COVID 19 generated an unprecedented demand for remote work and created a demand for mass collaboration tools that let designers work as unified teams, without a physical presence. For many tasks, it’s relatively simple, but in the architecture, engineering and construction space, substantially different systems, designs and skills must be sequenced correctly to deliver a project on time and on budget.  Effective project management of an already difficult task, along with simultaneous mass collaboration, is highly challenging. 

Autodesk Workshop XR Senior Director and General Manager Nicolas Fonta talks to Jim Anderton about how the power of artificial intelligence allows widely dispersed engineering and design teams to work cohesively to deliver projects on time and on budget. 

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post AI powered mass collaboration for engineering appeared first on Engineering.com.

Building engineering is a unique form of craft and science, blending multiple materials, processes and design methodologies. Cabling a modern structure means coping with power and signal conductors which must be routed efficiently through complex structures, a 3D puzzle which challenges even the most experienced engineers.

Toronto-based Augmenta is an AI powered generates optimized layouts without tedious and time-consuming at the design level. Augment co-founder Aaron Szymanski discusses this design first with Jim Anderton.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post An AI first: building electrical layout appeared first on Engineering.com.

Few emerging technologies have generated as much interest, research and concern as AI, and in the engineering space, it’s no different. It is now clear that AI represents a tool of unprecedented power to streamline engineering workflows, but at the rapid pace of development, it is quickly evolving into something more.

The art and science of engineering is now changing in real time, as agentic AI not only performs the singular design and development tasks, but collaborates with other AI systems in ways which aren’t fully understood by the people using them.

It sounds scary, but the actual future is exactly the opposite, according to Autodesk Senior Director of AI Research, Dr. Tonya Custis. She is a true AI tech insider, and she discusses this important topic in conversation with Jim Anderton.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post The future of artificial intelligence isn’t what you think  appeared first on Engineering.com.

Mechatronics blends mechanical engineering, electronics, control systems, and computing into one intelligent system. Without it, self-parking cars, smart thermostats, and precision robotics simply won’t work reliably in the real world. This blend of mechanical systems, electronics and software has blurred the lines between traditional engineering disciplines, especially with the rapid and ongoing development of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Hoe Seng Ooi, Chief Technology Officer at Taipei-based NexAIoT, thinks that mechatronics is the key to unlocking “physical AI” on the street and in our homes, and he joins Jim Anderton on the podcast to explain why.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post Why the future is mechatronic appeared first on Engineering.com.

This episode of Industry Insights & Trends is brought to you by Siemens.

Engineering design is an iterative process. It’s been said that engineering is not about design, but redesign, and the stepwise pathway toward verified, proved in production ready parts and assemblies is frequently restrained by testing and validation.

But what if the design tools can themselves flag the designer about trouble very early in the design process? It’s a “shift left” in the design timeline, and it represents a way to build better, faster and with less risk. Advanced engineering software tools such as Siemens NX Performance Predictor deliver these benefits without the need to extensively retrain design personnel.

***
Learn more: engineering.com is hosting Design Like a Pro: The Power of Simulation in Your Workflow webinar on Monday, September 29, 2025. Registration and attendance is free.

The post From idea to impact: Accelerating the engineering workflows appeared first on Engineering.com.

Edge computing is the logical extension of the smart sensor technology which drastically improved control of manufacturing processes in the 1980s and ‘90s. Moving the computational burden down to the plant floor has multiple benefits, but it has also created new challenges. Where does artificial intelligence fit in? What does process control really mean when human interaction in manufacturing technology is limited? What’s the future for data in manufacturing?

Digi International Principal Engineer Kevin Johnson discusses the issues in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post What happens when edge computing with AI comes to the shop floor? appeared first on Engineering.com.

Wide band gap semiconductors like gallium nitride appear to be a case where you can have your cake and eat it too. With a high breakdown voltage, and a higher switching frequency compared to silicon, the technology would lend itself to multiple applications, but GaN devices also offer higher power density and high thermal conductivity, making them uniquely adaptable to both power and signal applications.

EEworldonline.com editor-in-chief Aimee Kalnoskas explains how and why it works in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton. 

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post Why gallium nitride is the next big thing in semiconductors appeared first on Engineering.com.

Minimally invasive, catheter-based surgical procedures have drastically improved outcomes and recovery times in critical procedures such as heart valve replacement, and as the technology advances, new procedures are evolving which promise the same benefits enjoyed by cardiac patients to patients suffering from renal, prostate and other diseases.

The shape memory alloy nitinol is a key technology in this revolution, and Medical Design and Outsourcing Managing Editor Jim Hammerand describes how it works, and why it’s effective, in conversation with engineering.com’s Jim Anderton.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post New materials for safer, better surgical procedures  appeared first on Engineering.com.

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. 

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

***

For the audio only version:

The post Still waiting for that personal humanoid robot? It’s coming.  appeared first on Engineering.com.

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.

For the audio only version:

***

Catch up on the latest engineering innovations with more Industry Insights & Trends videos and podcasts.

The post Electric actuators were predicted to replace fluid power. What happened? appeared first on Engineering.com.