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Creating new designs includes a wide view of the possibilities long before nailing down the details. These Robot Bugs Inspired by Nature Mimic the Real Thing Creating new designs includes a wide view of the possibilities long before nailing down the details. Terry Persun Museums Sep 23, 2025 Cool Stuff Entertainment Engineering Magazine is based on the concept of technology transfer where an engineer reading an article about one industry will instantly transfer that information to whatever project or projects they might be involved with in other industries. We’ve also heard this called cross-industry innovation. Well, Festo has been doing something similar only using nature as the crossover point and then cross-industry innovation. It’s pretty cool and we thought we’d bring some of their thinking to you. In a talk given by Dr. Elias Knubben, Head of corporate bionic projects at Festo, we learn some important elements about how creativity is being used to advance automation. EE pulled some of the key points from a video produced by Wired UK. Here’s what we got from the talk: Festo has a small team that explores technology through the window of nature. They’ve created butterflies and dragonflies, but also ants that work together as a team, and have recreated what resembles the tongue of a lizard. Many of the capabilities designed using nature as a model have seen their way into industrial products including control systems and robot end effectors. To create innovative products, the small team that works with Dr. Knubben goes for concept first. They look for something innovative, fascinating, educational, and inspiring. These elements are necessary so that the project gets everyone’s attention, gets everyone involved. Each member must bring confidence and the courage to fail to the project even as early prototypes are created, even when they are requesting funding. Ultimately, though, the risk is shared. From this point, the whole team can come together. By working in interdisciplinary teams that literally work side by side, each person can come at a possible solution from a different angle. Using biological role models for inspiration, the team gets started as quickly and easily as possible. Once started they are able to incubate their ideas and then put several methods into place at the same time. During the project phase, Dr. Knubben’s team constantly zooms in and out to come up with iterations and variants on a particular project. To do this, Festo incorporates generalists to keep an eye on the big picture and specialists to dive deeply into the technical details such as creating the circuit boards, writing code etc. Together, the team has the freedom and the playground to work on any project. In the end, the results are not simply to mimic nature, like an ant or kangaroo but the algorithms used to get there, the principles of operation that are now available for other industrial automation devices. Because Festo is involved with a wide variety of industries such as electronics, automotive, life sciences, process control, food processing, and others, the company is continually employing cross-industry innovation to move their products into the future. Much of the innovation for this forward motion comes from nature. Something Fun A fun display created by Festo for a recent tradeshow uses a Rube Goldberg approach to take viewers through the history of automation. Rube Goldberg takes a simple process and represents it using a complex and convoluted series of chain reactions. Called the Incredible Machine, the Festo display starts with moving the wings of a butterfly as a metaphor for the butterfly effect: the concept in chaos theory where a small change in conditions leads to vastly different outcomes in a complex system. Watch the video below and see just how significant one small event can become by moving through a variety of technologies in various industries only to end similar to how it began. *All photos courtesy of Festo. For information: Festo: https://www.festo.com/us/en/ Adaptive Shape Gripper: https://www.festo.com/us/en/p/adaptive-shape-gripper-id_DHEF/?q=robotic%20grippers~:festoSortOrderScored Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Spanning multiple continents, the tour required a production system capable of maintaining consistent, high-quality visuals wherever it traveled. The Specialized Visual Technology at Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism Tour Spanning multiple continents, the tour required a production system capable of maintaining consistent, high-quality visuals wherever it traveled. Edited by EE Staff Stage Events Mar 9, 2026 Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour is the biggest of her career. Before reaching the Americas, she captivated audiences across 44 shows throughout Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Behind this extraordinary success is a touring production every bit as ambitious and consistent as Dua’s vision. Creative Technology (CT) has been central to making that possible, delivering the complete video system and service that brought the show to life. Creative Technology’s collaboration with Dua Lipa’s team has evolved from a simple projector set-up to a stadium-scale spectacle. Their working relationship remained clear and collaborative from the start, letting both sides focus on creative solutions instead. This foundation of trust enabled Dua Lipa’s team to aim high, confident that CT would deliver on every requirement. Photos in this piece are credited to Luke Dyson, Jordan Munns, and Mitch Lowe. The Radical Optimism Tour spanned multiple continents before its European run began. That demanded a production system capable of maintaining consistent, high-quality visuals wherever it traveled. CT designed the system in London, ensuring all components could be matched regionally. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, local partners like Big Picture delivered equivalent ROE LED screens, maintaining continuity across the tour. Beyond the logistics, the creative requirements were substantial. The production included specialized solutions from a wide variety of companies including Panasonic CineLive cameras with Canon lenses for a cinematic aesthetic, Sony FR7 cameras mounted on Waterbird tracks and Autopod systems for dynamic movement, and ROE Black Quartz LED screens shaped into a distinctive onstage wave using a custom shim system for precise angles. All of these components were essential elements used for the show’s visual storytelling. CT incorporated multiple servers and control systems to help integrate all the functions necessary for the tour. This included Disguise GX3Media Servers, Atmos Shogun Studio 2 monitor-recorders, and StageRacer 2 complete optical fiber transmission solution for broadcasting. CT’s role was to make sure the team could achieve their creative ideas by managing the full touring video system, providing consistency and quality across continents. The company’s integration approach allowed the touring crew to operate efficiently across venues from Singapore’s Indoor Stadium to Wembley. Every detail of the tour was optimized for life on the road. Having access to a global network proved essential during the tour. For example, when a minor technical issue arose in Singapore, the local CT office quickly sourced and delivered a replacement part within hours. This ability to tap into a worldwide infrastructure gave the production team peace of mind, knowing that support was never far away, even on the other side of the world. Photos in this piece are credited to Luke Dyson, Jordan Munns, and Mitch Lowe. The Radical Optimism Tour has been a milestone in Dua Lipa’s career, breaking her previous touring records. Through it all, CT’s video system delivered consistent, impressive visuals that transformed the show for stadium audiences while staying practical and easy to tour. As Dua Lipa’s star continues to rise, CT looks forward to supporting the next chapter in her remarkable live career. For information: Creative Technologies ROE Creative Display Disguise Media Servers Atmos Monitor-Recorders Ereca Stage Racer 2 More stage event technologies >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Automated guitar plays more than two dozen songs Pneumatic Guitar Mimics Motion of Human Hand Automated guitar plays more than two dozen songs EE Staff Cool Stuff Jun 4, 2025 When employees at Clippard Instrument Laboratory set out to make a new exhibit for their 2012 trade show schedule, they wanted something cool and unique that would draw attention to their pneumatic and automation products. Their answer is a pneumatic guitar that plays more than two dozen songs with over 36 notes running on 50-psi air pressure. Rob Clippard, the guitar’s primary designer and developer, recalls part of the challenge was making the guitar. “We had myself and a few other engineers working on it, sometimes pulling all nighters,” he says. Others working on the project include Chris Rhodes, Jerry Grotelueschen, Brett Vidal, Bill Clippard and Ed Ehrhardt. The main design challenge was trying to mimic the motion of the human hand. “If you asked 100 engineers how to do this, you might get 100 different ideas on how to build a pneumatic system,” says Clippard. He adds one of the hardest parts was the “fret,” or the control of what would be the left hand that holds down the strings along the guitar’s neck. “You have to come off the strings with a certain velocity to mute the string at the correct time while sliding your hand to position your fingers for the next set of notes,” he explains. “Engineering the movement, positioning, and force feedback systems for this application is hard to replicate in a more cost-effective solution as pneumatics.” There were marketing challenges with the exhibit too. “With this exhibit we are getting people to think about new applications with pneumatics,” explains Clippard. “We are also trying to show that Clippard does more than sell pneumatic components. Our engineers use creativity to design, development, assembly, test, among other functions to simplify the tasks for other companies in terms of effort.” The pneumatic guitar has 58 electronic valves and 62 miniature pneumatic cylinders from 5/32” diameters up to half-inch bore that help mimic the motion of the human hand “fretting” , “picking” and “strumming” the six guitar strings. A Wi-Fi card and iPad with a midi player app control of the pneumatic guitar. All other guitar parts are standard, off-the-shelf units, except the manifolds. Engineers at the company normally custom design their own manifolds in house with Solidworks CAD software. But with this job, they were able to use a vector-based drawing program for tracing the outline of the guitar to guide laser cutting of the manifold and valve subplates. For more information: Clippard Home Solidworks Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

An animatronic is more than a handfull of actuators stuffed inside a furry package. True animatronics must look authentic and move in a realistic manner, producing smooth motion across a range of operating speeds. Building High-End Animatronics An animatronic is more than a handfull of actuators stuffed inside a furry package. True animatronics must look authentic and move in a realistic manner, producing smooth motion across a range of operating speeds. Terry Persun Theme Parks Jun 7, 2025 Cool Stuff Romaire Studios leveraged in-house expertise for the artistic design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, programming, and installation efforts required for each of their projects. They leave no detail unresolved, which is critical to the successful design of unique products, purpose-built for a specific applications. Clients typically provide key references to the studio, including a creative direction and technical requirements, but it is the responsibility of the studio to take those references and develop a robust and reliable design. In the case of animatronic figures, these references can include a list of anatomical functions that the figure must possess, such as facial expressions, head movement, limb movement, body twists, and more. All functions, regardless of speed or range, are approached with the same attention to detail and engineering precision. In this article, we will discuss the design and fabrication of five animatronic figures the studio built for a THEA-award-winning attraction operating in a major Hollywood theme park. One particular figure is considered one of the most complex animatronic characters the theme park has ever commissioned in terms of function count and packaging density. Each of the five configurations of the figures had to fit within the unique storyline of the scene in which it was located. The animatronics were mainly constructed from CNC-machined aluminum parts, but they often incorporate steel components when additional strength was needed. The shells that form the organic body shapes of each figure were designed to be fabricated using 3D printing technology. Photo: Romaire Studios offers a world class research and development team incorporating sophisticated engineering practices. Maxon motors are used in many designs for their robust quality and long life. Each animatronic incorporates multiple motion systems that must be accurately controlled for position and speed so that the figures can be programmed to play back show-specific animation profiles. An animation is typically generated via live puppeteering or derived from a digital animation using Maya software. The animation is then streamed to the motors via an animation controller. If the motors cannot keep up with the motion, the system will produce a fault. Using reliable high-performance motors is the only approach that ensures the system will run flawlessly. After the studio’s team of engineers have designed the mechanisms for a figure’s functions, they use multi-body dynamic simulations to calculate the torque and speed required to meet the creative performance of each figure. The whole process is highly iterative because the figures are so densely packaged. The motors selected to achieve the required motions must fit into compact spaces alongside various other mechanisms; oftentimes, the character must be redesigned using different mechanisms, alternate motors, or both. Adjacent mechanisms often affect each other as they battle for space until the final product is achieved. Motor Selection The motors used in Romaire Studios’ animatronics must offer high-performance, high-reliability, and long life; the minimum lifespan of a figure is typically 20 years, operating for 16 hours per day, 365 days per year. This means that the motor manufacturer must be as detail-oriented, and quality-focused as the studio. This is why maxon precision motors are often selected to be incorporated into their designs. It is important to note here that the motors are not used like they might be when incorporated into a manufacturing setting where constant speed or torque is required. Rather, the motors must follow an animation curve that is delivered using 16-bit position data at 100 frames per second. For the award-winning Hollywood project, the company purchased 63 motors for the project, using up to 24 maxon motors in a single animatronic. The main components used were brushless DC motors. EC-max motors of various sizes from 16mm to 30mm were combined with integrated planetary gearboxes of various reductions. At times, the motors interfaced with maxon motor’s EPOS4 50/5 drives, depending on the application. The engineering team at Romaire Studios used EPOS Studio to commission the drives, which made implementation fairly straight-forward. The hurdle was in developing the animation controller to work with the EPOS drives, which took additional firmware updates and troubleshooting before it was developed into a reliable system. Maxon motors offer a wide range of advantages to Romaire Studio’s projects. For example, the DC brushless motors provide a high torque value from a very small package. The line offers a wide variety of speed and torque combinations, as well, which allows for an ideal motor package to be available within a very confined space. This goes along with the availability of various gearboxes with very high ratios (>300:1), allowing for extremely high torque in a small package when required. Most importantly was the smoothness of the motion the motors are able to provide, even at slow speeds, due to the non-cogging motors. Compactness is a valuable feature of maxon’s motor drivers and controllers as well, which allows the company to package them within the figures, rather than externally. Great design and performance are important, but so is customer service. Maxon sales engineers were available to help the studio specify the required motors whenever there was a concern about proper fit and performance. Questions about the full capabilities available to them were answered quickly and with backup information when needed. All aspects of the working relationship were up front and quickly handled. Challenges Overcome Packaging all of that equipment inside an already full mechanical structure can definitely be a challenge. During the design stages, Romaire Studios engineers must come up with innovative solutions to achieve the desired motion within very tight spaces. In fact, the company was awarded a patent for a curling ear mechanism designed for this particular project. Another unique challenge they faced was the combination of performance with creative intent. Every customer has a particular vision for their project, and often meeting their vision with mechanical and motor solutions creates new ways to approach a project. Every animatronic must look as good as it performs. Through the use of realistic artistic designs and highly innovative mechanical and electrical engineering, Romaire Studios has helped to set the standard for movie-quality realism in theme park animatronic figures. Incorporating the highest quality mechanical systems and motion components helps keep the company at the forefront of the industry. For more information: Romaire Studios, Inc. maxon motor Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

It takes a creative approach to develop the controls for a museum exhibit that simulates a bat’s echolocation. Museum Exhibit Technology Simulates Echolocation It takes a creative approach to develop the controls for a museum exhibit that simulates a bat’s echolocation. By Jay Rees, PE, Rees Engineering Corp. Museums Aug 18, 2025 Cool Stuff Over my years working as an Automation Systems Integrator, I occasionally get projects that are different from the normal industrial process and manufacturing systems, such as developing the controls for a unique museum exhibit to simulate a bat’s echolocation. This project was for the Children’s Center of Sofia, in Sofia, Bulgaria, which prompted the name “The Bulgarian Bat Detector.” In a near dark environment, the museum visitors rotate a viewfinder toward a display depicting an environment for bats. A couple of bats located in the display are the targets for the detector. As the viewfinder approaches the bat’s position, the sound level of an audio track increases in volume with a maximum level when pointed directly at a bat. The volume level decreases as the viewfinder leaves the bat’s position. Photo courtesy of Rees Engineering. The control solution required that the bats are actually detected, which meant that the controls must compare the direction of the viewfinder to the location of the bats in the display. The volume of the audio track is set based on the position of the viewfinder relative to the bats with volume increasing when approaching the bat and decreasing when leaving. The biggest hurdle encountered was how to control the audio volume without excessive development and testing while also keeping costs low. As an experienced automation systems integrator, I did not have a volume control solution in my bag of tricks, and it quickly became apparent that some type of hybrid solution was needed. The position detection and process logic would be handled with an AutomationDirect CLICK® PLC, the audio playback would use a commercially available digital audio repeater, and the volume adjustment solution would need to be built using electronic components. The viewfinder’s position is determined using a touchless Hall Effect encoder attached to the rotating shaft of the viewfinder to determine the rotational position of the magnet. The encoder output of 0.25V to 4.75V DC represents 0 to 360 degrees. This output range is perfectly suited for the CLICK’s built in 0V to 5V analog input. The PLC also has a built-in scaling configuration for the analog input providing the position’s 0-to-360-degree value. For the audio playback, I used the QuikWave™ EM38A, which is often used by museum exhibit developers. It allows MP3 audio files to be played in a variety of ways. For this application we used a playback script to run a single audio file in a continuous loop. Here's what a bat's echolocation sounds like. Audio Volume Solution One of the more challenging parts of the project involved how to control the audio volume from a PLC output. My customer, Andrew Tomasulo of Connect Interactives, came up with a solution that used Light Dependent Resistors (LDR), which consists of an LED and a photoresistor as a single device. The intensity of the LED regulates the resistance of the photoresistor. Because the only connection between the LED and the photoresistor is light, the photoresistor is an isolated and passive device. The PLC’s 0-5V analog output signal is used to vary the device’s resistance. In order to use the LDR solution for volume control, two LDR units are set up as a voltage divider. Two separate 0-5V analog outputs from the PLC provided opposite voltages to the devices (0-5V and 5-0V). The resistance of the LDR’s is from 1,200 ohms down to 60 ohms, which provides a full volume control range. The setup adjustment control uses four potentiometers to set the target locations for the bats in the display. The audio output volume increases and drops within +/- 10 degree range of the target. A 5V power supply voltage regulator (LM7805) was added to the circuit board to power the potentiometers. The outputs of the potentiometers are sent to an analog input module of the CLICK PLC. Photo courtesy of Rees Engineering. Packaging the System All of the components were packed into a 12- x 10- x 5-inch non-metallic enclosure. Field connections are made using Micro (M12) connections and the power cord uses a European Schuko plug (remember this unit is going to Bulgaria). The custom circuit board was hand assembled and mounted on stand-offs. Almost all of the components came from AutomationDirect except the audio playback unit, custom circuit board, potentiometers, and the power cord. Photo courtesy of Rees Engineering. This was a fun project with its share of challenges but in the end it all worked out (and no bats were harmed in the process). I’m thinking of adding a trip to Sofia, Bulgaria, to my bucket list so I can see and hear the unit in operation. For more information: Rees Engineering AutomationDirect CLICK PLC QuikWave Audio Player Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for three years in a row. Find out how engineers are designing paddles for maximum performance. Carbon Fiber Foam Core Pickleball Paddle Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for three years in a row. Find out how engineers are designing paddles for maximum performance. Joe Gillard Sports Jun 16, 2025 Body Helix, a pickleball equipment provider, announced the upcoming launch of their FLiK F1 with TerraCoreXC pickleball paddle which the company says employs their “Gen 4 Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) foam core technology.” The paddles, which are designed for “controlled power and spin,” are slated for release in July, and are USAP-approved. TerraCoreXC Technology TerraCoreXC is the name given to the paddle technology Body Helix says is a patent-pending Gen 4 EPP foam core that “shatters the limitations of traditional polypropylene honeycomb cores.” The core is built using a bonding process. Conventional cores, according to the company, can suffer from rapid breakdown, dead spots, and harsh feedback. For precision, these paddles are designed for a longer dwell time paired with a proprietary high-friction peel ply surface. The paddle also has an area of fiberglass on top of the 4 layers of carbon fiber for “added pop” and for providing power, says the company. Engineered for Excellence The paddle design is a 16.5" x 7.5" elongated shape with a face that features four layers of Toray T700 carbon fiber which the company says gives it its strength-to-weight ratio, and has a central fiberglass area for “added pop.” The handle is made from a solid polyurethane. “This precise layering provides the perfect balance of stiffness for power, flexibility for feel, and surface texture for spin, while the fiberglass layer adds a crucial element of dampening and enhances durability, creating a truly robust and high-performing paddle face,” explained Body Helix founder and head of R&D Fred Robinson in a blog post about the technology. The company says that it utilized player feedback in designing the paddle. “The FLiK F1 with TerraCoreXC is the culmination of over a year of research and player feedback,” said Robinson. “We’ve engineered a paddle that solves real player complaints - a paddle with power that doesn't "break in" while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in pickleball technology.” Body Helix says players eager to experience TerraCoreXC can try the Sandbox F1XC , a limited-edition Sandbox version, while awaiting the official launch. For more information: Body Helix Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Sign up for Entertainment Engineering Magazine's newsletter for the latest innovative technologies and epic applications. Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration, insights, and compelling applications. View past newsletters here. Help us ensure our content remains relevant and valuable. Please tell us about your expertise and current challenges. First name* Last name* Company name Job title Engineering Expertise (please check all that apply) Electrical/Electronics Fluid Power Materials Mechanical Other / Additional Expertise Tell us more about your expertise What is your most pressing technology, tech-transfer, or innovation challenge? Company Size 0–50 51–250 251–1000 Over 1000 Primary Industry (please check all that apply) Aerospace Automation Automotive Broadcast (Radio, TV, etc.) Communications/ Telecommunications Computers/ Peripherals Construction Consumer Products Entertainment Heavy Equipment Industrial/ Manufacturing Machine Tool Marine Medical/ Life Sciences Military/ Government Packaging and Production Robotics Semiconductor Other Purchasing influence or involvement (please check all that apply) Computers/ Peripherals Factory Automation Hydraulics/ Pneumatics Mechanical Components Motors and Motion Control Plastics and Other Materials Robotics Sensors and Transducers Software Support Components Other Favorite Type of Entertainment (please check all that apply) Amusement Parks Books/Reading Computer/Internet Concerts Games Movies Music Outdoor Sports Television Theater/Stage Performances Other Email* Subscribe or Renew Your Free Subscription Our team thanks you.

A conversation with Joe Rando on how teams of creative engineers bring entertainment to life in stage, film, theme parks, and more WATCH: One-on-One with Joe Rando of Rando Productions A conversation with Joe Rando on how teams of creative engineers bring entertainment to life in stage, film, theme parks, and more EE Staff Stage Events Feb 16, 2026 Theme Parks Terry Persun sat down with Joe Rando, whose company, Rando Productions provides custom technology for major entertainment productions that include theme parks, television, and much more. Rando explains how, in an AI age, it remains essential to employ teams of creative engineers to create entertainment experiences that tell stories and connect with audiences on an emotional level. Persun and Rando dive deep into the nitty gritty behind-the-scenes of how Rando Prodictions works year round on custom technology to consistently deliver specially designed machines and technology in specific timeframes. Watch the full interview here: For more information: Rando Productions Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Here’s a look at some of the challenges overcome to build the remarkable space science observatory The James Webb Space Telescope Here’s a look at some of the challenges overcome to build the remarkable space science observatory Joe Gillard Cool Stuff Jun 7, 2025 In July of 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) marked its one-year anniversary on-station a million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. Its breathtaking imagery, derived from infrared (IR) wavelengths, shows galaxies at the farthest reaches of space and time, future planetary systems in the making, and previously invisible details of Earth’s solar system neighbors. Origins, challenges The JWST, an international program led by NASA, was conceived in 1988 as a follow-on to the Hubble Space Telescope. To see farther than Hubble, the new observatory would have to use IR light. It required a lens more than 20ft (6.5m) across, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court to protect it from heat sources that would overwhelm the faint IR signatures of distant stars. In operation, these structures are too large to fit atop any rocket. The lens and sunshield would have to survive launch, then unfold flawlessly to be reassembled in space. Photo: Mirror (left) and an image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (right) Mirror The mirror collecting the IR light is composed of 18 hexagonal segments, each nearly five feet across. On orbit, small motors carefully realign the segments into a honeycomb surface. Northrop Grumman was the prime contractor for the JWST. In 2004, the contractor responsible for the mirror, Axsys Technologies, selected Mitsui Seiki to supply the machine tools needed to produce the mirror segments. The president of Mitsui Seiki USA at the time, Scott Walker, recalls the challenges of building eight Mitsui Seiki HS6A horizontal machining centers, with near-identical tolerances, to manufacture the mirror segments. “The [machines’] axes are straight to 2µm, and the perpendicularity is within 3µm over 1m. This is remarkable for machines of this size.” For comparison, 2µm (0.002mm) equals 0.00007874″, about 1/50 the thickness of a human hair. The 18 mirror segments would be machined from billets of cast beryllium – a light, stiff, strong, thermally stable metal with some toxicity – “and very difficult to polish into the perfect shape,” Walker says. Each billet weighed 700 lb (318kg), reduced to 28 lb (13kg) by the end of 18 weeks of machining time. The mirror surface’s specified thickness was 0.098″ ±0.003″ (2.49mm ±0.076mm). The 600 pockets cut into the back of each mirror panel featured eight different rib segments, 0.021″ to 0.2″ (0.53mm to 5mm) thick. The experience had lessons for future Mitsui Seiki machines. “What we learned on those big horizontal 4-axis machines was how to build accurate, big 5-axis machines,” Walker says. “I don’t think we could have successfully built a big 1m or 2m trunnion machine, and 20µm in the cube, without doing those eight machines.” Sunshield “We don’t want the telescope to glow brighter than the stars it’s looking at, so the telescope has to be cold – only 55°F above absolute zero or -361°F (-218°C),” says Mike Menzel, the NASA mission systems engineer for the JWST at the Goddard Space Flight Center How do you get 3 metric tons of telescope to that temperature? The first part is putting it one1 million miles away, a place where the Earth, sun, and moon can be behind the spacecraft. “We’ll build a big umbrella called the sunshield that’ll keep the telescope in the shade, and the telescope will naturally cool down to that temperature,” Menzel explains. The sunshield is illuminated by 200,000W of solar radiation, but it must only transmit 0.02W. “I tell people if it were suntan lotion, it would have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 10 million.” The sunshield is abou 69 feet x 49 feet And it must fit into an 18-foot-diameter launcher. The only way to do that is to fold it up. “Folding up the sunshield was one of the banes of my existence, because now it has to unfold in orbit,” Menzel says. “When I started in this business in 1981, the very first thing I learned was never deploy anything in space. Something always goes wrong.” “My colleagues are all standing around, thinking of how this thing needs to get out there, unfold, and work. And I’m thinking, I’m either going to have a job, or I’m not going to have a job or ever be able to get another one.” During ground testing, every time the delicate sunshield was unfolded, it took about three months to fold it back up, requiring three-story tall cherry pickers to accomplish the repacking. The development program for the process took about three years. The JWST required 50 of the most complex deployments ever attempted. Once the JWST reached space, the solar panel array deployed to start putting electrical power back into the batteries used during launch. After the JWST passed the moon’s orbit, two big panels which carry the folded-up sunshield were rotated. All the deployments were controlled from the ground and took 14 days. “We released 107 actuators that allow roll-up covers to unfold the sunshield,” Menzel states. Complicating matters, the sunshield is composed of five individual layers of reflective material, made of specially coated Kapton. Individual pulley systems tighten up the layers into the correct trapezoidal shape. Each layer must be the correct distance from each other, and extend fully to properly isolate the telescope from stray IR radiation. Next, the telescope’s secondary mirror must move into position, and the wings of the main mirror rotate from their stored position and lock in place. “All the deployments went successfully: 344 single-point failure items all had to work correctly for this to happen,” Menzel says. The cool-down period went correctly, and the telescope was aligned. “We literally had to rebuild that telescope and realign it on-orbit. That has never been done before,” Menzel says. By April 2022, all the instruments were working, and the first images were revealed in July. “The first image I saw was a galaxy cluster about 4 billion light years from us. But so many objects in it are about 13 billion light years away,” Menzel recalls. It took Hubble 14 days to gather the images to assemble a similar image. This JWST image required only 12 hours. After he saw that first image, Menzel knew he had a job for the next 20 years. He’s confident the JWST will be operational that long because the rocket put it exactly on target at L2. “We put 10 years of maneuvering fuel on it, but because we had such a great launch, the fuel will last for 20 years,” Menzel says proudly. The telescope is working twice as good as it’s supposed to, Menzel says. “We’re supposed to be diffraction limited at a wavelength of 2µm. We’re currently diffraction limited at 1µm, meaning the total error on that telescope is only about 1µm divided by 14.” Goals What can the JWST accomplish? Menzel lists the project’s goals: “When this started, we had four science objectives. First, we want to see the first light that turned on in the universe, which we believe began about 13.7 billion years ago, right after the big bang. There was a dark period where there’s no light, but maybe about 400 million years after that, the first stars came and we want to see them.” “Next, we want to see how galaxies evolve through cosmic time. When you look at the galaxies very far away in the universe, they look like blobs. We want to see how those blobs evolve into spirals or other structures. We want to see how stars are born in our own Milky Way galaxy. And finally, we want to see how solar systems are born and how they evolve to make planets.” “With a year of science under our belts, we know exactly how powerful this telescope is, and have delivered a year of spectacular data and discoveries,” says Webb Senior Project Scientist Jane Rigby of the Goddard Space Flight Center. “We’ve selected an ambitious set of observations for year two that builds on everything we’ve learned so far. Webb’s science mission is just getting started – there’s so much more to come.” Originally published in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

What happens when you get a team of engineers and technologists together to see if they can recreate devices only found in comics, television shows, and in superhero films? Bringing The Mandalorian's Gadgets to Life What happens when you get a team of engineers and technologists together to see if they can recreate devices only found in comics, television shows, and in superhero films? Edited by Terry Persun Film and TV Aug 4, 2026 In Chapter Six of The Hacklorian series, Hacksmith Industries focuses on designing and fabricating Mando’s grappling hook winch, based on the Disney+ show, The Mandalorian . As many engineers know, the crew at Hacksmith Industries has been designing and building all types of functioning prototypes of devices originally created in comics, movies, and video games, such as Captain America’s shield, Thor’s Hammer, Star Wars light saber, the entire Mandalorian suit and other projects. Their whole idea is to “make it real” and they’ve done an inspiring job at doing just that. Like any designs of something truly innovative there are failures and successes. The greatest thing about The Hacklorian series as well as their other videos is that the team doesn’t give up. You get to experience not only the failures but an explanation as to what their fix is. Every company that they partner with has to sign up for a similar commitment. When the Hacksmith team decided to prototype the world’s fastest grappling hook winch, made famous on The Mandalorian series, they partnered with Protolabs. Using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), Protolabs was able to 3D print the metal revolving spool which controls the rope connected to the grappling hook. The winch had to easily lift as much as 200 lbs, which would be a testament to the durability and strength of metal 3D-printed parts. DMLS is an industrial metal 3D printing process that builds fully functional metal prototypes as well as production parts depending on the application. This technology is typically used when a company requires production-grade parts or functional parts for end-use. Because DMLS uses 3D printing technologies the machines are able to create complex geometries, and often reduce the number of metal components in an assembly. Protolabs services its customers with multiple 3D printing technologies for a wide variety of applications across all industries. When accuracy and repeatability are needed, Protolabs can select the right system for the required outcome. In addition, the company is able to provide design suggestions to help improve part manufacturability, enhance cosmetic appearance, and reduce overall production time. For the Hacksmith Industries application, Protolabs was able to provide fast turnarounds within the rigid specifications the application required. Through their YouTube channel, Hacksmith Industries aims to inspire the next generation to consider STEM fields. Protolabs was excited to play a role in that mission. *Images courtesy of Disney, sourced from MovieStillsdb. For information: Protolabs Hacksmith Industries Read more about film and TV >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Along with comparative analysis tools, Trek Bicycle was able to fine-tune prototypes, investigate potential issues, and adjust their manufacturing process. How Industrial CT Scanning Allows Engineers to Examine Parts Non-Destructively Along with comparative analysis tools, Trek Bicycle was able to fine-tune prototypes, investigate potential issues, and adjust their manufacturing process. Edited by EE Staff Sports Feb 24, 2026 Trek Bicycle is on a mission to make the world a better place to live and ride. Despite humble beginnings in a Wisconsin barn, Trek has been on the cutting edge from day one. Starting with its visionary early entry into carbon fiber bike frames, Trek’s engineering teams continue to embrace new technologies that will benefit their riders. According to Chad Manuell, Global Director of Engineering, Trek, “Our goal is to make only products we love. To do that, we need to have access to the best tools. Over the years, our products have become more complicated, and the tools we use have gotten more sophisticated.” CT scanning had been on Trek’s wish list for a long time, but the complexity and cost of legacy systems kept this vital inspection tool out of reach. Easy to use and significantly less expensive than competitors, the Lumafield Neptune scanner and Voyager analysis software made it possible for Trek to add CT to its core engineering toolkit. “When we got the opportunity to bring a Neptune in-house, we jumped on it,” Manuell said. The Neptune scanner and Voyager analysis software have delivered actionable insights to help Trek create products that both they and their customers love. Examining parts non-destructively with industrial CT allows Trek to understand the implementation of their designs. Larry Lardieri, Product Design Engineer, notes that “The Neptune scanner has given us the ability to look at our prototypes even more closely. It helps us investigate potential issues like adhesion, porosity, and plastic part design shrinkage.” Using Voyager’s suite of comparative analysis tools, including CAD Comparisons, Trek can tune design and production parameters to adapt to a manufacturing process. By overlaying a CAD file on a scan of a finished physical product, Voyager computes deviation from the design and visualizes it using color maps. Images courtesy of Lumafield and Trek. Legacy CT systems process and store data locally, usually requiring a dedicated operator and hardware system. Interacting with this invaluable data has traditionally been restricted to technicians. Lumafield's cloud-based software, however, gives engineers direct access to their scan data, and lets them share it with colleagues. Lumafield’s Voyager analysis software allows Trek engineers to easily access and share scan data, collaborate on analysis workflows, and visualize both external and internal features — all within their own web browser. Anyone using Voyager can author bookmarks, leave comments, and collaborate on analysis in real-time using Voyager’s user-friendly interface. Trek engineers also use Voyager’s high-resolution images of both 2D slice planes and 3D volumetric reconstructions for internal presentations, enabling them to solicit feedback from across teams and chart the progress of product development. Advancing e-Bike Battery Technology The electronics of the future are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which must be carefully integrated into products. This is especially true of products that push the limits of size, weight, and ergonomics. Trek has emerged as an industry leader in electric bikes, and its engineers are constantly innovating on battery integration. For Trek’s eSystems team, CT scanning has emerged as a safe and effective way to inspect the details of these critical components. For batteries, destructive testing not only deprives engineers of insight but can also be dangerous. With industrial CT, Trek engineers gain deep insights into battery enclosure design, latching mechanisms, and overall performance. Voyager’s advanced dimensioning tools allow for automated measurements that can help elucidate the integrity and performance of lithium-ion batteries. Enhancing Safety by Quantifying Impact Rider safety is a top priority at Trek, and CT scanning provides important insights for both bike frame and helmet design by illuminating how they respond to impacts. With Neptune and Voyager, Trek engineers can comprehensively study the way impacts affect a wide variety of materials used in bike parts and helmets. Images courtesy of Lumafield and Trek. To understand which materials and frame designs are less susceptible to everyday impacts from rock strikes and collisions, Trek engineers intentionally impact sections of bike frames and then analyze them with Lumafield’s CT scanning platform. Voyager enables engineers “to be able to do some real exact measurements of the impact site after the first hit, second hit, third hit, which allows us much more information than was previously available,”Manuell said. Megan Bland-Rothgeb, a Helmet Research Engineer at Trek, is able to use CT to quantify helmet impacts. This allows Trek to analyze designs to create high-performance helmets. Lumafield’s Expanded Scan Volume feature broadens the field of view on the Neptune scanner, enabling the inspection of parts that are up to 80% larger than before. Many bike helmets fall into this range and can now be fully scanned at high resolution. Trek’s meticulous, data-driven approach to understanding bike frame and helmet impact dynamics fuels the development of longer-lasting and more reliable products. Trek harnesses the power of Lumafield’s Neptune CT scanner and Voyager analysis software to fortify their product development process. From non-destructive testing of bike frames and parts to advancing e-bike battery integration and enhancing safety through quantifying impact, Trek is poised to advance its mission of getting more people on bikes by guiding the next phase of cycling innovation. For more information: Lumafield CAD Comparison Expanded Scan Volume Trek Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

It’s important to have devices that easily integrate with your present system. Amusement Ride Animatronics with Minimal Maintenance Requirements It’s important to have devices that easily integrate with your present system. Terry Persun Theme Parks Jul 9, 2025 A well-known theme park required an additional electric actuator and motor that was compatible with the drives and controls it was currently using. The application was to reliably support and move a large and heavy animated prop nearly 280 times per day while providing minimal maintenance requirements. The engineering team from Tolomatic was able use the company’s online sizing software to quickly specify the correct actuator and motor and provide a STEP file to the customer the same day the request arrived. Also from EE: Here's How Jurassic World Rebirth Captured the Nostalgia of Film The animated prop moving solution included the Tolomatic B3W electric linear belt drive actuator, which not only fulfilled the customer’s load requirements, but supplied consistent, smooth operation, easy integration using Tolomatic’s “Your Motor Here” program, and provided the long life the customer was looking for. Once selected, the theme park designers were able to use the same motors throughout the park to effortlessly integrate the new attraction into their system. Photo courtesy of Tolomatic The company’s B3W actuators offer a maximum stroke of 100-inches (2.5 meters) with an operating speed of 2.5-3 inches per second (63-76 mm/sec). As a belt drive actuator, the device is capable of accommodating very heavy loads as well as handling high bending moments with consistently smooth operation. The B3W linear belt drive actuators incorporate an enclosed recirculating bearing system eliminating the need for external load guidance. The device comes in three body sizes, incorporates a wide urethane-steel belt that delivers greater thrust with no stretch, and offers strokes up to 574-inches (14,579 mm). Alternate belt materials and extended stroke lengths are available. For more information: Tolomatic Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next