Features

Brushless Motor Drive

The DPFlex™ II digital, sensorless, brushless motor drive series from Allied Motion (Amherst, NY) offers speed capability to 150,000 RPM, the ability to drive lower-impedance motors, and software settable rotation...

Motion Controller

ACS Motion Control (Bloomington, MN) released the SPiiPlusCMHV line of EtherCAT master motion controllers that can manage networks with up to 32 axes and thousands of I/Os. The modules control networks with one or two axes of...

Robotic Tool Changer

The QC-160 Robotic Tool Changer from ATI Industrial Automation (Apex, NC) has a high moment capacity in a lightweight design, and features internal lock/unlock sensing and five 3/8 NPT and four ½ NPT pass-through air...

Positioning Assemblies

UniSlide assemblies from Velmex (Bloomfield, NY) deliver movement in one, two, or three dimensions with linear motion. The systems also can be customized for specific requirements. They are compact, and the design allows...

Autonomous Robots Keep Warehouse Running Green

YLOG, a startup company in Austria, uses an intelligent and very environmentally friendly logistics system that is winning an increasing number of customers. The technology makes use of individual,...

Carolyn Parcheta, NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

A geologist by training, Carolyn Parcheta had an idea in July of 2013 to develop a robot that explores and measures the shape of volcanic fissures. She worked...

Products of Tomorrow

The technologies NASA develops don’t just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety,...

Smart-Grid-Ready Instrumentation

The term “smart grid” is an umbrella term used to refer to new technologies that aim to address today’s electrical power grid challenges. At a high level, these technologies address challenges associated...

System Concept Studies Will Aid NASA in Asteroid Redirect Mission

SSL 1300 commercial satellite bus Space Systems/Loral Palo Alto, CA 650-852-4000 www.sslmda.com NASA continues to advance the journey to Mars through progress on the Asteroid...

Data Recorders Prepare Orion for Splashdown Test

Data recorders and software Diversified Technical Systems (DTS) Seal Beach, CA 562-493-0158 www.dtsweb.com It’s no simple task to travel 3,600 miles into space, blaze back through Earth’s...

Vision Algorithms Catch Defects in Screen Displays

NASA Technology NASA has sent more than a few robotic missions into space, but it never loses sight of its goal to enable human exploration of the cosmos. A core component of planning for...

Product of the Month

Instron, Norwood, MA, introduced the AVE 2 strain measurement system that conforms to testing standards such as ISO 527, ASTM D3039, and ASTM D638. The video extensometer utilizes patented measurement technology, and adapts...

Researcher Spotlight: Atom­Thick Material Offers 2D Imaging Possibilities

Rice University scientists have developed a two-­dimensional, atom­-thick, light-­sensitive material called CIS, a single­-layer matrix of copper, indium, and...

Synthetic Vision Systems Improve Pilots' Situational Awareness

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) define a minimum of clear weather conditions under which a pilot can operate an aircraft using visual cues, such as the horizon and buildings. Under VFR, a...

3D Vision System Aids 560-Mile Piloted Drive

Audi completed a long-distance test drive of its Audi A7 Sportback semi-autonomous concept vehicle, finishing the journey at the International CES 2015 consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. The...

CMOS Smart Camera

VC F series intelligent cameras from Vision Components (Ettlingen, Germany) provide a 4 x 1 GHz computing power. Equipped with a programmable GPU, the systems use the VC Linux operating system. The cameras feature either one...

Thermal Camera

FLIR Systems (Wilsonville, OR) has announced the release of the GF343 optical gas imaging camera. The device detects and visualizes carbon dioxide (CO2) leaks, while equipment is still online in the course of normal operations....

CMOS Camera

Allied Vision Technologies (Stadtroda, Germany) offers three new Mako camera models. The Mako G-030, featuring the CMOSIS CMV300 CMOS sensor, delivers VGA resolution at frame rates up to 300 fps. The Mako G-050 contains Sony’s...

USB 3.0 Camera

New 10 MP industrial cameras from The Imaging Source (Charlotte, NC/Bremen, Germany) ship with the Aptina MT9J003 sensor and a USB 3.0 interface. The industrial housing includes a C/CS lens mount and I/Os. More than 10 image...

CMOS Camera

Thunderbolt™ technology cameras from Ximea (Münster, Germany) feature sensors from Sony (IMX174) and CMOSIS (CMV20000). The cameras provide direct access to computer memory at 10 and 20 Gbit/s respectively.

High-Speed Camera

Vision Research (Wayne, NJ) has introduced the Phantom® Miro® C-Series. The 73 × 73 × 72 mm cameras withstand shocks of 170G and vibration of 17 grms. Comprising two models, the Phantom Miro C210J and C210, the Miro...

Vision Sensors

Baumer (Southington, CT) has expanded its VeriSens XC series vision sensor portfolio to include models capable of color identification and inspection. Color FEX, a new, intelligent feature for setup of 3D color identification and...

Thermal Camera

Sierra-Olympic Technologies (Hood River, OR) has introduced the Viento 640 thermal imaging camera. The imager features a 640 × 480 × 17 μm uncooled vanadium oxide FPA in a 30 Hz or 9 Hz version. Customers are not required to...

The Hubble Space Telescope

On April 24, 1990, something happened that forever altered mankind’s view of the universe. It was on that day that the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Hubble Spinoffs: Space Age Technology for the Masses

Over the last 25 years, some of the sophisticated technology developed for the HST has been successfully spun off and commercialized to improve life on Earth.

Customizing Visual 3D Optical Coatings

There are many ways to coat an optic and optimize the coating for a specific application, some more interesting than others. But any thin film coating process requires raw materials, coating capabilities,...

3D Volumetric Display Technology

The United States government spends a lot of money on its defense programs, investing in the training and technology necessary to arm and prepare the most advanced fighting force on the planet. The price tag for...

Creating a Unique Solution to Test Indoor Climate Systems

In the past, controlling the indoor climate in homes consisted of a thermostat regulating the heat, and ventilating the homes by opening the windows. New energy performance regulations...

Test it Like da Vinci

Do you see product testing and checking as a necessary evil? Then take some time to change your mind. In the long process from vision to reality of a product, intelligent and efficient testing is indispensable. The latest...