TechBlog

The recent energy crisis and soaring oil prices have compelled the human race to look for alternate energy sources, such solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear and bio fuels. Harnessing of nuclear power is getting new impetus.

Continue reading ‘Solar Cell Growth Flaring’ »

Acoustic waves play many everyday roles – from communication between people to ultrasound imaging. Now the highest frequency acoustic waves in materials, with nearly atomic-scale wavelengths, promise to be useful probes of nanostructures such as LED lights.

However, detecting them isn’t so easy.

Continue reading ‘Visualizing Atomic-Scale Acoustic Waves In Nanostructures’ »

The new NIR / Red Enhanced 6mm² ODA-6W-500M Photodetector-Preamplifier from Opto Diode Corporation is a photodiode preamplifier combination device that features higher gain in lower light environments. The low light, high sensitivity component has a large active area that operates in the NIR wavelength with response at 940 nm (typically 315 V/µW, min. 290). The standard 6mm² ODA-6W-500M offers 500 Mohm gain with custom gains also available, per customer specifications. Opto Diode’s new component is based on their proprietary shielded amplifier electronics, featuring extremely low noise and high sensitivity in the red enhanced preamp combination detector.

Smaller and more compact than discrete solutions, the hermetically-sealed TO-39 can is highly suitable for assembly in confined spaces. Ideal for applications such as fluorescence, microscopy and analytical chemistry, the detector is designed for easy integration into new and existing systems. Storage and operating temperature ranges from -25 degrees C to +100 degrees C.

Nanophotonics is living up to the hype. The study of light on the nanoscale might have been a ‘buzzword’ within optics circles a couple of years ago, but this tiny science is now moving away from the world of theoretical science and new research facilities are popping up in laboratories around the world.

And, with it, nanophotonics brings a myriad of new nano-prefixed buzzwords, including nanocapacitors, nanoforests, nanorice and nanoshells. But the real buzz is around the applications that using light as a tool on the submicron scale could open up.

Continue reading ‘Nanophotonics is moving out of the computational simulations and taking over the labs’ »

 Fig. 1. Partially NSTT-treated (2/3 from bottom)

OEM bars for suspension coil spring

Continue reading ‘NSTT – A Promising Tool for Properties Enhancement of Heat-Treated Steels’ »

ADVANCED Motion Controls announces development efforts with Robosoft, located in Bidart, France, to produce a new standard in service robots. To date, Robosoft has uniquely created a multi-use hardware platform for remote service mobile robotic needs. The robuLAB series for example can be used for indoor security, medical assistance, assisted living or any other service need.

The hardware incorporates ADVANCED Motion Controls servo drives at the heart of the motion control. Robosoft’s robuBOX is a flexible software platform that is operationally ready to take on many tasks and can be quickly and safely tailored to fit the customer’s exact needs. With the combination of the Robosoft’s hardware and software, including ADVANCED Motion Controls DigiFlex Performance high power density servo drives, OEM’s and users can develop new robotic applications much faster than attempting full scale development.

“Motor-drives are the key components in service robotics, this is the gateway between hardware and software,” says Vincent Dupourqué, CEO of ROBOSOFT. “The ADVANCED Motion Controls drives perfectly fit our control software needs, allowing implementation of advanced algorithms for mobile robots and manipulators.”

Additionally, for those customers looking to develop their own control algorithms within Microsoft’s Robotics Development Studio, drivers for ADVANCED Motion Controls’ DigiFlex Performance servo drives, and additional software features, are being developed by Robosoft in the robuBOX and will be available to developers before the end of 2008.

“Flexible mobile robotic platforms with available standards have now come of age. Robosoft’s robuters and robuBOX hardware and software products are proving to be excellent building blocks for companies looking to create their own specific robot designs” says Karl Meier, Marketing Manager of ADVANCED Motion Controls.

About robuBOX
RobuBOX launch took place in mid-2006. Several robots embedding the robuBOX have been deployed since: Estele, the remote tele-echography system already in operation in 4 French Hospitals, robuCAB an automatic vehicle guided by GPS, a mobile robot for construction sites carrying pallets of materials, as well as the off-the-shelf ROBOSOFT robuLAB and robuROC mobile platforms for miscellaneous indoor and outdoor applications.

robuBOX is now available and allows robotics integrators and mass market manufacturers to seamlessly build a variety of advanced robotics solutions using the Microsoft Robotics Studio environment.

About DigiFlex Performanceservo drives
DigiFlex Performance servo drive series, originally launched in early 2007, provides complete OEM flexibility by allowing use of any controller, any motor with any feedback. The product platform continues to set new motion control standards and provides excellent power density for applications requiring compact enclosure. Including both panel and PCB mount versions, many industries are now using these servos: military, homeland security, robotics, semiconductors, machine tool, medical, lab automation, etc.

About ROBOSOFT
ROBOSOFT is the European leader in service robotics. With more than 20 years of recognized scientific and industrial expertise in this field, ROBOSOFT provides advanced robotics solutions for transport, cleaning, surveillance, healthcare and research markets since 1985.

Beyond professional applications, the era of personal robotics is now starting. ROBOSOFT thinks that its service robots called “robuters” will be part of everyday life within 5 years. According to forecasts of Japan Robotics Association: in 2010 worldwide personal and service robotics market will reach 17 billion dollars. Robuters will make easier everybody’s life in activities such as entertainment, education, culture, healthcare, assistance to elderly and handicapped people etc… In order to bring these applications to life, ROBOSOFT already integrates 80% of software complexity in its robuBOX, a software module based on Microsoft Robotics Studio, which is already incorporated in ROBOSOFT’s robots, but can also be licensed to integrators and robots manufacturers for mass production.

About ADVANCED Motion Controls
ADVANCED Motion Controls designs, manufactures and supplies the highest performance servo drives and servo amplifiers available since 1988. From complete PWM servo control to custom servo solutions, ADVANCED Motion Controls provides brushed and brushless motor drives with the latest in digital servo technology. AC servo and DC servo motor controllers are available for general servo automation or specific robotic control. Complete servo motor drive controls are available for: AC and DC brushless servo motors, DC brush type servo motor, linear and rotary servo motors, closed loop vector motors, voice coils, inductive loads and actuators for precise motion systems. Servo drives with networking capabilities for either centralized or distributed motion control servo systems are readily available.

Robotic transporters are key when you want to automate welding of extremely large, heavy parts.  The maximum work envelope radius of an extended-reach robot is about 3-meters (9.84’).  If the parts you are welding require more reach than that, you need to find ways to move the robot to the part to provide optimal torch access to the welds.  A variety of robot transporters are available, and each type lends itself to a particular type of work flow.  How do you decide whether your application is best-suited for a linear floor- or wall-mounted track, linear overhead gantry or radial transport beam solution? 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Robotic Transporter

Continue reading ‘Robotic Transporters for Large Weldments’ »

The all new MEMS G50Z High Performance Single Axis Gyro is a MEMS Rate Sensor with both excellent bias over temperature and low noise. Designed for commercial stabilization and aircraft applications, the unit utilizes standard +5V DC power and has a voltage output. The -200 model features a +/- VSG compatible signal.

Continue reading ‘G50Z High Performance MEMS Gyro’ »

The all new A30 MEMS High Performance Single Axis Accelerometer offers excellent bias with a small light weight form factor and low power. Designed for commercial stabilization and aircraft applications, the unit utilizes standard +5V DC power and has a voltage output.

• Low Cost & High Performance MEMS Single Axis Accelerometer
• Excellent Bias ? 1mg
• Bias Repeatability ? 2.5mg
• Axis Alignment <15mrad
• Low Power < 5 mA Typical
• Light Weight < 10 grams
• Low Voltage +5V (single sided power)
• Bandwidth 40Hz / 100Hz
• Voltage Output
• Reference Voltage
• Internal Temperature Sensor
• Self Test
• Shock Resistant 500g
• Long Life

Continue reading ‘A30 High Performance MEMS Accelerometer’ »

The all new LandMark20 MEMS GPS/AHRS is an ultra low power combined digital Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) that provides internally temperature compensated RS485 output of delta velocity, delta theta, heading, pitch and roll angle and altitude information and a 16 channel C/A code GPS receiver with 10Hz position update rate.

A complete turnkey software development kit with advanced features including direct PC interface, data recording, bandwidth and output rate selection is also available.A complete turnkey software development kit with advanced features including direct PC interface, data recording, bandwidth, output rate selection and GPS is also available.

Continue reading ‘MEMS LandMark20 GPS/AHRS - Low Noise AHRS with GPS’ »