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DigiKey releases Factory Tomorrow Season 6 exploring AI infrastructure, industrial connectivity and smart manufacturing. Sep 30, 2026, 11:18 ET Three-part video series examines how AI-ready infrastructure, industrial networks and intelligent automation are transforming modern manufacturing THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, announces the launch of Season 6 of Factory Tomorrow, a video series highlighting how manufacturers and technology suppliers are building the foundation for the next generation of industrial production. From AI-enabled data centers powering Industry 4.0 to the networks that move power and data across the factory floor, this three-episode season of Factory Tomorrow explores how industry leaders like Phoenix Contact and Belden are helping manufacturers build more connected, intelligent factories. As factories evolve into highly connected, software-defined environments, the sixth season examines the technologies enabling real-time visibility, autonomous operations and resilient industrial systems. As manufacturers increase AI adoption and invest in digital transformation initiatives, demand for industrial networking, edge connectivity, data infrastructure and intelligent automation continues to grow. "Factory Tomorrow continues to bring together industry experts to discuss the technologies shaping the future of manufacturing, including the growing impact of AI on industrial operations and data infrastructure," said Connor Doherty, director, industrial automation for DigiKey. "This season examines the networks, connectivity and computing infrastructure required to support smarter, more connected factories." Season 6 Highlights * AI-ready data centers supporting industrial operations * Industrial networking for connected factories * Copper, fiber and optical connectivity infrastructure * Real-time visibility and operational intelligence * Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 applications * Expert perspectives from DigiKey, Phoenix Contact and Belden In the first video, Phoenix Contact highlights how its connectivity and industrial networking solutions support both AI-ready data centers and smart factory environments. "Today's digital factories need to collect, secure, transport, analyze and act on data," said Greg Jerrehian, vice president of channel management at Phoenix Contact USA. "As a manufacturer, Phoenix Contact understands these challenges firsthand. We're excited to share our expertise in networking, automation and connectivity to help the industry improve efficiency and optimize operations. Through our partnership with DigiKey, we're accelerating access to new technologies and helping customers achieve success faster." The second video focuses on how Belden's customized and scalable networking solutions spanning advanced copper and fiber, multi-lane optics and high-density optical frames enable data centers to adapt to rapidly changing technology demands. "It was a pleasure to work with DigiKey to discuss how AI is changing the landscape of factories of all kinds and how data centers are enabling that change, regardless of whether they are on-prem, using hyperscale data centers, cloud services, or somewhere in between," said Brian Kennedy, global vertical leader - data centers, for Belden. In the final video, experts look ahead to the future of smart manufacturing where AI, autonomous systems and sustainable industrial design converge. This episode brings together connectivity, data and intelligence into a cohesive vision for the factory of tomorrow, examining how manufacturers can build flexible, energy-efficient and resilient systems capable of evolving alongside emerging technologies. To learn more about the video series and how DigiKey is supporting the development of AI-ready infrastructure, connectivity and more, visit DigiKey's Factory Tomorrow webpage. About DigiKey DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products. DigiKey delivers the broadest and deepest selection of products available for immediate shipment worldwide, offering more than 17.4 million components from over 3,000 trusted manufacturers. Engineers, designers, builders and procurement professionals rely on DigiKey for innovative digital solutions, design tools and frictionless purchasing experiences that simplify every stage of their projects. Discover more about DigiKey's electronics distribution, automation solutions and design resources at digikey.com and on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. About Phoenix Contact USA Phoenix Contact USA, founded in 1981, is advancing the industrial landscape with solutions that connect, communicate, and automate. More than 1,000 employees, including a nationwide network of friendly and knowledgeable sales professionals, help solve application challenges. U.S.-based manufacturing and logistics facilities support customers with faster, more personalized service. Together with our customers, we are creating a sustainable world based on our passion for technology and innovation. Learn more at http://www.phoenixcontact.com/. About Belden Inc. Belden Inc. delivers complete connection solutions that unlock untold possibilities for our customers, their customers and the world. We advance ideas and technologies that enable a safer, smarter and more prosperous future. Throughout our 120+ year history we have evolved as a company, but our purpose remains - making connections. By connecting people, information and ideas, we make it possible. We are headquartered in St. Louis and have manufacturing capabilities in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com; follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Editorial Contact Laura Stengrim DigiKey (218) 681-8000 ext. 14489 [email protected] SOURCE DigiKey

DigiKey and engineering influencer Shawn Hymel to host webinar and video series on reinforcement learning with balance bots. Aug 06, 2026, 10:22 ET Free hands-on webinar workshop will take place Aug. 13 THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, is hosting a webinar with Shawn Hymel: "Train a balance bot with reinforcement learning," scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT. The free 90-minute virtual event will be a hands-on robotics and AI workshop that will teach attendees how to get started in the growing field of reinforcement learning (RL). Reinforcement learning is a powerful domain within machine learning that teaches agents to make decisions by interacting with an environment and maximizing a reward signal. It can enable robots to learn complex behaviors like balancing, walking and recovering from falls entirely in simulation before ever touching real hardware. During the workshop, Hymel will guide attendees through training a self-balancing robot using RL and deploying it on real hardware. Attendees will learn to: * Import a 3D model of the M5Stack Bala-C into the MuJoCo physics simulator * Train a neural network policy using a multi-phase PPO curriculum * Deploy the trained actor network to an ESP32 microcontroller using Arduino * Understand the sim-to-real pipeline, a foundational skill for applying modern AI techniques to physical robotics "Reinforcement learning has quickly become an exciting tool across a wide range of modern applications," said David Sandys, senior director of technical enablement & engagement for DigiKey. "It's a complex and growing field, and knowing where to begin can be tricky. That's why we're thankful to partner with Shawn Hymel to help bring this educational workshop to our customers and community to share how to get started, and why it's beneficial to gain this knowledge." "Almost every major robotics lab has turned to reinforcement learning to build robust, AI-powered control and decision-making for their robots, from quadrupeds to bipeds," says Hymel, expert instructor and content creator. "However, RL remains hard to approach. Training a policy can take millions of simulation steps, and getting the reward function right is as much art as science. This webinar will help lower the barrier to entry for anyone who wants to build their own robots with RL." Anyone who would like to follow along with the webinar is encouraged to have either the M5Stack Bala-C Balance Bot or the M5Stack Bala2 Fire Self-Balancing Robot. If you can't attend the live webinar, you're still encouraged to register, and the recording will be sent to all registrants following the event. Everyone is welcome to register for free. DigiKey has also debuted the first of a six-part educational YouTube series in partnership with Hymel, designed to help engineers, hobbyists and students get started with robotics and RL. The full series will walk viewers through training a robot using modern RL techniques, from simulation to hardware deployment. By the end of the series, viewers will have a working remote-controlled balance bot that learned its own control policy, entirely through trial and error in simulation. Viewers can also follow the full write-up of the tutorial on DigiKey's Maker.io site. This webinar and video series furthers DigiKey's commitment to providing helpful resources and education for engineers, designers, makers and students. For more information about other resources and educational content, please visit DigiKey.com. About DigiKey DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is the global leader in electronic components and automation products distribution. DigiKey offers the broadest and deepest selection of products for fast shipment worldwide, with more than 17.4 million components from over 3,000 trusted manufacturers. More than a million customers each year, including engineers, designers, builders, procurement professionals, makers and students, rely on DigiKey for innovative digital solutions, design tools and frictionless purchasing experiences that simplify every stage of their projects. Discover more about DigiKey's electronics distribution, automation solutions and design resources at digikey.com and on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. Editorial Contact Laura Stengrim DigiKey (218) 681-8000 ext. 14489 [email protected] SOURCE DigiKey

DigiKey, Shawn Hymel host reinforcement learning webinar series. 2 minutes read DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, is hosting a webinar with Shawn Hymel: "Train a balance bot with reinforcement learning," scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT. The free 90-minute virtual event will be a hands-on robotics and AI workshop that will teach attendees how to get started in the growing field of reinforcement learning (RL). Reinforcement learning is a powerful domain within machine learning that teaches agents to make decisions by interacting with an environment and maximizing a reward signal. It can enable robots to learn complex behaviors like balancing, walking and recovering from falls entirely in simulation before ever touching real hardware. During the workshop, Hymel will guide attendees through training a self-balancing robot using RL and deploying it on real hardware. Attendees will learn to: * Import a 3D model of the M5Stack Bala-C into the MuJoCo physics simulator * Train a neural network policy using a multi-phase PPO curriculum * Deploy the trained actor network to an ESP32 microcontroller using Arduino * Understand the sim-to-real pipeline, a foundational skill for applying modern AI techniques to physical robotics "Reinforcement learning has quickly become an exciting tool across a wide range of modern applications," said David Sandys, senior director of technical enablement & engagement for DigiKey. "It's a complex and growing field and knowing where to begin can be tricky. That's why we're thankful to partner with Shawn Hymel to help bring this educational workshop to our customers and community to share how to get started, and why it's beneficial to gain this knowledge." "Almost every major robotics lab has turned to reinforcement learning to build robust, AI-powered control and decision-making for their robots, from quadrupeds to bipeds," says Hymel, expert instructor and content creator. "However, RL remains hard to approach. Training a policy can take millions of simulation steps, and getting the reward function right is as much art as science. This webinar will help lower the barrier to entry for anyone who wants to build their own robots with RL." Anyone who would like to follow along with the webinar is encouraged to have either the M5Stack Bala-C Balance Bot or the M5Stack Bala2 Fire Self-Balancing Robot. If you can't attend the live webinar, you're still encouraged to register, and the recording will be sent to all registrants following the event. DigiKey has also debuted the first of a six-part educational YouTube series in partnership with Hymel, designed to help engineers, hobbyists and students get started with robotics and RL. The full series will walk viewers through training a robot using modern RL techniques, from simulation to hardware deployment. By the end of the series, viewers will have a working remote-controlled balance bot that learned its own control policy, entirely through trial and error in simulation. This webinar and video series furthers DigiKey's commitment to providing helpful resources and education for engineers, designers, makers and students. DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is the global leader in electronic components and automation products distribution. DigiKey offers the broadest and deepest selection of products for fast shipment worldwide, with more than 17.4 million components from over 3,000 trusted manufacturers. More than a million customers each year, including engineers, designers, builders, procurement professionals, makers and students, rely on DigiKey for innovative digital solutions, design tools and frictionless purchasing experiences that simplify every stage of their projects.