A conference worth building on
The INSPIRE Conference 2026, held on 14 and 15 October at Glenburn Lodge in Muldersdrift, Johannesburg, brought together industry leaders, researchers, academics and technology professionals for two days of discussion on automation, mechatronics, artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, and advanced engineering systems. On behalf of the SAIMC, I would like to thank everyone who attended, presented and helped to make the event possible.
This year’s conference incorporated the well-established RobMech Conference alongside the Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (PRASA), with the support of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Bringing these communities together under one roof gave industrial practitioners and academics a rare opportunity to share their work directly with each other. Too often, research and industry run on parallel tracks. At Glenburn, the discussions in the sessions and between them showed how much each side has to offer the other when real-world problems are placed at the centre of the discussion.
We were fortunate to host three keynote speakers who brought very different perspectives to the programme. Hubertus Breier, chief technology officer and board member of LAPP Germany, Dr Ananth Seshan, a board member of MESA International, and Chris Hattingh, economist and executive director of the Centre for Risk Analysis, each gave delegates plenty to consider. Between them, they covered global industrial trends, digital transformation, manufacturing excellence and economic risk management, as well as the direction intelligent automation is likely to take in the years ahead. Hearing a technology leader, a manufacturing systems specialist and an economist on the same stage was a useful reminder that engineering decisions are never made in isolation from the wider business and economic environment.
The technical programme ran across several streams and the quality of the work presented was encouraging. In the automation stream, one presentation showed how computer vision can be used to measure seedling quality, turning image analytics into a practical tool for managing business risk in agriculture. Another examined the disruptive forces facing the petrochemical industry and what these mean for operators and their automation strategies.
The pattern recognition stream reflected the growing maturity of local work in machine learning and computer vision. One project focused on improving real-time voice control of mobile robots so that it works reliably across the range of African accents, a challenge with obvious relevance for technology deployed on this continent. Another demonstrated an embedded neural network capable of detecting weeds and controlling precision spraying on a low-cost autonomous lawn robot.
For many delegates, the bio-engineering stream was a highlight. The presenters showed how sound engineering principles can make healthcare technology more affordable and accessible. Work presented included a low-cost bio-mechatronic prosthetic hand using surface electromyography control with vibrotactile feedback, and a low-cost mechatronic prosthetic ankle that uses proprioceptive sensing, fuzzy logic and linear discriminant analysis to classify the terrain underfoot. A further paper explored motion and machine vision through biomimicry, drawing on the way the human eye works.
In the unmanned vehicles stream, researchers presented a vision-based neural network approach to path planning for an unmanned surface vehicle designed to contain oil spills, an application with clear environmental value.
Taken together, these papers show the depth of talent in South Africa’s engineering and research community. Much of this work was driven by the need to deliver capable systems at low cost, and I believe this constraint is producing solutions with real potential well beyond our borders. My thanks go to every presenter, reviewer, session chair, sponsor and member of the organising committee for their contribution.
A new direction for SAIMC
The conference also comes at an important moment for the Society for Instrumentation, Automation, Mechatronics and Computer Engineering. For several decades, the SAIMC has played a significant role in developing engineering and automation professionals in South Africa. Today, the organisation is repositioning itself to respond to the global shifts driven by digital transformation, sustainability and the growing demand for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.
Our aim is to help organisations build a pipeline of future-ready talent. Working with industry, academia, government and international partners, the SAIMC wants to develop professionals who are technically competent and ready for industry from day one, adaptable enough to work with emerging technologies, ethically grounded and accountable in their professional conduct, and committed to creating lasting economic and social value.
We cannot do this alone, and this is where we need your help. We have developed a series of stakeholder surveys, each tailored to a different group, from students and professional practitioners to employers and accreditation bodies. The responses will shape how the SAIMC supports the profession in the years ahead, from the skills we prioritise to the partnerships we pursue.
I would urge every reader to visit the SAIMC website at www.saimc.co.za and complete the survey relevant to your sector. It takes only a few minutes, and your input will make a real difference. Help us to help you. Together, we can build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive automation industry.
| Tel: | +27 11 312 2445 |
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