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The Near Future of Mechanical Drive for Humanoid Robots

AI has moved humanoid robots forward, but safety, reliability and cost in the actuator drivetrain still stand in the way of commercial deployment

With the development of AI and powerful computer algorithms, is the future of humanoid robotics now? The reality is that safety at speed, reliability and cost for electromechanical actuation still represent a significant challenge that limits the near-future commercial deployment of humanoids. In 1973, Ichiro Kato et al. at Waseda University developed WABOT-1. WABOT-1 could recognize and manipulate objects, speak and walk. In 1996, Honda developed the more advanced P2 Asimo humanoid robot. Honda’s humanoid launched the development of the first harmonic drives to minimize backlash and turn small electric motors into high-torque actuators for a stable walking biped. Honda’s robot had six-axis force/torque sensors and encoders that constitute today’s humanoid hardware.

Strain Wave Gear Production in the Age of Humanoid Robots

Humanoid robots need precise strain wave gears in their joints, and building and inspecting those gears at scale will call for equally advanced production technology

Perceive, Understand & Perform

AICA and Schaeffler demonstrate the role Physical AI can play in the manufacturing environment

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Technical Articles

Couplings and Clutches

A technical overview of the three principal face couplings (Hirth, Coniflex, and Curvic), comparing their tooth geometries, self-centering behavior, and Gleason’s cutting and grinding processes for manufacturing them.

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Root Interference

This excerpt from Gear Technology Solutions explains how oversized cutter blade edge radii cause root interference in bevel gears, and how to select correct radii to avoid noise, flank damage, and tooth fracture.

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Twenty Years of Pulsator Tests on Helicopter Gears

Leonardo Helicopters’ 20-year, 650+ test campaign characterizing tooth-root bending fatigue strength across gear materials, heat treatments, and finishing processes (notably shot peening and superfinishing) to support aerospace gear design.

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Conjugate Bevel and Hypoid Gears

An excerpt from Gear Technology Solutions by Dr. Hermann J. Stadtfeld exploring the mathematics behind conjugate bevel and hypoid gears—from the fundamental laws of gearing and the conditions for perfect conjugacy to why real-world power transmissions require deliberate crowning rather than theoretically exact conjugate designs.

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Design

E-Mobility is changing the gear market at an incredibly rapid pace. Software is adapting to meet these new challenges.

Grinding

The world of bevel gear grinding is a complex topic. How do you determine which grinding and dressing parameters to select for a desired surface finish? What type of grinding wheel should be used? What type of dresser should be used? How do all these factors affect the gear noise and quality levels? These are some questions that will be addressed in this article.

Inspection

In the present paper, a spline-joint design and the extension of a back-to-back test rig were presented, which enable the testing of crowned spline-joints under high rotational speed, medium torque, high test temperature, and angular misalignments.

Heat Treating

Press quenching is a tried-and-true process for the controlled hardening of flat, circular close tolerance parts. The process ensures good dimensional control and uniform hardening, thus allowing for seamless processing post heat treatment.

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Videos

Mazak Redefines Labor Shortages with Automation Solutions

From adding automation functions to fully automating the whole production line, Mazak can suggest the best solution to solve your labor shortages with technology tailored to each customer's production needs. 

 

 

Industry News

New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT (The Association for Manufacturing Technology), totaled $732.9 million in August 2026. 

Product News

At IMTS 2026 in Chicago, Siemens introduced Meet at the Machine, an initiative in which Siemens and machine tool builders jointly develop machining solutions. Each solution combines Siemens engineering software and automation hardware with the builder's machine. TRAK Machine Tools is the first partner.

Calendar

AIoT World Expo

Feb 9, 2027 - Feb 11, 2027

The AIoT World Expo (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) explores the potential of intelligent machines, prescriptive analytics, sensor driven analytics and block chain solutions. Attendees learn about IoT technologies that are driving the transformation in manufacturing, supply chain and operations.

Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2027

Feb 23, 2027 - Feb 25, 2027

CES 2027

Jan 6, 2027 - Jan 9, 2027

PowerGen 2027

Jan 18, 2027 - Jan 21, 2027

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The Gear Industry Buyers Guide is your complete directory of suppliers in the gear industry, including great companies like these.


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