Project Mechatronics

Simulations and Priorities

Some recent responses to the last post on tradeoff analysis made me think about the complex math behind the design of electric motors. Its way more complex than you would think. Not because I know anything about it, but a good friend of mine Dr. Hao Huang, did an incredible ...

Free Advanced Mechatronics Seminar for Motion Control

Danaher Motion Performance Controls (MEI), in partnership with The MathWorks and sponsored by Design World magazine, is hosting a free half-day seminar on Advanced Mechatronics for High Performance Motion Control on Wednesday, October 22, 2008, at the Boston Marriott® Newton hotel. Persons interested in attending can learn more and register ...

AC and DC

It has been over 100 years since the first DC dynamo's were built to power electric lights. Shortly after Edison's direct current debut, Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse gave the world AC powered motors. And the "War of the Currents" has been going on ever since. Although its been less ...

Tradeoffs and Triangles

The activity of optimization involves trade off analysis. The goal is to improve performance or cost effectiveness, or both if possible. Nowadays, we have some really sophisticated software tools that allow us to simulate the behavior of complex systems. Computational fluid dynamics, magnetic field simulations, thermal imaging, finite element analysis ...

Mechatronic Tidal Simulation Assists Scientists

Scientists from London's Imperial College are using the new RT3 version of the Reliance Cool Muscle NEMA 23 integrated servo system to reproduce the sub-surface pressure changes created by lunar tides in laboratory research experiments directed at improving oil recovery. The unique abilities of the RT3 version along with the support ...

Materials and Mechatronics

A great scientist recently said that most of the new innovations in coming years would be in the materials science world. (Sorry I can't remember the reference, or I would gladly give credit...) Seems like he may prove to be right. Organic LED materials and processes show the potential to replace ...

The Automatic Book Scanner ScanRobot

The book scanner ScanRobot® has been developed for the digitization of huge book inventories. The book scanner has the ability to turn the pages automatically and to to scan a whole book at once. The new and patented scanning technology of the ScanRobot® allows distortion free images and the gentle and ...

The Future of Feedback

Feedback technology isn't as simple as it seems. Over the years, the technology has improved and costs have decreased dramatically. HP's scribed disc encoder used to be the standard at around $50/unit in small quantities. Now through beam LED based encoder kits are available for $25 and less. Accuracy is ...

The Future of Mechatronic Design

I think mechatronics generally begins with mechanical design. That's just my perspective, it may differ in your experience. If its a power window in a car, a hard disk drive platter machine, a blender, an amusement park ride or display, a surgical robot, whatever. They all start with mechanical ...

Single Incision Robotic Kidney Removal

For the first time in Michigan, a diseased kidney has been surgically removed at Henry Ford Hospital using highly sophisticated 3D robotics through a single incision. “We made several improvements in the technique that could allow us to perform this type of procedure routinely,” says Craig Rogers, M.D., Henry Ford’s director ...