NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander reached out and touched the Martian soil for the first time on Saturday, May 31, the first step in a series of actions expected to bring soil and ice to the lander’s experiments. The lander’s Robotic Arm scoop left an impression that resembles a footprint at a place provisionally named Yeti…
Possible Ice Seen on Mars
TUCSON, Ariz.– Scientists have discovered what may be ice that was exposed when soil was blown away as NASA’s Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars last Sunday, May 25. The possible ice appears in an image the robotic arm camera took underneath the lander, near a footpad. NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona “We could very well be seeing rock,…
Mars Lander Puts Arm and Other Tools to Work
TUCSON, Ariz. – NASA’s Mars lander is returning more detailed images from the Martian surface and is now preparing its instruments for science operations. Phoenix transmitted a 360-degree panorama of its frigid Martian world, freed its nearly 8-foot robotic arm, tested a laser instrument for studying dust and clouds, and transmitted its second weather report…
Phoenix Commanded to Unstow Arm
The Phoenix lander sent back new sharp color images from Mars late yesterday. Phoenix imaging scientists made a color mosaic of images taken by the lander’s Surface Stereo Imager on landing day, May 25, and the first two full “sols,” or Martian days, after landing. The panorama, now about one-third complete, shows a fish-eye perspective…
Biomimetic Jumping Microrobot
Researchers from the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at EPFL unveiled a novel, grasshopper-inspired jumping robot at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. The robot weighs a miniscule 7 grams, and can jump 1.4 meters, or more than 27 times its body size — ten times farther for its size and weight than any…
NASA Mars Lander Next Steps
Mission scientists are eager to move Phoenix’s robotic arm, for that arm will deliver samples of icy terrain to their instruments made to study this unexplored Martian environment. The team sent commands for moving the arm on Tuesday morning, May 27, to NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for relay to Phoenix. However, the orbiter did not…
Toshiba Machine’s Latest TH-A Series of Scara Robots
Elk Grove Village, IL — Already recognized for high speeds, payloads and repeatability, Toshiba Machine’s TH Series has been upgraded to the TH-A Series of extreme performance Scara Robots. Consisting of three models, the TH650A, the TH850A and the TH1050A, these robots offer a 20 — 30% improvement in cycle time (with higher payloads) compared…
FACTS Engineering Finalist in Freescale FTF Design Challenge
Cumming, GA — AutomationDirect is pleased to announce that FACTS Engineering, an exclusive supplier to AutomationDirect, was recently selected as a top 10 finalist in Freescale Semiconductor’s inaugural Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) Green Design Challenge, where contestants develop the next generation of embedded systems based on Freescale’s energy-efficient technologies and easy-to-design-with development tools. Freescale’s FTF…
RoboCup German Open
Robot soccer is an ambitious high-tech competition for universities, research institutes and industry. Several major tournaments are planned for 2008, the biggest of which is the ‘RoboCup German Open’. From April 21-25, over 80 teams of researchers from more than 15 countries are expected to face off in Hall 25 at the Hannover Messe. In…
AeroTest America 2008 Expo & Forum
WHEN:November 17-20, 2008 WHERE:Fort Worth Convena CO-LOCATION:Society of Flight Test Engineers Annual International Symposium Global Windtunnel Symposium WHAT:A unique, fully dedicated showcase of the very latest analytical, testing & evaluation, measurement, inspection, monitoring & compliance technologies, solutions, equipment, specialist services & facilities -meeting the needs of the Civil & Military Aviation, Space Engineering & Airborne…
What’s wrong with horsepower?
By Steve Meyer Steve Meyer is the President, Solid Technologies (Lakewood, CO) What’s wrong with specifying horsepower for motors, particularly in motion control systems? Plenty. First, horsepower is a unit of measure for doing work, the rate at which power is consumed. If you were to measure power in a typical machine during normal operation, you would…
MSC.Software acquires Network Analysis, Inc.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – MSC.Software (NASDAQ: MSCS) expands its world-class thermal solution portfolio through its acquisition of Arizona-based Network Analysis, Inc. (NAI), the developers of the SINDA/G(TM) advanced thermal modeling software. The NAI acquisition by MSC.Software comes complete with all of NAI’s expert technical staff, allowing continuity of NAI’s business while concurrently complementing MSC.Software’s world-class…
Cognex Offers Vision-Based Wafer Pre-Alignment
Natick, MA, – Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ – CGNX), today announced at SEMICON Japan the In-Sight® 1820 vision-based wafer pre-aligner. Utilizing proprietary Cognex NotchMaxTM alignment technology, the 1820 vision system provides precise non-contact measurement of wafer position and orientation that is faster and more accurate than comparably priced mechanical systems. The In-Sight 1820 determines wafer position…
Advanced Mechatronics Training
In order to keep a competitive edge, manufacturing companies are upgrading their automation equipment to increase productivity and enable the production of high quality products. The automated equipment that is used today requires technicians with a new set of technical skills to operate and maintain them. The US Department of Labor estimates that more than…
Yaskawa Electric and KW Software Form IEC Alliance
From the SPS 2007 Show Yaskawa Electric signs contract at SPS 2007 with KW software for KW to be sole supplier of IEC software for Yaskawa’s MP2000 series of machine controllers. The KW software will be integral offering for Yaskawa’s customers that require the use of a “global standard”. Pictured above is Mike Knapek, Sr.…
Software Will Change the Way You Build Your Robots
Growth in the robotic industry has remained largely inhibited because the industry lacks a standard software platform. David Goodin, President, All Motion, compares it to the PC industry of the 1970’s. Companies were manufacturing hardware with proprietary software until Windows came along and unified the drivers and application software. Microsoft Robotics Studio, introduced by Microsoft…
Banner on Axis Lights
(Minneapolis, MN)-Banner Engineering Corp. introduces on-axis lights to its extensive line of lighting accessories for challenging vision sensing applications. On-axis lights provide optimal illumination of an inspected part by delivering collimated illumination in the same optical path as camera. These lights provide even, diffused illumination of flat, reflective surfaces perpendicular to the camera. On-axis lights…
Sigma-5 Servo Series from Yaskawa
Waukegan, IL – Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. proudly announces the revolutionary Sigma-5 servomotors and amplifiers. This fifth generation of servos is a massive leap forward in technology. The most impressive feature of the Sigma-5 series is its improved positioning accuracy by one thousand times the industry standard. In addition, the well-known, autotuning function was optimized…
SynqNet® exceeds 300,000 motion axes shipped
WOOD DALE, IL — Danaher Motion today announced that the 300,000th axis of its SynqNet® motion and I/O network was shipped in August 2007, and since SynqNet’s introduction in 2003 more than 303,000 axes have been installed worldwide, making it the fastest growing motion network available today. Danaher Motion attributes much of the rapid SynqNet…
Flying Shear Solutions
Hoffman Estates, IL — Bosch Rexroth’s Flying Shear solution, part of the IndraMotion for Metal Forming system, is a pre-engineered, IndraDrive-based solution for standard applications requiring only simple configuration setup, saving integration, setup and operation time. The Flying Shear solution offers a particularly economical and scalable choice for processors of sheet metal, plastic, paper, or…
Bosch Rexroth Helps Outfit New Automation Lab at Illinois State University
Normal, IL — The Illinois State University Department of Technology recently selected Bosch Rexroth to provide an industrial conveyor system and aluminum structural framing components for the university’s new Integrated Manufacturing Lab. Named as the Caterpillar Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory (CAT-IML), the advanced learning facility with robotic technology was made possible by a $1.2 million gift…
World’s First AGV-Forklift Collision Avoidance System
Danaher Motion announced today that is has formed a strategic relationship with Sky-Trax Inc. (Sky-Trax) to jointly develop and market the world’s first Indoor Collision Avoidance System (ICAS) for industrial vehicles. The companies will strategically align their respective technologies and marketing efforts to address the growing number of costly accidents AGV’s incur when struck by…
Machine Tool Productivity
Hoffman Estates, IL — A new brochure is available from Bosch Rexroth, detailing solutions for improving productivity, flexibility, reliability and profitability of machine tools. The free brochure can be downloaded here. The cross-technology brochure spans assembly, electric drives and controls, hydraulics, linear motion and pneumatics technology groups, showcasing the products and technology available to manufacturers…
Engineers focus on freedom
By Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor Medical science continues to push boundaries in health care. With the aid of the innovative engineer, physicians, surgeons, and medical researchers move ever closer to the goal of providing superior health care. Over the last few years, engineers have contributed their skills to a number of interesting and unique developments…
Energy Efficient Drive Systems
Increased awareness of environmental issues is a powerful argument for saving energy, but so is the constantly rising cost of electricity. There is an enormous amount of untapped savings potential in modern plants and equipment. If this can be exploited, both the environment and the company can benefit. These factors help explain the trend towards…