Autonomous flying in a swarm
The 'BionicBee' is an ultra-light flying object from Festo that can fly in large numbers and completely autonomously in a swarm. The BionicBee performed its first air show at the Hannover Messe 2024.

The 'BionicBee' is an ultra-light flying object from Festo that can fly in large numbers and completely autonomously in a swarm. The BionicBee performed its first air show at the Hannover Messe 2024.

Turck is expanding its sensor range to include measuring inductive sensors with IO-Link and analog output for flush and non-flush mounting.

Habia, a supplier of high-performance cables, cable harnesses and services, has expanded its product range and market coverage by merging with HEW-Kabel.

TDK-Lambda is expanding the 250W AC-DC power supply units 'CUS250M' with additional models, so that the range now includes 12 V, 15 V, 18 V, 24 V, 28 V, 36 V and 48 V.

Strategies for the future are one of the topics covered in the current issue of Computer&Automation. Read about the reforms that associations are demanding from politicians, the opportunities offered by technologies such as ChatGPT and SPE and the role that robots play in control cabinet assembly.

With the 'dart M', Basler is launching a customizable board-level camera with GigE interface that adapts to the installation situation and existing electronics of the customer application thanks to its modularity and design.

AI in robotics and mechanical engineering
Synapticon bundles its consulting and support services for AI and robotics system integration in the newly founded Synapticon Intelligence division.
Berlin (dpa) - The German economy is showing signs of recovery. According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), inflation is easing, disposable incomes are rising and an initial interest rate cut by the European Central Bank is on the horizon.

In order to meet the growth potential of the North American market, Phoenix Contact is planning a new building for electronic and electromechanical production in Mexico. Production is scheduled to start after the first construction phase at the end of 2025.

Eduard B. Wagner, founder and Managing Director of Insys icom, appoints Florian Froschermeier as second Managing Director. This organizational change took effect on 1 April 2024.

With its Edge Edition, Kassow Robots claims to be launching the world's first 7-axis cobot series with a controller integrated into the base. According to the company it offers greater flexibility for mobile solutions and additional space savings for cramped facilities.

Smart maintenance, low-cost robotics and AI-based online tools - these were Igus' topics at Hannover Messe. The Cologne-based company shows groundbreaking solutions for the lubricant-free and CO2-neutral industry and automation of tomorrow.

Rittal, Eplan, Cideon, German Edge Cloud
At Hannover Messe, Rittal, Eplan, Cideon and German Edge Cloud demonstrated the opportunities that arise from combining software and hardware solutions across entire ecosystems. They wanted to show that more value creation can be achieved through partnership.
In large parts of the economy, new regulations trigger a Pavlovian reflex of rejection. This also applies to measures aimed at climate protection. The manufacturing industry in particular has an enormous task ahead of it in this respect.
Interview with Dr. Terence Liu, TXOne
TXOne Networks presented SageOne at the Hannover Messe, a centralised management platform on which all CPS security products converge. Dr. Terence Liu explains the advantages of this in an interview.

Despite the effort required by company-specific and normative cybersecurity requirements, companies should ask themselves who the attacker could be, what their goals are and how they could proceed. The answers enable more effective defensive measures.
Constant change, unpredictable changes, increasing complexity - motivation can suffer. Coach Oliver Erbe explains what you can do about it.
Prof. Schöllig (TU Munich) uses ChatGPT to develop choreographies for swarms of drones to match the music. A safety filter prevents the flying robots from colliding. LLMs such as ChatGPT can therefore be used in robotics in principle.

German internet users are often too careless when it comes to the security of their own online accounts. According to a recent survey, the majority (63%) use the same password for several (57%) or even all (5%) logins on the Internet.

After years of strong growth, 2023 was a year of consolidation for Festo. At around 3.65 billion euros (- 4.3%), turnover was just below the previous year's level
