In 1962, an animated sitcom debuted on television called the Jetsons. It predicted a future with extensive automation of every aspect of life, from cleaning the floors to operating factories. Much of it has come true, with extensive robotic operation now commonplace in manufacturing, supply chain services and increasingly, in medicine. But that humanoid robot as personal servant remains elusive. Why?

The Robot Report’s Editorial Director, Eugene Demaitre, tracks automation industry trends in industrial, commercial and residential applications and he discussed the current state-of-the-art, and future prospects including those of humanoid personal assistants, in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

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20 years ago, many mechanical engineering experts predicted that hydraulics were dead. Rapid advancements in electric linear and rotary actuators promised an oil-less future, with cleaner, quieter and more energy efficient equipment, with lower overall cost of ownership and operating costs.

Despite considerable advancements in electric actuator technology, hydraulics haven’t gone anywhere, and don’t appear to be even close to obsolescence. How did the fluid power industry stand its ground, and even grow, in this high-tech age?

Fluid Power World editor-in-chief Mary Gannon monitors global trends in the industry closely, and she explains why hydraulics are more relevant than ever in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.

This episode is brought to you by Parker.

Sustainability is no longer marketing hype, it’s a fundamental part of the way machines are engineered in the 21st century. The electric vehicle revolution is in full swing in the automotive industry, but internal combustion engines power a lot more than on-the-road vehicles. Equipment in the mining, construction and agriculture sectors is big, powerful and emits both pollutants and CO2 from internal combustion engines.

It’s a segment that is ready for electrification, and Electrification Product Manager for Parker Hannifin, Jonah Leason, explains how in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.

Computer-aided manufacturing has been around in one form or another since the 1960s, but the ability to program CNC equipment was only the beginning. Today, manufacturers are expected to aggregate, integrate and act on vast amounts of data generated on the shop floor, as well as from multiple departments within the organization, and on down the supply chain. Low-cost general-purpose robotics is widely regarded as Step in the evolution of the digital factory, but there will be risks and challenges along the way. And in the new era of US tariffs, the stakes have never been higher.

Mastercam president Russ Bukowski discusses these issues in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.

Engineering.com senior editor Michael Ouellette covers global manufacturing, including the hottest topic today, artificial intelligence. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Ouellete is skeptical, and pulls no punches in conversation with host of the Industry Insights & Trends podcast edition, Jim Anderton.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.

Today’s advanced design software often includes the capability to do advanced computational tasks that ere traditionally done by physical testing. The original engineering methodology was always iterative. Design, test, break and redesign has been the hallmark of engineering for millennia, but a new generation of advanced tools suggest a future where the physical fit and test functions are replaced by software. Will real-world testing disappear in the future? And with artificial intelligence, will the role of the engineer change into something more akin to graphic design, or even art?

Podcast host Jim Anderton discusses the future of computer-aided engineering with senior editor Michael Alba.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.

It’s been said that additive manufacturing is the newest 25-year-old technology in industry. The science-fiction quality of complex part making from powder or liquid precursors does seem like magic, but it has evolved from a laboratory curiosity to a serious manufacturing technology.

The aerospace industry has fully embraced 3D printing, and many components are now designed for it, and can’t be made in any other way. Widespread adoption in high-volume part making however, is still limited by factors such as capital cost and machine throughput, although advances are underway which should expand additive throughout manufacturing.

Podcast host Jim Anderton explores the complexities with senior editor Ian Wright.

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engineering.com produces a number of video programs for the engineering professional found exclusively on engineering.com TV such as Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and The Engineering Roundtable.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay current with the latest in engineering trends.