Motor

One of the world's largest tier-one auto parts suppliers claims it's created the "perfect motor." The compact Mahle motor uses no rare earth magnets, transmits power without contact or wear, and can run at high power indefinitely without overheating.

This year marks 30 years since Yamaha Motor launched the "world's first electrically power-assisted bicycle." The company celebrated in style last month with a special-edition eMTB, and is now keeping the party going with its lightest drive unit.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed the world’s first electric nanomotors made of DNA. The self-assembling structures can be activated by an electric charge to spin a ratcheting rotor arm.

Electric boats could soon be getting even quieter and more maneuverable, according to Yahama. The company's new Harmo steering and propulsion system is promised to deliver on both counts.

Researchers at Empa and EPFL have created one of the smallest motors ever made. It’s composed of just 16 atoms, and at that tiny size it seems to function right on the boundary between classical physics and the spooky quantum realm.

​Latvia's Gamechanger Audio has revealed the final desktop design of its upcoming Motor Synth, which debuted as a proof of concept at NAMM 2019 back in January. As its name suggests, motors are used to create its tones.​

At the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology expo in Hannover yesterday, Elaphe presented the latest generation of its monster in-wheel electric hub motors, which can now smash out as much as 1,500 Nm and more than 110 kW per wheel.

Mitsubishi Electric has begun mass-producing the first crankshaft-mounted integrated starter-generator system for 48V hybrid systems. This system will be used by Mercedes-Benz and is on display at Tokyo Motor Show 2017.

Dmitry Morozov has created some cool instruments over the years, including a machine that turned cable twists into eerie music and a synthesizer powered by his own blood. His latest project is a strange electromechanical organ that uses three different-sized DC motors to generate synth-like sounds.​

Neil Mendoza's Rock Band is a set of electromechanical instruments that make sounds when genuine rocks are thrown at the them.​ For its first public outing, the machine was set up to play The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" - but maybe Rollin' Stone by Muddy Waters would have been more appropriate.

The electropollock by Dmitry Morozov has been designed as an homage to American expressionist painter Jackson Pollock, famous for his energetic drip painting works. It employs a similar method to get paint onto the rolling "canvas," but the end result is determined by music fed into the system.

​After using an oscilloscope to confirm that stepper motors driven backward produced an alternating current, University of Maryland senior Josh Sheldon decided to turn the resulting waveforms into audible sounds. The result is the magical Stepper Organ, and the output is just a little bit eerie.