Features

Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control

Solar Cell Manufacturing and Robot Automation: Right Fit, Right Robot

The United States has set 2015 as a goal to reach grid parity (that point where solar electricity is equal to grid electricity). No matter your thoughts on regulatory...

Articles: Motion Control

Motion Control and System Engineering Considerations

Motion control choices are best made in light of the whole system architecture, as the selection of system architecture will drive not only the implementation and integration stages of the...

Articles: Aerospace

Ames Research Center

NASA Ames Research Center is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, surrounded by high-tech companies, universities, and laboratories. With over $3 billion in capital equipment, 2,500 research personnel,...

Who's Who: Aerospace

Dr. Bruce Wielicki, Senior Earth Scientist, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA

Dr. Bruce Wielicki, senior Earth scientist within the Science Directorate at Langley Research Center, works as lead of the Climate Absolute Radiance and...

Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Springs and Couplings Keep Mars Science Laboratory Rover on Track

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Rover “Curiosity” is the biggest rover to roam the Red Planet, measuring almost the size of a standard car. The rover is expected to land...

Application Briefs: Software

Reverse Engineering Software Reduces Design Time of NASA UAV Engine Cowling

Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA, needed to redesign the engine cowling of their Systems Integration Evaluation Remote Research...

Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Optimized Machine Capability Through Mechatronics: Packaging for the Future

Mechatronics can be defined as the science to optimize the performance and capabilities of machines using a multi-domain synergistic design approach. It is also...

Products

Cables for Military Robotic Applications

The highly flexible and durable flat silicone cables from Cicoil (Valencia, CA) are designed for use on unmanned ground-based military robotic vehicles that require absolute reliability in mission...

Products

Low-Voltage BLDC Motors and Gearmotors

Dunkermotor (Elgin, IL) has released its 2012 catalog of low-voltage brushless DC and intelligent servo motors. The expanded catalog includes detailed specifications on custom configurable BLDC motors,...

Products

DC Servo Motors

The 8540 Series brush-commutated DC motors from Pittman (Harleysville, PA) are ideal for high-tech applications found in medical devices, lab instrumentation, and precision automation machinery. The 8540 Series motors are...

Products

IEPE Accelerometers

Kistler North America (Novi, MI) has introduced a new family of single axis and triaxial lightweight, miniature PiezoBeam(R) IEPE accelerometers with optional TEDS, designed for the multi-channel modal and structural...

Products

Oscilloscope Adapter for PCs

Saelig Company (Pittsford, NY) has announced availability of the MSO-28, a new USB-powered, entry-level mixed-signal 60MHz oscilloscope adapter for PCs. This scope adapter combines a two-channel oscilloscope with...

Products

Night Vision Camera

FLIR Systems (Portland, OR) announced the availability of its Tau CNV, a rugged compact and low-power CMOS HD camera for ultra low-light, video rate imaging applications. Incorporating Fairchild Imaging’s sCMOS...

Products

Protocol Analyzer

Tektronix (Beaverton, OR) has introduced a new comprehensive protocol test platform that allows engineers to analyze, stimulate, stress and characterize high-speed serial links, with support for speeds up to 10Gb/s. With...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Goniometric Radiometer

The LD8900 Goniometric Radiometer from Ophir Photonics Group (Logan, UT) makes X-Y, holographic, and 3D measurements without moving either the detector or the source. The design allows the farfield profiler to...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Thermal Surveillance Cameras

Vumii (Atlanta, GA) has added four thermal camera lines to its imaging solutions portfolio: CompactSec™, EyeSec™, DualSec™, and RangeSec™. The IP-enabled CompactSec thermal camera is available in three...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Color Sensors

TAOS (Plano, TX) has announced the TCS3x71 and TCS3x72 Series of Digital Color RGB and Proximity Sensors. When coupled with IR LED, the sensors also provide proximity detection within a range of lighting conditions and through...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Laser Diode Module

Power Technology (Little Rock, AR) offers a violet laser diode module with 250mW of output power at 405nm. The module meets OEM analytical and general scientific laser application needs, including laser-induced...

Products: Photonics/Optics

CW and Pulsed Laser Diode Driver

Analog Modules (Longwood, FL) has released its CW and pulsed laser diode driver, Model 784. The 50A, 2.5V driver requires +5VDC input power. Pulsewidths vary from 600ns to CW, with power capabilities up to...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Industrial Sensors

The FB series M18 plastic DC photoelectric sensors from AutomationDirect (Cumming, GA) are diffuse, polarized reflective and through-beam models. The 18mm devices have sensing distances ranging from 70mm to eight meters....

Products: Photonics/Optics

Epoxy

The Polymer System EP37-3FLF from Master Bond (Hackensack, NJ) resists cryogenic temperatures and thermal cycling. The two-component epoxy, which features a low exotherm, functions as a potting, encapsulating, and casting system,...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Forensic Analytical Microscope

The CRAIC Elixir™ microscope from CRAIC Technologies (San Dimas, CA) offers multiple forensic analytical techniques. Forensic scientists can use the tool to conduct microspectroscopy, high-resolution imaging,...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Vacuum UV Imaging Spectrometer

Vacuum spectrometers from McPherson (Chelmsford, MA) have a 670mm focal length. The spectrometers feature stainless steel housings and components for ultra-high-vacuum applications. The instruments readily...

Products: Photonics/Optics

Source Measurement Unit

Keithley Instruments (Cleveland, OH) has announced the Model 2401 SourceMeter® instrument, which is optimized for high-precision test applications such as current vs. voltage (I-V) characterization of photovoltaic...