The line-up of speakers has been announced for Drive Technology Insight 2026, the technical engineering forum dedicated to electric drive system technology. Presented by maxon, the free-to-attend event on Wednesday 20 May at the British Motor Museum, Warwickshire, will include educational tech talks on drive system design, integration and use, covering subjects ranging from robotics through to extreme environments.
Amadeu Placido
Robotics engineering expert Amadeu Placido will explore a key question in automation: how can the integration of robotics be accelerated? In the tech talk When robots pay back, Amadeu will suggest where robotics can provide an advantage, and how actuator technology is shaping automation’s future. Despite the hype, the real-world proliferation of robotics is not widespread. Amadeu will explain why this is fundamentally an actuator problem, hidden inside what is framed as a software challenge, and will offer guidance to visiting engineers on how this can be overcome.
Tamas Hertelendi
In the tech talk Can data predict your next failure?, Tamas Hertelendi, maxon’s lead engineer for industrial automation, will discuss how condition-based maintenance is reshaping how engineers can manage motion systems. Key to establishing effective predictive maintenance, condition-based diagnostics involves sensor data to detect degradation long before failure occurs. Tamas will explain which signals matter, how to interpret them, and how to effectively integrate condition monitoring into a maintenance strategy.
Martin Leahy
Taking event attendees on a literal journey of exploration, Martin Leahy will explain where and how electric drive systems have been used in extreme environments. In Can motion systems survive anywhere?, Martin will take us from the ocean deep to outer space, and even to implants within the human body. Exploring the boundaries of what’s physically possible in motor, gear, and control design, the talk will investigate engineering approaches for dealing with pressure extremes, vacuum, radiation, vibration, and thermal shock.
Ronak Samani
Bringing motion design tips relevant to all applications, Ronak Samani’s tech talk How do you pick the right drive? will explain why selecting the right motor, gearbox and controller is a critical decision in motion system design. Unpacking the engineering trade‑offs behind torque, speed, thermal limits, duty cycles and efficiency, Ronak will show talk attendees how to balance performance with constraints such as size, weight, environment and cost.
The tech talks are suited to all levels of engineering expertise and are relevant to anyone involved the design, selection, and use of electric drive systems. Alongside the tech talks, the day will also include one-on-one engineering discussions, giving visiting engineers the chance to present their real-life engineering challenges to drive system experts.
“The brand-new tech talks have been chosen to explore some of the most important engineering challenges faced by industry today, and crucially, the experts will provide advice that visiting engineers can take away to improve the motion performance of their applications in the real world,” says William Mason, Managing Director at maxon UK & Ireland.
Drive systems for NASA on show at DTI
This is the fourth edition of Drive Technology Insight and will attract engineers from across the UK. The free-to-attend event also includes free entry to The British Motor Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of historic British motor vehicles.
To find out more and to register, visit here.
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