Robotics

The Mars helicopter makes history - with maxon’s precision motors
Space fans are thrilled: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has successfully completed its pioneering flight on Mars. This is the first time in the history of powered, unmanned spaceflight that a device has flown in a controlled manner on another planet.

Now available: new DRIVEN magazine and maxon’s product catalog
The new issue of DRIVEN, the maxon magazine, awaits the reader with fascinating articles about agricultural robotics, drone technology, and cleanrooms. maxon is also releasing the new 2021/2022 product catalog, with over 560 pages of drive systems and ...

Green walls for fighting climate change
Climate change, fine dust pollution, and greening urban living spaces are key topics for the future of our society. All around the world, urban planners are looking for solutions for green architecture and infrastructure. To meet the ecological challen...

In search of signs of life on Mars
Mars once had liquid water and an atmosphere—was there life too? To answer this fundamental question, NASA sends the Perseverance rover, a robot of unparalleled complexity.

Swiss precision motors handle the valuable Mars soil samples
NASA’s Perseverance rover will be landing on Mars on February 18th. Was there once life on Mars? This is the question that one of the most complex robotic systems ever built by humankind has set out to answer. Several of maxon’s electric drives are use...

maxon introduces a multi-axis controller for highly dynamic positioning tasks
maxon is launching the next generation of Motion Controllers with its MiniMACS6-AMP-4/50/10. The controller is ideal for use in applications where PLC solutions may be too expensive or cannot meet customer-specific requirements.

5 challenges an electric motor has to overcome on Mars
Outer space is unforgiving. This is why precision drives embarking on a trip to other planets need to meet extremely high-quality standards. Every Mars drive from maxon is based on a catalog product and is modified for the specific mi...

How to design an exoskeleton
An exoskeleton must be lightweight, compact, powerful, reliable, and easy to use – what could be easier? Many developers around the world dabble in this discipline with different degrees of success. Christian Bermes, head of the VariLeg enhanced team e...

Smart ArM: Pushing the limits of the human body
In view of the Cybathlon 2020, a unique international competition for competitors with disabilities who use bionic assistive technologies, a team of French researchers from the Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR) in Paris has developed...

Trap the trash
A spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has been given responsibility for a EUR 100 million project by the European Space Agency, ESA. ClearSpace SA now heads a consortium developing the first debris removal mission...

IP65, IP67, IP68…What do protection ratings mean?
If you are working on a project that calls for an electric motor unit, you will certainly have come across the terms IP65, IP67 and IP68. What do these protection ratings cover? Which protection should be chosen based on your project? Here's a brief an...

maxon develops ultra-efficient UAV drive with startup Flybotix
maxon has collaborated with drone startup Flybotix to develop performance-optimized brushless DC motors for a new kind of inspection drone. With the know-how gained from this and other projects, maxon is making inroads into the new UAV market, where th...

«driven» takes a look at the fourth planet
Our fascination with Mars is stronger than ever, again and again, researchers are drawn to it. At this very moment, yet another robot mission is on its way to uncover the secrets of Mars. This mission will also involve the first helicopter flight in sp...

Drive technology and design freedom
While the development of e-commerce requires the design of compact AGVs, the democratization of autonomous and connected e-mobility vehicles poses safety challenges. In other sectors, it is becoming essential to propose a specific design in order to of...

maxon and ANYbotics enter into a strategic partnership
Drive specialist maxon, renowned for its Mars motors, is joining forces with the robotics startup ANYbotics and will in future supply the drive systems of the autonomous ANYmal inspection robot. The robot will soon be marketed in large quantities. T...

Moving beyond physical barriers
Robert Riener, the initiator of the Cybathlon, shares his thoughts on how technology can be used to address sensitive issues.

COVID-19: drive technology and physical distancing
The sanitary crisis linked to the diffusion of Covid-19 requires everyone to apply measures of social distancing. Motorized and automated solutions are being developed at high speed as a solution. This article gives an overview of innovations that rein...

maxon drives on the Red Planet
More than 100 electric motors from maxon have been used on the Red Planet and have withstood cosmic radiation, dust storms, and temperature fluctuations. With the Perseverance rover, precision drives are once again flying to Mars. The key to success is...

maxon drives are heading to the Red Planet with NASA’s Perseverance rover
In July, NASA will be sending its fifth rover to Mars. Its main mission is to collect soil samples that will be analyzed on Earth at a later time. The rover will also carry a helicopter that will perform the first flights on the Red Planet. maxon's...

New miniature drives for medical robots and multi-axis systems
maxon is once again expanding its range of configurable drives with more brushless DC motors, gearheads, and encoders from the ECX series. There is also news on positioning controllers in the micro segment.

Find the best way to load your workpiece for CNC Machining
When making CNC machined parts, it is important to first figure out the best way to load and hold the workpiece. This step comes before plotting the tool path, and plays an important role in the process.

The Cybathlon special issue magazine is now available
At Cybathlon pilots will be navigating obstacle courses with the aid of assistance systems as they battle for victory. maxon has devoted a special magazine to this event and asks: Where is the development of prosthetic devices heading? How do you bu...

Harmonic Drive LLC opens new US Headquarters in Beverly, MA
Harmonic Drive LLC, a leader in high precision motion control celebrates new US Headquarters with Ribbon Cutting ceremony in Beverly MA. The new US manufacturing and headquarters more than doubles the company’s current square footage. The move to Bev...

CYBATHLON and maxon: Getting ready for round two
At CYBATHLON, people with physical disabilities compete against each other in exciting races—supported by state-of-the-art technical assistance systems. There are new challenges for the contestants and the engineers in all disciplines. As a Presenting ...

maxon is flying to the Sun
In February, Solar Orbiter will start its mission to provide scientists with new data about the Sun. Swiss research and engineering have played a significant role in the construction of the space probe – including drives from maxon.The European Space A...

“driven” explains the factory of the future
Digitization and automation will completely change the way we develop and produce products. But what exactly does that mean? And what is behind the terms commonly used to refer to the smart factory? This issue of driven – the maxon motor magazine – ...

How e-mobility will change our world
The new issue of driven is out! It's a silent revolution. However, it can't be stopped: People are increasingly using electrical power for personal transportation and for moving goods, creating new requirements for drive technology.

Latest MapleSim Release Makes Difficult Modeling Tasks Easier
Maplesoft today announced a major new release of MapleSim, an advanced system-level modeling tool that enables innovation and reduces development risk, allowing engineering organizations to create better products, faster. The latest release provid...

Maplesoft Makes Model Based Systems Engineering Accessible to More Engineers with New MapleMBSE
MapleMBSE is a new product from Maplesoft that provides engineers with greater accessibility to model-based systems engineering tools, helping them create, maintain, validate requirements efficiently, with fewer errors 

Designing an Industrial Pick-and-Place Robot
A leading provider of packaging machines was experiencing repeated motor failures with their pick-and-place robots, facing substantial replacement costs on a regular basis. The company chose Maplesoft to develop a high-fidelity parameterized model...

Latest MapleSim Release Improves Engineering Design Productivity
Maplesoft today announced a major new release of MapleSim™, an advanced system-level modeling and simulation platform used by engineers to reduce development time and gain insight into system behavior. The latest release provides tools that increa...

IIoT for HMIs: Maple Systems Launches Easy EasyAccess 2.0
Enjoy secure remote access to Maple HMIs from anywhere in the world.

EPOS4 position controller
Compact power for your motion control application. The EPOS4 position controllers are suitable for efficient and dynamic control of brushed DC motors and brushless BLDC motors (EC motors) with Hall sensors and encoders up to 750 W continuous power...

Lapp Debuts New Cable and Cable Gland at IMTS
The Lapp Group will be debuting its new SKINTOP Hygienic stainless steel cable gland and ÖLFLEX® VFD 2XL symmetrical motor and drive cable at this year’s IMTS show. Lapp’s SKINTOP Hygienic stainless steel cable gland features FDA-appr...

President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel Visit Lapp’s Booth at Hanover Trade Fair
The Lapp Group today received a visit from President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the company's 2016 Hannover Messe trade fair booth. President Obama and Chancellor Merkel learned about the latest technology innovations from L...

Temperature Resistant Silicone & Cross Linked Cables
The Lapp Group is now offering a series of cables for extreme environments such as high and low temperatures, aggressive substances and areas with space and weight issues. Ideal applications include food and beverage machines, industrial ovens, s...

MapleSim used to speed up development of high-fidelity robotic manipulator models
ABB's Robotics business unit evaluated MapleSim, the high-performance modeling and simulation platform from Maplesoft, to develop high-fidelity manipulator models that included flexible joints, gears, and dynamic friction, and to determine the ease wit...

Harmonic Drive LLC Introduces SHA-CG Hollow Shaft Actuators
Harmonic Drive LLC, a leader in high precision motion control introduces new actuators with surface run-out less than 10 microns. The SHA-CG models are the newest offerings in the company's Rotary Acutator product category.

Ultra Motion B2 Linear Actuators Used in Test Flight for Mars Landing Technology
Video of Ultra Motion B2 Linear Actuators Used in Test Flight for Mars Landing Technology

ESCON Module 24/2 Servo Motor Controller
A miniature controller with maximum functionality.

More versions, more power - The new DCX motors and GPX gearboxes
New additions to the maxon family of X drives

Alpha Wire Expands EcoCable® Line with 300 V EcoCable® Mini
New EcoCable Mini is Alpha Wire's smallest and lightest 300 V cable ever

Alpha Wire Announces Expanded Inventory on VFD Cable
Cut-to-Length and Same Day Delivery Remain Unchanged

maxon motor takes part in chase to catch up with a comet
Rosetta mission

Alpha Wire Expands FIT® Heat-Shrink Tubing Line
FIT-221L LSZH halogen-free tubing and FIT-FILL adhesives give users more choice

The Design That Makes our Gearboxes a Worldwide Success
Nabtesco's Cycloidal Gear technology is the far superior choice when compared to traditional planetary and cam indexing devices.

Examples of Applications That Use Nabtesco Gearboxes
Precision Reaches a New Level. Nabtesco's high performance reduction gears and servo actuators are widely used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, industrial robots, machine tools and factory automation.

EC-4pole 32 HD with Planetary Gearhead
This 480 W motor can withstand 200 °C, 1000 G, -5000 m and 1700 bar.

Series B1: Small, Lightweight, but still Powerful Linear Actuator

High Precision Metric Ball Screws

Underwater Linear Actuators

Alpha Wire Master Catalog Now Available for PC, Mobile Devices
Digital Literature App lets you take the latest Alpha Wire products on the go

Alpha Wire Extends EcoCable® Product Line into 26 and 28 AWG

Introducing the new 4 mm micro motor and gearhead
maxon motor was challenged to deliver maximum power in the smallest possible space and the result is the EC 4 brushless motor.