Intro to Shape Memory Alloy Actuation Using Flexinol
From Jie Qi's projects page:
Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are metals that change shape when heated up. They are wonderful actuators in that they are light, silent and can be "turned on" by simply running current through. The shape that they change to can also be set, though this process is a bit more tricky. Flexinol is a particular brand of nitinol, which is an SMA made of nickel and titanium, and is pre-set to contract about 10% of its original length when heated.
In my projects, I generally used the 0.006" to 0.01" diameter, High-Temp wires.
Since Flexinol draws a lot of current (about 300mA for the diameters I used), you need a strong power supply like a wall supply or a good lithium-ion battery. I've used from 3.7V up to 6V (any more and my Flexinol wires would start overheating). To turn the Flexinol on, I would simply short the ends of the wire to the power. For digital control, I used a standard MOSFET circuit which is a digital switch that can be turned on and off using a microcontroller... (cont'd)
RobLog Industrial Demonstrator Entrance for Robotic Logistics
The design and construction of the RobLog Industrial Demonstrator was made under the requirements for such a machine to be robust yet have a streamlined design, flexible enough to fit into different space confinements, such as loading docks or warehouses.
Photron Introduces Mini UX50 - High-Speed Imaging System
New, compact, rugged 1.3 MPixel high-speed camera for automotive safety testing
Velodyne LiDAR, Leader in Autonomous Vehicle Technology, To Be Featured in Back-to-Back Events in S.F. Bay Area
CEO David Hall Joins Panelists During Robotics Conference at UC Berkeley July 13; At AUVSI Symposium Near SFO, Velodyne Team to Demonstrate LiDAR Vehicle
DNC Electronics cuts prices on Fanuc parts and highlights services
DNC Electronics Ltd has just announced price cuts to a number of its products, while at the same time highlighting the benefits of its services to both new and existing customers in the CNC machine tools industry fitted with Fanuc controls, drives and motors.
Hydroid Successfully Completes the Kongsberg Extreme 200 Offshore Race
Regional Sales Manager Rick Morton competes in 635-mile race from Newport to Bermuda
Interview with e-NABLE Founder Jon Schull
By far, one of the most inspirational and impressive projects thats come from the 3D printing/DIY community has been the work were seeing on open-source assistive devices, and one online organization that is playing a major role in making this happen is e-NABLE, a group started by Dr. Jon Schull of Rochester Institute of Technology.
KUKA Robot Helps Fabricate Wooden Pavilion Inspired by the Sea Urchin
With the help of a KUKA robot, a research project at the University of Stuttgart gave rise to a wooden pavilion that is characterized by its particular capabilities and efficient use of resources. The unusual pavilion can be visited at the State Garden Festival in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany until 12 October.
ATI Industrial Automation's 8th Annual Technology Fair Scheduled for August 21st, 2014
. ATI will provide cost-effective solutions to the most challenging applications which will increase robot productivity and surpass your automation needs.
Squad X Infrastructure Study Seeks Innovative Ways to Improve Dismounted Squads' Tactical Advantage
DARPA invites white papers designed to help define the state of the art and future research directions
BugJuggler: Project to build 70ft tall robot that juggles cars
Project Overview:
BugJuggler will use a diesel engine to generate hydraulic pressure. An operator located in the robot’s head will be able to control its motions using a haptic feedback interface connected to high-speed servo valves. Hydraulic accumulators - essentially storage batteries for hydraulic fluid - will allow for the rapid movement required for the robot to juggle cars or other large, heavy objects.
The first stage of the BugJuggler project will be construction of a working 8ft tall single arm proof-of-principle juggler able to toss and catch a 250lb mass... (cont'd)
Intelligrated appoints new senior sales manager for western regional operations
Sales and operations veteran to lead business development strategies
Automate 2015 - Speakers Sought for Automate 2015 Show & Conference
Automate 2015 show and conference in Chicago, March 23-26, 2015
A Robot Valet Will Park Your Car at This German Airport
Last week, Düsseldorf airport (DUS) introduced robot valets to take the hassle out of parking for travelers. Travelers can leave their cars at the arrival level of the ParkingPLUS structure. As they leave, they confirm on a touch-screen that no one is in the car.
The robot valet, nicknamed "Ray," takes it from there. The robot measures the vehicle, picks it up with a forklift-like system, and takes it to the back area, where it will position it in one of the 249 parking spots reserved for automated valets.
The machine is capable of carrying standard cars weighing up to 3.31 tons. The robot valet is even connected to the airport's flight data system, and by checking customer trip data with the database, Ray knows when the customer will return for the vehicle. A traveler can note any itinerary changes in a parking app, which is available for iOS and Android.
Gamma 2 Robotics Invited to Host Roundtable at National Sports Safety & Security Conference
One of only 10 companies selected; more than 500 industry professionals to attend
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Industrial Robotics - Featured Product
Palladyne IQ - Unlocking new frontiers for robotic performance.
Palladyne IQ is a closed-loop autonomy software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to provide human-like reasoning capabilities for industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots). By enabling robots to perceive variations or changes in the real-world environment and adapt to them dynamically, Palladyne IQ helps make robots smarter today and ready to handle jobs that have historically been too complex to automate.
Robotics and Automation - Featured Company
OnLogic
A global industrial PC manufacturer and solution provider focused on hardware for the IoT edge, OnLogic designs highly-configurable computers engineered for reliability. Their systems operate in the harshest environments and power innovation in the evolving Internet of Things. Founded in 2003 as Logic Supply, the company has served more than 70,000 customers. OnLogic has offices in the US, Netherlands, Taiwan and Malaysia.
