Researchers in Japan are developing robotic roller skates as a new form of personal mobility. Toshinobu Takei of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) demonstrated his “Unit-type Micro-Mobility” device at the2009 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo this week. We haven’t seen too many gadgets like these, but what with the plethora […]
Revelations from iREX 2009
101,000 visitors. Largest robotics trade show in the world. Read a review of iREX 2009 (International Robotics Exposition) held November 25-28, 2009 in Tokyo.
Big Wind – Big Picture
I have been slowly working my way through the DOE’s Wind Power study targeting 20% of the projected US electrical capacity to be generated by wind power by the year 2030. It’s 248 pages long. You can view, download or print it at your pleasure. No, I haven’t read the whole thing. Based on the […]
Robotic Fish Helps Understand Changes In Open Waters
The above video shows an interesting new type of fish—one with a mission. Despite its impressive life-like movements, it is actually a robot prototype that has been developed by scientists and researchers at the University of Essex, England. It is still being perfected at the London Aquarium, with a number of the expensive fish (each […]
New rules are needed to safely integrate unmanned aircraft into the US Airspace System
There are wonderful UAV products available for use by police, rescue, fire, drug and border patrol (as well as for commercial purposes such as research, exploration, imaging, survey, mapping, spraying, etc.), yet there are no regulations that enable those products to fly. If you have the time and energy, here are the key people at…
Big Wind Machines
Recently I had occaision to discuss the merits of wind power with a colleague. In particular there is a controversy between horizontal axis wind turbines, the giant propeller driven systems you see in advertisements, and vertical wind, which does not have much presence in the marketplace. The premise is that horizontal systems can take advantage […]
Optimism: a conversation with Henrik Christensen
Henrik is Director of Robotics and Intelligent Machines at GA Tech. He is a significant player in promoting the Roadmap for US Robotics having done the same tasks in the EU. We discussed the pitfalls of robotic surgeries, new Japanese, Korean and EU products pending FDA approval and the need for training simulators. There’s a…
New, Brighter, Sharper LED Signage
STMicroelectronics recently announced a new series of highly accurate LED drivers with automatic power saving, enabling electronic signage such as road signs, advertising, stadium displays, battery or solar-powered signs and similar equipment to deliver better, high-resolution viewing by ensuring consistent brightness across the viewing area. The brightness of an LED is closely related to the […]
Some North American Robotics Manufacturers Are Rebounding
Orders from life sciences customers are up 14% through September and orders from food and consumer goods customers are up 12% says Robotics Industry Association Statistics Committee. Steep declines in auto and auto OEMs, and most other non-auto robotics customers also reflected in same report.
Chips, Chips, Chips
Semiconductor manufacturing is still a little bit like magic. It’s hard to imagine packing millions of transistor into tiny spaces and creating cellphones, computers, flat screen television, digital cameras, CD players and so forth. And the industry keeps pumping out the innovations. And there are so many technologies, all focused on solving application problems but […]
Power Supplies Target Medical Applications
A new digitally controlled 300W TDK-Lambda power supply, designed specifically for medical applications, is now available from RS Components. With a 4kVAC reinforced input to output isolation and other specifications such as an output-to-ground isolation of 1500VAC, the EFE300M meets the rigorous international safety standards of IEC 60601-1 for medical equipment, making it suitable for […]
ARMY Robots Need Little to No Help
According to ArmyTimes.com, the Army plans within 18 months to field robots that will do some tasks without direct human control, such as finding explosives and transporting equipment. The robots will turn corners, clear dangerous areas, capture images with a “persistent stare” and beam them back, and follow convoys without being tele-operated as they are […]
Defining Green Jobs
The American Solar Energy Society (ASEA) reported a staggering forecast of “37 million jobs resulting from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the US by 2030”. That’s pretty exciting stuff. In fact, the numbers are so big, I had to get a closer look. 37 Million new jobs would certainly fix things in this, or […]
Motors are Strategic Technology
The 2007 Department of Commerce Census data is just now being released (how’s that for government efficiency?) and the good news is that the sector of the economy that manufactures electric motors and generators, a lot of which is used in industry for motion control applications, was up over 2002. The increase in total revenue […]