The industrial use of AI is increasingly shifting from pilot testing to regular operations. The focus is on AI-powered assistance systems for engineering, digital twins for Physical AI, and the development of dedicated AI data centers. Here’s an overview of some of the latest developments.

Whether it’s marine propulsion systems, high-speed motors, fluid technology, or small-scale robotics: At SPS 2026, manufacturers will showcase controllers and drives designed to meet today’s demands. Discover approaches to efficient and space-saving automation solutions.

Prices for established semiconductor processes are rising, while major foundries are shifting capacity. This is relevant for developers in industrial electronics, the automotive sector, medical technology, and measurement technology. At the same time, specialty foundries are investing in precisely these technologies. So what’s behind this trend?

Tesla has begun limited commercial operations in Austin with “Cybercabs”—vehicles that do not have a steering wheel or pedals. On the very same day, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation. The agency has since issued a Special Order requesting information on the technical and legal basis upon which Tesla has self-certified its compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

From a logistics center to a full-service partner for engineering and production in 20 years: Graepel North America celebrates the anniversary of its U.S. location.

For nearly 30 years, MTU Aero Engines has relied on Stark’s zero-point clamping systems for the manufacture of engine components. With Stark.intelligence, a digital, Industry 4.0-compatible solution has now been added to the lineup.

Waste is turned into valuable raw materials. Modern briquetting systems reduce disposal costs and protect the environment. Six practical examples show the benefits of a functioning circular economy.

At EuroBLECH 2026, there were a number of new products and innovative solutions to see in sheet metal working. AI and automation run through all areas.

Meta, the company behind Facebook, has built a humanoid prototype in collaboration with the Chinese manufacturer Fourier. It uses NVIDIA's Jetson Thor and serves as a test platform for robotics AI. A second version is already in development.

The system integrator Nucleus Robotics is relying on Igus’s RBTX robotics marketplace to build one of the largest fleets of humanoid robots for intralogistics to date. The companies are working together to advance the scaling of humanoid robotics in the industry.

Synapticon and Reynolds & Moore support developers of humanoid and mobile robots as they work toward certification.

The path to safe autonomous systems—which should also be as affordable as possible—is much more challenging than originally thought. To bring all stakeholders together, the company TTTech Auto—which, following its acquisition by NXP Semiconductors, now operates under the name “TrustMotion”—launched the “The Autonomous” initiative in 2017. At that time, the focus was clearly on autonomous driving, but now the initiative encompasses autonomous systems of all kinds.

Mechanical engineering students have developed a bicycle helmet that draws on principles found in nature: Through the strategic use of so-called Voronoi structures in combination with the material TPU, impact energy is absorbed so efficiently that the bionic helmet outperforms standard commercially available models in initial tests.

In our “Fascination with Technology” section, we showcase impressive research and development projects for design engineers every week. Today: How muscle actuators deform enough to enable small robots to jump, swim, walk, and grasp objects.

Positioning strip steel coils requires enormous force and precision. In an adjustable lift table, linear actuators from Neff screw drives contribute to this. 3,900 Nm of torque get the system moving. Find out what matters when designing for these high loads.

More than just power and data: In networked systems, cable selection becomes a true design challenge. Learn how to reliably select cables for complex conditions such as motion, EMC, and temperature.

Along with its engineering twin, the Renault Twingo, the Nissan Pixo is one of the most affordable electric cars on the German market.

The Golf is VW's most important model. Yet, of all things, the manufacturer is now putting the brakes on the electric version of this compact classic due to a lack of funds.

Nio, Xpeng, BYD, Huawei, and Momenta are discussing highly automated driving in Beijing. They agree on safety and data, but disagree on whether the industry should skip Level 3.

Tesla has begun limited commercial operations in Austin with “Cybercabs”—vehicles that do not have a steering wheel or pedals. On the very same day, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation. The agency has since issued a Special Order requesting information on the technical and legal basis upon which Tesla has self-certified its compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Siemens and TD Synnex, one of the world's leading technology distributors and solution providers, have agreed to a framework agreement to establish a global distribution partnership.

The memory crisis has long since spread to DRAM and NAND flash as well. As prices rise and availability falls, SK Hynix is warning of shortages through 2030. What does this mean for industrial electronics and embedded systems?

Allegro MicroSystems is expanding its robotics portfolio with position sensors and a 48-V PMIC for humanoid robots. The A81481 combines two step-down converters, five LDO outputs, and ASIL-D-compliant diagnostics in a 6 × 6 mm (0.24 × 0.24 inch)  package, reducing space requirements and bill-of-materials costs by approximately 50 percent. The CT310 angle sensor achieves sub-degree accuracy in a 2 × 2 mm (0.08 × 0.08 inch) DFN package.

What are the most important criteria for selecting connectors? What technical requirements are placed on power and data transmission? What regional differences exist in the use of online tools in the design process?