Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

Researchers Prepare Robots for an Aging Society

William Attardi on May 11, 2026

As the U.S. faces a historic demographic shift, Stanford experts are developing robots to help older adults walk safely, get dressed, do chores, and maintain independence at home. In brief:

  • America’s aging population is driving a need for robotic caregiving solutions.
  • Stanford labs are developing assistive technologies from walking companion robots to soft inflatable lifters to touch-sensitive robotic fingertips.
  • These innovations aim to help older adults age independently at home, addressing a shortage in caregiving resources.

Monroe Kennedy III, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford Robotics Center thinks it could be a tool for older people in their homes. Its fine dexterity could help perform tasks like opening medicine bottles or picking up a dropped pill, and its gentleness could one day enable direct physical assistance in bathing or dressing. Progress requires more investment and more research, Kennedy says, but he’s optimistic we’re not far from a day when robots step in to make aging in place much easier. “We’re a lot closer than you think.”

Researchers prepare robots for an aging society | Stanford Report

The April 2026 Issue of Electrical Construction and Maintenance (EC&M)

William Attardi on May 4, 2026

Opportunities and Obstacles in the AI Data Center Market | EC&M

A New Model for Increasing Data Center Build Speed | EC&M

Rethinking Data Center Construction for Electrical Contractors | EC&M

Addressing Power Quality Challenges in AI Data Centers | EC&M

Environmental Conditions That Impact Industrial Lighting Reliability | EC&M

Smart Home Lighting: A New Revenue Stream for Contractors | EC&M

Harnessing the Power of Connected Lighting Systems and IoT | EC&M

Home | EC&M

The AI Revolution and its Impact on Facilities Management by Ronnie Wendt

William Attardi on May 2, 2026

The idea of AI replacing technicians maintaining HVAC systems, plumbing infrastructure or electrical components feels a long way off. That’s because the complexity and variability of building systems make that kind of automation difficult, according to Jonathan Slain, founder and CEO of Autobahn Consultants. Slain says the highest returns for AI are in back-office functions. “It’s in finance, communication and project management.”   Tasks like assembling proposals, drafting RFPs, managing workflows, communicating with team members, and evaluating submissions from multiple vendors are well-suited for AI support. These processes are structured and repeatable, allowing AI tools to streamline comparisons, highlight differences, and speed up bid-to-decision timelines. AI can slash the time required to evaluate bids and manage communication. Many facilities managers already use generative AI to summarize documents or draft emails. But a more advanced phase of this technology, called Agentic AI, is already here.  For more insights on how growing companies are navigating this transition, Slain explores these ideas further in “Rock Your Business: Navigating the Road from $50 Million to $500 Million and Beyond,” available soon on Amazon.  The AI Revolution and its Impact on Facilities Management – Facilities Management Insights

Lighting Controls: From Code Compliance to Retrofits by Sean Grasby

William Attardi on May 1, 2026

When we talk about lighting controls, we often limit the conversation by focusing on how lights are turned on and off, or how to optimize lighting in various spaces to enhance productivity or conserve energy. While these are important things to consider, in reality, any conversation about lighting control systems should also include several other elements as well. When electrical contractors engage with customers about lighting controls, they should ensure that any conversations also incorporate code requirements, “future-proofing,” and whether a retrofit may be beneficial. Lighting Controls: From Code Compliance to Retrofits | EC&M

 Ensuring lighting controls meet code requirements

As energy codes become more stringent, contractors now need to collaborate with lighting designers, architects, and engineers to not only ensure the lighting design and performance fit the specific needs, but also to comply with industry codes. Clearly, this is no small task — in many cases, a trusted distribution partner can bring in the right expertise or handle much of the administrative burden on the contractor’s behalf.

 Key Takeaways

  • Ensuring lighting control systems meet industry standards such as ASHRAE 90.1, IECC, and NFPA 101 is essential for compliance and safety.
  • Future-proofing involves selecting adaptable, integrated lighting controls that support upgrades and system integrations like HVAC and BMS.
  • Retrofits offer a cost-effective way to upgrade lighting technology, improve efficiency, and reduce disruption compared to new construction projects.
  • Advanced controls like luminaire level lighting control (LLLC) optimize energy use and enable real-time environmental adjustments.

 

2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

The commercial lighting rebate outlook is strong for 2026, with widely available rebates covering all popular categories of LED lighting and lighting controls, including networked lighting controls. Overall, 2026 marks a year of evolution for programs as they adapt to declining lighting energy savings due to LED market saturation. Average rebate amounts per LED product significantly increased, particularly for higher-energy-saving products. Some programs are shifting from incentivizing products to energy savings. More programs recognizing LED-to-LED upgrades were introduced. On the lighting controls side, average rebate dollars per installed solution generally increased in 2026. As AI infrastructure/data centers and meta projects continue to come online, rising demand for electric power is leading to cost increases. This article evaluates the 2026 commercial lighting rebate outlook based on data provided by BriteSwitch’s RebatePro for Lighting North America database, examines opportunities for LED lighting and lighting controls, and offers insights into how rebate programs are evolving as LED adoption increases. 2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook

LEDs Gain Ground in Controlled Environment Agriculture Space by Tim Kridel

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • LED lighting has shifted from niche to mainstream in controlled environment agriculture, driven by improved spectrum, output, and cost reductions.
  • Energy efficiency of LEDs allows growers to achieve higher light levels with less power, enabling cost savings and increased crop productivity, especially in high-value sectors like cannabis.
  • Dynamic spectrum control enhances crop quality and yield by allowing growers to customize light recipes for different growth stages, improving nutritional density and shelf life.
  • Utility rebates and incentives significantly offset the higher upfront costs of LEDs, making them a financially attractive option for growers investing in long-term infrastructure.
  • LEDs’ lower heat output impacts HVAC and humidity management, creating new opportunities for electrical contractors to optimize greenhouse climate control systems.

Those are just a few examples of artificial lighting’s role in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities, which include greenhouses, warehouses, vertical farms, and even caves. The CEA market will grow from nearly $10 billion this year to $27.7 billion by 2035, Business Research Insights estimates. LED lighting is helping enable that growth. LEDs Gain Ground in Controlled Environment Agriculture Space | EC&M

The Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt by Professor Jeannette Song

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Professor Song explains how AI is turning supply chains from rigid workflows into adaptive, decision-making systems. When you click “buy now” on online stores, recommendations appear, warehouses spring into action, and packages begin their journey to your door. Behind that seamless experience is a fundamental transformation. Supply chains, once governed by fixed rules and human planning, are becoming AI-driven systems that learn, adapt, and increasingly act on their own. In her book chapter, Reshaping Supply Chains Through AI-Empowered Automation, Jeannette Song, the R.David Thomas Professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business argues that AI is fundamentally changing how supply chains work.“AI is reshaping supply chains in four connected ways: expanding automation across the chain, changing how humans and machines work together,” she said, “raising new questions about privacy and accountability, and pointing toward a future of more autonomous, agentic systems.” The Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt

Design Research Looks at How Lighting Affects Mood by Jim Romeo

William Attardi on April 1, 2026

A 2026 study published in The Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society is adding a new layer to the conversation about lighting design—one that electrical contractors and electricians working in commercial environments may want to pay close attention to. The research explored whether lighting conditions influence people’s self-reported mood, perception and health symptoms. Twenty-eight participants took part in the study, working in pairs inside a controlled room under two different diffused-light conditions: variable daylight and static artificial lighting. The test environment was designed to remove visual cues such as windows or outdoor views. Participants could not tell whether the light they were experiencing was coming from daylight or an electric system. Both lighting conditions met current circadian-oriented lighting guidance and delivered strong daytime illumination levels. The results revealed a clear difference at: Design Research Looks at How Lighting Affects Mood – Electrical Contractor Magazine

The Distributor Is the Heartbeat of Construction Sales by Jim Nowakowski

William Attardi on March 27, 2026

Manufacturers know what they produce. Engineers know what they specify. Contractors know what they install. But distributors sit at the intersection of all three. The distributors see which products move through their warehouses. They hear the questions contractors ask at the counter. They learn which installations go smoothly and which ones create problems. They understand pricing pressures, availability constraints and the subtle preferences that shape contractor behavior. The Distributor Is the Heartbeat of Construction Sales | Electrical Wholesaling

White Paper by Intertek: A Comprehensive Guide to AI Quality Assurance

William Attardi on March 21, 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming products, processes, and decision-making across industries, bringing enormous opportunity alongside a new category of risks around safety, bias, drift, data governance, and regulatory compliance. Rapidly evolving regulations like the EU AI Act all present challenges that traditional quality systems weren’t designed to handle. Download our new whitepaper to learn how to embed AI into your existing quality systems, strengthen audit readiness, and deploy AI with confidence across global markets.  In this paper you’ll learn:

  • Where AI is entering your organization and how to manage it
  • The most common AI risks, including hallucinations, bias, and loss of control
  • What regulators expect now, and what’s coming next
  • How to apply proven quality principles, including testing, validation, monitoring, and governance, to AI systems

If AI touches your products, processes, or decisions, this guide is built for you: A Comprehensive Guide to AI Quality Assurance | White Paper

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – The last time human beings headed moonward was on the Apollo 17 flight that launched Dec. 7, 1972—before any of the Artemis II crew members were born. Today’s crew will not land on the moon—they won’t even orbit the moon. But they will whip around the lunar far side, on a shakedown mission test-flying the Orion spacecraft. This is essential preparatory work for achieving NASA’s bigger lunar goals. Next year there will be another test flight in low Earth orbit during the flight of Artemis III, followed by up to two moon landings by Artemis IV and V in 2028, and annual landings thereafter. Unlike the Apollo program, Artemis aims not just for the so-called flags-and-footprints model of short, one- to three-day stays on the moon, but for a long-term presence at a long-term moon base in the south lunar pole, where deposits of ice can provide drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and oxygen-hydrogen rocket fuel. Very much like the Apollo program, Artemis finds itself in a closely watched moon race, not with the old Soviet Union this time, but with China, which has announced its intention to have astronauts on the moon by 2030. The U.S. is not going it alone this time, however. While Apollo was an entirely American enterprise, Artemis flies under the flag of 60 countries, signatories to the Artemis Accords, an international pact whose members vow to support the peaceful exploration of space and contribute money, modules, and astronauts to the Artemis cause. Artemis II Has Launched. Here’s Everything You Need to Know