The narrative in modern manufacturing often centers on the cutting edge: AI-driven robotics, hyper-connected IIoT ecosystems, and autonomous logistics. While this rapid innovation drives the industry forward, it creates a stark contrast with the reality on the factory floor. In many facilities, the backbone of production remains robust, reliable hardware that has been running effectively […]
As automation becomes central to operations, organizations face growing pressure to demonstrate the value of internal systems like intranets. Reliable measurement of intranet Return On Investment (ROI) requires linking platform performance to automation outcomes and real operational results. With automation scaling rapidly in many sectors, organizations are increasingly scrutinizing the ROI of their intranet investments. […]
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence tools has transformed how content is created, processed, and delivered. From automated writing assistants to multimodal generation systems, the capabilities of AI have expanded quickly over the past few years. But as many organizations are discovering, AI itself is no longer the primary constraint. The bigger challenge lies in […]
Festo has introduced the HPSX Universal Adaptive Gripper, a pneumatic soft gripper engineered to improve speed, hygiene and flexibility in demanding food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications. Combining robust design, food-safe materials and adaptive silicone fingers, the HPSX directly addresses long-standing automation challenges where rapid, precise and gentle product handling is essential. Peter Potters, product manager […]
Maximo, the solar robotics company incubated by the AES Corporation, has announced the successful installation of 100 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar capacity at AES’ Bellefield complex, located on former agricultural land near California City in Kern County. Demand for electricity continues to grow rapidly, driven by data center expansion, electrification and industrial manufacturing. Solar […]
Scientists warn that rapid advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness, creating serious ethical risks. New research argues that developing scientific tests for awareness could transform medicine, animal welfare, law, and AI development. But identifying consciousness in machines, brain organoids, or patients could also force society to rethink responsibility, rights, and moral boundaries. The question of what it means to be conscious has never been more urgent—or more unsettling.
A team of engineers at North Carolina State University has designed a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can rapidly snap into multiple stable 3D shapes—including a lantern, a spinning top, and more—by compression or twisting. By adding a magnetic layer, they achieved remote control of the shape-shifting process, allowing the lanterns to act as grippers, filters, or expandable mechanisms.