Robots are being used to implement logistics tasks, industrial processes, personal care, medical procedures, and more. The growing variety of robot designs and the breadth of tasks that robots perform is driving a large number of specific performance and safety standards. This FAQ reviews emerging standards for industrial mobile robots, collaborative robots (also called ‘cobots’), […]
Robotics/Drones
Sentient robots and artificial intelligence
Sensors for touch, vision are on the leading-edge of robotics developments. Sensors enable robots to gather information about the environment, determine how the environment may be changing, and provide the data to determine the appropriate response to any changes. Sensor information can be used to improve performance of the task at hand, or it can […]
Miniature software defined radio transceiver optimized for UAV, small drone platforms
The wireless communications specialist has launched a miniature Software Defined Radio transceiver, designed specifically for size and weight critical unmanned vehicle applications and is particularly suitable for small drone platforms. The extremely small, very low power SOL8SDR-M BluCore module, provides access to a wide range of IP Mesh and unidirectional COFDM waveforms, including DTC’s latest […]
Robot software environments and motion control architectures
Robots can be classified by their kinesiology, their mechanical performance specifications, and various types of software they employ. This FAQ will consider robot software environments and motion control architectures. The next FAQ will delve into “Sentient robots and artificial intelligence.” The series will conclude with a review of the major “International performance and safety standards […]
Robot axes, drive safety, and power architectures
Depending on the intended tasks and the associated range of motion, robots can have varying axes and various axis configurations called robot kinesiology. This FAQ will consider robot axes, kinesiology, drive safety functions, and power architectures. Subsequent FAQs will focus on “Robot software environments and motion control architectures,” “Sentient robots and artificial intelligence,” and “International […]
VCSEL meets demands of time of flight applications
Osram Opto Semiconductors announced a new multi-junction Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) to debut at Photonics West. The 550 aperture PowerBoost VCSEL improves power conversion efficiency up to 60 percent and enhances optical power. Osram’s PowerBoost VCSEL technology offers faster and more efficient rise and fall times, enabling short pulse lengths, something critical in Time-of-Flight […]
Anti-counterfeit, turnkey combines enhanced authentication and flexibility
Consumer devices, home appliances and industrial machines are constantly exposed to the risk of counterfeit spares and accessories. Fakes can compromise functionality, user safety and – as a result – brand value. To solve this problem, Infineon Technologies AG launches the OPTIGA Authenticate IDoT anti-counterfeit turnkey solution which combines enhanced authentication with unprecedented levels of […]
Real-time embedded hypervisor includes interrupt control, scalable vector extensions, cryptography
BlackBerry Limited announced the release of QNX Hypervisor 2.2, the latest edition of the company’s real-time embedded hypervisor product. With QNX Hypervisor 2.2, manufacturers and other embedded system suppliers are empowered with ultimate design flexibility and scalability to consolidate multiple systems with mixed-criticality and different operating environments onto a single hardware platform, reducing both the initial development […]
RF front-end for GNSS receivers includes impedance-matching, ESD protection
STMicroelectronics’ BPF8089-01SC6 RF front-end for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers simplifies design and saves real-estate by integrating the impedance-matching and electrostatic-discharge (ESD) protection circuitry typically implemented using discrete components. The BPF8089-01SC6 provides a 50Ω matched interface between the receiver’s antenna and low-noise amplifier (LNA) and is ready to plug-and-play with ST’s STA8089 and STA8090 […]
MEMS motion sensor/software combo targets smart TV, robotics, AR/VR, wearables, IoT apps
TDK Corporation announces the availability of the InvenSense ICM-40627 and ICM-42688-V high-performance MEMS motion tracking solutions (6-axis IMU + dedicated software library). As a leader in consumer IoT, TDK continues to provide a complete suite of SmartMotion sensor solutions for a broad range of consumer and IoT applications. In addition, a comprehensive development platform, the […]