows how to do it. But
ensure continued integrity of Boyuan Chen: Advanced AI Technolo- I can confidently say we are on the path
gies have been extremely popular these of answering the question of whether AI
bolted connection.
days. But it’s not clear how we can best in- can adapt to humans. The first step is
• Self-retaining teract with AI agents and how interacting to understand the differences between
with AI will affect humans. This triggered humans when they interact with AI. So,
• Accommodates wide hole us to think: Can we design a system that that’s why in this platform we have a se-
tolerances studies how humans and AI interact and ries of cognitive studies, for example
then use it to study how to improve AI measuring human response time, their
• Minimum clearance of 1mm systems to better augment human intel- spatial reasoning capability, their theory
over the bolt diameter ligence? The paradigm I would advocate of mind capability for predicting agents’
for is human-AI teaming. The final form behavior, and so on.
• ArmorGalv® provides 1,000+ of super-intelligence will be the collective
hours salt spray protection intelligence between humans and AI. Tech Briefs: Could you give me an
example of a use case?
Tech Briefs: Could you tell me more
about how your platform works? Chen: An example is from our own
Scan to follow-up research on this. We used the
learn more Chen: Our platform, CREW, provides CREW platform to conduct experiments
the capability to support research from and design an algorithm, we call GUIDE.
areas such as neuroscience, cognitive It enables a human to watch an AI agent
science, ecology, social science, network learn and provide guidance when needed.
science, security, and privacy. We focus The algorithm enables a human, while
on how differences among human indi- they’re watching the AI practice playing
viduals will lead to differences in the AI a video game, to provide feedback on its
agents they interact with. A second ca- performance. There is a panel where hu-
Application example:
pability of CREW relates to scale. It’s not mans move a mouse up and down indicat-
(2) CL220 Compression easy to understand collective effects, for ing good behavior or bad behavior.
Limiters in a Wire Harness example, what happens if you have 50 When we looked into individual differ-
humans and 50 AI agents all coexisting ences among the humans, we saw that cer-
in the same working environment. tain of them performed better with the AI
Ask us about Our platform can support dozens, they had trained on. We also did a study
Compression Limiter even hundreds of AI agents all being on- to understand which differences among
line, and not necessarily with the same these humans were important. For ex-
Installation Equipment
human. They don’t even have to be the ample, for certain tasks, how fast you can
From manual to fully
same AI, they can be different AI agents react to a change in the environment
automatic modules
that are trained by different companies, matters more; in other tasks, your spatial
or different research labs. navigation capability matters more.
Our goal is to design a human-AI team- The goal for CREW is to enable re-
ing system that works for all of us, not just searchers from different fields to collabo-
for a select group of experts who design rate. We are looking at it holistically.
the algorithms. We want to remove the dif- The read the full interview, visit www.
ferences among how individuals interact techbriefs.com.
www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
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Executive Insights:
Humanoid Robots
O
nce a staple of science fiction, rector of Robotics and AI Institute. Several tech giants and robotics firms
humanoid robots are rapidly “Working closely with the physical and are leading the charge in humanoid ro-
becoming a reality. Designed intelligence is where the real progress bot development. Boston Dynamics has
to mimic human appearance will be made,” he added. Raibert was made headlines with Atlas, a highly agile
and behavior, these robots are poised to speaking at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPE- humanoid capable of advanced locomo-
revolutionize sectors such as manufac- RIENCE World 2025 held in Houston, tion and object manipulation. Tesla’s
turing, logistics, healthcare, hospitality, TX, in February. Optimus is an AI-powered humanoid de-
and customer service. One of the primary factors fueling hu- signed for repetitive and dangerous tasks
“A humanoid is a robot that’s intelli- manoid robot adoption is the global la- in factories and warehouses.
gent, has semantic understanding of its bor shortage, particularly in industries Meanwhile, Agility Robotics’ Digit, a
environment, as well as one that’s very requiring repetitive or physically de- bipedal robot focused on warehouse lo-
Ceballos/ Adobe Stock

versatile and you can communicate with. manding work. As populations age, hu- gistics, is already being tested for re-
We will see human-like characteristics in manoid robots offer a solution to work- al-world applications. Apptronik has
all kinds of robot forms,” said Mark Raib- force gaps, particularly in logistics, retail, partnered with Jabil Inc., a global manu-
ert, Founder, former CEO, and now hospitality, and elder care to reduce the facturing and supply chain systems pro-
Chairman of Boston Dynamics and Di- burden on humans. vider, to build its Apollo humanoid
12 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
Humanoid Robots

robots and integrate them into Jabil’s filled material handling positions in lo-
manufacturing operations. Companies gistics and manufacturing in the U.S.
like Figure AI and Sanctuary AI are also alone. Despite a decade of throwing
making strides in developing multi-pur- AMRs (wheeled robots) at the problem,
pose humanoid robots with human-like the situation is getting worse, not better.
dexterity and intelligence. On the technology front, new sensor
With advancements in AI, machine technology is changing what’s possible for
learning, robotics, and sensors the glob- us to do — manipulate, sense, and see. In
al humanoid robot market is expected to addition, the industry needs to continue
experience exponential growth in the to push the envelope for robots with more
coming years. According to Markets and advanced vision sensing in the near term,
Markets, the humanoid robot industry is and advances in proprioception.
projected to reach $17.3 billion by 2027, Barry Phillips: Humanoid robots can
growing at a compound annual growth solve many challenges the world faces
rate of 52.1 percent from 2022. such as aging populations, persistent la-
Despite their immense potential, hu- bor shortages, and shrinking workforces.
manoid robots face several challenges Melonee Wise, Chief Product Officer, Agility We believe that Apollo can improve hu-
before they can achieve mainstream Robotics. mans’ quality of life by solving these is-
adoption. In this article, two industry sues. At Apptronik, addressing human
executives — Melonee Wise, Chief Prod- challenges is integral to our mission and
uct Officer of Agility Robotics and Barry is reflected in Apollo’s design and devel-
Phillips, Chief Commercial Officer of opment. Apollo is uniquely designed to
Apptronik — share their insights about foster comfortable interaction by focus-
the current state and future outlook for ing on an approachable visual design
humanoid robots. alongside highly functional AI technolo-
gy. Humanoid robots should be part of
Tech Briefs: What factors are driving “team human” — collaborating and sup-
rapid advancements in the porting humans in their work and lives.
development of humanoid robots
today and how are these Tech Briefs: What challenges do
influencing their design and engineers and developers face when
functionality? creating humanoid robots,
particularly in ensuring safety,
Melonee Wise: There are two main efficiency, and ethical AI
factors driving humanoid adoption and integration?
development today: economical and
technological. With respect to econom- Barry Phillips, Chief Commercial Officer, Wise: One of the biggest challenges
ics, there are more than one million un- Apptronik. today, especially for AI, is lack of stan-

Digit provides a wide work envelope and pay-

Specialized end effectors, advanced perception and manipulation ensure Digit can efficiently load ranges typical for warehousing and manu-
handle tote movement processes with minimal disruption. (Image: Agility Robotics) facturing operations. (Image: Agility Robotics)

14 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

 LEDs on Apollo’s head, mouth, and chest all
Apollo is different than special purpose palletization and depalletization solutions as it can handle work together to communicate status. (Image:
different tasks in a distribution center and task switch throughout the day. (Image: Apptronik) Apptronik)

dards and how AI fits into the existing ating ethical, human-centric solutions. picking objects, packing, and other
safety framework. There is a lot of clar- We’ve designed Apollo to not only tack- more difficult tasks that require fine
ity around machine safety and robot le repetitive tasks but also to enrich hu- motor skills. AI enables humanoid ro-
safety, but not for dynamic robots like man lives. bots to understand the physical world
humanoids. That’s why we are helping and learn to complete the repetitive
to create the new ISO/TC 299 stan- Tech Briefs: How is AI being tasks in the physical world that humans
dard. This has always been a challenge integrated into humanoid robots to don’t want to do.
for the robotics industry, not just with enhance their capabilities, and what
respect to humanoids. People expect role does machine learning play in Tech Briefs: What do you see as the
their robots to be superhuman. Com- making them more adaptable and biggest hurdles in deploying
peting with sci-fi has its pros and cons, interactive? humanoid robots in everyday
but you have to remember that C-3PO environments like homes and
was a person in a suit, not an autono- Wise: Right now, we are integrating AI workplaces, and how are companies
mous humanoid. into humanoids at the reasoning layer; addressing these obstacles?
Phillips: Safety, efficiency, and ethics but only where it doesn’t impact safety.
are top of mind for our team when de- When we look at using machine learning Wise: Workplaces are much easier to
veloping and deploying humanoid ro- and other learning-based methodologies define. I would almost set that environ-
bots in real-world environments. We are for our robots, we have to make sure that ment aside as something that is already
a part of the committee that is develop- they are performant. Many people look well understood. Companies just have
ing safety standards for humanoid ro- at AI as the magical solution. Unfortu- to follow the standards and execute.
bots that will ensure that humanoid ro- nately, many of the AI methodologies Getting humanoid robots in the home
bots are collaborative and can work are still falling below the reliability bar. is a much bigger battle. For starters, ev-
alongside people doing the jobs that Our customers are looking for, and de- ery home is different. There are a lot
people do not want to do. In the near serve, 98 percent reliability or higher. of idiosyncrasies between people’s
term, all of our humanoid robots will So, when we integrate AI capabilities homes that are hard to train for. One
work behind safety lasers with clear in- into our platform, they have to meet that person’s bowl is another’s ashtray, for
structions for those working around reliability bar. example.
them. Apollo humanoid robots are un- Phillips: Generative AI was a massive Phillips: Collaboration is key to ad-
matched from an energy efficiency per- unlock for task learning and enhancing vancing humanoid robots in every type
spective. Apptronik’s design includes a human-robot interactions. It removes of environment, but especially as these
heritage of unique actuation, or motor, the ceiling on what’s possible and cre- robots are deployed first in healthcare
technology that unlocks the highest lev- ates a whole new frontier for what these environments and eventually to the
el of energy efficiency. This combined robots can do. Prior to leveraging AI home. Apptronik collaborates with in-
with Apollo’s swappable battery design for tasks, humanoid robots were con- novative AI leaders like Google Deep-
ensures the highest level of operational fined only to tasks such as box or tote Mind, bringing together best-in-class
efficiency. We’re driven by the belief manipulation. By using AI for the train- resources and talent in artificial intelli-
that robots can make the world a better ing of tasks, humanoid robots can also gence with a cutting-edge humanoid
place. Our ethos is deeply rooted in cre- do dexterous tasks such as assembly, robot platform. Additionally, the cost
Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 15
Humanoid Robots

Phillips: By taking on dull, dirty, and

dangerous tasks, humanoid robots will
contribute to societal shifts that benefit
humanity across work and personal life.
In the near term, this will take place in
logistics and manufacturing where
Apollo can assist with the repetitive
tasks that humans really don’t want to
do. One example of one of the most im-
pactful areas for humanoid robots in
the future is eldercare. Humanoid ro-
bots in eldercare is a North Star goal
we’ve been working toward since
Apptronik’s inception. Apollo can not
only address critical labor shortages in
eldercare but also change how we expe-
rience the aging process. Humanoid
robots can help people age with dignity
and extend our quality of life into our
later years.

Apollo is powered by linear actuators that mimic the mechanics of human muscles and provide a Tech Briefs: When do you foresee
full range of mobility. (Image: Apptronik) humanoid robots becoming part of
our daily lives?

Wise: From a workforce point of view,

robots are already part of our daily
lives. With respect to homes, outside of
single purpose robots I’m not con-
vinced that there will be a general-pur-
pose humanoid robot in my house
during my lifetime. We are far more
likely to see advances and adoption of
single-purpose home robots than gen-
eral purpose humanoids. For robots to
be in a home, we must get to the point
where we trust robots to, for example,
carry children up a flight of stairs.
That’s a very high bar.
Phillips: We’ve reached an inflec-
tion point with humanoid robot devel-
opment — all technological pieces are
in place, and now we are focused on
training the robots for commercializa-
tion and deployment. But this is just
Agility Robotics is currently focusing on the warehouse, logistics, and manufacturing industries. the beginning, similar to the trajectory
Digit can load and unload totes to support many different workflows. (Image: Agility Robotics) of personal computers in the 1980s.
We foresee humanoid robot adoption
of humanoid robots will need to de- Wise: We are focused on our cus- gradually increasing over the next de-
crease in order to meet the price point tomer needs right now in the ware- cade moving from industrial environ-
needed for a home environment. With house, logistics, and manufacturing ments to healthcare to eldercare and
the number of actuators, or motors, in industries. One of our primary goals is then eventually to the home. Current-
a humanoid robot, the ability to lever- full collaborative safety — where Digit ly, Apptronik is working with commer-
age linear actuation is absolutely key in can work side by side with people on cial partners like Mercedes-Benz and
reducing the price to a level that en- the production floor. We’re also work- GXO, where we will automate tasks
ables mass adoption. ing on expanding the payload and such as kitting, picking, packaging
charging capacity. In the future, we and, assembly.
Tech Briefs: Looking ahead, how do see moving to light industrial spaces
you envision humanoid robots such as the back of a grocery store, ho- This article was written by Chitra Sethi,
transforming industries and tel, or hospital. Humanoid robots de- Editorial Director, SAE Media Group. For
households, and what societal shifts ployed in public spaces are much fur- more information visit www.agilityrobotics.
do you think this will bring about? ther afield. com or www.apptronik.com.
16 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
 Why AI-Powered
Engineering Matters in
Automotive Design and
Lightweighting
F
or a long time, the way automotive products were de- cycles and furious competition, engineers and designers are
signed and made was largely the same. It was a slow, presented with new challenges: How can we implement new
time-consuming process defined by trial and error and technology and meet market demand without compromising
physical prototypes. Big projects required many peo- performance and quality?
ple with many specialized skill sets. And success was not al- The answer is AI-powered engineering. AI-powered engineer-
ways guaranteed. ing unleashes the power of AI across the entire product life cy-
Today, however, the industry operates at an extraordinarily cle. By seamlessly embedding AI into design and simulation
accelerated pace. Transformative new technologies like gener- tools, teams can accelerate exploration and innovation. Integrat-
ative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large-scale additive ed user-friendly workflows, coupled with on-demand high-per-
manufacturing have opened a world of new possibilities — in formance computing (HPC) resources, empower teams to aug-
electrification, autonomous systems, and more —and have ment AI with human expertise. Most powerfully, AI-powered
shortened design cycles. Products are more reliable and more engineering workflows can deliver results up to 1,000x faster
sustainable. It is an exciting time, but with compressed design than traditional physics-based simulation workflows.
Image: Altair

Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 17

AI-Powered Engineering

Beyond Just Simulation AI-powered engineering solutions can need to rerun full-scale simulations.
Automakers and suppliers know the learn from historical and synthetic This lets engineers test and validate
importance of simulation and comput- data and streamline the design and multiple designs in parallel rather than
er-aided engineering (CAE). But AI-pow- testing cycle — speeding time to mar- sequentially. And automakers can reuse
ered engineering encompasses much ket, increasing efficiency, and lower- AI-trained models across different vehi-
more than just simulation. Complete ing costs. cle platforms, eliminating redundant
AI-powered engineering workflows com- work and unlocking valuable insights
bine simulation with organization-wide Fast Innovation for a Fast from past projects.
data analytics and HPC to create new, Industry For instance, automakers can use
unique, data streams. In addition to its power in design data and AI to conquer aerodynamic
AI-powered engineering also allows and testing, one of AI-powered engi- challenges that previously took a long
designers to consider multiple objectives neering’s main benefits is the time it time using computational fluid dynam-
simultaneously. Teams can then use saves. OEMs and suppliers know that ics (CFD) tools. In one real-world use
these workflows to optimize vehicles’ aes- delays, downtime, and lengthy itera- case, a manufacturer trained a machine
thetics, comfort, aerodynamics, noise, tion impacts profitability, and causes learning algorithm to analyze aerody-
vibration, and harshness (NVH), and teams to miss market opportunities. namic performance on a large automo-
manufacturability. Luckily, AI-powered engineering tools tive model comprised of more than 2
For example, automakers can train take a fraction of the time needed for million elements. Using traditional
machine learning algorithms to de- traditional solver simulation while en- CFD tools, simulation runtimes regu-
tect NVH issues earlier in the design abling teams to test and explore more larly exceeded 12 hours. But the run-
life cycle. These algorithms, which designs for better decision-making times of AI-powered tools trained on
can be created using low- and no-code and better outcomes. historical data were completed in a
tools, can learn to understand the ef- Moreover, AI-driven models can ap- mere three minutes — with the same
fects of many design variables on NVH proximate complex physics with mini- level of accuracy as the CFD results.
performance and analyze results 100x mal computational cost, allowing for From days to minutes: the promise of
faster than traditional methods. real-time optimization without the AI-powered engineering.

Teams can use AI-powered engineering workflows to gain real-time insights into electric vehicles’ state of charge (SoC) with accuracy, achieve continu-
ous real-time monitoring of critical battery, reduce the weight of crucial components, and so much more. (Image: Altair)

18 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

A New Design Paradigm In addition, AI-based solutions deliv- been historically possible. And organiza-
The ultimate objective of AI-pow- er high-fidelity results with less compu- tionally, AI-powered engineering will re-
ered engineering is to transform the tation, fewer resources, and reduced duce development time and costs while
ways automakers design, test, and man- costs — meaning automakers benefit increasing products’ sustainability, safe-
ufacture components, systems, and ve- from faster innovation, faster deci- ty, and time to market.
hicles — to usher in a new era of auto- sion-making, and a leaner, more cost-ef-
motive innovation. This is enabled by fective development process. This article was written by Royston
next-generation digital twins, which AI-powered engineering is the ulti- Jones, CTO of Product Design and SVP
empower organizations to revolution- mate value-add technology. It’s superb of Automotive, Altair (Troy, MI). For
ize the way they conceptualize their en- on the individual level because it em- more information, www.altair.com/
tire design and operations process. powers engineers in ways that have not ai-powered-engineering.
Primarily, by creating a connected,
dynamic virtual replica of a real-life as-
set, digital twins help teams rely less on
costly, time-consuming physical proto-
types. Digital twins also combine simu-
lation, HPC, AI, and data analytics ca-
pabilities so teams can evaluate what-if
scenarios, enable predictive mainte-
nance, and extend the remaining use-
ful life (RUL) of their products. More-
over, they enable a comprehensive

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Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 19
Building an Affordable Grid-Scale Alternative to Batteries
Efficient thermophotovoltaic technologies could facilitate renewable energy growth —
an essential component of the transition to a net-zero world.
Rice University, Houston, TX

R esearchers at Rice University have

found a new way to improve a key el-
ement of thermophotovoltaic (TPV)
can deliver high efficiencies within
practical design parameters.
The research could inform the devel-
growth — an essential component of the
transition to a net-zero world. Another
major benefit of better TPV systems is re-
systems, which convert heat into elec- opment of thermal-energy electrical couping waste heat from industrial pro-
tricity via light. Using an unconvention- storage, which holds promise as an af- cesses, making them more sustainable.
al approach inspired by quantum phys- fordable, grid-scale alternative to batter- To put this in context, up to 20-50 per-
ics, Rice engineer Gururaj Naik and his ies. More broadly, efficient TPV technol- cent of the heat used to transform raw
team designed a thermal emitter that ogies could facilitate renewable energy materials into consumer goods ends up
being wasted, costing the United States
economy over $200 billion annually.
TPV systems involve two main compo-
nents — photovoltaic (PV) cells that con-
vert light into electricity and thermal emit-
ters that turn heat into light. Both of these
components have to work well in order for
the system to be efficient, but efforts to op-
timize them have focused more on the PV
cell.
“Using conventional design approaches
limits thermal emitters’ design space, and
what you end up with is one of two scenari-
os: practical, low-performance devices or
high-performance emitters that are hard to
integrate in real-world applications,” said
Naik, Associate Professor of Electrical and
Computer Engineering.
In a new study published in npj Nano-
photonics, Naik and his former Ph.D. stu-
dent Ciril Samuel Prasad — who has
since earned a doctorate in electrical
and computer engineering from Rice
and has taken on a role as a postdoctor-
al research associate at Oak Ridge Na-
tional Laboratory — demonstrated a
new thermal emitter that promises effi-
ciencies of over 60 percent despite be-
ing application-ready.
“We essentially showed how to achieve
the best possible performance for the emit-
ter given realistic, practical design con-
straints,” said Prasad, who is the first author
on the study.
The emitter is composed of a tungsten
metal sheet, a thin layer of a spacer materi-
al and a network of silicon nanocylinders.
When heated, the base layers accumu-
late thermal radiation, which can be
thought of as a bath of photons. The tiny
resonators sitting on top “talk” to each
A new thermal emitter developed by Rice University engineers composed of a tungsten metal sheet,
a thin layer of a spacer material and a network of silicon nanocylinders promises efficiencies of over
other in a way that allows them to “pluck
60 percent. (Image: Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University) photon by photon” from this bath, con-
20 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
trolling the brightness and bandwidth of gave us control over how the photons als’ properties. To improve on the newly
the light sent to the PV cell. are stored and released.” achieved 60 percent efficiency, new materi-
“Instead of focusing on the perfor- This selective emission, achieved als with better properties would need to be
mance of single-resonator systems, we through insights from quantum physics, developed or discovered.
instead took into account the way these maximizes energy conversion and allows For more information, contact Silvia
resonators interact, which opened up for higher efficiencies than previously pos- Cernea Clark at [email protected]; 713-
new possibilities,” Naik explained. “This sible, operating at the limit of the materi- 348-6728.

How to Detect Battery Failures Quicker

Researchers are working to identify methods to detect failures in electric vehicle batteries
before the batteries catch fire.
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

B atteries in electric vehicles can fail

quickly, sometimes catching fire with-
out much warning. Sandia National Lab-
oratories is working to detect these fail-
ures early and provide sufficient warning
time to vehicle occupants.
While electric vehicles have systems to
detect performance issues with lithi-
um-ion batteries, these systems are not
focused on imminent safety concerns.
“The nature of battery fires can vary
widely, depending on the failure mode.
Some batteries self-heat for hours, while
others are abrupt and aggressive,” said Alex
Bates, a member of Sandia’s battery safety
group. “The battery starts heating uncon-
trollably, ultimately resulting in a fire.”
Current measurements in battery
management systems capture tempera-
ture and voltage, but these are lagging
Sandia National Laboratories’ Genaro Quintana prepares a battery for testing in a vault at the Bat-
indicators of safety issues. This means a tery Abuse Testing Lab. Sandia’s research on detecting battery failures sooner in electric vehicles
warning may not appear until it’s too late was published in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society. (Image: Craig Fritz)
— when the battery is about to catch fire
or is already on fire.
“We’re focused on extending the warn-
ing time,” said Loraine Torres-Castro, San-
dia’s battery safety lead. “Our aim is for the
diagnostic system to provide an early warn-
ing, allowing time to park safely and exit
the vehicle.” She added that the ultimate
goal is to integrate this warning system into
the car’s dashboard.
To achieve this, Torres-Castro and her
team have been testing commercial off-
the-shelf diagnostics on single cells and
battery packs at the Battery Abuse Test-
ing Laboratory.
“Our objective is to benchmark com-
mercially available solutions for differ-
ent failures that exhibit varying respons-
es and require tailored diagnostics,”
Torres-Castro said. “One size does not fit
all. We seek to identify specific tools that
can provide early warnings for particular
failure conditions, battery chemistries A battery is ready for testing in a vault, which includes several layers of shielding and concrete
and cell engineering.” walls, at Sandia National Laboratories’ Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory. (Image: Craig Fritz)

Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 21

 “We have broad expertise on our implications beyond batteries for elec- Another focus area is advancing sen-
team,” Torres-Castro said. “We under- tric vehicles. sor technology to the point that the
stand material science, electrochemis- “We’re working with an organiza- sensors issue more than warnings.
try, engineering and, most important- tion in South Korea to evaluate the “These tools can also activate miti-
ly, how and why batteries fail.” potential use of this technique in grid gation measures. For instance, upon
A paper published earlier this year energy storage systems. We’re talking receiving a warning the system could
in the Journal of the Electrochemical Soci- about large batteries,” Torres-Castro trigger the thermal management sys-
ety describing Sandia’s research has explained. tem of the battery to start cooling it
gained significant attention. Torres-Castro and Bates agree down,” Torres-Castro said.
“It’s important work. Industry is in- there’s a lot more work to do on elec- As a next step, Sandia will have bat-
terested in this space. It’s still wide tric vehicle battery failure detection. tery packs from electric vehicles in the
open,” Bates said. “This manuscript The next phase is understanding lab. The cells will be disassembled and
has largely started the conversation, or the limitations and applying machine tested at different scales to check the
at least pushed it to the forefront of learning algorithms to datasets,” Bates limitations of the current diagnostics
battery safety for electric vehicles.” said. “We need other methods to ex- on the market.
The paper highlighted techniques amine the signal and ensure that it’s For more information, contact Kenny
used to detect failure markers and has fast, accurate and not a false positive.” Vigil at [email protected]; 505-537-1528.

Nail Penetration Adapter for Li-Ion Battery Testing

Self-aligning quick-release adapter facilitates consistent test setups for battery thermal
runaway research.
Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

I nnovators at NASA Johnson Space Cen-

ter have designed a pneumatic nail
penetration trigger system that drives a
Pneumatic Actuator Anatomy
Li-ion battery cell into thermal runaway
Nail
using a tungsten nail. By creating a tar- Chuck
Actuator
Diaphragm
geted rupture in a battery cell’s outer Tungsten
casing, researchers can initiate an exo- Nail

thermic chain reaction within the bat-

tery, much like a short circuit, causing a Direction of
spike in temperature that can lead to Diaphragm Travel
battery failure, fire or explosion.
This research leads to safety advance-
ments in battery design. Novel to the pneu-
matic nail penetration trigger system is a
Nail
quick-release barrel adapter that bridges Penetration Pneumatic Actuator Subassembly
Adaptor
and aligns the nail’s pneumatic actuator
subassembly to the battery cell test enclo-
sure while facilitating the precise guidance
Diagram of the nail penetration adapter bridging the battery cell test enclosure (left) with the ac-
of a nail when fired through its bore. tuator subassembly (right). The adapter features a quick-disconnect mechanism that facilitates easy
This system embodies a fast and con- separation of the enclosure from the actuator subassembly. (Image: NASA)
sistent nail penetration and retraction
tool that tests battery cells within various vides an internal seating stop to ensure a terface with NASA’s Fractional Thermal
steel and mylar enclosures. It is operated proper targeting depth. Runaway Calorimeter (FTRC), a blast
remotely with electric power and shop On the actuator side of the adapter, plate test platform (BPTP), or cell enclo-
air pressure inputs. The trigger system is two quick-release pins connect the sure for passive propagation resistant
controlled by a solenoid valve and drives adapter to the actuator mount which is (PPR) methods, the adapter could be
a nail to a set distance at 100 m/s for a bolted to the actuator subassembly. Re- modified for commercial use with other
precise and repeatable penetration inju- moval of these pins readily allow for sep- battery testing systems.
ry to a battery cell. aration of the nail penetration adapter NASA is actively seeking licensees to
Contributing to the trigger system’s pre- from the actuator mount and subassem- commercialize this technology. Please
cision and repeatability is the nail penetra- bly. During a TR event, the adapter is contact NASA’s Licensing Concierge at
tion adapter that aligns the battery cell test also designed to prevent flames, sparks, [email protected]
enclosure with the trigger system and and eject from traveling into the actua- or call at 202-358-7432 to initiate licens-
guides the nail by its internal barrel. The tor subassembly. ing discussions. For more information,
tip of the adapter threads into a variety of While the versatile nail penetration visit https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/
NASA battery cell test enclosures and pro- adapter was originally configured to in- MSC-TOPS-133.
22 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
A Step Toward More Accurate 3D Object Detection
The network combines 3D LiDAR and 2D image data to enable a more robust detection of
small objects.
Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan

M ost 3D object detection methods em-

ploy LiDAR sensors to create 3D Toward Better Automatic 3D Detection
point clouds of their environment. Simply of Small Objects
put, LiDAR sensors use laser beams to rap-
idly scan and measure the distances of ob- However, accurately aligning data
Multi-modal 3D object from different sensors is challenging
jects and surfaces around the source. How- detectors in especiallly for small objects
ever, using LiDAR data alone can lead to autonomous vehicles
(AVs) and robots
errors due to the high sensitivity of LiDAR combine LiDAR and
to noise, especially in adverse weather con- 2D Image data to Complex calibration
obtains better results Weather conditions
ditions like during rainfall. Occlusion
To tackle this issue, scientists have devel-
oped multi-modal 3D object detection Dynamic Point-Pixel Feature Align Network (DPPFA-NET)
methods that combine 3D LiDAR data with for Small 3D Object Detection
2D RGB images taken by standard camer-
Deformation Point-Pixel Memory-Based Point-Pixel
as. While the fusion of 2D images and 3D Fusion (MPPF) Modules
Fusion (DPPF) Modules
LiDAR data leads to more accurate 3D de- MPPF
DPPF
tection results, it still faces its own set of
challenges, with accurate detection of
small objects remaining difficult. The
Intra-modal and cross-modal feature
problem mainly lies in properly aligning interactions based on a memory bank
the semantic information extracted inde- Easier network learning with promotion
of key features
pendently from the 2D and 3D datasets, Robust against noise in LiDAR data
which is hard due to issues such as impre- Establish interactions between key Semantic Alignment Evaluator (SAE) modules
high-resolution features
cise calibration or occlusion. Reduce computation complexity SAE
Against this backdrop, a research team
led by Professor Hiroyuki Tomiyama from
Ritsumeikan University, Japan, has devel- DPPFA-Net achieves a new state-of-the-art for 3D object detection,
oped an innovative approach to make paving the way for safer and more capable AVs and robots
multi-modal 3D object detection more ac-
curate and robust. The proposed scheme, Dynamic Point-Pixel Feature Alignment for Multi-modal 3D Object Detection
called “Dynamic Point-Pixel Feature Align- Wang et al. (2023) IEEE Internet of Things Journal DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2023.3329884

ment Network” (DPPFA−Net), is described

in their paper recently published in IEEE The proposed model adopts innovative strategies that enable it to accurately combine 3D LiDAR
data with 2D images, leading to a significantly better performance than state-of-the-art models for
Internet of Things Journal. small target detection, even under adverse weather conditions. (Image: Hiroyuki Tomiyama from
The model comprises an arrangement Ritsumeikan University)
of multiple instances of three novel mod-
ules: the Memory-based Point-Pixel Fu- In contrast, the DPPF module per- percent under different noise conditions.
sion (MPPF) module, the Deformable forms interactions only at pixels in key To further test the capabilities of their
Point-Pixel Fusion (DPPF) module, and positions, which are determined via a model, the team created a new noisy data-
the Semantic Alignment Evaluator (SAE) smart sampling strategy. This allows for set by introducing artificial multi-modal
module. The MPPF module is tasked feature fusion in high resolutions at a noise in the form of rainfall to the KITTI
with performing explicit interactions be- low computational complexity. Finally, dataset. The results show that the proposed
tween intra-modal features (2D with 2D the SAE module helps ensure semantic network performed better than existing
and 3D with 3D) and cross-modal fea- alignment between both data represen- models not only in the face of severe occlu-
tures (2D with 3D). The use of the 2D tations during the fusion process, which sions but also under various levels of ad-
image as a memory bank reduces the dif- mitigates the issue of feature ambiguity. verse weather conditions.
ficulty in network learning and makes The researchers tested DPPFA−Net by Notably, there are various ways in
the system more robust against noise in comparing it to the top performers for the which accurate 3D object detection
3D point clouds. Moreover, it promotes widely used KITTI Vision Benchmark. No- methods could improve our lives.
the use of more comprehensive and dis- tably, the proposed network achieved aver- Self-driving cars, which rely on such
criminative features. age precision improvements as high as 7.18 techniques, have the potential to reduce
Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 23
accidents and improve traffic flow and safe- more precise perception of small tar- for deep-learning perception systems.
ty. Furthermore, the implications in the gets,” said Tomiyama. “Such advance- This would greatly reduce the cost of
field of robotics should not be understated. ments will help improve the capabilities manual annotation, accelerating devel-
“Our study could facilitate a better un- of robots in various applications.” opments in the field.
derstanding and adaptation of robots to Another use for 3D object detection For more information, contact Kazuki
their working environments, allowing a networks is the pre-labeling of raw data Kurajo at [email protected].

Single-Shot Polarization Imaging System Provides

Complete Picture
A compact, single-shot, and complete polarization imaging system using metasurfaces.
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

C ompanies have invested heavily to

improve color in digital imaging,
but wavelength is just one property of
light. Polarization — how the electric
field oscillates as light propagates — is
also rich with information, but polar-
ization imaging remains mostly con-
fined to table-top laboratory settings,
relying on traditional optics such as
waveplates and polarizers on bulky ro-
tational mounts.
Now, researchers at the Harvard John
LCP
A. Paulson School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences (SEAS) have devel-
oped a compact, single-shot polarization
imaging system that can provide a com-
plete picture of polarization. By using
just two thin metasurfaces, the imaging
system could unlock the vast potential of
polarization imaging for a range of exist-
ing and new applications, including bio-
medical imaging, augmented, and virtu- A unique species of beetle, Chrysina gloriosa, has a distinct response for circularly polarized light reflect-
al reality systems, and smart phones. The ing off its shell. Here, it is illuminated by RCP light and LCP light (left), and imaged by a standard digital
research is published in Nature Photonics. camera. The intensity images, juxtaposed for comparison, show that the beetle exhibits a different opti-
cal response for the two circular polarizations. Raw image of the chiral beetle captured using the Mueller
“This system, which is free of any mov- Matrix imaging system (right) has spatially resolved features such as the size and shape of the shell, and
ing parts or bulk polarization optics, will the characteristic striae (or lines) on the shell. (Image: Aun Zaidi/Harvard SEAS)
empower applications in real-time medi-
cal imaging, material characterization, polarization imaging, known as Mueller signed to vary spatially in a unique pat-
machine vision, target detection, and matrix imaging, can capture the most tern. When this polarized light reflects
other important areas,” said Senior Au- complete polarization response of an ob- off or transmits through the object be-
thor and Professor Federico Capasso. ject by controlling the incident polariza- ing illuminated, the polarization pro-
In previous research, Capasso and his tion.” file of the beam changes. That change
team developed a first-of-its-kind com- Currently, Mueller matrix imaging re- is captured and analyzed by the second
pact polarization camera to capture so- quires a complex optical set-up with mul- metasurface to construct the final im-
called Stokes images, images of the po- tiple rotating plates and polarizers that age — in a single shot.
larization signature reflecting off an sequentially capture a series of images The technique allows for real-time ad-
object — without controlling the inci- which are combined to realize a matrix vanced imaging, which is important for
dent illumination. representation of the image. applications such as endoscopic surgery,
“Just as the shade or even the color of The simplified system developed by facial recognition in smartphones, and
an object can appear different depend- Capasso and his team uses two extremely eye tracking in AR/VR systems. It could
ing on the color of the incident illumina- thin metasurfaces — one to illuminate also be combined with powerful ma-
tion, the polarization signature of an an object and the other to capture and chine learning algorithms for applica-
object depends on the polarization pro- analyze the light on the other side. tions in medical diagnostics, material
file of the illumination,” said First Au- The first metasurface generates classification, and pharmaceuticals.
thor Aun Zaidi. “In contrast to conven- what’s known as polarized structured “We have brought together two seem-
tional polarization imaging, ‘active’ light, in which the polarization is de- ingly separate fields of structured light and
24 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
polarized imaging to design a single sys- “Our single-shot and compact system tual property associated with this project
tem that captures the most complete po- provides a viable pathway for the wide- out of Proffesor Capasso’s lab and li-
larization information. Our use of nanoen- spread adoption of this type of imaging censed the technology to Metalenz for
gineered metasurfaces, which replace to empower applications requiring ad- further development.
many components that would traditionally vanced imaging,” said Capasso. For more information, contact Leah
be required in a system such as this, greatly The Harvard Office of Technology Burrows at [email protected];
simplifies its design,” said Zaidi. Development has protected the intellec- 617-496-1351.

Bio-Inspired Cameras and AI Detect Obstacles Faster

A system that can detect obstacles around a car much quicker than current systems while
using less computational power.
University of Zurich, Switzerland

D aniel Gehrig and Davide Scaramuz-

za from the Department of Infor-
matics at the University of Zurich
(UZH) have combined a novel bio-in-
spired camera with AI to develop a sys-
tem that can detect obstacles around a
car much quicker than current systems
and using less computational power.
The study is published in Nature.
Most current cameras are frame-based,
meaning they take snapshots at regular in-
tervals. Those currently used for driver as-
sistance on cars typically capture 30 to 50
frames per second and an artificial neural
network can be trained to recognize ob-
jects in their images — pedestrians, bikes,
and other cars. “But if something happens
during the 20 or 30 milliseconds between
two snapshots, the camera may see it too
late. The solution would be increasing the
The image shows both color information from the color camera and events (blue and red dots) from
frame rate, but that translates into more the event camera generated by a pedestrian running. (Image: Robotics and Perception Group, Uni-
data that needs to be processed in re- versity of Zurich)
al-time and more computational power,”
said First Author Daniel Gehrig. the ones currently in use. Its images are data that must be transmitted between the
Event cameras are a recent innova- processed by an AI system, called a con- camera and the onboard computer as well
tion based on a different principle. In- volutional neural network, that is trained as the computational power needed to
stead of a constant frame rate, they have to recognize cars or pedestrians. The process the images without affecting accu-
smart pixels that record information data from the event camera is coupled to racy. Crucially, the system can effectively
every time they detect fast movements. a different type of AI system, called an detect cars and pedestrians that enter the
“This way, they have no blind spot be- asynchronous graph neural network, field of view between two subsequent
tween frames, which allows them to de- which is particularly apt for analyzing frames of the standard camera, providing
tect obstacles more quickly. They are 3-D data that change over time. Detec- additional safety for both the driver and
also called neuromorphic cameras be- tions from the event camera are used to traffic participants — which can make a
cause they mimic how human eyes per- anticipate detections by the standard huge difference, especially at high speeds.
ceive images”, said Davide Scaramuzza, camera and also boost its performance. According to the scientists, the method
head of the Robotics and Perception “The result is a visual detector that can could be made even more powerful in the
Group. But they have their own short- detect objects just as quickly as a stan- future by integrating cameras with LiDAR
comings: they can miss things that move dard camera taking 5,000 images per sensors, like the ones used on self-driving
slowly and their images are not easily second would do but requires the same cars. “Hybrid systems like this could be
converted into the kind of data that is bandwidth as a standard 50-frame-per- crucial to allow autonomous driving, guar-
used to train the AI algorithm. second camera”, said Gehrig. anteeing safety without leading to a sub-
Gehrig and Scaramuzza came up with The team tested their system against the stantial growth of data and computational
a hybrid system that combines the best of best cameras and visual algorithms cur- power,” said Scaramuzza.
both worlds: It includes a standard cam- rently on the automotive market, finding For more information, contact Kurt
era that collects 20 images per second, a that it leads to one hundred times faster Bodenmueller at kurt.bodenmueller@
relatively low frame rate compared to detections while reducing the amount of kommunikation.uzh.ch; +044 446-344-439.
Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 25
An Innovative Sensing Platform for Ultrahigh Sensitivity in
Conventional Sensors
A new plug-and-play hardware can dramatically enhance the sensitivity of optical sensors.
Washington University in St. Louis, MO

O ptical sensors serve as the back-

bone of numerous scientific and
technological endeavors, from detect-
ing gravitational waves to imaging bio-
logical tissues for medical diagnostics.
These sensors use light to detect chang-
es in properties of the environment
they’re monitoring, including chemi-
cal biomarkers and physical properties
like temperature. A persistent chal- er
troll
lenge in optical sensing has been en- Con
hancing sensitivity to detect faint sig-
nals amid noise.
sor
New research from Lan Yang, the Ed- Sen
win H. & Florence G. Skinner Professor
in the Preston M. Green Department of
Electrical & Systems Engineering in the
McKelvey School of Engineering at
Washington University in St. Louis, un-
locks the power of exceptional points
(EPs) for advanced optical sensing. In a
study published in Science Advances, Yang
and First Author Wenbo Mao, a doctoral Optical sensors have been widely used in various applications, from structural health monitoring to
medical diagnosis and imaging. An innovative platform, featuring a control unit operated at an
student in Yang’s lab, showed that these exceptional point, has been developed to enhance the performance of conventional optical sensors.
unique Eps — specific conditions in sys- (Image: Yang Lab)
tems where extraordinary optical phe-
nomena can occur — can be deployed can acquire improved sensitivity and re- As a proof-of-concept, Yang’s team test-
on conventional sensors to achieve a duced detection limit by connecting to ed a system’s detection limit, or ability to
striking sensitivity to environmental per- this configuration. Simply by tuning the detect weak perturbations over system
turbations. control unit, this EP configuration can noise. They demonstrated a six-fold re-
Yang and Mao developed an EP-en- adapt to various sensing scenarios, such duction in the detection limit of a sensor
hanced sensing platform that over- as environmental detection, health mon- using their EP-enhanced configuration
comes the limitations of previous ap- itoring and biomedical imaging.” compared to the conventional sensor.
proaches. Unlike traditional methods By decoupling the sensing and control “With this work, we’ve shown that we
that require modifications to the sensor functions, Yang and Mao have effectively can significantly enhance our ability to
itself, their innovative system features skirted the stringent physical require- detect perturbations that have weak sig-
an EP control unit that can plug into ments for operating sensors at EPs that nals,” Mao said. “We’re now focused on
physically separated external sensors. have so far hindered their widespread bringing that theory to broad applica-
This configuration allows EPs to be adoption. This clears the way for EP en- tions. I’m specifically focused on medi-
tuned solely through adjustments to the hancement to be applied to a wide range cal applications, especially working to
control unit, allowing for ultrahigh sen- of conventional sensors — including enhance magnetic sensing, which could
sitivity without the need for complex ring resonators, thermal and magnetic be used to improve MRI technology.
modifications to the sensor. sensors, and sensors that pick-up vibra- Currently, MRIs require a whole room
“We’ve implemented a novel platform tions or detect perturbations in biomark- with careful temperature control. Our
that can impart EP enhancement to con- ers — vastly improving the detection lim- EP platform could be used to enhance
ventional optical sensors,” Yang said. it of sensors scientists are already using. magnetic sensing to enable portable,
“This system represents a revolutionary With the control unit set to an EP, the bedside MRI.”
extension of EP-enhanced sensing, sig- sensor can operate differently — not at For more information, contact the
nificantly expanding its applicability and an EP — and still reap the benefits of EP McKelvey School of Engineering at 314-
universality. Any phase-sensitive sensor enhancement. 935-6100.
26 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
Sensors for ‘Smart’ Wound Bandage Track Healing,
Immune Response
Wearable sensors monitor certain biomarkers during healing.
Skoltech, Moscow, Russia

R esearchers from Skoltech and the

University of Texas at Austin have pre-
sented a proof-of-concept for a wearable
team, led by Skoltech provost Proffesor
Keith Stevenson, explored electroanalyti-
cal methods that, thanks to their relative
with the severity of a wound. All these
compounds are electroactive; that is, they
respond to electrical activity and thus can
sensor that can track healing in sores, simplicity, sensitivity, durability, and other be detected by an electroanalytical sensor.
ulcers, and other kinds of chronic skin attractive characteristics, are particularly Testing showed that both the sensor’s
wounds, even without the need to re- promising for clinical applications. limits of detection and linear dynamic
move the bandages. The paper was pub- “Earlier stages of our research in­volved ranges, which represent the ranges of
lished in the journal ACS Sensors. characterizing the sensor performance concentrations where a sensor produc-
Chronic wounds that fail to heal quick- and demonstrating the sensitive and se- es meaningful quantitative results, were
ly, such as diabetic foot ulcers or pressure lective multianalyte detection in complex within the biologically relevant concen-
ulcers, can be very tricky to manage for biofluid simulants that closely mimic real trations — that means a device based on
healthcare professionals and a night- biological environments,” Stevenson said. these sensors could be used for wound
mare for patients. To monitor the heal- For the new study, the researchers monitoring in a clinical setting.
ing process and assess the need for treat- built an early prototype of an electroan- The researchers also tested their elec-
ment, doctors and nurses normally need alytical wound sensor based on carbon troanalytical wound sensor in cell cul-
to remove the bandages from a wound, ultra-microelectrode arrays (CUAs) on tures, where it successfully detected pyo­
which damages the recovering tissue, of- flexible substrates. In previous studies, cyanin from P. aeruginosa and NO* from
ten hurts the patient, and requires hos- this sensor had been placed on quartz macro­phages (immune cells that destroy
pital visits, particularly to avoid further substrates, but to ensure flexibility, the bacteria and other “invaders”). Finally,
infections. Furthermore, if a wound re­ authors developed a method of putting the sensor was also able to detect the in-
quires more than just visual inspection, the arrays on a polyethylene terephthal- fluence of Ag+ silver ions, a known anti-
other available methods include tissue ate (PET) substrate. microbial agent, that suppressed pyocy-
biopsies, surface swabs, or testing for The team used a simulated wound en- anin production by the bacteria.
pathogens — invasive and costly proce- vironment to test the sensitivity of their “The next step is to utilize this sensor
dures that can take days and yet fail to sensor to three critical biomarkers: pyo- technology for in vivo studies and re-
produce useful treatment directions. cyanin, produced by Pseudomonas aeru- al-time monitoring of wound treatment
That is why smart bandages, essentially ginosa, a bacterium typically colonizing effectiveness on human subjects in clini-
wearable sensors that can monitor certain chronic wounds; nitric oxide (NO*) se- cal settings,” Stevenson noted.
biomarkers during the healing process, creted in response to bacterial infections For more information, contact
have captured the attention of medical en- by cells of the immune system; and uric Skoltech Communications at communi-
gineers. In the new study, the Russia-U.S. acid, a metabolite that strongly correlates [email protected]; +7 495-280-1481.

Antimicrobial Ag*

Decreasing Bacterial
Toxin Production
1.2

Background
0.9 0 min Ag*
10 min Ag*
Current (µA)

30 min Ag*
0.6

0.3

0.0

Carbon Ultramicroelectrode Arrays -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0

on a Flexible Substrate
Potential (V vs. SCE)

Cellular Culture in
Wound Simulant

Redox Bacterial Toxins Fast Detection

The researchers built an early prototype of an electroanalytical wound sensor based on carbon ultra-microelectrode arrays on flexible substrates. (Im-
age: Olja Simoska et al./ACS sensors)

Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 27

Fabricating Ultrastrong Aluminum Alloys for
Additive Manufacturing
A process to develop ultrahigh-strength aluminum alloys that are suitable for
additive manufacturing.
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

P urdue University material engineers

have created a patent-pending pro-
cess to develop ultrahigh-strength alumi-
num alloys that are suitable for additive
manufacturing because of their plastic
deformability.
Haiyan Wang and Xinghang Zhang
lead a team that has introduced transi-
tion metals cobalt, iron, nickel, and tita-
nium into aluminum via nanoscale, lam-
inated, deformable intermetallics. Wang
is the Basil S. Turner Professor of Engi-
neering and Zhang is a Professor in Pur-
due’s School of Materials Engineering.
Anyu Shang, a materials engineering
graduate student, completes the team.
“Our work shows that the proper in-
troduction of heterogenous microstruc-
tures and nanoscale medium-entropy
intermetallics offers an alternative solu-
tion to design ultrastrong, deformable
aluminum alloys via additive manufac-
turing,” Zhang said. “These alloys im-
prove upon traditional ones that are ei-
A patent-pending method creates ultrahigh-strength aluminum alloys that also demonstrate high
ther ultrastrong or highly deformable, plastic deformability. The innovation has practical applications in industries ranging from aero-
but not both.” space to automobile manufacturing. (Image: Purdue University photo/Anyu Shang)
Wang and Zhang disclosed the innova-
tion to the Purdue Innovates Office of is the introduction of particles that tional metal elements into colonies of na-
Technology Commercialization, which strengthen aluminum alloys by imped- noscale, intermetallics lamellae that ag-
has applied for a patent from the U.S. ing the movements of dislocations. gregate into fine rosettes. The
Patent and Trademark Office to protect “But the highest strength these alloys nanolaminated rosettes can largely sup-
the intellectual property. achieve is in the range of 300 to 500 mega- press the brittle nature of intermetallics.”
The research has been published in pascals, which is much lower than what Wang said, “Also, the heterogeneous
the peer-reviewed journal Nature Commu- steels can achieve, typically 600 to 1,000 microstructures contain hard nanoscale
nications. The National Science Founda- megapascals,” Wang said. “There has intermetallics and a coarse-grain alumi-
tion and the U.S. Office of Naval Re- been limited success in producing high- num matrix, which induces significant
search provided support for this work. strength aluminum alloys that also display back stress that can improve the work
Lightweight, high-strength aluminum beneficial large plastic deformability.” hardening ability of metallic materials.
alloys are used in industries from aero- The Purdue researchers have produced Additive manufacturing using a laser can
space to automobile manufacturing. intermetallics-strengthened additive alu- enable rapid melting and quenching
“However, most commercially avail- minum alloys by using several transition and thus introduce nanoscale interme-
able high-strength aluminum alloys can- metals including cobalt, iron, nickel and tallics and their nanolaminates.”
not be used in additive manufacturing,” titanium. Shang said these metals tradi- The research team has conducted
Shang said. “They are highly susceptible tionally have been largely avoided in the macroscale compression tests, micropil-
to hot cracking, which creates defects manufacture of aluminum alloys. lar compression tests and post-deforma-
that could lead to the deterioration of a “These intermetallics have crystal struc- tion analysis on the Purdue-created alu-
metal alloy.” tures with low symmetry and are known to minum alloys.
A traditional method to alleviate hot be brittle at room temperature,” Shang For more information, contact Steve
cracking during additive manufacturing said. “But our method forms the transi- Martin at [email protected].
28 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
Flexible Lightweight Radiation Shielding
A method of making thin flexible Z-shielding integrated with common textiles.
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA

L ead-filled aprons are currently used for

atomic number (Z)-grade radiation
shielding in the medical industry to pro-
gamma radiation when using tantalum
and a 25 times reduction when using an-
timony as compared with a single layer
tect personnel from hazardous gamma of lead. In addition, the Z-shielding is 25
radiation. These apron garments are percent lighter than a single lead layer
made with lead-filled elastomeric sheets with the same thickness (0.35-0.36 mm).
encased in polymeric fabrics and are both The direct textile spraying innovation
heavy and bulky to meet necessary shield- outlined by this invention enables the
ing requirements. In addition, there are ability to shape this shielding into gar-
environmental safety concerns surround- ments via the sewing of metal coated fi-
ing disposal of these garments due to bers. The refractory metal shielding can
their lead content. An innovator at NASA be added onto a variety of commodi-
Langley Research Center has developed a ty-based fabrics including glass fabrics.
novel method for making thin, light- The shielding can also be formed into a
weight radiation shielding that can be variety of garments such as shirts, vests,
sprayed or melted onto common textiles jackets, and pants with significantly
used in clothing such as cotton, nylon, greater comfort and conformity than the
polyester, Nomex, and Kevlar. aprons currently in use.
The thin, lightweight radiation shield- NASA is actively seeking licensees to
ing is comprised of a low Z/high Z/low commercialize this technology. Please
Z layered structure wherein the low Z contact NASA’s Licensing Concierge at
layer is composed of titanium and the [email protected]
high Z layer is composed of either tanta- or call at 202-358-7432 to initiate licens-
lum or antimony. Modelling of radiation ing discussions. For more information, The direct textile spraying innovation outlined
by this invention enables the ability to shape
shielding performance from a Cobalt 57 visit https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/ this shielding into garments via the sewing of
source shows a 10 times reduction in LAR-TOPS-354. metal coated fibers. (Image: NASA)

New High-Speed Microscale 3D-Printing Technique

The technique can print up to 1 million highly detailed and customizable microscale
particles a day.
Stanford University, CA

3 D-printed microscopic particles,

so small that to the naked eye they
look like dust, have applications in
in the DeSimone lab at Stanford and
lead author of the paper that details this
process, published today in Nature.
Professor in Translational Medicine at
Stanford Medicine and corresponding
author of the paper. “And we think do-
drug and vaccine delivery, microelec- This work builds on a printing tech- ing it in a scalable manner leads to op-
tronics, microfluidics, and abrasives nique known as continuous liquid portunities for using these particles to
for intricate manufacturing. However, interface production, or CLIP, intro- drive the industries of the future. We’re
the need for precise coordination be- duced in 2015 by DeSimone and co- excited about where this can lead and
tween light delivery, stage movement, workers. CLIP uses UV light, projected where others can use these ideas to ad-
and resin properties makes scalable in slices, to cure resin rapidly into the vance their own aspirations.”
fabrication of such custom microscale desired shape. The technique relies on The process that these researchers
particles challenging. Now, researchers an oxygen-permeable window above invented for mass producing uniquely
at Stanford University have introduced the UV light projector. This creates a shaped particles that are smaller than
a more efficient processing technique “dead zone” that prevents liquid resin the width of a human hair is reminis-
that can print up to 1 million highly from curing and sticking to the win- cent of an assembly line. It starts with a
detailed and customizable microscale dow. As a result, delicate features can film that is carefully tensioned and then
particles a day. be cured without ripping each layer sent to the CLIP printer. At the printer,
“We can now create much more com- from a window, leading to faster parti- hundreds of shapes are printed at once
plex shapes down to the microscop- cle printing. onto the film and then the assembly line
ic scale, at speeds that have not been “Using light to fabricate objects with- moves along to wash, cure, and remove
shown for particle fabrication previously, out molds opens up a whole new hori- the shapes — steps that can all be cus-
and out of a wide range of materials,” zon in the particle world,” said Joseph tomized based on the shape and materi-
said Jason Kronenfeld, Ph.D. candidate DeSimone, the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir al involved.
Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 29
 At the end, the empty film and more. This work address-
is rolled back up, giving the es opportunities in between
whole process the name roll- those worlds.
to-roll CLIP, or r2rCLIP. Prior “We’re navigating a precise
to r2rCLIP, a batch of print- balance between speed and
ed particles would need to be resolution,” said Kronenfeld.
manually processed, a slow “Our approach is distinc-
and labor-intensive process. tively capable of producing
The automation of r2rCLIP high-resolution outputs while
now enables unprecedented preserving the fabrication
fabrication rates of up to 1 mil- pace required to meet the
lion particles per day. particle production volumes
If this sounds like a familiar that experts consider essen-
form for manufacturing, that’s tial for various applications.
intentional. Techniques with potential for
“You don’t buy stuff you translational impact must be
can’t make,” said DeSimone, feasibly adaptable from the
who is also Professor of Chem- The 3D-printed DeSimone lab logo, featuring a buckyball geometry, research lab scale to that of in-
demonstrates the r2rCLIP system’s ability to produce complex,
ical Engineering in the School non-moldable shapes with micron-scale features. (Image: DeSimone Re- dustrial production.”
of Engineering. “The tools that search Group, SEM courtesy of Stanford Nano Shared Facilities) The researchers hope that
most researchers use are tools the r2rCLIP process sees wide
for making prototypes and test beds, and other 3D printing processes can print adoption by other researchers and in-
to prove important points. My lab does much smaller — on the nanometer dustry. Beyond that, DeSimone believes
translational manufacturing science — scale — but are slower. And, of course, that 3D printing as a field is quickly
we develop tools that enable scale. This macroscopic 3D printing has already evolving past questions about the pro-
is one of the great examples of what that gained a foothold (literally) in mass cess and toward ambitions about the
focus has meant for us.” manufacturing, in the form of shoes, possibilities.
There are tradeoffs in 3D printing of household goods, machine parts, foot- For more information, contact Jill Wu
resolution versus speed. For instance, ball helmets, dentures, hearing aids, at [email protected]; 386-383-6061.

Upcoming...

Webinars Accelerate Battery Simulations with

Surrogate Models
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 1:00 pm U.S. EDT
Battery modeling can be greatly sped up by building simulation apps that contain surrogate models. Whereas the detailed Newman model
provides accuracy at a significant computational cost, lumped models are faster but less accurate. For cases that call for both accuracy and
speed, surrogate models are worth considering. This 60-minute webinar will discuss the tradeoff of complexity versus speed
of results as well as how battery applications may benefit from surrogate models
Speaker:
Rasmus Karlsson, Ph.D
COMSOL

Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar538

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 New on the
MARKET
Product of the Month
ControlAir LLC, Amherst, NH, has announced the release of the Type CG330 and CG340 gas regulators.
This innovative product line is engineered to address the growing demand for low-emission solutions in indus-
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www.controlair.com

Hygienic Radar Level Sensor Low Loss Power Inductor

Endress+Hauser, Greenwood, IN, Coilcraft, Cary, IL, is in-
has launched the FMR63B, 80 GHz troducing the XGL3020 se-
radar level sensor, built for rigorous ries of ultra-low loss power
hygiene requirements, turbulent inductors. It has an induc-
surfaces, and foam formation and tance range of 0.10 to 4.5
buildup. It increases operational µH, current ratings up to
productivity and improves product 14.8 A with soft saturation; 80 V voltage rating — suitable for
safety while meeting all user re- wide Vin DC-DC converters; AEC-Q200 (–40 °C to +125 °C)
quirements. It is ideal, for end users with a 165 °C maximum part temperature. Its footprint is 3 × 3
in the life sciences and food and beverage industries. It uses mm and it’s 2-mm tall.
Ethernet-APL communication technology, helping prepare www.coilcraft.com
process plants for digitalization.
www.us.endress.com IP68 Embedded Computer
Crystal Group, Hiawatha,
Miniature Test Point IA, is introducing the
The TP-108 Series, the RE1600M small form factor
smallest of all test points embedded computer and a
from Components Corpora- hyper-converged data storage
tion, Denville, NJ, was de- solution, the RE4000. The
signed to provide a secure RE1600M is purpose-built for
anchoring point for minia- amphibious operations and
ture test points and J-hooks. is IP68 rated, which allows for seamless AI inferencing for ap-
Its loop configuration holds probes fast, without the slip- plications such as unmanned surface vessels and vehicles. It is
page and painful punctures common to posts or turrets. also integrated with NVIDIA Ampere architecture with 2048
With a small footprint and ultra-low profile, TP-108 Series is NVIDIA CUDA® cores and 64 tensor cores for fast and reliable
ideally suited for advanced surface mount printed circuit data transmission.
board applications. www.crystalrugged.com
www.componentscorp.com
Thin-Film Band-
Resin-Shielded Inductors Pass Filters
Sumida America, Schaumburg, IL, Kyocera AVX, Foun-
has introduced a family of Res- tain Inn, SC, released
in-Shielded Surface-Mount Power In- two new series of com-
ductors. This new design has en- pact, thin-film band-pass
hanced magnetic shielding effect filters engineered to de-
and mechanical impact strength. liver excellent RF per-
Ferrite or Metal Composite Res- formance in a wide range of high-power applications with
in-Shielded inductors are produced crowded PCBs. They deliver highly repeatable and reliable RF
similarly to traditional drum and ring core shielded inductors performance with low insertion loss, steep attenuation, sharp
but instead of using an external ring core for shielding, a coat- roll-off, low noise, and high temperature stability. They enable
ing of magnetic powder-impregnated resin encases the insulat- quick and easy adjustment of RF parameters and have ruggedly
ed copper winding and functions as the magnetic shield. constructed compact, low-profile cases.
www.sumida.com www.kyocera-avx.com

Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 35

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Power & Energy New on the Market
NASA-RATED LOW
OUTGASSING
EPOXY Hollow Shaft Angle Sensors
Master Bond EP53TC is a Novotechnik, U.S., Southborough, MA, introduces the
two-part epoxy that com- new WAL 200 Series of hollow shaft angle sensors that pro-
bines good physical proper-
Propulsion
ties and the ability to transfer heat rapidly and effec- Application Briefs vide absolute, rotary position. Sensor dimensions are 7 × 22
tively. The highlights of this system are its thermal mm. Measurement range is 0 to 340°. Mechanical range is
conductivity, reliable electrical insulation, and ability a continuous 0 to 360°. Resolution is < 0.3°, repeatability is
to be used for encapsulation applications. https://
www.masterbond.com/tds/ep53tc 0.3° and independent linearity is ±1 % of measurement range.
www.novotechnik.com

Master Bond Power Electronics Simulation Software

dSPACE, Paderborn,
Facility Focus Germany, is offering XSG Power
Electronics Systems (XSG PES) simulation software that
Robotics & Automation supports the simulation of highly dynamic switching fre-
quencies of up to 500 kHz. The software for hardware-in-
MULTIPHYSICS the-loop tests contains a library with ready-to-use models
MODELING AND of power electronics circuitry so that users can create
SIMULATION simulations quickly and easily. It supports circuitry simulation based on wide-bandgap
APPLICATIONS semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).
COMSOL Multiphysics® is a www.dspace.com
software environment for cre- Contents
Sensors
ating physics-based models and standalone simula-
tion apps. Add-on products provide specialized func-
SOSA Aligned Backplane
tionality for electromagnetics, structural, acoustics, SOSA aligned backplanes from Elma Electronic, Fre-
fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical simulations. mont, CA, have been enhanced to include a 7-slot 3U
Interfacing products offer a unified workflow with
all major technical computing and CAD tools. COM-
OpenVPX model that further supports the DOD’s Modular
SOL Compiler™ and COMSOL Server™ are used for Open Systems Approach (MOSA) mandate. With six VITA
deploying simulation applications to colleagues and 65 slots and one VITA 62 PSU slot, it helps facilitate the
customers. https://www.comsol.com/products
development of a common architecture across critical
Software C5ISR and EW systems. Control and data plane links are designed for 25 Gbps data
COMSOL, Inc.
rates and support dual domain Ethernet up to 100GBASE-KR4.
www.elma.com
THE DMU41 IMU
– INERTIAL SOLVED Motor Drive Software
Our tactical-grade, 9 DOF, Power Integrations, San Jose, CA, announced MotorX-
DMU41 IMU redefines MEMS pert™ v3.0, a software suite for configuration, control and
Test & Measurement inertial solutions. Measuring
only 50 x 50 x 50mm, weighing
sensing of BLDC inverters that utilize the company’s Bridg-
under 180g and consuming eSwitch™ motor-driver ICs. It incorporates shuntless and
less than 1.8w, the DMU41 performs flawlessly in sensorless technology for field-oriented control (FOC), adding support for ad-
the most extreme environments. Operating in tem-
peratures from -40 °C to +85 °C, it delivers excep-
vanced modulation schemes and unconditional startup under any load condition,
tional low noise performance, class-leading bias in- along with significant improvements to the host user interface and debugging tools.
stability, and excellent angle random walk. https:// www.power.com
siliconsensing.com/product/dmu41
Intelligent Manufacturing Hub
Silicon Sensing Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, is announc-
ing the OpreX™ Intelligent Manufacturing Hub. By utilizing
robotic process automation (RPA) implemented in a low-
code/no-code environment or through customization by Yo-
Become an INSIDER kogawa, it can significantly reduce reporting time. The Hub
Start your free subscription covers the full range of key performance indicators (KPIs),
to Tech Briefs’ INSIDER workflows, and reporting at every level of the organization, from the C-suite to the
e-mail newsletter to keep plant floor, and employs a single database.
pace with the latest technol-
www.yokogawa.com
ogy advances and licensing
opportunities in aerospace,
electronics, photonics, Power Bus Input Conditioner
manufacturing, and other
key fields.
GAÏA Converter, Le Haillan, France, announces the launch of the
FLHG-60, module designed for military and avionics applications.
This 60W input bus conditioner offers an all-in-one solution to sim-
plify and optimize power architecture designs operating at 24V and
28V. It efficiently combines traditional input-stage components such
as filters, voltage limiters, diodes, inrush current limiters, and hold-up modules in one
www.techbriefs.com/insider single module, reducing both space requirements and design complexity.
www.gaia-converter.com

36 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025

 Circular Connectors
Mencom, Oakwood, GA, offers
devices featuring a circular inter-
face and cylindrical contact hous-
ing. They come in various materi-
als, sizes, contact layouts, and
coupling designs. Among them,
M8, M12, M16, ½"-20, and M23 re-
ceptacles, which refer to the thread size on the coupling
nuts, are widely used for connecting sensors and actuators in
industries such as automation, manufacturing, military, aero-
space, and transportation. UL-listed, they provide
IP67/69-rated protection.
www.mencom.com

Power Management IC
The OPTIREG™ Power Man-
agement IC (PMIC) portfolio
from Infineon, Munich, Germa-
ny, enables highly efficient volt-
age regulation, offering pre- and
post-regulator architectures with
DC/DC and linear regulators as
well as trackers. In addition to the power supply, additional
monitoring and control functions are integrated, enabling
customers to develop automotive ECUs for safety-related ap-
plications. A boost buck pre-regulator supplies the post-reg-
ulator rails for the microcontroller supply, communication
supply, and a precise voltage reference.
www.infineon.com

ADHESIVES for
Intrinsically Safe Zener Barriers
AutomationDirect, Cumming,

SENSOR
GA, has added additional Zen-
er barriers from STAHL to iso-

APPLICATIONS
late various control signal
types from hazardous environ-
ments. For automated systems
installed in potentially explo-
sive atmospheres (ex., oil and gas production), extra precau-
tions must be taken to ensure the electrical circuits do not
EPOXIES
EPOXIES &
& SILICONES
SILICONES
become ignition sources. Properly grounded Zener barriers
isolate the electrical signal from the hazardous area. They
protect 4-20 mA/PNP sensors, NPN sensors/dry contacts, Select compounds offer:
and pulse trains (11 or 18 VDC).
www.automationdirect.com
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
Up to 6.5 W/( m•K)
Photoacoustic CO2 Sensor
Sensirion, Stafa, Switzerland,
is launching the SCD43, which is ELECTRICAL INSULATION
a drop-in upgrade based on Sen- Volume resistivity >1014
14 ohm-cm

sirion’s SCD4x platform. It is a

compact, high-accuracy CO2 sen- ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
sor that fulfills the requirements Volume resistivity <0.001 ohm-cm
of the most stringent building
standards, including the require-
ments of the current draft of Addendum d to the ASHRAE
62.1 standard for demand-controlled ventilation (DCV)
systems. The measurement accuracy of the sensor is Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA ∙ +1.201.343.8983 ∙ [email protected]
+/-(30ppm + 3% m.v.).
www.sensirion.com www.masterbond.com

Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 37

 Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring
successfully commercialized NASA technology. This

SPINOFF
commercialization has contributed to the development
of products and services in the fields of health and
medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety,
computer technology, and environmental resources.

Bioprinting Artificial Organs in Space to Benefit Human Life

on Earth
Commercial spaceborne research platform grows drug crystals, human tissue, more.

R ecent successes in cultivating human

heart tissue, knee cartilage, and phar-
maceutical crystals in space have relied
on technology that was initially developed
decades ago with support from NASA.
The Redwire Advanced Space Experi-
ment Processor, or ADSEP, is a locker
system currently on the International
Space Station that houses removable cas-
settes containing individually designed
science experiments with unique capa-
bilities. Companies, research institu-
tions, and government agencies pay Red-
wire, directly or indirectly, for use of the
platform to carry out experiments in
space. The cassette-based science capa-
bilities have become increasingly sophis-
ticated over the years, and the ADSEP
unit itself has also evolved, with the latest
iteration of the system, ADSEP-4.
Legendary astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn facilitates ADSEP experiments on a space shuttle
“It’s a multi-purpose processor of mini Discovery mission in 1998. Glenn was impressed enough by the device and the experiments it en-
laboratories based in these cassettes,” abled to mention them in his memoir a few years later. (Image: NASA)
said Rich Boling, who works on in-space
manufacturing for Redwire Corp., Jack- to Earth right away because then
sonville, FL. you’re back to that puddle you would
“ADSEP has been around since the get if you did it all on Earth.”
1990s, and it’s still a workhorse,” Boling That’s where ADSEP comes in. The
said. “It’s at the center of many things meniscus Redwire grew aboard the
that we do.” space station for the Uniformed Ser-
In the last few years, Redwire has an- vices University was then cultured for
nounced a series of space-based biomed- two weeks in a cassette stored in an
ical achievements, including the first bi- ADSEP locker.
oprinted human meniscus created in Redwire maintains two ADSEP
space. The knee cartilage cells were units aboard the space station, one
printed for the Uniformed Services Uni- dedicated to conditioning and cul-
versity’s biomedical research, which ex- turing tissue from cells printed by
plores new technologies for the U.S. Redwire’s latest iteration of the device, ADSEP-4. (Im- the company’s bioprinter, while the
Army Walter Reed Medical Hospital. age: Redwire Corp.) other runs a variety of experiments,
Meniscus tears are among the most including drug crystallizations.
common injuries for U.S. military per- the bottom of petri dishes, so scientists Typically, crew will put an ADSEP cas-
sonnel, frequently occurring both in have to add chemicals and “crosslink- sette that houses a bioreactor, camera,
combat and training. Current treatments ing” ingredients that have damaging and and microscope directly into the bio-
include cutting away shredded or dam- sometimes lethal side-effects on cells. printer on the space station.
aged cartilage and suturing what re- “You can make something on Earth “Then they float off and do other
mains. The ability to introduce new me- that looks like a heart, for example, but things they need to do,” Boling said of
niscus tissue could be a game changer it won’t function like one,” Boling said. the astronauts.
for both military and civilian patients. “In space the great news is you can At this point, Redwire staff back on
Gravity is a significant obstacle to bio- print thick constructs, and each cell layer Earth take charge, commanding the bio-
printing cells and growing human tissue stays where you want it,” he said. “The printer to print cells into the ADSEP con-
on Earth. Heavier components settle to problem is you can’t bring it back down tainer with the lid off. “We talk directly to
38 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
 www.techbriefs.com
the astronauts, and we control our
Publisher............................................................ Joseph T. Pramberger
own machinery in real time,” he
Director, Editorial and Digital Content Strategy..................... Chitra Sethi
said.
Senior Editor............................................................ Woodrow Bellamy
Once the cells are printed, Red-
Associate Editor............................................................. Edward Brown
wire asks the space station crew to
Digital Content Editor................................................... Andrew Corselli
put the lid back on the bioreactor
cassette and install it into the AD- Production Manager..................................................... Adam Santiago

SEP locker. This is where the as- Creative Director................................................................Lois Erlacher

semblage of cells becomes tissue. Graphic Designer........................................................ Ayinde Frederick

Redwire announced in May 2024 Marketing Director....................................................... Kaitlyn Sommer

it had printed and grown the first NASA astronaut Megan McArthur installs a new Ad- Senior Marketing Coordinator..................................................Sam Mills
live human heart tissue sample in vanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) experiment Marketing/Event Coordinator........................................... Chris Kendrick
space using ADSEP, a demonstra- locker on the International Space Station in this photo Editor, Custom Content .................................................Amanda Hosey
from 2021. The cassettes it holds have unique capabili-
tion ordered by the company’s own ties designed around specific experiments, which have Audience Development Director.......................... Christine Oldenbrook
scientists, not an outside customer. included bioprinting human tissue. (Image: NASA) Audience Development Manager...................................... Erykah Davis
Like human tissue, pharmaceu- Subscription Changes/Cancellations........................ [email protected]
tical crystals also grow more uniformly in contract with the space agency. Redwire ..................................................................................... (866) 354-1125

the absence of gravity, and Redwire has hosts NASA’s experiments through a
SAE MEDIA GROUP
worked with companies including drug Space Act Agreement. 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016
giant Eli Lilly and Company to grow ac- ADSEP first flew in 1996 on space shut- (212) 490-3999

tive ingredients using ADSEP. tle mission STS-77, when the device’s ac- Executive Vice President................................................ Luke Schnirring
Many medications, including aspirin ronym stood for Advanced Separation Technology Director......................................................Oliver Rockwell
and antihistamines, are formulated as Process for Organic Materials, instead of Director of Digital Products ..................................................Howard Ng
crystals using solid-state chemistry. Culti- Advanced Space Experiment Processor. Digital Media Associate.............................................. Md Jaliluzzaman
vating them in space using ADSEP en- The system had “a moment in the Digital Media Assistant........................................... Rowena Pagarigan
ables even more precision in the formu- sun,” as Boling put it, in 1998, when as- Digital Media Assistant......................................................... Zita Zhang
lation of these crystals, and they can be tronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn Digital Production Associate....................................Andrew Greenberg
monitored throughout the process. handled cassettes during his return to Digital Production Associate..............................................Symba Wong
“We’ve been watching video inside space at the age of 77. Glenn was im- Digital Project Manager...................................................Peter Weiland
cassettes on the space station to see drug pressed enough by ADSEP that he men- Credit & Collection Manager........................................... Stacie Pointek
crystallization in real time,” Boling said. tioned the locker by name in his memoir Budget & Forecasting....................................................... Felecia Lahey
The ultimate goal is to produce small a few years later, describing how he facil- Accounting/Human Resources Manager............................ Sylvia Bonilla
seed batches of new or improved drugs itated an experiment to produce geneti- A/R Clerk........................................................................... Crystal Ortiz
in their optimal crystalline form and cally engineered hemoglobin. Office Manager............................................................Alfredo Vasquez
then return those to Earth to enable ADSEP’s in-space production technolo-
batch-size production in the drug manu- gies are likely to contribute to the develop- ADVERTISING Account Executives
facturer’s factory while maintaining the ment of the low-Earth orbit economy, ac- MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, CT, Eastern Canada...............................Brian Hines
microgravity form. cording to NASA’s Kevin Engelbert, who ..................................................................................... (647) 296-5014
In addition to designing experiments has managed the space agency’s funding NJ, PA, DE, MD.................................................................. John Murray
..................................................................................... (973) 409-4685
for the space station lockers, Redwire has contracts for ADSEP development from
TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, AL, TN, FL, SC, NC, GA, DC, WV, VA........Ray Tompkins
also sold full ADSEP systems, including to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. ..................................................................................... (281) 313-1004
Sierra Space for its inflatable space habitat. “The Redwire ADSEP facility has NY, OH...........................................................................Ryan Beckman
The ADSEP locker was initially devel- been very effective in supporting scien- ..................................................................................... (973) 409-4687
oped by Techshot Inc. with Small Business tific research on the space station for a MI, IN, WI ..................................................................... Chris Kennedy
......................................................................(847) 498-4520 ext. 3008
Innovation Research, or SBIR, funding. number of years now,” he said, noting
MN, ND, SD, IL, KY, MO, KS, IA, NE, Central Canada...............Bob Casey
Techshot went on to develop new capabil- that it has evolved as new customer re- ..................................................................................... (847) 223-5225
ities and more sophisticated cassettes for quirements have emerged. CA, WA, OR, AZ, NM, Rocky Mountain States.......................Tim Powers
the locker before being acquired by Red- Redwire’s Boling said, “It’s an iterative ..................................................................................... (908) 892-2838
wire, where the research continues. process that has responded with the mar- Europe............................................................................ Sven Anacker
Redwire itself has received additional ket pull of each era.” ..................................................................................49-202-27169-11

NASA funding to further develop AD- For more information, visit https:// Integrated Media Consultants.........................................Patrick Harvey
..................................................................................... (973) 409-4686
SEP, which is also part of the company’s spinoff.nasa.gov/Out_of_This_World_
Rick Rosenberg
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity Organs. (973) 545-2565
Todd Holtz
Supplement to Tech Briefs: 2,3 (973) 545-2566
Tech Briefs, ISSN 0145-319X, USPS 750-070, copyright © 2025 in U.S. is published monthly by SAE Media Group, 261 Fifth Jason Setti
Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016. The copyright information does not include the (U.S. rights to) individual tech (973) 874-0271
briefs that are supplied by NASA. Editorial, sales, production, and circulation offices at 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New Chris Tsakonas
York, NY 10016. Subscription for non-qualified subscribers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, $110.00 for 1 year. Single copies (973) 409-4762
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Tech Briefs, April 2025 www.techbriefs.com 39

 Banana Oil/Shutterstock.com
TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
This monthly column explores the inter-relationships between technology and society. It features people and projects aiming to
deliver a positive impact on the world facing unprecedented social and environmental challenges.

Redefining Rehabilitation with Wearable Robotics

A lightweight robotic exoskeleton system enabling movement for those with impaired mobility.

A team of engineers is on a mission to

redefine mobility by providing inno-
vative wearable solutions to physical
(e.g., walking using a bodyweight sup-
port system) lead to meaningful improve-
ments in neural and physical function.
(Simulia), and custom Python models,”
said Browning. “These tools are instru-
mental in predicting device performance,
therapists, orthotic and prosthetic pro- This paved the way for the tethered and structural integrity, thermal behavior, and
fessionals, and individuals experiencing untethered systems that are used today,” expected product life, thereby streamlin-
walking impairment and disability. ing our design process.”
Co-founded by Ray Browning and Building wearable robots that meet
Zach Lerner, Portland-based startup the expectations and needs of the pro-
Biomotum, aims “to empower mobil- vider and patient is extremely hard.
ity by energizing every step” through “Many designs start as engineering
their wearable robotics technology. solutions, rather than a solution that a
Worldwide, over 1 billion people ex- patient wants. Understanding what the
perience difficulty walking, and over user needs are, particularly if the user
65 percent of these individuals do not has never seen or used similar technol-
achieve their walking goals, even after ogy is challenging,” said Browning.
rehabilitation or while using assistive The advantages of assistive robots,
devices. “This is because rehabilitation however, outweigh the challenges. In
is inefficient and insufficient and assis- some cases, they can provide
tive devices like ankle foot orthoses do life-changing improvements. “Our
not actively assist individuals during systems are being used in research
typical walking tasks. To address this The battery-powered ankle exoskeleton can aid both in projects around the world where the
problem, we are developing powered rehabilitation and daily living. (Image: Biomotum) objective is to improve walking func-
bracing solutions that can aid both in tion in a patient population (Cere-
rehabilitation and daily living. We call said Browning. “We are capitalizing on bral Palsy, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease,
them an e-bike for your feet,” said Brown- advances in robotics and electrification ALS, spinal cord injury). Over 200 indi-
ing, the CEO of Biomotum. of transport to build relatively simple, viduals have taken more than 2 million
Rehabilitation robots have existed for powered ankle braces that can transform steps in our systems,” said Browning.
many years. The early systems provided walking function,” he added. The next step for Biomotum is to gain
repetitive, consistent motions that helped The Biomotum SPARK, the company’s regulatory clearance and launch the
patients regain mobility and function, robotic exoskeleton system is a light- solution into the rehabilitation market,
particularly after a neurological injury. weight, battery-powered ankle exoskele- followed by the assistive device market.
“Researchers discovered that having pa- ton designed to deliver joint assistance or “We expect to have our first device in the
tients perform appropriate motions resistance during typical walking activi- clinical market in 2026,” he said.
ties. The system comprises an ankle actu- Browning believes assistive robots will
ator, a waist pack, and a control interface. become much more common as we
AT A GLANCE Built from ultra-lightweight carbon fi- learn how they can be used to efficiently
ber components, the ankle actuator de- and effectively help individuals obtain or
INNOVATORS: Ray Browning, CEO, and livers fine-tuned plantarflexor and dorsi- regain function. As AI capabilities in-
Zach Lerner, CSO. flexor torque to the body while adding crease, assistive robots will be able to
INNOVATION: Wearable robotic devices minimal mass to the lower limb. The adapt to the changing needs of individu-
to help people who suffer from impaired waist pack is home to the brains, battery, als, without needing to be told to do so.
mobility. and motors. A single rechargeable lithi- “AI-enabled assistive robots will dramati-
um-ion battery powers brushless DC mo- cally shorten the time it takes for effec-
IMPACT: Enable rehabilitation tors that drive ankle actuation. A mobile tive therapies to become widely adopted
professionals to deliver effective and app controls the device and tracks usage. as standard of care,” he added.
efficient care both in clinics and at patients’ “We utilize modeling and simulation This article was written by Chitra
homes, encouraging well-being, and software throughout our product’s devel- Sethi, Editorial Director, SAE Media
improved quality of life. opment. This includes CAD software Group. For more information, visit www.
(SOLIDWORKS), finite element analysis biomotum.com.
40 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, April 2025
 YOUR IDEA
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 April 2025

Navigating the
Challenges of Motor
Commutation

How Automakers Boost Quality

via Servo-Electric Test Systems

Elevating Welding Operations

with Collaborative Automation

Supplement to Tech Briefs

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 Sponsored Content

Gearmotor Guru

How Changing an AC Motor’s Capacitor Get a Second

Affects Performance
Opinion from
O ne popular motor type for oper-
ating from single phase AC
power is the Permanent Split the Gearmotor
Experts.
Capacitor (PSC) motor. As its name
implies, a capacitor is connected be-
tween the PSC motor and the AC
power source. The capacitor is sized
by the motor design engineer to pro-
duce the best compromise between
starting torque and running effi- Terry Auchstetter
Director of Marketing &
ciency. But sometimes, the end user Product Development,
of the motor chooses to deviate from Bodine Electric Company.
the capacitor value chosen and stated
on the motor nameplate rating. What are the consequences of
doing that? To understand the consequences, it helps to first
understand the basics of how a PSC motor operates.
The PSC motor, like other AC induction motors, has two
primary parts: the stator with two windings to conduct current
from the AC power source, and the rotor with a “squirrel cage”
arrangement of current-conducting bars. Connecting a capac-
itor to one of the two windings of the stator causes the current
in that winding to be out of phase with the current in the other
winding, thus creating a rotating magnetic field. The rotating
magnetic field reacts with the current-carrying conductors of
the rotor to produce rotational torque. The strength of that
rotational torque is influenced by the capacitor value specified
by the motor designer. So, what are the consequences of
changing that capacitor value?
Changing the capacitor value as specified by the motor de- You won’t have any doubts about the
signer will affect both running and starting characteristics so gearmotor in your next machine design
that any improvements in starting usually decrease running
after consulting with the experts at Bodine
performance. For example, an end user hoping to increase the
starting torque of a typical 1/15 HP PSC motor might replace Electric Company. With 120 years of
the specified 10-microfarad capacitor with a 30-microfarad ca- experience, and over 1,500 stock products
pacitor. The 200 percent increase in the capacitor value ap- to choose from,
proximately doubles the starting torque. However, increased
capacitance affects the motor’s phase angle and power factor, Bodine’s second
which in turn increases the current draw and power consump- opinion may very
tion. That can lead to serious overheating of the motor. well become your
That is an extreme example and end users don’t always
change the capacitor value to increase performance. final answer.
Sometimes, they change it to simplify assembly or logistics. For
example, an end user who uses a dual voltage PSC motor in a
machine that can be configured for both 115V and 230V oper- See how Bodine’s second
ation might desire to create one wiring harness for both con- opinion for a quiet
figurations, which would require the same capacitor for both gearmotor resulted in a
voltages. But the motor designer probably specified a different
stress-free atmosphere for
capacitor value for each voltage. Since the lower voltage would
mammography patients.
use a higher capacitor value and vice versa, the consequences
to test for would be possible insufficient torque at the lower
voltage and possible overheating at the higher voltage. Besides www.bodine-electric.com | Peosta, IA USA
doing thorough testing, the end user should also consult with 773.478.3515 (USA)
the motor manufacturer.
For more information, contact Terry Auchstetter at terry.
[email protected].

www.bodine-electric.com

Motion Design, April 2025 1

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
6 Navigating the Challenges of Motor Commutation 24 New Products
10 How Automakers Boost Quality via Servo-Electric Test Systems
ON THE COVER
Engineers often face the challenge of integrating
APPLICATIONS different brands of drives and motors into a cohe-
14 Elevating Welding Operations with Collaborative Automation sive system. One critical factor that can make or
break the success of this integration is motor commu-
16 Cobot Cuts Cost and Risk While Boosting On-Time Delivery tation. Understanding this concept is key to ensuring
that drives and motors work together efficiently.
18 Gear Motors Help Put the Squeeze on Materials Requiring Learn more in the feature on page 6.
Dewatering
(Image: Andrii/Adobe Stock)

TECH BRIEFS
20 A Training Method for Multiagent Systems Promises Safe
Operation
21 3D-Printed Soft Robotic Joint Allows Greater Bending Angles
22 Boosting Robotic Grasping Performance with Six Degrees of
Freedom Dataset

2 Motion Design, April 2025

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I N S I D E S T O RY
DieQua’s GearSync servo drives represent the pinnacle of innovation in motion control technol-
ogy. Engineered with advanced precision and unparalleled reliability, these servo drives deliver
exceptional performance for even the most demanding applications. They are expertly designed
to meet the needs of industries such as robotics, packaging, automation, and manufacturing
— where seamless and accurate motion control is a must. With GearSync, you gain not only cut-
ting-edge technology but also a trusted solution that ensures consistent, high-quality results
every time. In this interview, Tom Kahn, Director, Business Development at DieQua discusses the
key benefits of GearSync servo drives.

Motion Design: What are the key advantages of GearSync for ufacturing. These products ensure smooth, accurate position-
servo-driven motion control applications? ing, optimal speed control, and customizable configurations
to meet unique business needs. Built with durable materials
Tom Kahn: DieQua GearSync drives are and advanced engineering, GearSync gearboxes handle high-
precision-engineered for servo-driven torque, high-speed applications while reducing energy loss and
systems, offering reduced backlash, high operational costs. Compact designs make them suitable for
torque density, and reliable power trans- space-limited systems, and their energy-efficient performance
mission for improved efficiency and en- supports sustainability goals. DieQua offers comprehensive cus-
ergy savings. Built with durable materials, tomer support, fast lead times, and decades of expertise, earn-
they ensure longevity and low mainte- ing a global reputation for quality and innovation. GearSync is a
nance in demanding industrial environ- trusted solution for high-performance motion control.
ments. With customizable gear ratios and
configurations, they provide flexibility for Motion Design: How do GearSync drives enhance efficiency,
diverse applications. Their optimized design reduces inertia, en- reliability, and durability in high-speed servo environments
abling quick response times, smooth operation, and minimal noise
and vibration. Tailor-made solutions are available to meet specific Kahn: GearSync is a high-performance series of high torque
needs, making GearSync drives an ideal choice for high-perfor- gear reducers specifically tailored to utilize the latest fea-
mance, precise and reliable motion control in modern industries. tures in servo motion systems, offering enhanced efficiency,
improved reliability, lower inertial demands, and long-term
Motion Design: How does GearSync’s coupling system durability and uptime performance. Its optimized functionality
improve performance and address common challenges in ensures high speed performance and synchronization in mo-
servo motor applications? tion control applications, by utilizing lightweight materials for
demanding applications. GearSync’s designs deliver reduced
Kahn: GearSync’s coupling system is designed to optimize energy consumption, minimizes downtime, and maximizes
servo motor performance by addressing common challenges ROI, making it ideal for industries requiring efficient, reliable,
like misalignment, vibration, and wear. It ensures precise shaft and long-lasting high-speed servo systems.
alignment to reduce energy loss and equipment degradation,
while vibration-damping materials provide smoother operation Motion Design: What are some applications that benefit the
and extend component lifespan. Built to handle high torque most from GearSync servo drives?
demands, the system offers secure power transfer and resists
wear from frequent starts, stops, and direction changes, reduc- Kahn: GearSync is a technology that enhances the perfor-
ing maintenance needs. It minimizes backlash for accurate po- mance of robotic and automated systems by ensuring precise
sitioning in applications like robotics and packaging machines. synchronization and smooth, coordinated motion. It is crucial
With user-friendly installation, easy maintenance, and versatil- for applications like pick-and-place robots, industrial arms, and
ity across industries, GearSync’s system enhances efficiency, servo-driven conveyors, where exact timing improves accuracy,
reliability, and cost-effectiveness in servo motor applications. reduces waste, and prevents bottlenecks. GearSync also en-
sures precision in machines like printers, slitters, and labelers,
improving alignment and reducing errors at high speeds. For
Motion Design: Why should companies choose DieQua packaging machines, laser cutters, and plasma cutters, it min-
Corporation and their GearSync products for their servo imizes motion deviations, achieving flawless finishes. In pack-
motion control needs? aging equipment, GearSync maintains synchronization under
varying loads, boosting efficiency, throughput, and reliability.
Kahn: DieQua Corporation’s GearSync products are designed
for precision and reliability in servo motion control, making For more information, visit: https://www.diequa.com/
them ideal for industries like robotics, automation, and man- products/speed-reducers/.

4 Motion Design, April 2025

It’s Arrived.
DieQua’s new GearSync servo drives are engineered
with advanced precision and unparalleled reliability.
These servo reducers deliver exceptional • Reduced backlash with high
performance for even the most demanding torque density
applications. They are expertly designed to meet • Customizable gear ratios and
the needs of industries such as robotics, packaging, configurations
automation, and manufacturing—where seamless • Reduces inertia, complementing
and accurate motion control is a must. With servo motor integration
GearSync, you gain a trusted solution that ensures
consistent, high-quality results every time.

by 630-980-1133
Motion Control and Power Transmission Drive Components www.diequa.com
Navigating
Navigating the
the Challenges
Challenges
of
of Motor
Motor Commutation
Commutation
I
n the world of motion control, engineers often face the Motor commutation involves the process of switching between
challenge of integrating different brands of drives and mo- motor phases to ensure smooth, continuous operation. While the
tors into a cohesive system. At first glance, mixing and term might sound abstract, its impact on performance is very real.
matching equipment might not seem like a problem, espe- In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of commutation,
cially if the sizes of the components line up. However, one explain how it works, and discuss the challenges faced when trying
critical factor can make or break the success of this integra- to pair different motors and drives, especially across brands.
tion: motor commutation. Understanding this concept is key
to ensuring that drives and motors work together efficiently, What is Motor Commutation?
but many engineers and operators may struggle to fully grasp To understand motor commutation, it’s essential to recognize
its significance. that the goal is to maintain a 90-degree angle between the ro-

Andrii/AdobeStock

6 Motion Design, April 2025

tor’s magnetic field and the motor’s sta-
tor field. This alignment is crucial be-
cause it ensures that the motor generates
torque as efficiently as it can. Greater de-
viation between these two fields directs
more energy off the desired path, reduc-
ing torque and overall efficiency.
One way to explain commutation to
someone unfamiliar with engineering is

N S
by comparing it to riding a bicycle.
When you first hop on a bike, the pedals
may not be at an optimal angle. You in-
stinctively adjust the force applied to the
pedals, deciding which foot to push,
how hard to push, or whether to pull up
with one foot while pushing down with Brush Brush
the other. If the pedals don’t move as
expected, it might be because they’re at
the wrong angle, or you’re not applying Brushed motor commutation for a single pole of a motor. (Image: Valin Corporation)
enough force. This is similar to the com-
mutation process in motors, where the way that the rotor continues rotating Brushless Motor Commutation
motor’s electrical phases must be care- smoothly. In a brushed DC motor, com- In a brushless DC motor, commuta-
fully synchronized to maintain consis- mutation occurs when brushes switch be- tion is achieved electronically using a
tent movement and efficiency. tween contacts, reversing the direction of sensor or controller to determine the
In more technical terms, motor com- current as the rotor turns. This process is rotor’s position. Without brushes to
mutation involves switching the current relatively straightforward, but it becomes physically change the current flow,
through the motor’s windings in such a more complex in brushless motors. brushless motors rely on sensors to

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Motion Design, April 2025 7

 tions. Either way, these methods need
to be aligned to the rotor so that
their absolute positions or Hall Effect

Phase A
simulations correctly report the mag-
netic field location to the controls.
Yet another method that is more
sophisticated and not as widely used
has a number of different names in-

Phase B
cluding Wake ‘n’ Wiggle and sensor-
less commutation. These methods
rely on making small movements of
the motor on start-up and sensing to
figure out where it is before making
any motion. This is like moving the
bike pedals to a known location be-
fore getting on the bike.

Quadrature Signal The Importance of Proper

Commutation
Understanding commutation is es-
The A and B channels of an incremental encoder. (Image: Valin Corporation) sential for achieving peak motor perfor-
mance. If commutation is misaligned
or neglected, inefficiencies arise, which
can manifest as wasted energy, excessive
heat, or poor motor performance. For
engineers working with motion-con-
trolled applications, optimizing com-
mutation is crucial to maximizing
torque output and reducing waste.
In some applications, where high
efficiency is less critical, simple elec-
tronics may be used to allow for more
relaxed commutation tolerances.
These systems may not focus on min-
imizing torque loss and can operate
with greater flexibility, especially
when precision isn’t as important.
However, for systems where efficiency
is paramount, proper commutation
becomes an unavoidable priority.

Problems in the Field

One electrical cycle, which is typically one motor revolution, of a resolver. (Image: Valin Corportation) What can really make commutation
problems frustrating is that they can be
adjust the current, ensuring that the change as the rotor turns. Corresponding difficult to identify as commutation
rotor remains aligned with the stator’s readouts indicate an absolute position problems. Many systemic problems mean
magnetic field. within a full revolution of the motor. the system either works or it doesn’t with
One common method of motor com- Encoders are digital feedback devices with very little in-between “it sort of works”
mutation is through a Hall Effect sensor. a wide variety of protocols. Absolute en- scenarios. Commutation problems come
This sensor detects the presence of a coders retain position data without power with several “it sort of works” scenarios
magnetic field and converts it into a volt- within at least one full motor revolution. that a less-experienced person won’t un-
age signal, which can be used to deter- Incremental encoders report relative posi- derstand as being related to commutation.
mine the rotor’s position. The sensor tion instead of absolute position and do A servo motor that gets too hot is typ-
feedback allows the drive to adjust the not retain position data after power loss. ically correctly diagnosed as being un-
current and phase switching accordingly, None of these methods detect the der-sized. However, if the commutation
keeping the motor running smoothly. magnetic field like the Hall Effect sen- angle is incorrect, but still within 90 de-
Another method is using either a re- sors do. Incremental encoders usually grees, then the motor will still run, but
solver or an encoder directly attached to include simulated Hall Effect signals so inefficiently that it has to work harder
the shaft. Resolvers are analog feedback while the other methods don’t need with the result being that it seems un-
devices using sine and cosine waves that them because they report absolute posi- der-sized and gets too hot.
8 Motion Design, April 2025
 Another frustrating scenario is when the maintaining proper commutation set- This article was written by Corey
motor sometimes works on start-up but tings will remain a critical step in achiev- Foster, Director of Automation
doesn’t at other times. This leads people ing optimal system performance. Sales and Application Engineering,
down all sorts of wrong troubleshooting By balancing efficiency with eco- and Bruce Ng, Applications
paths such as cables, temperatures, posi- nomic considerations, engineers can Engineer – Automation Products, both
tions, sensors, etc. This can happen though navigate the challenges of commutation at Valin Corporation (San Jose,
when using Hall Effects or simulated Hall and create systems that meet the perfor- CA). For more information, visit
Effect signals with incremental encoders. mance demands of various applications. www.valin.com.
04012025_Tech_Briefs_Motion_EtherCAT_Ad_with_Automate(4.5x7.25).pdf 1 2/18/2025 1:53:56 PM
Other technologies have become more
common, but these are still used and there
is a large existing installed base.
When using three Hall signals,
there are six different states that the
drive may see on start-up. If Halls 1, 2,
Drive Forward with EtherCAT from Delta Motion
and 3 are wired in the wrong order,
the drive may see two correct states
and four incorrect ones. When the
drive starts up with a correct state, it
works. However, two-thirds of the time
it starts up with a wrong state and
doesn’t work. To further complicate
matters, when it doesn’t work, this can
be an instant fault, an uncontrolled
jump, or simply inefficient motion
that results in a hot motor. Getting
different results each time can be very
frustrating and time-consuming.

The Challenges of Mixing and

Matching Motors and Drives
C
The main challenge of mixing and
matching drives and motors from dif- M
SENSORS HYDRAULIC VALVES MOTOR DRIVES
ferent brands lies in ensuring that the Y
commutation is correctly set up. Each
motor and drive combination requires CM One axis or fifty.
specific configurations, including de- MY Servo hydraulic or servo eelectric.
lectric.
tails like commutation angles and the Position, velocity, or forcee control.
relationship between the rotor’s posi- CY

tion and the stator’s windings. Without CMY

Direct connection or throu
through
ugh EtherCAT.
this precise information, even the best
motor may fail to operate optimally.
K
Delta RMC Motion Controllers and
For engineers who are experienced with graphical RMCTools softw
software
ware make
one particular brand or type of motor, this smoother,
complex motion easier, sm
moother,
task may be straightforward. However,
when working with different manufactur-
and more precise.
ers or unfamiliar equipment, achieving
proper commutation can be a tricky and
Drive over to deltamotion
deltamotion.com
n.com or call
time-consuming process. 1-360-254-8688.
In conclusion, understanding and im- Come see us at
plementing proper motor commutation May 12-15, 2025 Detroit, Michigan
is essential for ensuring that drives and Booth 5907
motors function together efficiently in
all motion-controlled applications. Get your next project moving
Whether using resolvers, Hall Effect sen- forward more quickly than you
sors, or alternative methods like “Wake
n Wiggle,” the goal is to achieve the
thought possible!
most efficient torque output possible
while minimizing wasted energy. As en-
gineers continue to integrate compo-
nents from different manufacturers,
Motion Design, April 2025 9
How Automakers Boost Quality
via Servo-Electric Test Systems
S
ince the early 1980s, the automotive industry has used hy- tems, servo-electric actuators let manufacturers more precisely
draulically actuated (servo-hydraulic) test systems to simu- and accurately conduct a wide range of test applications in-
late operating speeds and road conditions for testing OEM cluding durability, accelerated life, NVH, and BSR,” he said.
components and fully assembled vehicles. They have helped “In fact, our SEA test systems use less than 20 percent of the
unlock vast improvements in the quality, safety, and reliability of energy that servo-hydraulic systems do, thereby reducing their
the cars and trucks coming off the world’s assembly lines. energy costs and carbon footprint by 80 percent. Plus, they’re
Thanks to these 4-poster road simulators, vehicle manufactur- extremely clean and can’t leak hydraulic fluid into the environ-
ers and their suppliers nearly eliminated the “buzz, squeak, and ment,” he added.
rattle” (BSR) issues that once could plague new cars and trucks, In addition, the company’s broad portfolio of test equip-
annoy their owners, and cause huge headaches and costs for ment includes SEA-enabled multi-axial simulation table (sea-
dealers and manufacturers alike. Other vehicles –– motorcycles, MAST) systems, that can apply force and motion in as many as
ATVs, and golf carts among them –– are now tested similarly. six degrees-of-freedom. “These systems simulate complex dy-
Durability testing, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) char- namic motions by replicating the stresses, strains, and vibra-
acteristics, and accelerated life testing can all be assessed. tions products may experience in real-world environments
Today, electrically actuated (servo-electric) test systems have over their lifetimes,” said Johnson.
emerged as a preferred alternative to servo-hydraulics that have
traditionally been used. Michigan-based eMpulse Test Systems is Challenge: Maximizing the Accuracy,
a supplier of these advanced testing systems. The company uses Responsiveness, and Reliability of Testing Systems
servo-electric actuator (SEA) technology in its 4-poster road According to Chief Technology Officer Doug Boals, the de-
simulators and has more than 200 worldwide installations with velopment of the eMpulse Test Systems SEA-based road simu-
all the top vehicle manufacturers. The rapid growth in electric lators and seaMAST systems required motion control and auto-
vehicle (EV) production favors these systems over legacy ser- mation technologies of the highest quality in terms of perfor-
vo-hydraulic ones, as do environmental concerns. mance, accuracy, and reliability.
According to President and CEO Matthew Johnson, SEA- “Linear motors are the primary components in our systems’
based technology offers increased precision, higher perfor- actuators,” he said. “So, we needed ones with well-integrated
mance, and more energy-efficient and environmentally companion drives to have high continuous force ratings that
friendly simulation testing. “Compared to servo-hydraulic sys- could ensure our customers can execute the broadest range of

The seaMast shaker table from eMpulse Test Systems uses

six to eight servo-electric actuators to simulate diverse
vibration conditions. This testing equipment is designed to
test specific components such as seats, instrument panels,
sub-systems, and more. (Image: eMpulse Test Systems)

10 Motion Design, April 2025

test applications possible. Our custom-
ers also needed our systems to be rated
for continuous duty cycles for their R&D
and durability testing procedures.”
For example, Boals said that the ex-
tremely precise control of the motion in
the company’s SEA-based test systems is
especially important to automotive man-
ufacturers because they increasingly
want to replicate diverse sets of road
conditions, including surfaces, topolo-
gies, and weather conditions.
“Many go out and laser-map various
roadways with the goal of reproducing
the different types of roads, whether
they’re asphalt, jointed concrete, rumble
concrete, Belgian blocks or other pave-
ment types, and even potholes,” he said.
“Servo-hydraulic systems can’t reproduce
The 4-poster road simulator from eMpulse Test Systems uses servo-electric actuators shown here to simulate
higher frequency events because the oil road and driving conditions to uncover “buzz, squeak, and rattle” issues as well as to assess the noise, vibra-
in their lines acts as a cushion. Our ser- tion, and harshness characteristics of vehicles. (Image: eMpulse Test Systems)
vo-electric actuators use motors and
drives that deliver a frequency response “Of course, unplanned downtime is so we wanted to give our customers
much better than those systems.” always disruptive to testing through- test systems with rock-solid reliability
Boals added that reliability and easy put and can affect production, too,” and less maintenance to ensure they
maintenance were other design and he said. “Every minute of downtime, get the most asset utilization, uptime,
engineering goals for its test systems. unplanned or planned, costs money, and availability possible.”

Motion Design, April 2025 11

Solution: Standardize on ties were better than our alternatives, grated various servomotors to the
Siemens Motion Control and plus their strong global presence SINAMICS S120 modular servo-drives
Automation Components within the automotive industry and from Siemens. The drives offer vector and
For their motion control and automa- reputation for quality made it an easy servo functionalities, including multi-axis
tion technologies, Johnson, Boals, and the decision. Importantly, with the capabilities, that support both the road
company’s engineering team wanted more Siemens distributor network spanning simulator and seaMAST test systems.
than a supplier. They sought a strategic the world, our customers can count on The electrical actuator assemblies in
global partner with industry experience, local support. If downtime occurs, these systems include absolute (not in-
proven, highly integrated components, they can be up and running much cremental) high-resolution optical en-
and worldwide support and service. They faster than it would take us to fly one coders. These provide an internal reso-
chose Siemens and contacted Electro- of our representatives to them with lution to the motor controls of 1nm,
Matic, their local Siemens distributor. spare parts.” with a <10 nm resolution available for
Johnson recalls their decision pro- data analysis. eMpulse uses their own
cess: “We considered many other sup- Flexibility for customized test solutions proprietary servo-controller with cus-
pliers, but Siemens product capabili- For motion control, eMpulse has inte- tomized GUI for various testing applica-
tions. Their controller digitally commu-
nicates to the Siemens drive system
using PROFINET, a high-speed isochro-
nous real-time Ethernet communica-
tions protocol.
All internal drive parameters and sig-
nals are thereby available to the control
for monitoring, control, and diagnos-
tics, without inducing electrical noise
that is inherent in typical analog-to-digi-
tal and digital-to-analog interfaces used
in competitor’s products.
“Siemens supported our starter project
programming to get our early systems on-
line faster until we were able to gain our
internal expertise in starter programming
and the Totally Integrated Automation
(TIA) Portal,” Boals said.
“Today, the TIA Portal saves us lots of
time and effort in programming the differ-
By standardizing on Siemens motion control and automation components, eMpulse Test Systems can now as-
sure customers that their road simulators, seaMAST, and other test equipment will provide the best perfor- ent Siemens components and integrating
mance, efficiency, and reliability possible. (Image: eMpulse Test Systems) our proprietary code into their opera-
tion,” he said.

Built-in safety to protect personnel and

equipment
SIMATIC controllers are failsafe models
with integrated motion control, command
processing cycles as fast as 0.125 ms, and
safety integrated. The latter can safely stop
drives and safely monitor motion in accord
with SIL 2 (EN 61508) and Performance
Level d (EN ISO 13849-1) standards.
“Safety is a vital functionality in our
test systems,” Boals said. “We use the
Siemens DRIVE-CLiQ interface and
PROFINET connectivity to continually
monitor our motion encoder signal in
real-time to assess the integrity of its po-
sition feedback.
“At any time, there’s an encoder mis-
read error, our systems can stop motion
within a millimeter of a fault condition.
Compared to legacy servo-hydraulic testing systems, the company’s SEA-based systems deliver more intelli-
gent testing with a much greater frequency range, especially at the high frequencies needed to detect more That’s much, much safer than a ser-
nuanced simulations of road conditions. (Image: eMpulse Test Systems) vo-hydraulic system,” added Boals.
12 Motion Design, April 2025
Results: More Reliable, Advanced motive parts or OEM sub-systems by better than what servo-hydraulic sys-
Test systems with Smarter running cyclic tests continuously for tems can provide,” Boals said. “This
Performance days or weeks to determine their failure makes a huge difference for our cus-
By standardizing on Siemens motion modes,” Boals explained. tomers in their testing because they can
control and automation components, draw much greater fidelity from the
eMpulse Test Systems can now assure Up to 4x more responsiveness and control data and replicate higher frequency
customers that their road simulators, Compared to legacy servo-hydraulic events on our systems’ four posters with
seaMAST, and other test equipment will testing systems, the company’s SEA- better accuracy and precision.”
provide the best performance, effi- based systems deliver more intelligent Johnson and Boals consider the
ciency, and reliability possible –– all in testing with a much greater frequency Siemens motion control and automation
support of more sustainable and envi- range, especially at the high frequencies components as key factors in simplifying
ronmentally friendly operation than leg- needed to detect more nuanced simula- the operations of their test systems.
acy servo-hydraulic test systems. tions of road conditions. “Siemens components, in particular,
“For example, with Siemens motors “We use our own proprietary, high- have greatly reduced the possible failure
being liquid-cooled, our test systems speed digital communication hardware modes when compared to other technol-
can more effectively remove heat that module that connects directly with the ogies,” said Boals. “This means our cus-
would otherwise limit the continuous Siemens components via PROFINET,” tomers can expect more system uptime
force ratings of other motors,” Boals Boals said. “This eliminates the noise and availability, which can improve their
said. “In addition, liquid cooling pro- and inaccuracies inherent in analog OEE and asset utilization metrics. For
vides much faster recovery from peak control schemes.” shareholders, improvements in these
loads, which translates to higher duty The improved performance and fre- metrics ultimately translate into greater
cycle usage and more uptime.” quency response of the eMpulse test returns on capital equity.”
In turn, these performance enhance- systems has enabled its many customers
ments have expanded the testing capa- to identify quality issues that were previ- This article was contributed by
bilities of the company’s systems. “So, ously undetected using older technolo- Siemens (Washington, D.C.). For more
our customers can conduct durability gies. “In fact, the frequency response of information, visit www.siemens.com/
and accelerated lifecycle testing on auto- our linear motors is three to four times us/en/entry.html.

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Motion 1
Design, April 2025 3/5/2024 10:13:51 AM13
Elevating Welding Operations with Collaborative
Automation
M esekon Oy, a Finnish welding man-
ufacturer, that produces complex
welded steel structures for the marine,
Lahti, Finland. The GoFa cobot, designed
for safe and efficient collaboration with
humans, delivered unmatched precision
“GoFa isn’t just a tool; it’s part of our
team. It combines precision and reliabil-
ity, allowing us to meet our customers’
energy, and paper industries needed a in welding applications while maintain- stringent standards while exploring new
flexible and collaborative solution to ing flexibility for complex geometries. possibilities in welding,” said Tero
improve efficiency, reduce defects, and The cobot was configured for 3D Nättiaho, Sales Director at Mesekon Oy.
enhance workplace ergonomics by auto- welding tasks, such as 90-degree saddle The cobot’s intuitive interface, paired
mating repetitive and physically de- joints in shield piping, enabling Mesekon with Kemppi’s AX Mig Welder presets,
manding welding operations. to transition from 2D to 3D control tech- has also simplified setup and program-
The company found that traditional nology. GoFa’s advanced motion control ming, making it easy for operators to
industrial robots lacked the flexibility and intuitive programming simplified adapt to new tasks. This user-friendly
and collaborative capabilities needed operations, even for intricate and ad- design of the robot has ensured a seam-
to integrate seamlessly into Mesekon’s vanced welding requirements. less integration into production pro-
workflow. Recognizing the need for a GoFa’s integrated torque sensors in cesses, enhancing workplace safety and
more advanced solution, it set out to each joint provide superior power and ergonomics while also enabling opera-
adopt cutting-edge automation tech- force limiting performance, significantly tors to work at a safer distance from
nology to boost efficiency, ensure con- transforming welding operations. By de- hazardous welding areas.
sistent quality, and improve employee livering smooth, accurate, and repeat- The collaboration between ABB and
ergonomics. Mesekon consulted with able welds, GoFa surpasses the precision the equipment manufacturer Kemppi
Kemppi, an integrator and designer of and consistency achievable through has resulted in the successful deploy-
arc welding solutions based in Lahti, manual welding. As precision is particu- ment of GoFa cobot at Mesekon’s facil-
Finland. larly critical for handling complex ge- ity. This partnership showcased the
To address the challenges, Mesekon ometries, GoFa’s capability to weld con- seamless combination of cutting-edge
implemented ABB’s GoFa collaborative tinuously at 430 amperes without requir- technology and domain expertise to
robot, paired with Kemppi’s AX Mig ing cooling interruptions has supported meet Mesekon’s demanding require-
Welder power supply and GXe-C cobot Mesekon’s 24/7 operations, significantly ments. Artturi Salmela, Product
torch. Kemppi is an integrator and de- boosting efficiency and resulting in a 40 Manager for Automation at Kemppi,
signer of arc welding solutions, based in percent increase in productivity. believes that the strength of this collab-

The GoFa cobot, designed for safe and efficient collaboration with humans, delivered unmatched precision in welding applications while maintaining flexibility for
complex geometries. (Image: ABB)

14 Motion Design, April 2025

oration has driven advancements in
welding automation, ranging from
smaller cobot cells to complex indus-
trial automation systems.
“ABB is a highly valued partner for
Kemppi, thanks to their strong expertise
and solid position in automation. It’s
crucial for us to collaborate with a part-
ner who can ensure that production at
the end customer’s facility is operational
quickly,’’ said Salmela.
Mesekon’s team collaborated closely
with ABB to integrate the GoFa cobot
into their production line. The produc-
tion operator, Roni Rautala, participated
in testing and deployment, ensuring the
cobot was fully optimized for their spe-
cific needs.
“Positioning GoFa is intuitive, fast, The cobot was configured for 3D welding tasks, such as 90-degree saddle joints in shield piping, enabling
and precise. Its performance exceeds Mesekon to transition from 2D to 3D control technology. (Image: ABB)
what human hands can achieve, partic-
ularly with complex geometries,” said The successful deployment of ABB’s also demonstrates a replicable model for
Rautala. GoFa cobot at Mesekon has set a bench- other industries seeking to enhance
The partnership has allowed Mesekon mark for integrating advanced automa- their operations through automation.
to remain on the cutting edge of welding tion into challenging environments. This article was contributed by ABB
innovation, fostering continuous improve- This achievement not only highlights (Zurich, Switzerland). For more informa-
ment in both technology and processes. the cobot’s technical capabilities but tion, visit https://global.abb/group/en.

Motion Design, April 2025 15

Cobot Cuts Cost and Risk While Boosting On-Time
Delivery
L os Angeles-based plastics contract
manufacturer Kal Plastics deployed
UR10e trimming cobot for a fraction of
“You end up having to have a skillset
under your roof that’s very expensive.
That’s a risk for a small business,” she
“I did my homework and found that
Universal Robots was the global leader
in the collaborative robot space,” Goff
the cost and lead time of a CNC ma- said. After talking to colleagues, she said. “They came out and gave us a
chine, cut trimming time nearly in half, heard behind the scenes that many of demonstration, and when I looked at
and reduced late shipments to under those who had tried industrial robots the numbers, they were really attractive.
one percent — all while improving em- found that they didn’t work well for their I was looking at getting another five-axis
ployee safety and growth opportunities. applications and that they wouldn’t buy CNC router, and at the time it would
As the first known plastics thermoformer them again. have been a quarter-of-a-million-dollar
to use a collaborative robot for trimming, Goff is also a director and member of investment and I would have waited 12
Juliet Oehler Goff, President and CEO of the R&D committee for the national in- months to take delivery. When I met
Kal Plastics, knew she was blazing a trail for dustry association, the Society of Plastics with UR, I was quoted two weeks to get
others. “It was arguably kind of crazy be- Engineers (SPE) Thermoforming the equipment, and the entry point was
cause no one had ever done it before, so I Division. In that role, she had been in- a quarter or a fifth of the cost.”
took a huge risk,” she said. volved in numerous discussions about Dan Sproles, a consultant and another
Thermoforming uses sheet plastic that the state of robotics, particularly collabo- director for SPE Thermoforming help
is heated to become soft so it can be vac- rative robotics, and their application in improve overall operations at KAL Plastics.
uum-formed in or around a mold. Excess the industry. When Kal Plastics needed From his initial skepticism, Sproles has
plastic is then cut off to create final prod- to replace a CNC machine that was near- also become a champion of UR cobots.
ucts whose dimensions range from a few ing the end of its useful life, Goff was According to Sproles, “If you’re a
inches to the size of a room. Over the presented with an ideal opportunity. She thermoformer that’s been in business
years, five-axis CNC routers replaced set out to research the use of cobots for for 50 years or five months, if I look at
hand-trimming for most thermoformers. her own business and agreed to share the cobot, it’s a perfect fit — because I
More recently, Goff had watched her her findings at the organization’s na- can’t afford a new CNC, but I can afford
peers explore the use of large industrial tional conference. this. And I can afford someone that’s
robots to finish-trim molded plastic parts, Goff looked for low-hanging fruit for going to basically take a tablet and pro-
but she wasn’t convinced. the initial cobot deployment: parts that gram it. So your bang for your buck —
For a business like hers, the initial presented safety or productivity issues it’s the robot.”
price point of industrial robots and their with hand-trimming, and that could be Prior to installing the collaborative
required safety caging was too high, not produced on less-expensive equipment robot, the forming and rough trimming
to mention the programming costs. to boost competitiveness. took place in the thermoforming cell,

Kal Plastics successfully balanced two commercial

routers on the cobot arm, using a saw blade and a
standard router. The ability to use inexpensive, off-
Kal Plastics CEO Juliet Oehler Goff watches as robot operator José Luis programs the UR10e cobot to trim the-shelf routers, which can be purchased at any
thermoformed plastic parts. With no robotics background and minimal training, Luis moves the cobot arm and hardware store, is a strong advantage of the UR
teaches it the updated program using the cobot’s teach pendant. (Image: Kal Plastics) cobot. (Image: Kal Plastics)

16 Motion Design, April 2025

and then the parts had to be transferred
to the CNC router in another part of the
plant. Moving parts was disruptive and
added production time.
The initial task identified for the
cobot is a complex trim of a four-cavity
mold, in which one sheet of plastic is
formed into four parts. The ability to
install the cobot into the same work cell
alongside the thermoformer inspired
Sproles to describe it as a “cell manufac-
turing dream.” Formed parts come off
the thermoformer and are immediately
rough-cut to separate them. They are
then delivered directly to the cobot,
which can trim two pieces in each setup.
The cobot takes nearly half the time of
hand-trimming and provides greater ac-
CEO Juliet Oehler Goff and consultant Dan Sproles inspect finished parts as the cobot finishes trimming. The
curacy and consistency. cobot offers high accuracy and consistency and has helped reduce late shipments to under one percent.
The deployment has two routers (Image: Kal Plastics)
mounted on the robot arm — one with
a standard router bit and one with a
larger saw blade. The advantage is that
the routers are the same commercial
tools used for hand trimming. They are
inexpensive and available off-the-shelf
at any hardware store. Balancing the
two heavy routers as they rotated
around the part presented early chal-
lenges that were solved by mounting
the robot arm overhead on a gantry to
reduce pressure on the robot joints and
improve accuracy.
The efficiency of the new work cell has
already paid off. “The robot has basically
taken over all of the overflow that we
had to do by hand,” Sproles said. “In the
past, we always had to juggle back and
forth on the CNCs just to make delivery The extended reach of the UR10e cobot, which is top mounted on a gantry, means it can trim two parts per
dates. We introduced the cobot: now setup, cutting trimming time nearly in half compared to previous manual trimming. (Image: Kal Plastics)
there’s no more overtime and we can
ship on-time. I would say late shipments lars training that person, not knowing going to replace their jobs. She told
have dropped to less than one percent.” if they’re going to be here tomorrow.” them, “Listen, you don’t get it, guys. I
Now that the cobot has been proven, With the UR cobot, José Luis, a val- want you to be safe. I want you to work
Goff is looking forward to implementing ued Kal Plastics operator, was able to smart. I don’t want you to just rely on
larger cobots in other workstations, and learn the basics of programming using your hands; I want you to rely on your
for processes beyond trimming. Unlike a the free online UR Academy classes, knowledge and skills. If we can get our
CNC, which requires a large, dedicated which he could access in his native work environment to a point where
space, permanent installation, and a Spanish. He then attended two sessions you’re more of a QC operator than a
three-phase, 480V power source, the gan- of affordable, hands-on training. That machine operator, that’s a win for
try and UR10e cobot along with the fix- was all it took for him to be able to cre- everybody.”
ture table can be moved anywhere in the ate new programs, change tools, and After working with the cobot, her
plant as needed, as long as there is a make adjustments as needed. workers’ attitudes have completely
standard 110V power outlet. Easy pro- Goff is thrilled to have a way to re- changed. “Once everyone settled down
gramming reduces costs and risks and tain and advance her valued employ- and they saw how this thing worked, it
offers new worker opportunities. ees. “It gets your workforce excited was like, ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’”
The cobot’s ease of programming because it’s different, it’s cool, it’s Goff said.
was a big deal, said Sproles. “If I unique,” she said. This article was contributed by Universal
bought a regular CNC, regular robot, When Goff began her research, her Robots (Ann Arbor, MI). For more infor-
I’m going to spend thousands of dol- workforce was afraid that robots were mation, visit www.universal-robots.com.
Motion Design, April 2025 17
Gear Motors Help Put the Squeeze on Materials
Requiring Dewatering
T he applications are too numerous to list
in their entirety. Coffee grounds.
Eggshell waste. Pomegranates and pineap-
ples. Manure and paper mill sludge.
Tobacco. These are just a few of the mate-
rials that require dewatering, a process
that — as its name suggests — separates
fluids from solids, often converting what
would otherwise go down the drain or end
up in a landfill into saleable products.
Bob Johnston, Engineering Manager
for Vincent Corporation, will tell you de-
watering is nothing new, even though he
is quick to add that new requests come
along every day. “I just returned from a
business trip where I took fourteen air-
plane flights in two weeks. This year I
have visited a company in Malaysia that’s
begun dewatering waste fiberglass, an- Bob Johnston, Engineering Manager for Vincent Corporation, next to a dewatering unit equipped with a
other in the Caribbean pulling the liq- gearbox from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS. (Image: Vincent Corporation)
uids out of sargassum seaweed, seven
factories in Vietnam processing coffee
grounds, one in India making pharma-
ceuticals… it’s a long list,” he said.
This last application required upward
of two hundred dewatering units,
Johnston added, each equipped with a
gearbox from Waunakee, Wisconsin-
based NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, whose
team he has worked with quite closely
over the past 17 years.
His efforts in this area began three
decades before that, however, when
Vincent began making an entirely differ-
ent product. He was going around to the
juice canneries in those days, collecting
the piles of orange peel, putting them in
a dryer, and using the dried peel to
Each dewatering press contains a graduated pitch screw ranging from 4” to 30” in diameter. This is driven
make cattle feed, said Johnston. by an electric gear motor (supplied by NORD) that turns the screw inside a cylinder with a perforated screen
Vincent had a problem, though: be- on the inside. (Image: Vincent Corporation)
fore drying the peel, it began to attract
flies. That’s when he noticed the canner- dewatering process even further, but they ments and rent dewatering systems to
ies were sprinkling hydrated lime (cal- all center around the screw press,” he said. those with temporary needs. “We have a
cium hydroxide) on the piles of orange Today, Vincent Corp. employs 60 people fleet of over 200 rental machines that
peels and that water would soon begin at its 30,000-square-foot facility, where it come and go,” said Johnston. “Eventually
running from the bottom as a result. He manufactures four standard product lines someone will buy one of them at a dis-
quickly moved to patent the chemical re- — the original VP Series screw press first count and we will build another to re-
action, then took his idea one step fur- introduced in 1952, as well as the newer CP place it. We also offer free testing so that
ther by squeezing the peels in what would Series, KP Series, and the twin-screw TSP people can ensure a dewatering system
soon be known throughout the industry Series. There are also shredding units avail- will deliver the desired results before
as a dewatering screw press. able that sit over the press inlet and help to purchasing one of our units.”
“The reaction breaks down the cell break up materials, together with various Whether purchased or rented, each
walls, allowing the press to squeeze out a types of screens and filters, lime dosers, dewatering press contains a graduated
lot more liquid. Since then, we have devel- and a host of other accessories. pitch screw ranging from 4” to 30” in di-
oped numerous improvements, including The company will also design special ameter. This is driven by an electric gear
using steam or enzymes to enhance the units to meet unique customer require- motor (supplied by NORD) that turns the
18 Motion Design, April 2025
screw inside a cylinder with a perforated
screen on the inside. Raw material enters
one end of the device and is gradually
compressed as it travels down the screw,
expelling “press liquor” while it goes. An
adjustable discharge cone assembly deter-
mines how much resistance is applied. At
the far end, a now dry “press cake” is dis-
charged, completing the process.
Though the materials can be soft and
squishy, significant forces are involved.
Johnston said that he and his design
group went through numerous gear drive
suppliers before finding NORD. “Some
of our early units used a shrink disc to
attach the screw. Those didn’t work. We
actually had to saw the screws in half to NORD units are quite compact, which helps in not-uncommon situations where there are space constraints.
get the press apart. Then we switched to (Image: Vincent Corporation)
a taper grip design and had the same
darn problem, not to mention huge war- spec’ing out a different drive, or try differ- all over the world, often in places where
ranty expense later on. Since we switched ent settings to optimize the unit’s output, service is nonexistent, and in all the years
to NORD MAXXDRIVE parallel shaft or adjust it to solve a specific problem. I we have been using them, I can’t honestly
gearboxes and UNICASE parallel shaft have also found that the NORD units are think of a single failure with a NORD gear
gear units, all that has gone away.” quite compact, which helps in not-uncom- drive,” added Johnston.
Johnston pointed out that not every- mon situations where there are space This article was contributed by NORD
thing is as simple to dewater as orange constraints. Lastly, there’s durability. As I DRIVESYSTEMS (Waunakee, WI). For
peels and celery stalks. Consider the stated earlier, we sell dewatering systems more information, visit www.nord.com.
marijuana mentioned earlier. Here, the
“weed” must be soaked in alcohol for an
hour or so (to extract the CBD oil) and
then fed into the press. The manufac-
turer then evaporates the alcohol for
reuse, turns the remaining crude oil into
cannabis products, and sells the pressed
cake to pig farms.
A similar story revolves around blue-
berries, where the liquor is “really valu-
able,” and the waste skins become cattle
feed. “We always split the flow to deliver
both pressed liquor and pressed cake,”
said Johnston. “Sometimes only one of
these is valuable, other times it’s the
other, but sometimes it’s both. Either way,
we need flexibility in our drive units,”
Johnston recalls a visit from sales rep-
resentative Ricky Negrón shortly after he
had started with NORD years before.
When asked about a photo in the cata-
log showing a heavy-duty bearing op-
tion, Negrón had to admit he didn’t
know. Yet the still-green salesman came
back with an explanation quickly, and
Vincent Corp. has been specifying the
option ever since.
“That gear drive unit not only supports
the high axial thrust loads we encounter in
dewatering applications, it also lets us
crank up the motor speeds much higher
than any other unit we’ve tried. This lets us
increase capacity without the hassle of
Motion Design, April 2025 19
A Training Method for Multiagent Systems Promises
Safe Operation
New research could improve the safety of drone shows, warehouse robots, and self-driving cars.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

D rone show accidents highlight the

challenges of maintaining safety in
what engineers call “multiagent systems”
ground. In simulations, the researchers
showed that the same programs, trained
on a few drones, could be copied and
“In a drone show, each drone is given
a specific trajectory — a set of waypoints
and a set of times — and then they es-
— systems of multiple coordinated, collab- scaled up to thousands of drones, en- sentially close their eyes and follow the
orative, and computer-programmed abling a large system of agents to safely plan,” said Songyuan Zhang, the study’s
agents, such as robots, drones, and accomplish the same tasks. lead author. “Since they only know
self-driving cars. “This could be a standard for any appli- where they have to be and at what time,
Now, a team of MIT engineers has de- cation that requires a team of agents, such if there are unexpected things that hap-
veloped a training method for multiagent as warehouse robots, search-and-rescue pen, they don’t know how to adapt.”
systems that can guarantee their safe oper- drones, and self-driving cars,” said Chuchu The MIT team looked instead to de-
ation in crowded environments. The re- Fan, Associate Professor of Aeronautics velop a method to train a small num-
searchers found that once the method is and Astronautics at MIT. “This provides a ber of agents to maneuver safely, in a
used to train a small number of agents, the shield, or safety filter, saying each agent way that could efficiently scale to any
safety margins and controls learned by can continue with their mission, and we’ll number of agents in the system. And,
those agents can automatically scale to any tell you how to be safe.” rather than plan specific paths for in-
larger number of agents, in a way that en- When engineers design for safety in dividual agents, the method would en-
sures the safety of the system as a whole. any multiagent system, they typically able agents to continually map their
In real-world demonstrations, the have to consider the potential paths of safety margins, or boundaries beyond
team trained a small number of palm- every single agent with respect to every which they might be unsafe. An agent
sized drones to safely carry out differ- other agent in the system. This pair-wise could then take any number of paths
ent objectives, from simultaneously path-planning is a time-consuming and to accomplish its task, as long as it stays
switching positions midflight to landing computationally expensive process. And within its safety margins.
on designated moving vehicles on the even then, safety is not guaranteed. In their new study, the team presents
their method, GCBF+, which stands for
“Graph Control Barrier Function.” A
barrier function is a mathematical term
used in robotics that calculates a sort of
safety barrier, or a boundary beyond
which an agent has a high probability of
being unsafe. For any given agent, this
safety zone can change moment to mo-
ment, as the agent moves among other
agents that are themselves moving within
the system.
When designers calculate barrier
functions for any one agent in a multi-
agent system, they typically have to
take into account the potential paths
and interactions with every other
agent in the system. Instead, the MIT
team’s method calculates the safety
zones of just a handful of agents, in a
way that is accurate enough to repre-
sent the dynamics of many more
agents in the system.
“Then we can sort of copy-paste this
barrier function for every single
agent, and then suddenly we have a
graph of safety zones that works for
MIT engineers developed a training method for multiagent systems, such as large numbers of drones, that can any number of agents in the system,”
guarantee their safe operation in crowded environments. (Image: Courtesy of the researcher) said MIT graduate student Oswin So.
20 Motion Design, April 2025
 To calculate an agent’s barrier func- tions for how the agent and a handful of their safety zone based on any other
tion, the team’s method first takes into similar agents should move around. agents they can sense in their immedi-
account an agent’s “sensing radius,” or They then run simulations of multiple ate surroundings, and then move
how much of the surroundings an agent agents moving along certain trajectories, within that safety zone to accomplish
can observe, depending on its sensor and record whether and how they col- their task.
capabilities. Just as in the shopping mall lide or otherwise interact. The team envisions the method
analogy, the researchers assume that the “Once we have these trajectories, we could be applied to any multiagent
agent only cares about the agents that can compute some laws that we want to system to guarantee its safety, includ-
are within its sensing radius, in terms of minimize, like say, how many safety viola- ing collision avoidance systems in
keeping safe and avoiding collisions with tions we have in the current controller,” drone shows, warehouse robots, auton-
those agents. Zhang said. “Then we update the con- omous driving vehicles, and drone de-
Then, using computer models that troller to be safer.” livery systems.
capture an agent’s particular mechani- In this way, a controller can be pro- For more information, contact
cal capabilities and limits, the team sim- grammed into actual agents, which Abby Abazorius at [email protected];
ulates a “controller,” or a set of instruc- would enable them to continually map 617-253-2709.

3D-Printed Soft Robotic Joint Allows Greater

Bending Angles
A new design for a soft robotic joint that is more adaptable and robust.
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain

R esearchers at Universidad Carlos III

de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a
new soft joint model for robots with an
asymmetrical triangular structure and
an extremely thin central column. This
breakthrough, recently patented, allows
for versatility of movement, adaptability
and safety, and will have a major impact
in the field of robotics.
“The main feature of this new design
is that it allows greater bending angles to
be achieved with less force, providing
the robots with great versatility and
adaptability of movement,” said Concha
Monje, Professor in the UC3M
Department of Systems Engineering and
Automation and Principal Researcher
on the SOFIA project. “In addition, by
introducing asymmetry in the design,
the joint is structurally blocked when
bending limits imposed by the design it-
self are reached, which prevents the
joint material from breaking or exceed-
ing its elastic limit and provides greater
operational protection for the robots,”
she added.
The flexible material from which
the joint is made facilitates the absorp-
tion of any impacts that the robots may
cause during the performance of their
tasks, resulting in increased safety in
their interactions with humans. This
flexibility also allows for operations to The robotic joint can be manufactured using standard 3D printers. (Image: UC3M)

Motion Design, April 2025 21

be carried out in confined environ- curvature, which significantly simpli- Currently, the UC3M RoboticsLab
ments or in handling situations that fies its mathematical model. This facil- team is developing a robotic claw whose
require greater adaptability to the itates the design of control systems fingers feature the patented joint de-
work environment. “And that’s not all: that allow robust operation at a very sign. This allows it to grip objects with a
this type of joint can function as an low computational cost. high degree of dexterity, facilitated by
independent actuation module or con- Monje also highlighted the fact that the different contact surfaces with
nected with other joint modules to the joint can be manufactured using which the robotic arm can engage in
form a highly functional robotic han- standard 3D printers, with elastic materi- order to attain said grip.
dling chain,” said Monje. als that do not require a large invest- For more information, contact
Another characteristic of the soft ment, allowing for rapid and very eco- Fco. Javier Alonso at [email protected];
joint is that it bends with a constant nomical manufacturing. +34 916-249-035.

Boosting Robotic Grasping Performance with Six

Degrees of Freedom Dataset
A new 6D pose dataset boosts robotic grasping accuracy to 98 percent, setting an industry benchmark.
Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

A ccurate object pose estimation refers

to the ability of a robot to determine
both the position and orientation of an
degrees of freedom (6D pose) of objects,
position, and orientation, becomes criti-
cal. This ability ensures that robots can
A new study, published in the journal
Results in Engineering, led by Associate
Professor Phan Xuan Tan, College of
object. It is essential for robotics, espe- interact with objects in a reliable and safe Engineering, Shibaura Institute of
cially in pick-and-place tasks, which are manner. However, despite advancements Technology, Japan, along with his team
crucial in industries such as manufactur- in deep learning, the performance of 6D of researchers, Dr. Van-Truong Nguyen,
ing and logistics. As robots are increas- pose estimation algorithms largely de- Mr. Cong-Duy Do, and Dr. Thanh-Lam
ingly tasked with complex operations, pends on the quality of the data they are Bui from the Hanoi University of
their ability to precisely determine the six trained on. Industry, Vietnam, Associate Professor

Camera 3D Pick-and-Place Robot

Collection Data

Intel® RealSense™
Depth Camera D435

Calibration Camera

Original Data Center Point

Weight Pose Matrix

Preprocessing Object
Detection

CAD Labeling 2D Labeling 3D

Training
Dataset

Validate
Data
Extraction
Data Synthesis Efficient Pose FFB6D

Format
Dataset

Researchers from SIT, Japan, developed a novel dataset to enhance robotic precision in 6D pose estimation, improving pick-and-place tasks in industrial settings.
(Image: Phan Xuan Tan, SIT)

22 Motion Design, April 2025

Thai-Viet Dang from Hanoi University scenarios.” Further, he said, “While the demonstrate that a well-designed data-
of Science and Technology, Vietnam, Intel RealSense Depth D435 camera of- set significantly improves the perfor-
introduced a meticulously designed fers excellent depth and RGB data, the mance of 6D pose estimation algo-
dataset aimed at enhancing the perfor- reliance of the dataset on it may limit its rithms, allowing robots to perform
mance of 6D pose estimation algorithms. accessibility for researchers who do not more complex tasks with higher preci-
This dataset addresses a major gap in have access to the same equipment.” sion and efficiency.
robotic grasping and automation re- Despite these challenges, the re- For more information, contact Kohei
search by providing a comprehensive searchers are optimistic about the im- Tsuchiya at [email protected];
resource that allows robots to perform pact of the dataset. The results clearly +81 358-597-070.
tasks with higher precision and adapt-
ability in real-world environments.
“Our goal was to create a dataset that
not only advances research but also ad-
dresses practical challenges in industrial
robotic automation. We hope it serves as
a valuable resource for researchers and
engineers alike,” said Tan.
The research team created a dataset
that not only met the demands of the
research community but is also applica-
ble in practical industrial settings. Using
the Intel RealSenseTM depth D435 cam-
era, they captured high-quality RGB and
depth images, annotating each with 6D
pose data rotation and translation of the
objects. The dataset features a variety of
shapes and sizes, with data augmenta-
tion techniques added to ensure its ver-
satility across diverse environmental con-
ditions. This approach makes the data-
set highly applicable to a wide range of
robotic applications.
“Our dataset was carefully designed to
be practical for industries. By including
objects with varying shapes and environ-
mental variables, it provides a valuable
resource not only for researchers but
also for engineers working in fields
where robots operate in dynamic and
complex conditions,” added Tan.
The dataset was evaluated using state-
of-the-art deep learning models,
EfficientPose and FFB6D, achieving ac-
curacy rates of 97.05 percent and 98.09
percent, respectively. The high accuracy
rates prove that the dataset provides reli-
able and precise pose information,
which is crucial for applications such as
robotic manipulation, quality control in
manufacturing, and autonomous vehi-
cles. The strong performance of these
algorithms on the dataset underscores
the potential for improving robotic sys-
tems that require precision.
According to Tan, “While our dataset
includes a range of basic shapes like
rectangular prisms, trapezoids, and cyl-
inders, expanding it to include more
complex and irregular objects would
make it more applicable for real-world
Motion Design, April 2025 23
PTFE-Free Telescopic Rail System Adaptive Robot
igus (Rumford, RI) has introduced an Flexiv (Santa Clara, CA) has partnered
aluminum version of its drylin® NT-60 tele- with KURABO, a Japanese pioneer in high-
scopic rail, eliminating the use of polytetra- speed image processing and 3D measure-
fluoroethylene (PTFE) and over 100 per- ment technology, to develop the ground-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A breaking KURAVIZON adaptive robot.
safer choice for customers, this rail system extends up to 2 meters (ms) KURABO’s KURASENSE technology,
and is suitable for many applications, including vehicles, furniture, and which functions as both the “eyes” and
medical technology. Despite incorporating a new, PTFE-free plain “brain” of the robotic system, combined with Flexiv’s Rizon robot as
bearing, the drylin® NT-60-4 telescopic rail does not compromise per- the integration platform, creates an ideal automation solution for in-
formance. Experts at igus have tested the robustness of the material at dustries in Japan that demand absolute precision and efficiency. With
its in-house test laboratory. Rails carried a centric load of 200 Newtons a payload capacity of up to 10 kg and industry-leading force sensors
(N) in a vertical installation, and the system remained functional after enabling precision measurements down to 0.03 newtons, the Rizon
25,000 opening/closing cycles. Consisting of three interlocking alumi- series is optimally suited for applications requiring precision, flexibil-
num profiles, the drylin® NT-60 rail system has a width of 60 mm and ity, and seamless human-robot collaboration. By integrating
height of 24 mm. Full-extension and partial-extension versions are KURASENSE with Flexiv’s adaptive robots, the KURAVIZON system
available. Rail profiles are available in silver or black anodized, and delivers unmatched performance for tasks demanding high accuracy,
igus® offers flat variants (NTKA-60), as well as versions with highend adaptability, and cost efficiency.
caps (NTKB-60) for edge protection. www.flexiv.com
www.igus.com
Safety Support
Drive Integration Tool Kollmorgen has announced the latest update to its
Tolomatic Inc. (Hamel, MN) has SafeMotion™ Monitor (SMM) firmware: SMM2.0. This
introduced its online Drive upgrade allows OEMs to leverage SMM functional
Integration Tool that streamlines the safety features with more encoder and motor types to
selection and commissioning process support a wider range of applications such as material
to seamlessly match a drive system to forming, multi-axis measurement equipment, food
a servo linear actuator. The new Drive Integration Tool combines the processing, and food packaging. Originally standard for the 2G Motion
motor, drive, feedback, and connection information across a wide System, SMM2.0 will now be compatible with all motors that feature any
range of industry-leading manufacturers with Tolomatic’s own servo HIPERFACE-DSL rotary-safe feedback system. This includes the AKM2G
linear actuator specifications. By consolidating this data, Tolomatic and AKMA motor lines, which now feature a wider range of feedback
offers a straightforward solution for engineers to ensure compatibility system options. SMM2.0 also enables a second instance of Safe
between servo linear actuators and automation control architecture Operating Stop (SOS) for greater design flexibility. As a result of up-
and simplify commissioning. This online tool’s simple interface fur- dated regulations related to functional safety enacted by the EU, cus-
ther increases its usability, providing engineers with three simple steps tomers across the globe, in a wide range of industries, are seeking up-
to arrive at a suggested cable connector for use with their system. The grades to meet these new standards. SMM2.0 makes compliance easier,
Drive Integration Tool also outputs the motor and feedback data you with a comprehensive set of 16 safety features, including SafePosition,
need to commission the system along with a pin connection readout SafeStop, and SafeSpeed. SMM2.0 provides easy, drive-resident func-
graphic and data sheet, which can be downloaded as either a PDF or tional safety for a wider range of motors, for demanding applications.
Excel file. www.kollmorgen.com
www.tolomatic.com
Next-Level Automation
Pressure Relief Valve With TwinCAT Core Boost, Beckhoff
Emerson (Stafford, TX) introduced the (Savage, MN) is supercharging its proven
Anderson Greenwood Type 84 Pressure Relief TwinCAT 3 runtime and robust multicore
Valve (PRV), specially designed to protect tanks processing power with turbo mode.
and vessels used in hydrogen and other TwinCAT Core Boost increases the com-
high-pressure gas applications. With Arlon® puting performance of individual real-time
3000XT* thermoplastic seating and ASME SA- or user-mode cores by up to 50 percent. Now, systems can achieve
479 Type S21800 stainless steel spindle mate- maximum performance, adapt to unique application requirements,
rial, the Type 84 PRV delivers exceptional leak- and possibly use lower cost CPUs while tapping into extra performance
tight performance, resistance to embrittlement, optimum seat tight- for specific tasks as needed. TwinCAT software’s multi-thread capabili-
ness, high reliability and long service life. Type 84 valves feature a ties have long enabled applications to be distributed across multiple
unique cartridge assembly design to apply uniform spring pressure, cores. TwinCAT Core Boost takes that to the next level by enabling users
resulting in secure seat sealing and leak-tight performance. They are to configure the clock frequency of individual processor cores. The
factory tested with helium and nitrogen, both accepted industry-wide clock rate per core can be defined for real-time transmission and us-
as a substitute for hydrogen. Anderson Greenwood Type 84 valves er-mode applications. Individual cores can operate permanently and in
comply with key industry standards for safety and performance, includ- real-time using this “turbo mode.” TwinCAT Core Boost monitors the
ing ASME) Section VIII and XIII, National Board of Boiler and permitted power consumption and temperature of each processor core
Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NB) certification, and American Petroleum (and of the overall system) to ensure reliable operation even when turbo
Institute (API) 527. mode is used.
www.emerson.com www.beckhoff.com

24 Motion Design, April 2025

 Linear Actuator Selection
Thomson Industries, Inc. (Downers Grove, IL)
has announced a significant upgrade to its stepper

INNOVATING TRANSPORTATION SINCE 1895

motor linear actuator (SMLA) online selector tool,
adding the ability to include encoders in the design
process. The new option streamlines the design and purchasing process )JHI
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for engineers and machine builders, making it even easier for them to BOE
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GPS
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weigh their options for incorporating position data into their designs. ¥
The Thomson selector tool automates the process of selecting the right Permanent Magnets - 3&$0."
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SMLA for machine design needs. With a few intuitive steps, engineers QPXFS
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can define motor frame size, screw and nut configurations, and now, High Speed Rotors, Stators and full Motors - DPNQMFUF

thanks to this upgrade, they can also specify the exact encoder required TZTUFN
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for their application. Users can specify encoder cycles per revolution
Composite Encapsulation - IJHIFS
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(CPR), non-index or index feedback control, or single-ended or differen-
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tial output without leaving the online specification session. As users make
their selections, the tool automatically updates the product specifications L Type Laminated Magnets - UIJOOFTU
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and provides real-time visualization, reflecting changes in the actuator’s BOE
MPXFTU
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dimensions and design. Pricing is integrated into the tool as well so that 5.
Precision Thin Metals - 5JUBOJVN
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users are able to complete the entire process — from criteria selection to
.PMZQFSNBMMPZ
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purchase — within a single, convenient workflow.
www.thomsonlinear.com

Compact Wheel Drives

Orbex Group (Austin, TX) introduced a new
family of compact wheel drives (CWD), increas- North American Sales UK & European Sales
www.ArnoldMagnetics.com
1-800-593-9127 (+44) (0) 1909 772021
ing its offering of precision motion solutions.
The CWD-500 and CWD-1000 are integrated
motor, gearbox, encoder and wheel combina-
tion units, designed to facilitate easy application in compact robotic ap-
plications like autonomous mobile robots and automated guided vehi-

Red Adhesive turns

cles. Both the 600-watt CWD-500 and 1,200-watt CWD-1000 are compact
enough to fit into tight installation spaces and are designed to have the
minimum axial length. Each wheel drive features a 160-mm wheel diam-
eter, with larger diameter wheels as an option. Their innovative design
also offers excellent power and torque density and high axial and radial
Clear Upon Exposure
load capacities, while quality construction provides smooth, precise and
reliable motion for up to 30,000 hours. The defining feature of the to UV LIGHT
CWD-500 and CWD-1000 is an integrated gearbox that ensures efficient
operation with 90 percent reducer efficiency and a 15:1 gear ratio. For
precise positioning, both wheel drives feature a 16,384-count encoder
and are designed to minimize backlash to less than 30 arcminutes.
www.orbexgroup.com CATIONIC CURING SYSTEM
No oxygen inhibition • Non-tacky cure • Low shrinkage
Direct Drive Linear Motor
Moticont (Van Nuys, CA) has added the
SDLM-016-032-01-01-M (Metric) Direct Drive
Linear Motor with an integrated encoder and
temperature sensor to their SDLM Series of
Metric and Imperial dimensioned high preci-
sion linear actuators. This motor is the smallest of the series of linear
motors featuring zero backlash, zero cogging, high acceleration, high HIGH GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE 125-130°C
speed, high resolution, and long life. Also known as an electric cylin-
der, this compact direct drive linear motor is just 15.9 mm (0.625 in) WITHSTANDS 1,000 HOURS 85°C/85% RH
in diameter and 31.8 mm (1.25 in) long. Protected inside the motor
housing, a 1.25-micron resolution linear quadrature encoder directly
connected to the shaft provides the greatest possible accuracy with
OPTICALLY CLEAR Refractive index 1.517
zero backlash. Additionally, monitoring the temperature from the in-
ternal temperature sensor optimizes highest possible throughput. This
non-commutated, low inertia, direct drive servo motor has quiet long
life, plain linear bearings and connections are easily made via a flex
Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA ∙ +1.201.343.8983 ∙ [email protected]
cable terminated in a 10-pin female connector.
www.moticont.com www.masterbond.com

Motion Design, April 2025 25

PARTNERS. THE BEST PART OF ALL.
TM