We’re really pleased to welcome our new team members – Peter May, and Sam Morley, to help us with our busy start to 2026. Peter has a vast experience in installing automation systems, particularly for system upgrades, which are ideally suited to the XMove infrastructure.

Sam, has a strong engineering background and whilst no stranger to live events, is relatively new to the world of theatre automation. He’s already becoming familiar with XMove, and getting to grips with the Beckhoff system architecture.

read more about them on our Team page. Really good to have them both on board

We’ve had a successful year, from supporting upgrades at the Royal Opera House and other UK fixed venues, implementing XMove on a range of shows at the National Theatre, Bridge Theatre, London Coliseum and beyond, (not to mention an upcoming concert World tour).

We’re now looking at a busy year ahead and need to expand the team with a new graduate engineering role.

Check out the Jobs section on our website for more information and details of how to apply.

XM Automation were delighted to provide an introduction to XMove for the first and second year students of Stage Management and Technical Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London last week.

Working together with Peter Maccoy, Senior Lecturer at the college, Vicky Hamilton of XM Automation presented an introduction to XMove and some initial hands-on training for the students.

XM Automation have provided two XM Wing units which the students are able to use, together with two of the college’s existing Mac minis on which the XMove software is running, in order to allow the students to practise and experiment with the software in their own time.

XM Automation look forward to receiving any feedback from the students and providing follow-up training for those keen to learn more.

War Horse toured to my home town this week, in the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre where I saw my first show. Fifty years later they have XMove in the venue, something I’d never dreamt would happen. Mum and Dad were so proud to see XM mentioned in the program last night. Thanks to Howard Eaton, and Damian Partington for the opportunity to provide the automation for this iconic production.

We’ll be exhibiting at the USITT Stage Expo in Columbus, Ohio from 5th – 8th March this year. Come and visit us at Booth 79 to see the XM Desk and Wing running with XMove software – we look forward to seeing you there!

Putting XMove through its paces on a new ship install. Replacement of a cruise ship’s existing Mechatronics(?) control system. Install in under a day, using standard Beckhoff components, combined with a custom PCB, to make installation a very simple task. Commissioning completed within a week. I remember commissioning the first of the Destiny class ships back in 1996, it’s been fun bringing this one back into service. Does anyone else need to update their onboard automation?

Congratulations to my colleagues Peter Quinlan & Jacob Davis at 38 Ten for developing an integration for the Kinesys control protocol on the XM automation platform, enabling control of Elevation Hoists from the XMove App.

This neat innovation lets us offer an alternative to the Kinesys desks as a front end and allows users to link up products from other manufacturers alongside their Kinesys hoists.

This follows one of our key goals, to help maximise use of organisations existing investment while giving more options for future expansion.

Hats off to Jacob Davis for solving the riddle.

Three days of demonstrations with the opportunity for hands on operation of the XMove system to around 50 theatre technicians. So pleased by the turnout for this event, which according to one visitor was ‘too interesting to miss’. Lot’s of good discussion and ideas for open systems, the chance to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.

So pleased with the feedback ‘Fantastic – I can see a lot of potential’, ‘Awesome demonstration’, ‘It’s so simple to use’, and many more. Along with some great ideas on new features, we’ll be adding over the coming months.

Thanks so much to Dick Lindström for his amazing organisation, and to his wife Marie for the wonderful catering.

Showing how XMove can easily be linked in to control an existing Siemens Sinamics power flying system. Installing a new EtherCAT interface to a Beckhoff PLC, moving a couple of Ethernet cables, and then configuring the system takes less than a day, allowing 6 axes to be run from the XMove App. A complete system could be installed within a week.

This provides a simple and cost effective alternative for those needing to upgrade an existing automation system, with minimal hardware changes and costs. 

Looking forward to the demos over the coming week, seeing friends old and new. If you’re in Sweden and fancy dropping in, do contact me or our kind host – Dick Lindström. We’d be very happy to welcome you.