From Components to Systems: Motion Engineering in the Era of Automation, Robotics and AI

AI may be making robots smarter, but the harder problem is increasingly one of orchestration. As robotics and automation systems move into more complex environments, motion, controls, software and sensing must work together seamlessly at scale.

It is a complexity that stems partly from the industry’s growing push toward automating higher-mix, lower-volume production, where flexibility and throughput carry equal weight. In this transition, engineering teams are forced to think across mechanical design, electronics, controls and electronics software from the outset, according to Kyle Thompson, Global Robotic Automation Manager, Regal Rexnord, Linear Motion Division.

“That pushes suppliers like us to deliver systems that don’t live in isolation but are designed to integrate into a broader control ecosystem,” he said. “As those systems mature, the motion platforms around them need to be smarter at synchronizing with robot controls, more configurable and better able to support collaborative safety expectations without complex tuning.”

For motion suppliers that means embedding connectivity, configurability and interoperability directly into hardware and control architectures. These advancements are happening alongside vision-enabled robotics and edge intelligence from companies such as Teradyne Robotics, which are expanding the operational envelope of collaborative and mobile systems, while industrial computing platforms from providers such as Teguar are pushing more processing power closer to the machine.

At the same time, precision motion specialists such as maxon are advancing high-efficiency motors and compact actuation systems that support increasingly space- and energy-constrained designs. As Thompson puts it, “motion solutions must be easier to deploy, easier to connect and more capable of working as part of a multi-axis, multi-vendor automation system.”

The implication for product developers is to ensure that motion systems function as part of an increasingly tightly coupled automation stack, where hardware performance, software orchestration and system interoperability are designed together from the outset. For Thompson, that systems-oriented approach is becoming more important. “We expect that systems-ready mindset to matter more each year,” he said.

The products and technologies in this roundup sit at the center of that transition. Across motion systems, embedded computing, robotics platforms and precision actuation, companies are reflecting how motion engineering is moving from a supporting role to one of the defining technologies of the next generation of automation.

1. Integrated Automation in Action

Regal Rexnord will showcase applications that bring together technologies from its Industrial Powertrain Solutions, Power Efficiency Solutions and Automation & Motion Control businesses. Booth spotlights include a series of application-focused demonstrations designed to showcase the company’s integrated approach to automation.

Highlights include a Smart Factory demo featuring seventh-axis systems, motors, linear units, couplings, gearing and software; an Adaptive Packaging application combining seventh-axis gantry systems, conveying technologies and predictive maintenance capabilities; an Autonomous Workflow exhibit integrating software, motors, brakes, gearing and linear motion technologies; and a Next-Generation Motion display highlighting advances in seventh-axis systems, linear units, motors and braking solutions.

Together, the demonstrations illustrate how the company is bringing motion, power transmission, controls and software technologies together to address increasingly complex automation challenges.

Three products to check out at their booth:

(i) Collaborative Seventh-Axis Motion

Thomson, a Regal Rexnord brand, will showcase its Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit (CTU), which the company describes as the industry’s first collaborative seventh-axis system for cobots. Designed as a plug-and-play solution, the CTU incorporates collision-detection capabilities and extends a cobot’s horizontal working range by up to 10 m. This will enable robots to serve multiple workstations and applications from a single installation.

(ii) Single Source Motion Integration

Kollmorgen is expanding its Essentials Motion System portfolio with the addition of the PCMM2G Essentials controller and a high-voltage drive rated up to 4 kW. The expanded platform gives OEMs more options to balance performance, scalability and cost while streamlining machine design through a fully integrated motion system sourced from a single supplier.

(iii) Brake with Built-in Position Sensing

Warner Electric’s Integrated Position Brake (IPB) combines a spring-applied, electrically released brake with a built-in absolute position sensor that eliminates the need for a separate encoder. The design adds just 9 mm to drivetrain length while reducing component count and simplifying integration, offering OEMs a more compact solution for space-constrained motion applications.

2. Physical AI Enhances Automation

Developing robots that can operate reliably in messy, unpredictable environments remains one of industrial automation’s central challenges. Teradyne Robotics is working on this by combining Universal Robots (UR) collaborative robots and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) autonomous mobile robots with AI-driven vision, learning and control systems.

With live demonstrations scheduled hourly, the company will present applications designed to learn from human demonstrations, adapt to changing conditions and handle objects whose position or orientation may not be known in advance. These capabilities are supported by PolyScope X, Universal Robots’ next-generation software platform, which is positioned as an AI-ready framework for more autonomous robotic behavior.

PolyScope X incorporates modern web technologies, containerized applications and native ROS 2 support, allowing developers and engineers to work within familiar software environments. It also introduces Logic Programs—continuously running, multi-threaded processes that operate alongside the main robot program. This type of background logic can coordinate multiple work-cell components and support data exchange. In some cases, it can reduce reliance on external PLCs, while running independently of safeguard stops, program pauses and robot power state.

Taken together, the demonstrations are intended to illustrate how the field of industrial robotics is evolving toward moving from strictly predefined programming toward systems that can perceive, interpret and respond to more variable real-world conditions. This is often referred to as physical AI.

The booth features a range of physical AI applications built around UR robots and MiR autonomous mobile robots that highlight how ecosystem partners are tackling unstructured industrial tasks. Demonstrations include force-sensitive polishing through learned motion with AICA; adaptive palletizing, mobile material handling and coordinated flow between a UR20, MiR600 and AI-enabled pallet jack from beRobox (PALTZ) and MiR Mobility; and a mobile cobot material transfer system using MiR250 and ROEQ.

Additional use cases feature Maple Advanced Robotics Inc.’s CAD-free spot sanding system powered by a UR8L, Trener Robotics’ Acteris platform enabling conversational deployment of machine tending on a UR7e, and Vention’s Rapid Operator AI bin-picking solution using a UR12e and 3D vision for unstructured part handling.

South Building–Booth 1250

3. Industrial PCs for AI

Visit Teguar to see how industrial PCs are being asked to handle everything from AI inference to machine connectivity in ever smaller footprints. The provider of advanced industrial and medical computer solutions will debut its Regiment Series of fanless industrial edge box PCs, spanning high-performance AI systems, compact edge AI platforms and lightweight IoT gateways.

The lineup includes the Intel Core-powered Regis for machine vision and edge AI workloads (Regis TB-7393), the Core Ultra-based Optio with an integrated NPU for on-device AI processing (Optio TB-7293), and the compact Scout gateway for secure data aggregation and thin-client deployments (Scout TB-6293).

These systems are designed for harsh environments and combine wider operating temperature ranges, flexible I/O and expansion options and support for applications ranging from collaborative robotics and vision systems to industrial networking and centralized computing architectures.

North Building—Booth 32022

4. Uptime-Driven Network Design

Industrial networks are becoming faster, more distributed and increasingly critical to uptime. That calls for updated infrastructure. The latest demands are emerging around deterministic performance, rapid recovery and simplified lifecycle management at the edge. For example, the N-Tron NT7000 Series from HMS Networks is a next-generation industrial Ethernet switch platform is designed deterministic performance and lifecycle simplicity in demanding industrial environments.

Key technical differentiators include ultra-fast startup with traffic forwarding in under 7 seconds, rapid N-Ring redundancy recovery of about 20 ms, and hardware-based IEEE 1588 PTP support for sub-microsecond time synchronization—targeting motion control, robotics and other time-sensitive applications where timing variability is critical.

Beyond performance, the platform emphasizes deployment and maintenance efficiency through tools such as N-View 3 for network discovery and monitoring, micro-SD-based configuration backup and restore for rapid replacement, and integrated support for EtherNet/IP environments via CIP messaging AOI and faceplates. A modular hardware design supports copper and fiber configurations for scalable industrial architectures.

Ruggedized for real-world deployment, the switches carry certifications including UL, ATEX, IECEx, ODVA, marine and railway standards, and are designed for shock, vibration, surge protection and wide temperature ranges in DIN-rail-mounted metal enclosures.

South Building — Booth 3076