Advanced Motion Control for Next-Generation Industrial Applications

T ODAY, MOTION CONTROL TECHNIQUE is utilized in many industrial systems such as machine tools, industrial robots, positioning stages, material handling systems, electric transportation, disk drives, rolling mills, printers, film molding machines, etc. Since performance of Motion Control system employed in such machines affects their all-out performance, advances in Motion Control system are important factors for developing cuttingedge machines. The introduction of new sensors, new measurement techniques, new actuators, new power-devices, new design methodologies, and new materials brings new problems in Motion Control systems. Their solutions enhance all-out performance of machines. In addition, there are Motion-Control-based technical fields expected to have a great demand in industrial field in the next decade. Human-support technologies and medical/rehabilitation robotics are strong candidates. In such applications, machines are utilized in unstructured environment. It also brings new technical issues in Motion Control systems. Motion Control plays an important role in next-generation industrial applications. Therefore, this Special Section aims at presenting to the Industrial Electronics audiences the most advanced and relevant results in the field of Motion Control. We focus on six topics selected from the new emerging technologies among recent motion control researches. We are seeking for both theoretical and application-oriented papers, innovative design strategies, new technologies and tools for the realization of advanced control systems for next-generation industrial applications. Editors invite original manuscripts presenting recent advances in these fields with special reference to the following topics: