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Managing the Evolution of the EV Charging Standard

Grayson Brulte, host of SAE’s Tomorrow Today podcast, interviewed Christian Thiele, Director, Global Ground Vehicle Standards, SAE International, and Dr. Rodney McGee, P.E. Chairman, SAE J3400 NACS Task Force, regarding the work of the J3400 Task Force. This Q&A is an abbreviated portion of that interview.

Mistakes to Avoid When Integrating a Battery Test System

It’s not easy to configure a battery cycle test system for EV batteries and similar high-power batteries. This article covers the mistakes that engineers sometimes make when integrating a battery test system.

Improving Battery Performance with More Efficient Electrodes

To improve battery performance and production, Penn State researchers and collaborators have developed a new fabrication approach that could make for more efficient batteries that maintain energy and power levels.

New Technique for Environmentally Friendly Battery Recycling

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have created a new and efficient way to recycle metals from spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The method allows recovery of 100 percent of the aluminum and 98 percent of the lithium in EV batteries.

Designing Solid-State Batteries with Mechanics in Mind

A team developed a framework for designing solid-state batteries (SSBs) with mechanics in mind. Their paper, published in Science, reviewed how these factors change SSBs during their cycling.

New Gel Polymer Electrolyte to Revolutionize the Safety of Li-ion Batteries

A collaborative research team has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in battery technology. Their remarkable achievement in developing a non-flammable gel polymer electrolyte is set to revolutionize the safety of Li-ion batteries by mitigating the risks of thermal runaway and fire incidents.

New Products

See the new products this month, including Motor Stator Busbars for EVs; high-power, liquid-cooled configurable power solution; a compact, automated battery cycler and test system; and more.

Zonal Electrical Architectures Cut Vehicle Wiring-System Cost, Complexity

Ultimately, zonal architectures require a fundamentally reorganized software structure that allows the OEM to independently, quickly, easily, and modularly adapt the control of the entire vehicle while minimizing the complexity in the wiring harness and the number of control devices.

Modeling Considerations for Optimizing EV Motors

Optimizing EV motors before they hit the market is crucial. As the demand for clean energy vehicles grows, customers need assurance that their chosen vehicle is reliable and fulfills sustainability promises.

Remote Robot Automates Amazon Reforestation Project

A pilot project between ABB Robotics and US non-profit organization Junglekeepers demonstrated the role cloud technology can play in making reforestation faster, more efficient, and scalable.

AI-Powered Robot Control Optimizes a Challenging Handling Process

Like other small and medium-sized enterprises, HWL Löttechnik GmbH faces the realities of labor shortages, the ongoing energy crisis, and the intricate nature of production processes. To overcome these challenges, HWL adopted state-of-the-art technologies and the optimization of operational processes.

A Combustion-Powered Quadrupedal Robot

Cornell researchers have combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex, and outleap its electric-driven competitors.

Building More Dexterous Robots

MIT researchers have developed a camera-based touch sensor that is long, curved, and shaped like a human finger. Their device provides high-resolution tactile sensing over a large area. The sensor, called the GelSight Svelte, uses two mirrors to reflect and refract light.

A Soft Robotic Gripper Mimics a Woven Structure

Dr. Song Kahye along with Professor Lee, Dae-Young have jointly developed a soft gripper with a woven structure that can grip objects weighing more than 100 kg with 130 g of material. To increase the loading capacity of the soft robot gripper, the team applied a new structure inspired by textiles.

Smart Soft Sensor Improves Human-Robot Interaction

A new soft sensor developed by UBC and Honda researchers opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics. When applied to the surface of a prosthetic arm or a robotic limb, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and dexterity, enabling tasks that can be difficult for machines such as picking up a piece of soft fruit.

An Autonomous Battery-Free Microrobot Powered by Surrounding Light

Moving robots demands a lot of energy, and batteries, the typical power source, limit lifetime and raise environmental concerns. Researchers at the University of Washington have now created MilliMobile, a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by surrounding light or radio waves.

Origami-Inspired Robot Uses Single Motor for Self-Folding and Movement

Centimeter-scale walking and crawling robots are in demand both for their ability to explore tight or cluttered environments and for their low fabrication costs. Pulling from origami-inspired construction, researchers have crafted a more simplified approach to the design and fabrication of these robots.

Pump Considerations for Energy-Efficient Industrial Hydraulic Systems

Pump systems have advanced technically over many years. The recent innovations in demand-based variable speed hydraulic pump systems are the next step in lowering energy costs, reducing noise, and allowing for proactive maintenance opportunities.

New Products

See the new products, including new Vision hardware from Beckhoff; Renishaw’s new Central manufacturing connectivity and data platform; Weidmuller USA's new open operating system, u-OS; a Digital Valve Controller featuring the Device™ technology; and more.

Maximizing Flexibility in Distributed I/O and Valve Systems

The ability to mix modules and terminals together in the system means that machine builders can install I/O and valves in the physical locations and orientations that make most sense to the overall machine design.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on using kirigami to produce a stronger adhesive, one on taking electric vehicle technology to the next level, one on the SPARK Electric Racing Team, and one on the Electric Vehicle Club at Purdue University.

Best Practices When Selecting and Installing Surge Protection at Communications Sites

The digital transformation reshaping our world has made it easier to communicate with each other, but it has also made it costlier for companies to protect and maintain the equipment that makes that happen. Follow these sourcing tips and best practices.

Sustainability Strategies Drive the Future of Industry

As companies invest in the development of eco-friendly products and strategies, they will reap the rewards from increased consumer confidence, financial incentives, greater resiliency, and the ability to drive profound social change.

SPE Names 2023’s Best Automotive Plastics Innovations

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in early November, 2023 announced the winners of the 52nd annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala (IAG). The annual competition highlights...

Novel Control Method in Tailless Aircraft

A research team at the Illinois Institute of Technology has for the first time demonstrated the use of a novel control method in a tailless aircraft. The technology allows an aircraft to be as smooth and sleek as possible — making it safer to fly in dangerous areas where radar scans the sky for sharp edges.

Cummins’ New Mid-Displacement Turbos Quieter and More Efficient

Cummins announced its seventh-generation series HE250 and HE300 wastegate turbochargers for medium displacement on- and off-highway commercial engines. The turbos are sized...