Stop ultrasonic-sensor noise and crosstalk
Consider scrapyards: These dirty outdoor environments are filled with objects of every shape, size, and material. Controls on machinery that manipulate scrap need sensors to detect when conveyor belts are empty, bales are present, and bins are full.
Software designs modular robots
New software optimizes kinematics and plans paths for custom robots handling multiple axes. Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE) software was written by Bicommerce LLC, Rapid City, S. D., and it also acts as a motion platform.
Two vital resources: Water and natural gas
Global energy demand outpaces supply, so within the next decade, Americans can expect gasoline shortages, blackouts, and the general instability of an energy crisis. Sale gas buys us time ... but like energy use, global water demand outpaces practical supply.
Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: A Stupid Dream
Assume there’s no friction on the track and kitty has perfect balance. From how high must Thrasher the Cat start to make it safely around the loop without falling off due to gravity?
Try your hand at these physics puzzlers
Try your hand at these reader-submitted puzzlers tailored to engineers. You may just remember a thing or two from all that physics and calculus tucked away in the recesses of your brain.
Basics of flexible bellows couplings
Bellows couplings transmit power from 0.5 to more than 100,000 Nm at speeds from 0 to 100,000 rpm. They offer distinct advantages, but replacing other coupling types with them requires solid understanding of their operation.
Comparing 1D barcode readers to 2D barcode imagers
Barcode imagers (also known as digital or area imagers) read both 1D and 2D barcodes using sensors that have rows of cells. They’re proliferating with 2D barcodes that embed more information than traditional 1D barcodes