On August 31, 2026 in All, Industrial, Sensors by Allegro MicroSystems

Modern robots are increasingly expected to operate beyond the confines of a fixed production cell. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) navigate warehouses unassisted, while collaborative robots (cobots) work safely alongside humans. Rather than endlessly repeating a single movement, they adapt to changing conditions in real time. For example, an autonomous robot must continuously monitor its motors, joints, power systems, and surroundings to make quick, informed decisions. As a result, sensors have become the robot's eyes, ears, and sense of movement. Additionally, engineers are under pressure to manage power efficiency, thermal performance, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) as these robotic systems become more compact over time.

This blog discusses some of the main engineering challenges in robotic motor control, the market trends driving greater autonomy and safety, and the implementation of advanced current and position sensing solutions.

Engineering Challenges

Robotic systems depend on accurate feedback for smooth and predictable movement, whether controlling the articulated joints of a cobot or the drive motors of an AMR. Most modern robots achieve this through closed-loop control systems, in which sensors continuously report position, speed, and current data to the controller. If a robotic arm overshoots its target or encounters unexpected resistance, the controller can make real-time corrections instead of requiring an operator to intervene.

To support this level of performance, robotic systems rely on an increasing number of electronic components, including motor drivers, processors, wireless modules, and battery management circuits. As mobile robots become more compact, integrating these technologies into smaller enclosures creates design challenges, particularly in thermal management. During operation, these components generate heat that must be dissipated effectively. If temperatures rise too high, system efficiency drops, and the reliability of sensitive electronics may be compromised.

Battery life is another constant concern for AMRs. A robot may spend an entire shift transporting inventory across a warehouse, covering significant distances before returning to a charging station. In these industrial applications, even small inefficiencies in motor control or battery management can drastically reduce operating range and overall productivity.

Signal integrity has become another challenge in compact robotic systems. Motors, motor drives, and switching power electronics generate electrical noise that can interfere with sensor signals and communication lines. This interference can affect position, current, and other feedback measurements that are critical for accurate motion control.

Furthermore, exposure to vibration, dust, debris, and continuous motion contributes to AMR and cobot component wear over time, reducing long-term accuracy and increasing maintenance requirements.

Market Trends

Several industry trends are accelerating the demand for advanced sensing technologies in robotics. As cobots are more widely implemented, functional safety and precision motion feedback have taken on greater importance. Unlike traditional industrial robots that operate behind safety barriers, cobots are specifically designed to work in close proximity to human operators. This requires closer monitoring of motor torque, joint position, and unexpected resistance during movement so the system can quickly detect collisions or other abnormal operating conditions.

Many cobot systems include torque sensing and current monitoring within joint actuators. These capabilities help the controller detect when a joint encounters unexpected resistance, such as contact with a person or an object. Depending on the system design, the robot can slow down or enter a safe operating mode before any serious damage occurs.

AMRs are becoming common in logistics and manufacturing environments, placing new demands on sensing technologies. In warehouses and manufacturing facilities, fleets of mobile robots may operate nearly continuously while transporting inventory, pallets, or production materials.^[1]

In these systems, current sensing is critical for motor commutation, battery monitoring, and overload protection. Even small improvements in motor-drive efficiency can help reduce charging frequency or extend operating range across a robotic fleet. As AMRs become more compact, designers are integrating sensing electronics closer to motor drivers and battery systems to reduce latency, improve responsiveness, and simplify wiring.

Modern robots are also processing increasing amounts of data at the edge, allowing them to respond quickly without relying entirely on centralized processing systems. This shift toward edge computing is driving demand for sensing technologies that combine high accuracy, fast response times, and high levels of integration.

EMI has emerged as another concern in these compact robotic platforms. Sensors may be exposed to stray magnetic fields generated by nearby motors and power electronics. In multi-axis robotic arms or closely packed AMR drive systems, sensors may operate just millimeters away from high-current conductors. Maintaining stable current and position measurements in electrically noisy environments is easier with magnetic sensing technologies that offer strong stray-field immunity.

Compounding this challenge, designers are facing growing pressure to reduce system size and complexity. Integrated circuits (ICs) with integrated sensing can help reduce printed circuit board (PCB) area, simplify routing, reduce the number of components, and decrease thermal challenges compared with larger discrete sensing implementations.

Robotics Applications

Many modern robotic designs rely on magnetic position and current sensing to maintain accurate motion control in compact designs.

Magnetic position sensors have become a popular choice in robotic systems because they provide non-contact rotational feedback. In robotic arms, these sensors monitor joint position to support smooth, repeatable movement. In AMRs, they support steering systems, wheel-position monitoring, and motor feedback. Traditional mechanical feedback devices such as encoders and potentiometers can experience wear over time, especially in environments exposed to vibration, dust, or contamination. By eliminating mechanical contact, magnetic position sensors can help improve long-term reliability (Figure 1).

Accurate position feedback is especially important in dynamic robotic applications. Small positioning errors can accumulate as a robot constantly accelerates, stops, and changes direction. Depending on the device and implementation, magnetic position sensors can provide high-resolution feedback and fast response times, allowing precise control in dynamic motion applications. In more compact robotic systems, stray-field immunity is valuable because it enables sensors to maintain accuracy even when installed close to high-current motors or switching electronics.

Additionally, controllers need visibility into the motor’s electrical behavior. Current sensing measurements are used for motor control, torque estimation, overcurrent protection, and battery monitoring. Current sensing also supports stall detection in robotic joints to help protect actuators from overload conditions. In an AMR, current sensing may be used to estimate power consumption. In a robotic arm, current sensing can provide insight into changing actuator loads during movement.

Hall-effect current sensors offer certain advantages over traditional shunt-based approaches. For example, these sensors do not require a resistor to be placed directly in the current path. However, shunt-based sensing remains a practical option in many designs because it can provide accurate measurements at a relatively low cost. The tradeoff is that the resistor dissipates power and generates heat as the current increases.

As robotic systems become smaller, tradeoffs become more noticeable. A mobile robot may contain multiple motors, battery-management circuitry, wireless communication hardware, and processing electronics within a small footprint. In these space-constrained environments, magnetic sensing technologies can simplify implementation by reducing component count and PCB area. For current measurement, hall-effect sensors can also help minimize the power dissipation associated with shunt resistors, easing thermal-management challenges while preserving valuable board space. Together, these benefits can simplify system integration in compact robotic designs.

Allegro MicroSystems offers a portfolio of magnetic position and hall-effect current sensing ICs designed to support demanding motion-control applications while helping designers address EMI, thermal management, and space constraints. In AMRs and cobots, these devices support functions ranging from precise motor control and battery monitoring to fault detection. Their high level of integration can improve maneuverability and make more efficient use of available space, helping maintain reliable operation throughout demanding duty cycles.

Conclusion

The latest generation of robots depends on constant feedback to move safely and accurately. In AMRs and cobots, sensing technologies are tied to motor control, battery monitoring, positioning accuracy, and fault detection, often within compact systems filled with electrical noise and heat-generating power electronics.

Magnetic position sensors and hall-effect current sensing technology help designers manage constraints without depending on mechanical contact or large sensing assemblies. Features such as stray-field immunity, non-contact operation, electrical isolation, and integrated packaging also simplify implementation in dense robotic designs.

[1] https://nyobolt.com/resources/blog/how-warehouse-robots-are-running-non-stop-the-reality-of-24-7-operations/