One of our LinkedIn members wrote: "I am trying to write a Matlab code for this project and am having serious problems. Actually, it is an active suspension system that has two axles, both rear and front axles, and each axle has left and right suspension mass (a full vehicle suspension system). Each suspension mass has a spring, a damper, an actuator force and a tire, and did I mentioned the tires stiffness? The assumption is that the vehicle moves at a constant speed along an even road. I wrote the differential equations. Also, I obtained the matrices.  read more »

It's high time to make the case that safety no longer is a machine design afterthought. In this month's Control Design cover story, Executive Editor Jim Montague provides evidence that machine builders include preventive safety early in the design process – to the benefit of builder and customer alike.
Also in the May issue: Learn how vertical turning/grinding machine builder KMT Precision Grinding uses encoder technology to aid high-accuracy production of wind turbine bearings;  read more »

A newly founded partnership formed developed a program to encourage high school students to enroll in more math and science courses by providing them experiences through real world application.  read more »

Here's a video from the Siemens Rail Systems Business about the latest Amtrak electric locomotives rolling out of the shop for the Northeast corridor. It includes a discussion about the energy saving expected to be realized from use of regenerative braking systems to recover otherwise wasted electricity.  read more »

Industrial Ethernet steams powerfully along, but can it be more than you really need? Are there times when simpler, hard-working device-level networks are a better choice? Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert reports his findings in this issue's cover story about how to "Go With What Works."

Also in the Q2 issue: Control systems and their networks now extend to field devices, so Ian Verhappen reminds us that today, a multimeter isn't the only troubleshooting tool you'll need; and get a better understanding of "How Wireless Gets Its Juice."  read more »

Here's a very slick video called Robot Quadrotors Perform James Bond Theme, produced by engineers at the University of Pennsylvania. At its conclusion is a link to another video in which they tell us how they did it. Thus far anyway, I don't think they do requests nor are they planning a worldwide tour...but I've seen a lot worse opening acts.  read more »

Offering customers the latest technologies is one way we try to make a name for ourselves, and improve their operations. We've normally been pretty traditional with our sensor technology, but suppliers are pushing imaging solutions more aggressively since cost is becoming less of an issue. We like the added versatility an image sensor might offer. The machines operate in an environment that varies significantly in temperature and humidity, so we're unsure how precision and accuracy will compare. Anyone have observations, experiences, to share?  read more »

We received the following press release from National Instruments (NI) today regarding its partnership with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) to help students develop professional engineering skills and pursue career interests with next-generation FIRST robotics controller. We'll be doing more coverage on this in future posts on our science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) blog, so keep checking back here to read more on this topic.  read more »

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Maplesoft's contribution to the encouragement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies amongst high school and university students.

Throughout the years, Maplesoft has been a developer of software tools that are used in the STEM field, but its most dedicated contributions comes from its support of several projects and competitions that aim to enhance interest in mathematics and science.  read more »

There are lots of different paths you can take — energy, sustainability, reliability, performance — that can get your machine to a more efficient place. In this month's Control Design cover story, Executive Editor Jim Montague explains how not only are there many routes, there are many applications for which new tools and methods gained along the way can be tried and adjusted to best meet individual needs. Also in the April issue: See how motion simulation helped a system integrator realize a big decrease in time needed to design and install robotic systems;  read more »