Robotics & Automation

Pharma Manufacturing Unlocking the Power of Data Through Advanced Tracking and Analysis

Industry innovation is helping pharmaceutical manufacturers gain key insights into their products and processes by enabling them to effectively interpret data from every test given, even at mass volumes.

Product Showcase

See the products in the Product Showcase, including Omnetics’ Nano-D connectors, Cadence's complex medical devices, Formacoat's medical device coating application, the Lee Company’s Full Isolation Dual Seal Precision Dispense Pump, Ulbrich’s Braid Wire Accelerator® Program, and much more.

Microneedle Patch Helps People Control Robotic Exoskeletons

Engineers from Korea and the United States have developed a wearable, stretchy patch that could help to bridge the divide between people and machines — and with benefits for the health of humans around the world.

A Miniaturized Robotic-Assisted Surgery System

The goal of Virtual Incision is to offer a way for facilities to add systems and improve their efficiency without disrupting their existing infrastructure. To do this, the company designed and manufactured MIRA, the world’s first miniaturized RAS platform that aims to be easily transported and set up in any operating room.

Research Could Advance Soft Robotics Manufacturing, Design

A team of Rice University researchers has developed an analytical model that can predict the curing time of platinum-catalyzed silicone elastomers as a function of temperature. The model could help reduce energy waste and improve throughput for elastomer-based components manufacturing.

Robot-Driven Orthopedics Manufacturing

By embracing advanced robotic machine-tending automation, SpiTrex unlocked new levels of precision, capacity, utilization, and profitability. The successful deployment of robot-driven manufacturing with autonomous process control using Flexxbotics marks a transformative milestone for SpiTrex Orthopedics’ smart factory operations.

Robotic Interface Provide Elusive Soft Touch

Researchers have developed a haptic device capable of reproducing the softness of various materials, from a marshmallow to a beating heart, overcoming a deceptively complex challenge that has...

Zeiss Digital Event to Focus on Innovation, Industry Trends

A global digital event hosted by Zeiss will feature innovations, insights, and industry trends across multiple industries, including medtech. The event will be held April 15–19, with...

Inside the OEM: Zimmer Biomet

Zimmer Biomet is making significant investments in innovation across all stages of the ambulatory surgery center process, including before, during, and after surgery. This investment aims to improve efficiency, outcomes, and safety for patients undergoing procedures at ambulatory surgery centers.

Designing the Right Motor to Enhance Surgical Robot Precision

This article highlights the steps designers should take when specifying their motor and motion system for use in surgical robot applications.

Technology

In March of 1973, the Six-Million Dollar Man TV series introduced the world to the possibility of a bionic man. What device made bionics a reality 20 years later?

MIRA: Mini Robot Completes Remote Surgical Simulation in Space

In a test that featured half a dozen surgeons from across the United States, a miniature robot successfully completed a surgical simulation aboard the International Space...

Product of the Month

See the Product of the Month: Bosch Sensortec's two new MEMS accelerometers, the BMA530 and BMA580. Read on to learn more.

AI Helps Advance Assistive Robotics

Developing assistive robots is a challenging research area, especially when integrating these systems into human environments such as homes and hospitals. To tackle these challenges, the Human-Machine Interaction & Innovation (HMI2) Lab at Santa Clara University is creating a versatile intelligent robot.

Soft Robotic, Wearable Device Improves Walking for Individual with Parkinson’s

Researchers have used a soft, wearable robot to help a person living with Parkinson’s walk without freezing. The robotic garment, worn around the hips and thighs, gives a gentle push to the hips as the leg swings, helping the patient achieve a longer stride.

Squishy, Metal-Free Magnets to Power Robots and Guide Medical Implants

Creating robots from flexible materials allows them to contort in unique ways, handle delicate objects, and explore places that other robots cannot. More rigid robots would be crushed by the deep ocean’s pressure or could damage sensitive tissues in the human body, for example.

Robotic Rehab Helps Stroke Patients Regain Hand Dexterity

An assistive planar robot includes a cutting-edge closed-loop feedback system to monitor the muscle and brain activity of the user in order to trigger the execution of reach and grab in an adaptive way.

Artificial Muscle Device Produces Force 34 Times Its Weight

Researchers have developed a fluid switch using ionic polymer artificial muscles that operates at ultra-low power and produces a force 34 times greater than its weight. Fluid switches control fluid flow, causing the fluid to flow in a specific direction to invoke various movements.

Surgery

It’s Heart Health Month! What procedure, first used in humans in a mere 22 years ago, has become a widely used treatment option for patients with aortic valve stenosis?

NOMINATIONS OPEN: RISING STAR AWARDS 2026

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   Platinum Sponsors See all sponsors Women remain underrepresented in engineering, but...

News & Brews: Podcasters and Influencers Deliver On-Site News

IME West is hosting a never-before-seen dive into advanced manufacturing with its featured News and Brews Studio. Designed as a unique in-person news broadcast encompassing the...

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including precision injection molding from Medbio; Covestro's Makrolon 3638 polycarbonate; laser processing systems from Amada Weld Tech; biocompatible adhesives, sealants, and potting materials from EpoxySet; brushless ECX speed motors from maxon; and more.

Shape-Shifting Robotic Catheter Could Make Heart Surgery Safer

A beating heart makes for a formidable surgical arena, but a new robotic catheter could someday equip surgeons to operate in the cardiac environment with greater ease.

Unlocking Innovation in Small-Scale Fluid Control

As the demand for smaller, less intrusive — sometimes even wearable — products grow, engineers must meet these expectations without compromising on pump system performance.

The Contribution of Medical Robotics to Human Wellbeing

In May 2023, a class of tiny, self-propelled robots were designed in the United States that can slip into a human body and may one day deliver prescribed drugs to hard-to-reach parts of the body. The team of developers at the University of Colorado Boulder aims to make the robot fully biodegradable one day, so that it eventually would dissolve in the body.

Technology

It’s Super Bowl time! What somewhat controversial technology has been embraced by the NFL to aid players in recovery from injuries?

Inside the OEM: Medtronic

With a focus on transformation, innovation, and portfolio management, Medtronic is well positioned for continued success and value creation in the dynamic medical technology landscape. Its commitment to shareholders, coupled with strategic guidance updates, underscores Medtronic's trajectory toward sustained growth and long-term value.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on a pair of earbuds that can be turned into a tool to record the electrical activity of the brain as well as levels of lactate in the body, one on a non-invasive cancer treatment that uses ultrasound to break up tumors in the body, and more.

New Products and Services

See the new products and services, including an ultrathin cable module for single-use endoscopes from Omnivision, CUI Inc's dc-dc converter, Vision Engineering's stereo microscopes, Henkel's expanded portfolio for wearables, SupplyOne's packaging solutions, and more.