Picture a flying taxi able to whisk passengers to their chosen destination within minutes, not hours. A noiseless aircraft free from carbon emissions, capable of vertical takeoff and landing in the heart of a major city. What once sounded like a scene out of a science-fiction novel is cruising toward reality, forever altering the way we move.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry faced a large-scale shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), which put frontline workers at risk of infection.

Management theory and practice don't always match, and few people know this better than the individuals who oversee assembly lines. Their real-world experience has taught them that the best method to achieve success always depends on several application-specific factors. Among them are part size and shape, available automation, required cycle time and the materials being joined.

Bosch Rexroth's introduction of adaptive control in 2012 advanced the quality and efficiency of robotic resistance welding. Using cutting-edge hardware and software, adaptive control monitors various process parameters to perfect each weld.

Saving a penny per part or a millisecond of cycle time might not matter to some manufacturers. But machine builder Eclipse Automation knows that even small gains can offer huge competitive advantages for its customers. Greater flexibility and uptime through predictive maintenance are also crucial.

Automotive supplier Continental AG has developed its own line of autonomous automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for transporting parts in its assembly plants and warehouses. The autonomous AGVs can transport loads weighing more than a ton.

In late October, nine teams of college students representing 21 universities from around the world descended on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete in the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC). The event attracted engineers from as far away as Hawaii and South Korea.

Electronics in today's vehicles are increasingly complex. With more sensors, controls and interfaces all using higher bandwidth, faster data throughput and more reliable networks are required. The weight of the cables and harnesses in the vehicle is also a concern.

When it comes to automotive assembly, sometimes a one-solution-fits-all approach is the best one. Just ask the designers and assemblers at Local Motors, an American motor vehicle company located in Phoenix.

My wife works for one of the largest printers in the country. From August through October last year, nine of her co-workers died of COVID-19. All were shop-floor personnel who did not have the luxury of working from home. One was just 28 years old. None were vaccinated, despite ample monetary incentives to do so. Alarmed, the CEO held a companywide meeting via Zoom, begging employees to get vaccinated.