Air purifiers and humidifiers must be able to reliably improve air quality for end users. The best designs also offer improved energy efficiency, convenience, and low noise. As more and more appliances are expected to be smart-home ready, consumers are demanding new features such as wireless connectivity for ease of control. To meet and exceed customer expectations, designers are challenged with f...

E-scooters have quickly risen in popularity in metropolitan areas and quickly growing cities. Lightweight, eco-friendly, and convenient, these e-scooters are two-wheeled battery-operated vehicles that integrate an electric motor and a controller that assists with increased propulsion. Of course, safety, performance, and cost are the greatest concerns for customers in any vehicle. In addition, new ...

Home remote controls — both infrared (IR) and remote frequency (RF) types — are being used for more and more smart home control systems, including televisions,sound systems, lighting, and other home environment controls. Advanced features are also being incorporated into these devices, such as non-line-of-sight operation, voice control, capacitive touch and haptic feedback, LED displays, and multi...

The worldwide demand for electric bikes (e-bikes) is growing as consumers see e-bikes as an eco-friendly solution to long commutes and rising fuel prices. An e-bike is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor, a battery, and a controller that assists with increased propulsion. New designs — which accommodate shorter recharging times, lighter weights, and higher battery capacity for longer ridin...

As robotics systems improve with the advances of Industry 4.0, their standards for power, sensing, and control also increase. In this rapidly growing industry, every day is a new opportunity to develop robots that offer better and better flexibility, energy efficiency, and system intelligence. Robots variety of uses have led to smaller, increasingly mobile innovations with highly integrated commun...

Drones and multicopters are a rapidly growing market, as consumer applications increase and prices plummet. New drone models must be able to offer advanced speed, navigation, and control systems as well as the longest possible airtime. Safety, reliability, and ease of use are crucial to each part — and the holistic function — of these small unmanned aircraft. To ensure that flight is safe and effi...

Notebook computers and laptops are a crucial device for many consumers and businesses, and therefore need to be able to offer reliable performance and a streamlines user experience in a slim package. As new technologies and applications continue to enter the market, notebooks and laptops must balance increasing processing performance and efficiency demands with customer expectations for small, lig...

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are revolutionizing industrial and defense markets. New UAV designs must be able to withstand harsh conditions and offer state-of-the-art security, reliability, and speed. Control and navigation systems need to be more precise and efficient to ensure to maximize flight time amid a growing number of applications for these unmanned aircraft. Innovations in avionics an...

Portable power tools offer a wide variety of features to a range of customers from everyday consumers doing small home improvement projects to construction and maintenance professionals. Because of this, portable power tool designs often demand high flexibility and have strict power, safety, and total size requirements. Both cordless and corded power tools must be able to offer high efficiency in ...

Air conditioners for both industrial and residential applications must offer customers the key features of reliability, energy efficiency, and convenience. The best air conditioning systems provide cool air without introducing a lot of noise or raising power bills. New generations of air conditioners are integrating smart-home ready features such as capacitive touch, predictive maintenance, and wi...

3D printers are an increasingly popular tool for industrial and home use. Their ability to print objects, rather than simply images or documents, opens up a world of possibility for the user and a range of challenges for the designer. Accurate, precise motor control is more important than ever in these devices, and speed is a key differentiator for new designs. Consumer expectations are growing fo...