Welcome To Your Digital Edition Of: Tech Briefs, Photonics & Imaging Technology, and Sensor Technology

Welcome to your Digital Edition of
Tech Briefs, Photonics & Imaging Technology,

and Sensor Technology
Included in This September Edition:
Photonics & Imaging
Tech Briefs Technology Sensor Technology
September 2020 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 44 No. 9
September 2020
September 2020
Chemical, Oil,
Executive Gas Industries
Forum: Benefit from
Machine Hazardous-Duty
Learning Smart Sensors
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Electronics
Space Center Signal-to-Noise
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Hyperspectral Imagers
Measuring Surface
Roughness with an
Atomic Force Microscope Special Section:
OEM Sensors
Camera Trends – Where We Supplier Guide
Are Now and What to Expect
Supplement to Tech Briefs in the Near Future Supplement to Tech Briefs
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September 2020 www.techbriefs.com Vol. 44 No. 9
Executive
Forum:
Machine
Learning
and AI
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September 2020 • Vol. 44 No. 9
Contents
Features 12
10 Products of Tomorrow
14 Executive Forum: Machine Learning & AI
47 Application Briefs
52 Facility Focus
56 NASA Spinoff: 3D-Printed Parts Testing
Tech Briefs 30
20 Electrical/Electronics
20 Technology Integrates Electronics onto Physical Prototypes
21 Miniature Electronic Devices Work Under Extreme Pressure
22 Breathable Electronics for Wearable Technologies
23 Electronics Cooling Using Additive Manufacturing
24 Quantum Error Correction Method
24 Hermetically Sealed Semiconductors
26 Communications
26 Electronically Controlled 2D Reflector Improves Microwave

Communications
26 Formula May Help 5G Wireless Networks Share

Communications Frequencies
27 Quantum Sensor Enables Wide Spectral Coverage
28 Electronic Diodes Demonstrate Performance Beyond 5G
28 Tunable, Chip-Based, Vortex Microlaser and Detector

47
30 Test & Measurement
30 Comb-on-a-Chip Optical Ruler Measures Colors of Light Waves
31 Occulter for CubeSat Coronagraph

Departments
31 Laser Technology Assesses Cancer Cells
8 UpFront
32 Technologies Interpret Mood from the Skin 12 5 Ws
33 Ultra-Sensitive Device Detects Magnetic Fields 13 Q&A
55 Advertisers Index
34 Robotics & Automation
34 Automated Robotic Device for Faster Blood Testing
34 Technique Mass-Produces Cell-Sized Robots
35 EEG-Based Technique for Controlling a Robotic Arm

New for Design Engineers
with the Brain 49 New on the Market
36 Nanomaterial Gives Robots Chameleon Skin
(Robotics & Automation continued on page 6)
4 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, September 2020

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Contents
37 Soft Robotic Insect Survives Being Flattened by a Flyswatter 46 Blinking Artificial Human Eye Replica for Disease Modeling
and Drug Testing
38 Hummingbird Robot Uses AI to Maneuver in Tight Spaces
39 Materials & Coatings
39 Liquid-Repelling Substance Works on All Surfaces

Product of the Month
InnoSenT’s (Donnersdorf, Germany) IMD-3000 radar
39 Aerogels Protect Against Electromagnetic Interference
system is an alternative to pushbutton switches.
40 Graphene-Reinforced Carbon Fiber
41 Smart Fabrics with Bioactive Inks Monitor the Body by

Changing Color
41 Thermally Conductive, Stretchable Rubber Material 49

43 Health & Biotech
On the cover
43 Biomaterial Shields Against Harmful Radiation
Machine learning is playing a key role in various indus-
43 Smartphone App Detects Early Signs of Eye Disorders tries, from product design to optimizing production oper-
in Children ations and automating quality testing. In manufacturing
and industrial applications, long-term monitoring of sen-
sor data could be leveraged to identify defects and sched-
44 4D Printing Creates Microneedles to Replace Hypodermics
ule preventative maintenance. We spoke with industry
experts to get their views on pros and cons of machine
44 Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to learning platforms and how to interpret the data they cre-
Prosthetic Hands ate. Learn more in the Executive Forum beginning on
page 14.
45 Wireless “Pacemaker” for the Brain
(Image by PeterPhoto123/Shutterstock.com)
Permissions: Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or Dr., Danvers, MA 01923). For those organizations that have been granted a photocopy license
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flat fee of $3.00 per copy be paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center (222 Rose Wood Transactional Reporting Service is: ISSN 0145-319X194 $3.00+ .00
ROBOTIC END - EFFECTORS
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6 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-767 Tech Briefs, September 2020

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UP
FRONT Linda Bell
Editorial Director
Eight Years of Curiosity Where the Rubble

Meets the Road
Last month, the Construction, renovation, and
Curiosity Mars rov- demolition account for about half
er celebrated eight the waste produced annually world-
years on the Red wide, while around 1 billion scrap
Planet. It has seen a tires are generated globally each
lot since it first set year. A new material has been de-
its wheels inside the veloped by RMIT University in
basin of Gale Crat- Australia that combines recycled
er. The rover has journeyed more than 14 rubble and rubber in a mix that
miles, drilled 26 rock samples, and can be used to make sustainable
scooped six soil samples as it revealed that roads. Designed to be used for
ancient Mars was indeed suitable for life. base layers, the recycled blend is The new material is the first to combine recycled con-
crete aggregate and scrap tires in a mix that meets
more flexible than standard mate- road engineering safety standards.
rials, making roads less prone to
What’s New on Techbriefs.com cracking.
Roads are made of four layers — a subgrade, base, and sub-base, with asphalt on
NASA’s Perseverance top. All the layers must be strong enough to withstand the pressures of heavy vehicles,
rover (and Ingenuity while being flexible enough to allow the right amount of movement so a road doesn’t
helicopter) are now on easily crack. The researchers demonstrated that the rubble-rubber blend performs
their way to Mars! We well when tested for stress, acid, and water resistance as well as strength, deformation,
have been answering and dynamic properties. Its low shrinkage and good flexibility reduce the risk of
your questions about cracking.
the Mars 2020 mission Visit www.rmit.edu.au
on techbriefs.com, including: How does
Perseverance differ from previous
rovers? How automated is the landing? Blood Test Shows
How does Perseverance keep its camera Promise for
clean? Go to techbriefs.com/blog to Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
hear the answers from NASA’s own Alzheimer’s disease is a debili-
experts! On the blog, you’ll also find tating and incurable disease that
NASA’s pre-launch science briefings and affects an estimated 5.8 million
video of the actual launch. Americans age 65 and older.
Send your comments and suggestions Without the discovery of success-
to me at [email protected]. ful prevention therapies, the
number of U.S. cases is projected
to reach nearly 14 million by
Next Month in Tech Briefs 2050.
(Credit: ©felipecaparros/stock.adobe.com) A new blood test discriminates
The October issue will include special between persons with and with-
coverage on robotics including how to out Alzheimer’s disease. In persons at known genetic risk, it may be able to detect the
select the appropriate robotic automa- disease as early as 20 years before the onset of cognitive impairment.
tion system for your application and “The blood test has great promise in the diagnosis, early detection, and study of
whether collaborative robots (cobots) Alzheimer’s,” said Oskar Hansson, MD, PhD, and Professor of Clinical Memory
are the right choice for specific manu- Research at Lund University in Sweden. “While more work is needed to optimize the
facturing environments. assay and test it in other people before it becomes available in the clinic, the blood
test might become especially useful to improve the recognition, diagnosis, and care
of people in the primary care setting.”
Visit www.lunduniversity.lu.se/
Connect with Tech Briefs
facebook.com/TechBriefsMagazine linkedin.com/company/tech-briefs-media twitter.com/TechBriefsMag

Design better devices — faster.
Topology
optimization
of a heat sink.
Engineers from Fraunhofer IAPT used topology

optimization and additive manufacturing to design a heat
sink, a common component in many electronic devices. The
topology-optimized design was then transformed into a
simulation application to automate and customize certain
design tasks. Now, engineers, designers, and manufacturers
companywide are able to efficiently optimize intricate heat
sink geometries and prepare them for 3D printing.
The COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used for
simulating designs, devices, and processes in all fields of
engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research. See
how you can apply it to topology optimization and additive
manufacturing processes.
comsol.blog/3D-printing-optimization

This column presents technologies that have
Products of applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the

products of tomorrow. To learn more about each
technology, see the contact information provided for
Tomorrow that innovation.
Cold Tube Cools

Without Air
Conditioning
Thermal
In the summer, air Energy
conditioners guzzle pow- Harvester
er and spew out millions NASA Langley Re-
of tons of carbon diox- search Center devel-
ide daily. University of British Columbia re- oped a technology to
searchers have developed an alternative called harvest electrical en-
Cold Tube. Instead of cooling down and dehumid- ergy from waste heat sources. While designed to
ifying the air like air conditioners do, Cold Tube provide a small, renewable, and portable power
absorbs heat directly emitted by radiation from a source for spacecraft, it can also be used in terres-
person without having to cool the air passing over trial applications such as powering electronics in
their skin. The Cold Tube is a system of rectangular motor vehicles and wireless sensor networks for
wall or ceiling panels kept cold by chilled water cir- Internet of Things (IoT) applications that experi-
culating within them. When a person stands beside ence thermal cycles. This technology harvests elec-
or under the panel, their body heat radiates trical energy utilizing a pyroelectric device that
towards the colder panel, creating a sensation of generates voltage when cyclically heated. It has
cooling like cold air flowing over the body even if been demonstrated to produce electricity in the
the air temperature is quite high. milliwatt range.
Contact: Lou Corpuz-Bosshart Contact: Langley Research Center

Phone: 604-822-2048 Phone: 202-358-7432
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/LAR-TOPS-221
AI Creates Sharp Images from Blurry Photos

Duke University researchers developed an artificial intelligence (AI)
tool that can turn blurry, unrecognizable pictures of people’s faces into
eerily convincing computer-generated portraits. Previous methods scale
an image of a face up to eight times its original resolution. The new sys-
tem, called PULSE, takes a handful of pixels and creates realistic-looking faces with up to 64 times the resolution,
“imagining” features such as fine lines, pores, wrinkles, eyelashes, and stubble that weren’t there in the first place.
The technique could, in theory, take low-res shots of almost anything and create sharp, realistic looking pictures,
with applications ranging from medicine and microscopy, to astronomy and satellite imagery.
Contact: Erin Kramer

Phone: 919-660-4257
E-mail: [email protected]

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5 Ws of the
Sign-to-Speech
Translation Glove
Who
People who use sign language could communicate directly with non-signers without needing someone else to translate
for them.
What
This glove translates American
Sign Language into English speech
in real time through a smartphone
app. The system includes a pair of
gloves with thin, stretchable sen-
sors that run the length of each of
the five fingers. These sensors,
made from electrically conducting
yarns, pick up hand motions and
finger placements that stand for
individual letters, numbers, words,
and phrases. The device then turns
the finger movements into electri-
cal signals that are sent to a dollar-
coin-sized circuit board worn on
the wrist. The board transmits
those signals wirelessly to a smart-
phone that translates them into
spoken words at the rate of about UCLA bioengineers designed a glove-like device that can translate American Sign Language
one word per second. Adhesive into English speech in real time through a smartphone app. (Jun Chen Lab/UCLA)
sensors are added to the signers’
faces — in between their eyebrows and on one side of their mouths — to capture facial expressions that are a part
of American Sign Language.
Where
Samueli School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Why
Previous wearable systems that offered translation from American Sign Language were limited by bulky and heavy
device designs or were uncomfortable to wear. The new device is made from lightweight and inexpensive but long-last-
ing, stretchable polymers.
When
UCLA has filed for a patent. A commercial model based on the technology would require additional vocabulary and a
faster translation time.
Contact the UCLA Technology Development Group at [email protected]; 310-794-0558.

Q A
Who’s
& Who
at NASA
Kaman’s family of
high-precision sensors
utilize eddy current
technology to accurately
position targets
without environmental
contamination.
Wireless Power for Neural Stimulation
Prof. Jacob Robin-
son and a team of
Robinson: No, that’s a much higher
frequency than what is natural for neural
Uncontaminated
researchers at Rice
University (Houston,
activity. For that, we needed something
in the range of 100 to 500 Hz. We created
Measurements
TX) developed a two rectifying circuits, one positive-going
prototype of an im- and one negative-going, that were each
plantable neural stim- connected to different magnetoelectric
ulator — the size of a films. These films vibrated at different
grain of rice — that frequencies. By switching the applied
needs no batteries. Instead, it is powered magnetic field between the two different
wirelessly by means of an externally resonant frequencies, we created the
applied magnetic field. positive and negative pulses at the 100 to
500 Hz needed for a neural stimulator.
Tech Briefs: How did this project get
started? Tech Briefs: How does a patient use
the device?
Jacob Robinson: We wanted to create
electrically powered biomedical devices Robinson: Depending upon the condi-
for stimulating and recording brain activ- tion being treated, the stimulator — which
ity to learn how the brain works. We found is about the size of a grain of rice — would
that the kinds of electromagnetic waves be implanted in a specific area of the brain
used for communication don’t do well or attached to a particular nerve or deliv-
inside the body because they’re absorbed. ered through the cardiovascular system.
But magnetic fields can penetrate the The device that generates the magnetic
body. So, when we read about magneto- field could be worn as a band near the
electric material that converts magnetic implantation site. The stimulator would
fields into electric fields to communicate remain implanted but the magnetic gener-
with the nervous system, we wanted to see ator would only need to be present to acti- Unaffected by
how we could use this phenomenon to vate the device when treatment is needed.
create miniature bioelectronic devices.
Tech Briefs: What conditions can
Oil, Dirt, Water,
Tech Briefs: How does a magneto-
electric device work?
this method treat? Radiation & more
Robinson: Neural stimulation can re-
Robinson: The device consists of two duce tremors in Parkinson’s patients and
layers of different materials joined to treat epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disor- For more information
each other in a single film. The first layer ders, and the chronic pain that can lead to
— a magnetostrictive foil of iron, boron, depression, anxiety, and opioid addiction.
about our full line of
silicon, and carbon — vibrates at a eddy current sensors
molecular level when it’s placed in a Tech Briefs: What are your next steps?
magnetic field. The second layer, a piezo-
& measuring systems,
electric crystal, converts the mechanical Robinson: We will use our technology contact us today!
stresses generated by the foil directly into to power CMOS chips that can be placed
voltage; however, the amplitude of the in different parts of the body and per-
voltage is too small to be useable. So, we form more complex procedures. We 800-552-6267
tuned the applied alternating magnetic could even send digital signals with the [email protected]
field to the natural mechanical reso- magnetic field to program these chips to
nance frequency of the magnetostrictive deliver specific types of stimulation to
kamansensors.com
material, which is in the range of 200 to help regenerate nerves, reduce pain, or
300 kHz. even reduce inflammation and arthritis
by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Tech Briefs: Do you then apply that Read the full transcript of this Q&A at
signal to the brain? www.techbriefs.com.
Tech Briefs, September 2020 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-771

Executive
Forum:
Rajesh Ramachandran Zach Mayer Mario Bergeron Dr. Florian Baumann George Rendell
A
lthough machine learn- industry executives to get their Bergeron, Technical Marketing
ing and artificial intelli- views on issues such as machine Engineer at Avnet, Inc.; Zach
gence (AI) are terms that learning platform selection, inter- Mayer, Vice President of Data
are often used interpreting data created by these plat- Science at Data Robot; George
changeably, they are quite differ- forms, and pros and cons of Rendell, Senior Director of NX
AlexLMX/Shutterstock.com
ent. That difference becomes implementing machine learning. Design at Siemens Digital In-
more important as applications Our participants are Dr. dustries Software; and Rajesh
for these technologies become Florian Baumann, Chief Tech- Ramachandran, Chief Digital Of-
more prevalent. Tech Briefs posed nology Officer - Automotive & AI, ficer - Industrial Automation, at
questions to machine learning/AI at Dell Technologies; Mario ABB Inc.

long-term monitoring of images and/or
sensor data, correlated with events such as
“ ofBy the
processing data locally and sending only a digested message
result, an edge solution is inherently secure and can
defects and maintenance, could be lever-
aged to implement algorithms that identi-
fy defects and schedule preventative main-
protect user privacy.” tenance. In medical, x-ray images, corre-
Mario Bergeron lated with the symptoms of various illness-
es, are being used to create systems that
can assist in delivering more precise and
early diagnoses. In transportation, the
Tech Briefs: Machine learning is a stand, which really boils down to “every- accumulation of data relating to human
term that has confused many peo- thing has to be a number.” Evaluation is driving patterns is being used to create
ple, partly because its definition has where a lot of machine learning efforts go new systems capable of assisting or even
taken on multiple forms. How do you wrong. Up front, you need to define a way replacing the human driver.
define machine learning and how do to evaluate your model and define the cri-
you see it being used in manufactur- teria by which you separate good models Tech Briefs: The number and com-
ing, medical, transportation, or other from bad models. Optimization is the fun plexity of machine learning platforms
industrial applications? part. Once you’ve represented your prob- grows on what seems to be a weekly
lem and defined your success criteria in basis. What are some of the most
Rajesh Ramachandran: Machine learn- terms a computer can understand, you can important criteria to be considered
ing and AI are used interchangeably by turn all that computing power loose to find when choosing the right machine
many and that makes the definition some- a model that maximizes (or minimizes) learning platform?
times confusing and complex. While AI is your evaluation criteria.
an overarching science of all the aspects Mayer: I would frame this in terms of my
of making machines and physical systems answer to the first question. How flexi-
smarter by embedding “artificial” intelli- ble is the data representation? Do you
gence to it, machine learning is a subset of
AI that is defined as systems that gain
“ aMachine learning is playing
role in the manufacturing
have to do a lot of data cleaning yourself
to make a nice, neat matrix of numbers,
knowledge through “self-learning” to get or can you upload an Excel spreadsheet?
smarter and more predictable over time industry all the way from Can the platform handle missing values,
without human intervention. the product design stage categorical data, text data, image data,
Machine learning can be defined as a and geospatial data? As far as evaluation,
to optimizing production
set of algorithms from a diverse set of how flexible is the evaluation? Can you
fields like statistics, mathematics, and con- operations and automating define a cost/benefit matrix and maxi-
trol systems. In manufacturing and indus-
trial applications, machine learning is
quality testing. ” mize benefit while minimizing cost? For
optimization, how many different mod-
used widely for both predictive analysis els does the platform support? Ask how
and optimization of various key elements George Rendell much handholding you get vs. how
such as improving efficiency, quality, pre- much code you’ll have to write yourself
dictive maintenance, lifecycle manage- to use these models.
ment, safety, and sustainability. George Rendell: Machine learning is
the ability to guide a user to an optimal Baumann: Machine learning platforms
Dr. Florian Baumann: Machine learning product design solution by intelligently should be scalable (compute, network,
is the process to extract valuable informa- recognizing design approaches and solu- storage), flexible, and easy to use. Re-
tion out of data. It is the tool part of AI tions, learning from extracted engineer- sources (compute, storage) should be
that helps to extract characteristics and ing knowledge, and gaining business easily managed and able to be shared
information out of data. The machine insight from extracted knowledge. Ma- across clusters. They should burst work-
learning process is divided into training, chine learning is playing a role in the load seamlessly into the public cloud
test and validation, and inferencing. manufacturing industry all the way from and allow developers to connect their
Machine learning is used in a vast number the product design stage to optimizing own applications using different APIs to
of different verticals, such as manufactur- production operations and automating the platform. They also must be based
ing, to improve worker safety, avoid down- quality testing. on a micro-service architecture. Finally,
time, or for predictive analytics and quali- platforms must allow usage of third-
ty. In the transportation industry, machine Mario Bergeron: Today, we are observ- party tools, and integration of existing
learning support will enable cars to drive ing an explosion in machine learning data and metadata should be possible.
autonomously. applied to real-world examples. This is
due in part to the computing power that Rendell: Machine learning has definitely
Zach Mayer: My favorite definition of allows the implementation of these algo- become the catch phrase in software
machine learning is this: machine learn- rithms in real time. One thing is clear: today with various interpretations and
ing = representation + evaluation + opti- when it comes to machine learning algo- claims to have it. This question implies
mization. First, you need to represent your rithms, it all starts with the data. In manu- that a separate “platform” be selected by
data in terms that a computer can under- facturing and industrial applications, end users to provide machine learning.
Tech Briefs, September 2020 www.techbriefs.com 15

MACHINE LEARNING & AI
may include engineering parameters

that are redundant or irrelevant. There-
“ time.
Machine learning is not magic. Models become better with
Throwing in the data expecting superior results won’t
fore, it is important that the framework
has the ability to select and analyze a
subset of data to reduce the machine
work.” learning training time and to generate a
Dr. Florian Baumann simplified model. Also, algorithms may
execute differently and give different
results, depending on an unexpected
And I see some software vendors have to fed into the algorithm in a pipelined fash- variable. As a result, we are constantly
work to connect their existing CAD soft- ion and latency indicates how much time looking at ways in which we can learn
ware to another “platform” to deliver it takes to get a response after presenting from a diverse set of data across various
end user value leveraging machine a single input to the algorithm. Since an industries. If we fail to extract important
learning technology. The technology is edge platform may typically be a battery- features and cover all kinds of best prac-
only as good as the value it brings to the powered embedded platform, power con- tices from different industries to train
user for completing their work and user sumption may be an equally important the machine learning model, we will end
experience to get their work done. criterion. Real-world applications typical- up with biased interpretation of results
ly also include some form of pre-process- good for certain design situations only.
Ramachandran: The power of a ma- ing and post-processing in addition to the
chine learning platform, and especially machine learning algorithms.
an industrial AI modeling platform, is at
its best when it is able to develop a
model on contextualized data — data
Tech Briefs: What are some of the
challenges in accurately interpreting
“ learning
Automated machine
is complementary
coming from multiple source systems results generated by machine learn- to human data scientists.
within an enterprise — but contextual- ing algorithms?
ized based on the business requirement. It allows you to ‘power up’
Key criteria in choosing the right plat- Mayer: I think a big one here is bias and human data scientists and
form include data access, ingestion, fil- fairness. A good machine learning plat-
tering, and manipulation to integrate form should give you tools to make sure make them ten times
data from disparate sources and types,
and to transform and prepare data for
your model isn’t biased against specific
groups of people, gender, or other pro-
more productive. ”
modeling. tected class (sexuality, disability). This is Zach Mayer
The platform needs components that a hard problem to solve, but there are
can provide descriptive statistical analy- good automated approaches to help you
sis of details on the quality of data; com- think about it such as statistical tech- Baumann: Challenges are to visually
ponents to generate and manage mod- niques and tools to assess bias, model debug algorithms and manage the data
els that predict behavior or estimate confidence, and robustness across multi- and metadata. Lifecycle management of
unknown outcomes; components that ple dimensions and phases of the vast amounts of data — such as datasets,
use a suite of mathematical algorithms machine learning lifecycle. metadata sets, and algorithms — is crucial.
to choose the “best” alternative(s) that Visually preparing results in front ends
meet specified objectives and con- Ramachandran: The fundamental chal- allows accurate interpretation of them.
straints; and the ability to integrate with lenge of using machine learning algo-
enterprise-grade applications. A full- rithms to solve industrial problems is Bergeron: For machine learning algo-
fledged platform should cater to effec- interpreting the results. One definition rithms that perform classification to
tive management of offline and online of interpretability is the degree to which a identify whether or not an input data
training and tuning of models. human can understand the cause of a point is part of a class or not, the “classi-
decision. In the industrial domain, engi- fication function” effectiveness can be
Bergeron: The first criteria is whether neers and designers are used to under- measured based upon hit/miss rates.
to deploy your algorithm in the cloud or standing causality of decisions. Machine Once those measurements have been
on the edge. If deploying to the cloud, learning models are trained mathemati- evaluated for an algorithm against a val-
no hardware platform may be necessary cally to discover relationships between idation dataset, further calculations of
and the solution will consist of a service input and output parameters that are dif- accuracy, precision, and recall can help
that is paid on a monthly or yearly basis. ficult to deduce from plain observation. us determine whether an algorithm has
If deploying at the edge, then things get In practice, machine learning models are good enough sensitivity and specificity
a little more involved. Many criteria will good enough if they can predict the out- for a particular application.
dictate the ideal platform for your appli- comes accurately with consistency and
cation such as performance and power. with an acceptable level of uncertainty. Tech Briefs: Advantages of machine
When considering performance, two learning are obvious: no human in-
of the many metrics to consider are Rendell: Simply put, the main challenge tervention (automation), continuous
throughput and latency. Throughput will is making it real and making it work suc- improvement (or learning), and a
indicate the peak workload that can be cessfully for the user. The large volume wide array of applications. But what
achieved when batches of input data are of data used for processing and learning are some of the disadvantages?

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MACHINE LEARNING & AI
NEW!
4 AXIS SERVO “ algorithms
The fundamental challenge of using machine learning
to solve industrial problems is interpreting the
from results.”
Rajesh Ramachandran
Ramachandran: The quality of machine man data scientists. AutoML allows you
2.25” learning models depends upon the to “power up” your human data scien-
dataset for which it has been trained. tists and make them 10X more produc-
Typically, a large dataset encompassing tive. Humans are good at thinking cre-
multiple patterns provides a viable out- atively; computers are good at rote,
put. Second, machine learning should repetitive tasks, so you should focus your
always be combined with the design time accordingly. Humans are really
specifications and the operational pro- good at thinking of novel representa-
cedures of an industrial automation sys- tions for data and defining business
tem. Every output of the machine learn- objectives for evaluating models. Com-
ing model should be validated with the puters, on the other hand, are good at
domain know-how and sometimes phys- trying thousands of different modeling
ics based on model outputs. This helps recipes and evaluating them according
to avoid conditions due to bad data or to the human-defined criteria. You can
unseen model outputs. Third, interpre- use AutoML as a filter to identify the
tation of the output of machine learning really hard business problems that are
models should be completely based on most in need of human attention.
business. If machine learning model out-
put adheres to appropriate accuracy but Bergeron: When deploying machine
- brushed or bldc motors it cannot be interpreted as per the oper- learning algorithms to the cloud, one of
ational and asset specifications, then the the greatest concerns is privacy. If the
- 5 amps per axis output of the model can be completely algorithms contain proprietary IP or if
- 16 analog inputs misjudged. the input data contain sensitive informa-
tion, deploying to a cloud solution may
- 16 on/off drivers Rendell: The biggest challenge is mis- pose some security concerns along with
- home and limit in aligned expectations from users relative many questions about who the owner of
to what the software really accomplishes. the data is and who will have access to it.
- live tech support The next challenge is that engineering Choosing a solution at the edge, on the
- made in the USA results are the responsibility of the pro- other hand, inherently solves this con-
fessional engineer. Machine learning cern, since the data is never sent to a
should improve user productivity, im- cloud or shared outside of the embed-
See the prove created design, and make engi- ded platform. By processing the data
neering change more efficient; the re- locally and sending only a digested mes-
EZQUAD SERVO sulting design still needs to be under- sage of the result, an edge solution is
in action! stood and accepted by the user. It is not
always about training the user in new
inherently secure and can protect user
privacy.
technology — rather, training the new
technology to truly aid the user. RESOURCES
Baumann: More and more, machine ABB

learning is used as a black-box — just to http://info.hotims.com/76507-126
WWW.ALLMOTION.COM throw in the data and check the output.
The traditional way of developing — Avnet, Inc.
(510) 471-4000 thinking about how to solve your prob-
lem — disappears. ROIs (return on in-
http://info.hotims.com/76507-125
30097 Ahern Avenue vestment) are not defined properly. Ma- Data Robot
chine learning is not magic. Models http://info.hotims.com/76507-129
Union City, CA 94587
become better with time — this is often
Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t forgotten. Throwing in the data expect- Dell Technologies
(408) 460-1345 ing superior results won’t work. http://info.hotims.com/76507-128
Mayer: Automated machine learning Siemens Digital Industries Software

(AutoML) is complementary to your hu- http://info.hotims.com/76507-127
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-773 www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, September 2020

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Electrical/Electronics
Technology Integrates Electronics onto Physical Prototypes
In place of flat breadboards, 3D-printed CurveBoards enable easier testing of circuit design
on electronics products.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
R esearchers have invented a way to

integrate breadboards — flat plat-
forms widely used for electronics proto-
typing — directly onto physical prod-
ucts. The aim is to provide a faster, eas-
ier way to test circuit functions and user
interactions with products such as
smart devices and flexible electronics.
Breadboards are rectangular boards
with arrays of pinholes drilled into the
surface. Many of the holes have metal
connections and contact points be-
tween them. Engineers can plug com-
ponents of electronic systems — from
basic circuits to full computer proces-
sors — into the pinholes where they
want them to connect. Then, they can
rapidly test, rearrange, and retest the
components as needed.
But breadboards have remained that
same shape for decades. For that rea-
son, it’s difficult to test how the elec-
tronics will look and feel on, for exam-
ple, wearables and various smart de- CurveBoards are 3D breadboards — commonly used to prototype circuits — that can be designed
by custom software, 3D-printed, and directly integrated into the surface of physical objects such
vices. Generally, circuits are first tested as smart watches, bracelets, helmets, headphones, and even flexible electronics. (Image: Dishita
on traditional breadboards, then put Turakhia and Junyi Zhu)
onto a product prototype. If the circuit
needs to be modified, it’s back to the “quadmesh” where the object is repre- CurveBoards are not designed to
breadboard for testing, and so on. sented as a bunch of small squares, each replace breadboards; rather, they work
The team 3D-printed objects with with individual parameters. In doing so, particularly well as a “mid-fidelity” step in
the structure and function of a bread- it creates a fixed spacing between the the prototyping timeline, meaning
board integrated onto surfaces. Cus- squares. Pinholes — which are cones, between initial breadboard testing and
tom software automatically designs the with the wide end on the surface and the final product. Right now, a new
objects, complete with distributed pin- tapering down — will be placed at each CurveBoard must be built for each new
holes that can be filled with conductive point where the corners of the squares object. Ready-made templates, however,
silicone to test electronics. The end touch. For channel layouts, some geo- would let designers quickly experiment
products are accurate representations metric techniques ensure the chosen with basic circuits and user interaction
of the real thing but with breadboard channels will connect the desired elec- before designing their specific Curve-
surfaces. trical components without crossing over Board. Additionally, they want to move
The CurveBoards preserve an ob- one another. some early-stage prototyping steps entire-
ject’s look and feel, while enabling de- Objects were 3D-printed using a ly to the software side. The idea is that
signers to try out component configura- flexible, durable, nonconductive sili- people can design and test circuits —
tions and test interactive scenarios dur- cone. To provide connectivity chan- and possibly user interaction — entirely
ing prototyping iterations. The re - nels, a custom conductive silicone was on the 3D model generated by the soft-
searchers printed Curve Boards for created that can be syringed into the ware. After many iterations, they can 3D-
smart watches, helmets, headphones, pinholes and then flows through the print a more finalized CurveBoard.
and a flexible, wearable e-reader. channels after printing. The silicone is Watch how CurveBoards are made on
A core component of the CurveBoard a mixture of silicone materials de- Tech Briefs TV at www.techbriefs.com/
is custom design-editing software. When signed to have minimal electricity tv/curveboards. For more information, con-
a 3D object is uploaded, the software resistance, allowing various types of tact Abby Abazorius at [email protected];
essentially forces its shape into a electronics to function. 617-253-2709.

Miniature Electronic Devices Work Under Extreme Pressure
Pop-up miniature electronics based on the Japanese art of kirigami can be repeatedly compressed.
Texas A&M University, College Station
M iniature devices have seamlessly

found their way into pressure-sens-
ing and energy-harvesting technologies
the table-like structures using a diamond
flat punch probe. The sample included
structures with slight defects such as a
structures behaved under repeated com-
pressions using an electron microscope
and measured the distance the legs bent.
because of their ability to be frequently small crack on one of the four legs or one They found that for both defect-free and
stretched, compressed, or twisted. De- slightly thinner leg. defective kirigami structures, the compres-
spite their force-bearing abilities, it is To test the performance of these struc- sion caused the structures to “stiffen” or
still unclear if repeated physical stress tures over time, they recorded how these resist the downward force. Over time, how-
can damage the working of these minia-
ture devices, particularly if there is
already a defect in their construction.
Using tiny pressure-sensing structures
shaped like tables, researchers have found
that repeated pushes on the tables’ flat
surface do not cause the structures to fall
apart, even when the compressive forces
are extreme. Instead, these tiny devices,
including those with slight defects, were
resilient, continuing to remain functional
by bending their legs in proportion to the
applied force. The findings have direct
implications on the longevity of technolo-
gies that incorporate miniature devices
like soft wearable electronics, stretchable
solar cells, and pressure-sensing socks.
Miniature devices like pressure sen-
sors need to faithfully convey the
strength and a change in compressions.
For many applications, sensors need to
be very small to capture changes in pres-
sure at a high enough resolution. Thus,
miniature devices based on the Japanese
paper-cutting and folding technique of
kirigami offer a solution.
Borrowing the principles of kirigami, a
design of the miniature device is first
etched on a 2D surface. Then, an inward
push from the design boundary makes
the structure pop up. Other times, the
2D print is stretched or twisted to reveal
a more intricate 3D design. Regardless of
the final use, kirigami-based devices must
face continuous distortions to their
shape, a phenomenon engineers refer to
as deformation. The structures can be re-
peatedly deformed for extended periods
of time; however, any kind of imperfec-
tion in the structures might impact their
final performance — that is, their ability
to be continuously deformed.
To investigate how defects might influ-
ence the function of kirigami devices, the
researchers designed a set of experiments
using tiny pressure sensors. Consisting of
a flat surface supported by four legs,
these structures buckle if pressure is
applied from above. For their study, the
researchers repeatedly pressed down on
Tech Briefs, September 2020 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-775 21

ever, even when compressive forces were

extreme, the structures reached a steady
state and were able to recover from the
repeated blows from the diamond punch.
The results of the cyclic compression
experiments suggest that systems with an
assembly of kirigami devices can remain
functional for a long period of time, even
if some of the devices within them have
defects. For most applications, including
pressure sensing, it’s not one but multiple
miniature devices working in tandem.
Intuitively, one would think that small
defects in any one of the kirigami struc-
tures would be catastrophic for a system
made with many of such structures but
they do not. So, if one is using smart socks
to measure how pressure is distributed
during gait, the results suggest that the
miniature pressure sensors will still work
well, even if they are slightly defective.
For more information, contact Amy Halbert
Electron micrograph of the tiny, table-shaped pressure sensor. (Courtesy of Andreas A. Polycarpou) at [email protected]; 979-458-4243.
Breathable Electronics for Wearable Technologies

The material was designed specifically for biomedical or wearable technologies, since sweat
and volatile organic compounds evaporate away from the skin.
North Carolina State University, Raleigh
E ngineering researchers have created

ultrathin, stretchable electronic ma-
terial that is gas-permeable, allowing the
material to “breathe” and making it
more comfortable for users — especially
for long-term wear.
The researchers used a technique
called the breath figure method to cre-
ate a stretchable polymer film featuring
an even distribution of holes. The film is
coated by dipping it in a solution that
contains silver nanowires. The research-
ers then heat-press the material to seal
the nanowires in place.
The resulting film shows an excellent
combination of electric conductivity, op-
tical transmittance, and water-vapor per-
meability. Because the silver nanowires This sleeve incorporates the new electronic material, allowing it to function as a video game controller.
are embedded just below the surface of
the polymer, the material also exhibits To demonstrate the material’s poten- to record signals with excellent quality
excellent stability in the presence of tial for use in wearable electronics, the on par with commercially available
sweat and after long-term wear. researchers developed and tested pro- electrodes.
The end result is extremely thin — totypes for two representative applica- The second prototype demonstrated
only a few micrometers thick — en- tions. The first prototype consisted of textile-integrated touch sensing for hu-
abling better contact with the skin and skin-mountable, dry electrodes for use man-machine interfaces. The research-
giving the electronics a better signal-to- as electrophysiologic sensors. These ers used a wearable textile sleeve inte-
noise ratio. The gas permeability is have multiple potential applications grated with the porous electrodes to play
important for more than just comfort. If such as measuring electrocardiogra- computer games.
a wearable device is not gas-permeable, phy (ECG) and electromyography For more information, contact Matt
it can also cause skin irritation. (EMG) signals. The sensors were able Shipman at [email protected].

Electronics Cooling Using Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing creates cooling solutions with sizes and shapes not previously possible.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana
F or decades, researchers have consid-

ered the potential for cooling hot elec-
tronic devices by blowing on them with
electric cars, solar power systems, 5G com-
munications, and high-power computing
utilizing graphics processing units
results in higher performance. Unfor-
tunately, higher power also makes it more
difficult to remove the heat. New cooling
high-speed air jets; however, air jet cooling (GPUs). The electronic devices in these technologies are required to support the
systems are not widely used today. Two of systems generate heat that must be growth of electric systems.
the biggest obstacles that prevent the use removed in order for effective and reliable For more information, contact Bill Bowman
of these systems is their complexity and operation. In general, higher power at [email protected]; 217-244-0901.
weight. Air jet systems must be made of
metal to be able to handle the pressure
associated with air jets whose speed can
exceed 200 miles per hour. And the air
handling system can be complex, with
many discrete components that manage
the airflow and direct the air onto the hot
spots where cooling is required.
Researchers developed a new type of
air jet cooler that overcomes previous
barriers to jet cooling systems. Using
additive manufacturing, they created an
air jet cooling system in a single compo-
nent that can direct high-speed air onto
multiple electronics hot spots. They man-
ufactured the cooling system from strong
polymer materials that can withstand the
harsh conditions associated with high-
speed air jets. The research focused on
heat removal from high-power electronic
devices. The acute thermal management
problems of high-power electronic de-
vices appear in a host of applications
including electric vehicles, aircraft, auto-
motive, and off-road vehicles.
The applications of high-power elec-
tronic devices are growing rapidly — in
Nozzles
Air
Air Jets Inlet
Devices
PCB
Schematic (top) and a photograph (bottom) of

additively manufactured nozzles showing how
the impinging jet cools working GaN devices
on a PCB. The scale bar represents 10 mm.

Quantum Error Correction Method

This method provides a key step toward quantum computers, sensors, and distributed
quantum information.
Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
A n Army project devised a novel ap-

proach for quantum error correc-
tion that could provide a key step toward
quantum computing that would enable
the military to potentially solve previous-
ly intractable problems or deploy sensors
with higher magnetic and electric field
sensitivities. The approach, developed by
researchers at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology with Army funding, could
mitigate certain types of the random fluc-
tuations, or noise, that are a longstand-
ing barrier to quantum computing.
These random fluctuations can eradicate
the data stored in such devices.
The work involves identifying the
kinds of noise that are the most likely,
rather than casting a broad net to try to
catch all possible sources of disturbance.
The overhead for certain types of error
correction can be reduced on small-scale In a diamond crystal, three carbon atom nuclei (shown in blue) surround an empty spot called a
quantum systems, which has the poten- nitrogen vacancy center, which behaves much like a single electron (shown in red). The carbon nuclei
act as quantum bits, or qubits, and it turns out the primary source of noise that disturbs them comes
tial to enable increased capabilities in from the jittery "electron" in the middle. By understanding the single source of that noise, it becomes
targeted quantum information science easier to compensate for it, providing a key step toward quantum computing. (Photo: MIT)
applications for the DOD.
The specific quantum system the team This noise source can be accurately mod- ed correction in a successful way is the
is working with consists of carbon nuclei eled and suppressing its effects could central breakthrough of this research.
near a particular kind of defect in a dia- have a major impact, as other sources of If a demonstration works as expected,
mond crystal called a nitrogen vacancy noise are relatively insignificant. this research could make up an impor-
center. These defects behave like single, The team determined that the noise tant component of near- and far-term
isolated electrons and their presence comes from one central defect, or one future quantum-based technologies of
enables the control of the nearby carbon central electron that has a tendency to various kinds including quantum com-
nuclei. But the overwhelming majority of hop around at random — jittering. That puters and sensors.
the noise affecting these nuclei came jitter, in turn, is felt by all those nearby For more information, contact the Army
from one single source: random fluctua- nuclei in a predictable way that can be Research Laboratory Public Affairs Office
tions in the nearby defects themselves. corrected. The ability to apply this target- at [email protected].
Hermetically Sealed Semiconductors

A new encapsulation technique protects electronic properties of sensitive materials.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
T omorrow’s electronics are getting

smaller so researchers are looking
for tiny components that function reli-
A new technique allows the sensitive
material to be integrated in electronic
components without losing its desired
layer and is also inert, so it does not
respond to its environment.
Indium and gallium selenide are seen as
ably in increasingly narrow configura- properties. Encapsulated transistors were promising candidates for various applica-
tions. Promising elements include the made that are based on indium selenide tions in areas such as high-frequency elec-
chemical compounds indium selenide and gallium selenide. The encapsulation tronics, optoelectronics, and sensor tech-
(InSe) and gallium selenide (GaSe). In technique protects the sensitive layers nology. These materials can be made into
the form of ultra-thin layers, they form from external impacts and preserves its flake-like films only 5 to 10 atomic layers
two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. performance. For encapsulation, the sci- thick that can be used to produce elec-
But they degrade when they get in con- entists use hexagonal boron nitride tronic components of extremely small
tact with air during manufacturing. (hBN), which can be formed into a thin dimensions. During encapsulation, the 2D

flakes are arranged between two layers of evaporation deposition using a pho- electric contact with the 2D layer under-
hBN and thus completely enclosed. The tomask is unsuitable because during this neath can be achieved concurrently.
upper hBN layer is responsible for out- process, the sensitive materials come into In order to produce the contacts, the
ward insulation and the lower one for contact both with chemicals and with air desired electrode pattern is etched onto
maintaining distance to the substrate. and thus degrade. Researchers employed the hBN layer so that the holes created
One of the particularly big challenges a lithography-free contacting technique can be filled with palladium and gold by
posed by the encapsulation technique involving metal electrodes made of palla- means of electron beam evaporation.
was to apply external contacts to the dium and gold embedded in hBN foil. The hBN foil is then laminated with the
semiconductors. The usual method of This means the encapsulation and the electrodes onto the 2D flake. When there
are several contacts on an hBN wafer,
contact with several circuits can be made
and measured. For later application, the
components will be stacked in layers.
Experiments showed complete encap-
sulation with hexagonal boron nitride
protects the 2D layers from decomposi-
tion and degradation and ensures long-
term quality and stability. The encapsula-
tion technique is robust and easy to apply
to other complex 2D materials. The new
2D semiconductors are inexpensive to
produce and can be used for various
applications such as detectors that meas-
ure light wavelengths. Another example
of use would be as couplers between light
and electronic current by generating
light or switching transistors using light.
A new method protects semiconductors made of sensitive materials from contact with air and For more information, contact Dr. Artur
chemicals. (HZDR) Erbe at [email protected]; +49 351 260-2366.
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Communications
Electronically Controlled 2D Reflector Improves
Microwave Communications
Flat-panel technology could transform antennas, wireless, and cellphone communications.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
R esearchers are reinventing the mir-

ror, at least for microwaves, poten-
tially replacing the familiar 3D dishes
tenna, and in some cases, do things no
conventional antenna could do. This
sort of a device is known as a “metasur-
and microwave horns seen on rooftops face” because its characteristics can be
and cell towers with flat panels that are electronically changed to act in differ-
compact, versatile, and better adapted ent ways without modifying the physi-
for modern communication technolo- cal shape of the surface.
gies. The new reflectors offer light- By applying electrical signals to the
weight, low-profile alternatives to con- reflector components, the researchers
ventional antennas. The panels could modulated the metasurface to control
be easily incorporated onto surfaces of the direction and frequency of reflect-
buildings or terrestrial vehicles. ed light. The nonreciprocal response
Most reflectors are reciprocal: in What goes in is not what comes out with a spatio-tem-
porally modulated metasurface reflector.
of the reflector can help prevent
the case of a bathroom mirror, for ex- antennas from picking up echoes
ample, if you can see someone reflected turized versions could improve chip- from their outgoing broadcasts and pro-
in it, they can see you, too. The new re- based circuitry by ensuring that signals go tect delicate circuitry from powerful,
flector design breaks reciprocity, effec- only to the intended components and potentially damaging incoming signals.
tively turning it into a one-way mirror. don’t lead to inadvertent signals in other The new reflector platform opens op-
The flat-panel reflector can be con- parts of the circuit — a problem that chip portunities in various applications in-
trolled electronically, which means its designers often have to worry about. cluding adaptive optics that can account
characteristics can be reconfigured on The reflectors are composed of an for distortions that disrupt signals, one-
the fly. This opens the window for beam array of finely structured electronic com- way wireless transmission, and novel
steering, customized focusing, and other ponents on a planar surface. Applying antenna designs.
functions that are difficult to achieve with signals to the components allows the 2D For more information, contact James
conventional antenna designs. Minia- reflector to perform much like a 3D an- Riordon at [email protected]; 505-667-3272.
Formula May Help 5G Wireless Networks Share

Communications Frequencies
This method of machine learning could make communications in the unlicensed bands much
more efficient.
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
R esearchers have developed a mathe-

matical formula that, computer simu-
lations suggest, could help 5G and other
The formula is a way to help meet
growing demand for wireless systems,
including 5G, through the sharing of
bines both unlicensed and licensed bands.
This work explores the use of machine
learning in making decisions about the
wireless networks select and share com- frequency ranges (bands) that are unli- frequency channel on which to transmit.
munications frequencies approximately censed. WiFi, for example, uses unli- The formula enables transmitters to
5,000 times more efficiently than trial- censed bands — those not assigned by rapidly select the best subchannels for
and-error methods. The formula is a the Federal Communications Commis- successful and simultaneous operation of
form of machine learning that selects a sion to specific users. WiFi and LAA networks in unlicensed
wireless frequency range, known as a Wi-Fi competes with cellular systems for bands. The transmitters each learn to
channel, based on prior experience in a specific frequencies, or subchannels. What maximize the total network data rate
specific network environment. The for- makes this scenario challenging is that without communicating with each other.
mula could be programmed into soft- these cellular systems are raising their data- The scheme rapidly achieves overall per-
ware on transmitters in many types of transmission rates by using a method called formance that is close to the result based
real-world networks. License Assisted Access (LAA), which com- on trial-and-error channel searches.

The research takes into account In the computer simulations, the
multiple network “layers” — the phys- optimum allocation method assigns
ical equipment and the channel channels to transmitters by searching
access rules between base stations all possible combinations to find a way
and receivers. to maximize the total network data
The formula is a “Q-learning” tech- rate. The formula produces results
nique, meaning it maps environmental that are close to the optimum one but
conditions — such as the types of net- in a much simpler process. The study
works and numbers of transmitters and found that an effort to identify the
channels present — onto actions that best solution would require about
maximize a value, known as Q, that 45,600 trials, whereas the formula
returns the best reward. By interacting could select a similar solution by try-
with the environment and trying differ- ing only 10 channels — just 0.02 per-
Mathematical calculations for a machine learning for-
ent actions, the algorithm learns which mula may help 5G and other wireless networks select cent of the effort.
channel provides the best outcome. and share communications frequencies efficiently. The work addressed indoor scenarios
Each transmitter learns to select the such as a building with multiple WiFi
channel that yields the best data rate channel that is not occupied, then the access points and cellphone operations in
under specific environmental conditions. probability of a successful transmission unlicensed bands. Researchers now plan to
If both networks select channels appropri- rises, leading to a higher data rate. And if model the method in larger-scale outdoor
ately, the efficiency of the combined over- a transmitter selects a channel such that scenarios and conduct physical experi-
all network environment improves. interference is minimized, then the sig- ments to demonstrate the effect.
The method boosts data rates in two nal is stronger, leading to a higher For more information, contact Laura Ost
ways. Specifically, if a transmitter selects a received data rate. at [email protected]; 303-497-4880.
Quantum Sensor Enables Wide Spectral Coverage

The sensor could provide a way to detect communication signals over the entire radio
frequency from 1 to 100 GHz.
Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland
A quantum sensor was developed that

could detect communication sig-
nals over the entire radio frequency
spectrum from 0 to 100 GHz. Such wide
spectral coverage by a single antenna is
impossible with a traditional receiver sys-
tem and would require multiple systems
of individual antennas, amplifiers, and
other components.
Army scientists previously created a
quantum receiver that uses highly excit-
ed, super-sensitive atoms — known as
Rydberg atoms — to detect communica-
tions signals. The researchers calculated
the receiver’s channel capacity, or rate of
data transmission, based on fundamental
principles and then achieved that per-
Atoms in a glass vapor cell are excited with laser beams to Rydberg states. They detect the electric
formance experimentally in the lab, fields (coming from the gold antenna in the background) and imprint the information back onto
improving on other groups’ results by the laser beams. (U.S. Army)
orders of magnitude.
The sensors can be very small and virtu- To assess potential applications, scien- crystals and dipole antenna-coupled pas-
ally undetectable, giving soldiers a disrup- tists conducted an analysis of the sive electronics.
tive advantage. Rydberg-atom-based sensors Rydberg sensor’s sensitivity to oscillating In the future, scientists will investigate
have only recently been considered for electric fields over an enormous range methods to continue to improve the sen-
general electric field sensing applications of frequencies, from 0 to 1012 Hertz. sitivity to detect even weaker signals and
including as a communications receiver. The results show that the Rydberg sen- expand detection protocols for more
While Rydberg atoms are known to be sor can reliably detect signals over the complicated waveforms.
broadly sensitive, a quantitative description entire spectrum and compare favorably For more information, contact the Army
of the sensitivity over the entire operational with other established electric field sen- Research Laboratory Public Affairs Office
range has never been done. sor technologies such as electro-optic at [email protected].

Communications
Electronic Diodes Demonstrate Performance Beyond 5G

Applications include high-speed communications, networking, and sensing.
Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
R esearchers have developed a new

gallium nitride-based electrical com-
ponent called a resonant tunneling
output power to RTDs of different
materials. The diodes enable extremely
fast transport of electrons to take advan-
barriers, taking advantage of their ability
to behave as both particles and waves.
The design for gallium nitride-based
diode (RTD) with performance beyond tage of a phenomenon called quantum diodes displayed record current outputs
the anticipated speed of 5G. The RTDs tunneling. In this tunneling, electrons cre- and switching speeds, enabling applica-
compare well in both frequency and ate current by moving through physical tions requiring electromagnetics in the
millimeter-wave region and frequencies
7 in terahertz. The team developed a
7k
6
repeatable process to increase the diodes
25 k
100 K yield to approximately 90%; previous typ-
5 ical yields ranged around 20%.
Current (mA)
150 K
200 K Accomplishing a high yield of opera-
4
250 K tional tunneling devices can be difficult
3 290 K because they require sharp interfaces at
the atomic level and are very sensitive to
2 many sources of scattering and leakage.
AIN
Sample preparation, uniform growth,
SiNx
1
and a controlled fabrication process at
0 GaN every step were necessary to the diodes’
3 4
2
Voltage (V) satisfactory results on a chip.
For more information, contact the Naval
Research Laboratory Public Affairs Office
A simplified view of the gallium nitride-based resonant tunneling diode (RTD) and its performance at [email protected]; 202-767-2541.
characteristics. (NRL graphic: Tyler Growden)
Tunable, Chip-Based, Vortex Microlaser and Detector

This system encodes information in twisting beams of light.
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
A s computers get more powerful and

connected, the amount of data sent
and received is in a constant race with
trons are now proving insufficiently fast
and are being replaced by photons as
the demand for fiber optic Internet
Though light is much faster than elec-
tricity, in modern optical systems, more
information is transmitted by layering
the technologies used to transmit it. Elec- cabling and data centers grows. data into multiple aspects of a light wave
such as its amplitude, wavelength, and
polarization. Increasingly sophisticated
“multiplexing” techniques like these are
the only way to stay ahead of the increas-
ing demand for data but those, too, are
+2 approaching a bottleneck.
Researchers have developed a system
+1 that can manipulate and detect a prop-
erty known as the orbital angular mo-
0 mentum (OAM) of light. Such “vortex”
lasers, named for the way their light spi-
rals around their axis of travel, were first
-1 demonstrated in 2016; however, they
have been limited to transmitting a sin-
gle, pre-set OAM mode, making them
-2 impractical for encoding more informa-
tion. On the receiving end, existing
Vortex lasers are named for the way light spirals around their axis of travel, thanks to a property
known as orbital angular momentum (OAM). Different OAM modes correspond to the direction
detectors have relied on complex filter-
and spacing of those spirals and, given a sensitive enough laser and detector, could be another ing techniques using bulky components
property in which information could be transmitted. (Credit: UPenn Engineering) that have prevented them from being

integrated directly onto a chip and are wavelength of laser light is not particu- The work holds promise for designing
thus incompatible with most practical larly useful without a detector that can highly compact systems for future opti-
optical communications approaches. differentiate between those states and cal communication systems including in-
The new tunable vortex micro-trans- read them out. tegrated systems to demonstrate new
ceiver and receiver represents the two The team designed a photodetector concepts in optical communications
most critical components of a system that is similarly responsive to different with enhanced data transmission capa-
that can enable a way of multiplying the OAM modes. The photocurrent gener- bilities for classical light and, upon
information density of optical communi- ated by light with different OAM modes increasing the sensitivity to single pho-
cation, potentially shattering that loom- produced unique current patterns that tons, for quantum applications.
ing bandwidth bottleneck. The ability to allowed the researchers determine the For more information, contact Evan
dynamically tune OAM values would also OAM of light impinging on their device. Lerner at [email protected]; 215-573-6604.
enable a photonic update to a classic
encryption technique: frequency hop-
ping. By rapidly switching between OAM
modes in a pre-defined sequence known
only to the sender and receiver, optical
communications could be made impos-
sible to intercept.
The researchers began with a “micro-
ring” laser, which consists of a ring of
semiconductor only a few microns wide,
through which light can circulate indefi-
nitely as long as power is supplied. When
additional light is pumped into the ring
from control arms on either side of the
ring, the ring emits circularly polarized
laser light. Asymmetry between the two
control arms allows for the spin angular
momentum (SAM) interactions of the
resulting laser to be coupled with OAM
in a particular direction.
This means that rather than merely
rotating around the axis of the beam, as
circularly polarized light does, the wave-
front of such a laser orbits that axis and
thus travels in a helical pattern. Being
able to multiplex the OAM, SAM, and
ing
ex
ipl
ult
On-chip OAM
rm
photodetector
fo
ht
lig
M
OA
Tunable Vortex
Microlaser
Asymmetry in optical pumping from the con-

trol arms on either side of the microring laser
allow for resulting light’s OAM to be tuned to
different modes. A new orbital photogalvanic
effect is responsible for detecting the OAM of
light. (Credit: UPenn Engineering)

Test & Measurement
Comb-on-a-Chip Optical Ruler Measures Colors of
Light Waves
The newest version of these combs could revolutionize clocks, telescopes, and
telecommunications.
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
J ust as a meter stick with hundreds of tick

marks can be used to measure distances
with great precision, a device known as a
laser frequency comb — with its hundreds
of evenly spaced, sharply defined frequen-
cies — can be used to measure the colors
of light waves with great precision.
Small enough to fit on a chip, minia-
ture versions of these combs — so named
because their set of uniformly spaced fre-
quencies resembles the teeth of a comb
— are making possible a new generation
of atomic clocks, a great increase in the
number of signals traveling through opti-
cal fibers, and the ability to discern tiny
frequency shifts in starlight that hint at
the presence of unseen planets. The
newest version of these chip-based “micro-
combs” is poised to further advance time
and frequency measurements by improv-
ing and extending the capabilities of
these tiny devices.
At the heart of these frequency micro-
combs lies an optical microresonator, a
ring-shaped device about the width of a
human hair in which light from an
external laser races around thousands of
times until it builds up high intensity.
Microcombs, often made of glass or sili-
con nitride, typically require an amplifi-
er for the external laser light, which can
make the comb complex, cumbersome,
and costly to produce.
The scientists demonstrated that mi-
crocombs created from the semiconduc-
tor aluminum gallium arsenide have two
Experimental setup to generate a set of stable frequencies in a cryogenically cooled laser microres-
essential properties that make them espe- onator frequency comb. The ring-shaped microresonator, small enough to fit on a microchip, operates
cially promising. The new combs operate at very low laser power and is made from the semiconductor aluminum gallium arsenide. (Credit: NIST)
at such low power that they do not need
an amplifier and they can be manipulat- comb can be mass-produced through materials; however, the scientists had
ed to produce an extraordinarily steady nanofabrication techniques similar to been unable to demonstrate a key prop-
set of frequencies — exactly what is need- the ones already used to manufacture erty — that a discrete set of unwavering,
ed to use the microchip comb as a sensi- microelectronics. or highly stable, frequencies could be
tive tool for measuring frequencies with The researchers led earlier efforts in generated from a microresonator made
extraordinary precision. examining microresonators composed of of this semiconductor.
The microcomb technology can help aluminum gallium arsenide. The fre- To tackle the problem, the microres-
engineers and scientists make precision quency combs made from these microresonator was placed within a customized
optical frequency measurements outside onators require only one-hundredth the cryogenic apparatus that allowed the
the laboratory. In addition, the micro- power of devices fabricated from other researchers to probe the device at temper-

atures as low as 4 degrees above so-called soliton regime — where indi- Although some recently developed
absolute zero. The low-temperature ex- vidual pulses of light that never cryogenic systems are small enough that
periment revealed that the interaction change their shape, frequency, or they could be used with the new micro-
between the heat generated by the laser speed circulate within the microres- comb outside the laboratory, the ulti-
light and the light circulating in the onator. With such solitons, all teeth of mate goal is to operate the device at
microresonator was the one and only the frequency comb are in phase with room temperature. The new findings
obstacle preventing the device from each other, so that they can be used as show that scientists will either have to
generating the highly stable frequencies a ruler to measure the frequencies quench or entirely avoid excess heating
needed for successful operation. employed in optical clocks, frequency to achieve room-temperature operation.
At low temperatures, the team synthesis, or laser-based distance meas- For more information, contact Ben P. Stein
demonstrated that it could reach the urements. at [email protected]; 301-975-2763.
Occulter for CubeSat Coronagraph

The instrument has uses in photography where the goal is to image a dim object near a
bright one.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
N ASA Goddard Space Flight Center

has developed SpOC Cube, a com-
plete coronagraph that fits into a 6U
is achieved by using a spherical-shaped
occulter rather than a flat disk (think
nature’s most effective occulter, the
bles of charged particles that speed
across the solar system and can disrupt
electronics on low-Earth-orbiting satel-
CubeSat. SpoC Cube is designed to Moon). lites and damage terrestrial power grids
minimize noise from the coronagraph A tennis-ball-sized occulter made from when they slam into Earth’s protective
that can interfere with data collection titanium is the current design but in the magnetosphere.
and analysis. One way to avoid this light future, it may be a larger inflatable NASA is actively seeking licensees to com-
contamination is to place the occulter design that can be positioned even fur- mercialize this technology. For more infor-
as far away from the instrument as pos- ther away from the instrument. It will fly mation, contact the Goddard Strategic
sible. SpoC Cube’s occulter is a full in formation with a CubeSat equipped Partnerships Office at techtransfer@gsfc.
seven feet away, nearly twice as far as in with an imaging spectrograph and study nasa.gov or 301-286-5810. Follow this link
the STEREO spacecraft that collects the Sun’s corona and more particularly, for more information: https://technology.
similar data. Additional noise reduction coronal mass ejections. These are bub- nasa.gov/patent/GSC-TOPS-160.
Laser Technology Assesses Cancer Cells

Laser light induces ultrasonic vibrations in a sample that can be used to image cells, blood
vessels, and tissues.
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
D evising the best treatment for a

cancer patient requires doctors to
know something about the traits of the a b
(33
particular cancer. One of the greatest

Lasenm)
Photodiode
2
r
difficulties in treating cancer is that Beam sampler

Dichroic mirror
cancer cells are not all the same. Even Fiber coupler Lens Pinhole Lens
Laser
(332 nm)
within the same tumor, cancer cells can
differ in their genetics, behavior, and Single-mode fiber Scanning stage
532 nm laser beams
susceptibility to chemotherapy drugs. Mirror 559 nm laser beams
Cancer cells are generally much more Ultrasound waves
Laser beams
Objective lens Microwell Cell
metabolically active than healthy cells c
and some insights into a cancer cell’s Objective lens
Ultrasonic
Amplifier
behavior can be gleaned by analyzing its Correction lens transducer
metabolic activity. But getting an accu- Right-angle prism Rhomboid

prism
rate assessment of these characteristics Acoustic lens
Silicone cell
has proven difficult. Several methods, Microwell array Water tank
Display Data acquisition Microwell array
including position emission tomography unit
(or PET) scans, fluorescent dyes, and
contrasts have been used, but each has The photoacoustic microscopy apparatus used for imaging the metabolic rates of cancer cells.
drawbacks that limit their usefulness. (Credit: Caltech)

Test & Measurement
Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is a of metabolic data for cancer cells would changes, thus determining how oxygenat-
technique in which laser light induces require researchers to embed thousands ed a sample of blood is by “listening” to
ultrasonic vibrations in a sample. Those of sensors into a grid. Additionally, the the sound it makes when illuminated by
vibrations can be used to image cells, presence of the sensors within the cub- the laser. This is called single-cell metabol-
blood vessels, and tissues. PAM is being bies can alter the metabolic rates of the ic photoacoustic microscopy (SCM-PAM).
used to improve on an existing technology cells, causing the collected data to be SCM-PAM represents a huge improve-
for measuring the oxygen-consumption inaccurate. ment in the ability to assess the OCR of
rate (OCR). That existing technology The improved version does away with cancer cells. Using individual oxygen sen-
takes many cancer cells and places them the oxygen sensors and instead uses PAM sors to measure OCR limited researchers
each into individual “cubbies” filled with to measure the oxygen level in each cubby. to analyzing roughly 30 cancer cells every
blood. Cells with higher metabolisms will This is performed with laser light that is 15 minutes. SCM-PAM improves that by
use up more oxygen and lower the blood tuned to a wavelength that the hemoglo- two orders of magnitude and allows
oxygen level, a process monitored by a tiny bin in blood absorbs and converts into researchers to analyze around 3,000 cells
oxygen sensor placed inside each cubby. vibrational energy, or sound. As a hemo- in about 15 minutes.
This method, however, also has weak- globin molecule becomes oxygenated, its For more information, contact Emily Velasco
nesses. Getting a meaningful sample size ability to absorb light at that wavelength at [email protected]; 626-395-6487.
Technologies Interpret Mood from the Skin

Smart devices measure electrical signals from the skin, indicating stress levels and emotions.
Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
R esearchers have developed a way to

interpret biological signals pro-
duced by the conductance of the skin.
ful spiral graphics in real time on a
smartphone as well as a recording of
data for the wearer to interpret. Skin
The prototype visualization system,
called Affective Health, was developed
to design engaging visualizations on
Using data obtained using a wrist-worn conductance is a measure of how smartphones. Bodies produce a wide
wearable sensor device that also in- much someone sweats, indicating their range of signals that can be measured.
cludes an accelerometer to measure emotional reactions as well as physical Many useful devices that measure these
movement, the researchers’ system dis- reactions and is the basis for technolo- signals — which is referred to as biodata
plays information in the form of color- gies such as lie detectors. — have proliferated over the years such
as heart rate monitors for sports. But
there are other areas of biodata that are
yet to be fully developed such as skin
conductance or perspiration levels.
A study group of 23 people was given
the Affective Health prototype to use
for a month; participants were not told
what the devices were useful for. In-
stead, they gave guidelines that Af-
fective Health could collect information
relating to both physical and emotional
reactions, how increased sweating in-
creased conductivity, and how this was
represented by different colors. Par-
ticipants were left to decide the best
ways of using the technology.
The researchers found that this open
design stage of the study, without provid-
ing pre-specified uses, led to some partic-
ipants using the system as a tool to meas-
ure and help manage their stress levels.
Others, including elite athletes, used
the device to get information on their
training and recovery regimes. Still
other uses included logging information
on their lives and tracking emotions.
Few would use the technology for more
than one purpose.
An image of skin conductance data visualization from the Affective Health app prototype. (Image: The study showed that if someone
Anna Stahl of RISE) used the system as a sports tool, they did

not see the data that spoke of stress or Although the open design phase helped or as a stress management tool. The re-
emotional reactions. If they looked reveal several different practices Affective searchers found the need for a second,
upon it as an emotion measuring tool, Health prototypes could be used for, the more tailored step in the design process to
they did not see the data that spoke of prototype lacked some of the functions make devices specific to particular roles.
social processes or exertion due to needed to make it a good tool for a specif- For more information, contact pressoffice@
sports activities. ic role — such as a sports training system lancaster.ac.uk; +44 (0) 7719 582739.
Ultra-Sensitive Device Detects Magnetic Fields

The magnetic device is inexpensive to make, works on minimal power, and is 20 times more
sensitive than many traditional devices.
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
A team of physicists has developed a

new type of compact, ultra-sensitive
magnetometer that could be useful in a
The key to making the device work is
the thickness of the cobalt-iron-boron
film. A film that’s too thick requires
Because the device is very small, thou-
sands or even millions of sensors can be
placed on one chip that could test for
variety of applications involving weak stronger magnetic fields to reorient elec- many different things at one time in a
magnetic fields. The sensors are ultra-sen- tron spins, which decreases sensitivity. If single sample.
sitive, small, inexpensive to make, and the film is too thin, electron spins could Another application could be as part
work on minimal power. reorient on their own, which would of a magnetic camera that can make
A traditional way of sensing magnetic cause the sensor to fail. The sweet spot high-definition images of magnetic fields
fields is through the Hall effect. When a for thickness was 0.9 nanometers — a produced by quantum materials. Such a
conducting material carrying current thickness of about four or five atoms. detailed magnetic profile would help
comes into contact with a magnetic field, The device could have widespread ap- researchers better understand the prop-
the electrons in that current are deflected plications such as in magnetic immu- erties of these materials.
in a direction perpendicular to their flow. noassay, a technique that uses magnetism For more information, contact Kevin Stacey
That creates a small perpendicular volt- to look for pathogens in fluid samples. at [email protected]; 401-863-3766.
age, which can be used by Hall sensors to
detect the presence of magnetic fields.
The new device makes use of a cousin to
the Hall effect — known as the anomalous
Hall effect (AHE) — that arises in ferro-
magnetic materials. While the Hall effect
arises due to the charge of electrons, the
AHE arises from electron spin — the tiny
magnetic moment of each electron. The
effect causes electrons with different spins
to disperse in different directions, which
gives rise to a small but detectable voltage.
The new device uses an ultra-thin ferro-
magnetic film made of cobalt, iron, and
boron atoms. The spins of the electrons
prefer to be aligned in the plane of the
film — a property called in-plane
anisotropy. After the film is treated in a
high-temperature furnace and under a
strong magnetic field, the spins of the elec-
trons develop a tendency to be oriented
perpendicular to the film with what’s
known as perpendicular anisotropy.
When these two anisotropies have equal
strength, electron spins can easily reorient
themselves if the material comes into con-
tact with an external magnetic field. That
reorientation of electron spins is de-
tectable through AHE voltage. It doesn’t
take a strong magnetic field to flip the
spins in the film, which makes the device
up to 20 times more sensitive than tradi-
tional Hall effect sensors.

Robotics & Automation
Automated Robotic Device for Faster Blood Testing
This technology provides rapid results, improving hospital workflow and patient care.
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
D iagnostic blood testing is the most

commonly performed clinical pro-
cedure in the world, and it influences Venipuncture Sample Blood
Robot Handling Analyzer
most of the medical decisions made in
hospitals and laboratories. But the suc-
cess rate of manually drawing blood sam-
ples depends on clinicians’ skill and
patient physiology, and nearly all test
results come from centralized labs that
handle large numbers of samples and
use labor-intensive analytical techniques.
A device was developed that includes
an image-guided robot for drawing
blood from veins, a sample-handling
module, and a centrifuge-based blood
analyzer. The device provides highly
accurate results from a white blood cell
test using a blood-like fluid spiked with
fluorescent microbeads. The testing The fully automated device includes an image-guided robot for drawing blood from veins, a sample-
used artificial arms with plastic tubes handling module, and a centrifuge-based blood analyzer. (Max Balter)
that served as blood vessels. The device
could provide rapid test results at bed- robotic and microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip) The modular and expandable device
sides or in ambulances, emergency systems, combining the breadth and can be extended to incorporate a broad-
rooms, clinics, and doctors’ offices. accuracy of traditional blood drawing er panel of tests in the future.
The automated blood drawing and and laboratory testing with the speed and For more information, contact Todd Bates
testing device integrates miniaturized convenience of point-of-care testing. at [email protected]; 848-932-0550.
Technique Mass-Produces Cell-Sized Robots

This process could lead to tiny, self-powered devices for environmental, industrial,
or medical monitoring.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
A method was developed for mass-

producing tiny robots no bigger
than a cell. The microscopic devices,
The novel process, called “autoperfo-
ration,” uses a two-dimensional form of
graphene, which forms the outer struc-
window, it produces pieces of uniform
shape and size. When the top layer of
graphene is placed over the array of
called “syncells” (short for synthetic ture of the syncells. One layer of the polymer dots — which form round pillar
cells), might eventually be used to mon- material is laid down on a surface, then shapes — the places where the graphene
itor conditions inside an oil or gas tiny dots of a polymer material contain- drapes over the round edges of the pil-
pipeline, or to search out disease while ing the electronics for the devices are lars form lines of high strain in the mate-
floating through the bloodstream. deposited by a laboratory version of an rial. As a result, the fractures are concen-
The key to making the devices in large inkjet printer. Then, a second layer of trated right along those boundaries. The
quantities lies in a method developed for graphene is laid on top. graphene will completely fracture, but
controlling the natural fracturing process Graphene, an ultrathin but extremely the fracture will be guided around the
of atomically thin, brittle materials, direct- strong material, is brittle but rather than periphery of the pillar. The result is a
ing the fracture lines so that they produce posing a problem, the brittleness was neat, round piece of graphene that
miniscule pockets of a predictable size used as an advantage. The new system looks as if it had been cleanly cut out by
and shape. Embedded inside these pock- controls the fracturing process so that a microscopic hole punch.
ets are electronic circuits and materials rather than generating random shards Because there are two layers of
that can collect, record, and output data. of material, like the remains of a broken graphene, above and below the polymer

pillars, the two resulting disks adhere at
their edges to form something like a tiny
pita bread pocket, with the polymer
sealed inside. Other two-dimensional
materials, such as molybdenum disulfide
and hexagonal boronitride, work as well.
The general procedure of using con-
trolled fracture as a production method
can be extended across many length
scales and potentially can be used with
essentially any 2D materials. The process
is one of the only ways available to pro-
duce standalone integrated microelec-
tronics on a large scale that can function
as independent, free-floating devices.
Depending on the nature of the electron-
ics inside, the devices could be provided
with capabilities for movement, detection
of various chemicals or other parameters,
and memory storage.
For more information, contact Karl-Lydie
This photo shows circles on a graphene sheet where the sheet is draped over an array of round posts,
creating stresses that will cause these discs to separate from the sheet. The gray bar across the sheet Jean-Baptiste at [email protected]; 617-
is liquid being used to lift the discs from the surface. (Image: Felice Frankel) 253-1682.
EEG-Based Technique for Controlling a Robotic Arm

with the Brain
This technique can be used by people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
R esearchers have developed a tech-

nique that allows people to control
a robotic arm using only their minds.
a complex 3D environment using only
their thoughts, without a brain implant.
The noninvasive technique — electroen-
into actions by advanced signal process-
ing and machine learning.
Eight healthy human subjects com-
The research has the potential to help cephalography (EEG)-based brain-completed the experimental sessions of the
millions of people who are paralyzed or puter interface — records weak electrical study wearing the EEG cap. Subjects
have neurodegenerative diseases. activity of the subject’s brain through a gradually learned to imagine moving
The technique lets people operate the specialized EEG cap fitted with 64 elec- their own arms without actually moving
robotic arm to reach and grasp objects in trodes. It converts the subject’s thoughts them to control a robotic arm in 3D
space. They started from learning to
control a virtual cursor on a computer
screen, and then learned to control a
robotic arm to reach and grasp objects
in fixed locations on a table. Even-
tually, they were able to move the
robotic arm to reach and grasp objects
in random locations on a table, and
move objects from the table to a three-
layer shelf by only thinking about these
movements.
All eight subjects could control a
robotic arm to pick up objects in fixed
locations with an average success rate
above 80 percent, and move objects from
the table onto the shelf with an average
success rate above 70 percent.
The brain-computer interface technol-
ogy works due to the geography of the
Research subjects fitted with a noninvasive brain cap were able to move the robotic arm just by motor cortex — the area of the cere-
imagining moving their own arms. (College of Science and Engineering) brum that governs movement. When

humans move, or think about a movements using advanced signal processing limb attached to a person’s body or
ment, neurons in the motor cortex pro- laid the groundwork for the brain-com- examine how this technology could
duce tiny electric currents. Thinking puter interface. work with someone who has had a
about a different movement activates a The next step in this work will be to stroke or is paralyzed.
new assortment of neurons, a phenome- further develop the brain-computer For more information, contact Rhonda
non confirmed by cross-validation using interface technology so it can realize a Zurn, College of Science and Engineering, at
functional MRI. Sorting out these assort- brain-controlled robotic prosthetic [email protected]; 612-626-7959.
Nanomaterial Gives Robots Chameleon Skin

Features include unusual color changes and high touch sensitivity.
University of California, Riverside
A new film made of gold nanoparti-

cles changes color in response to
any type of movement. Its qualities could
width and length or about the size of a
virus. When materials like silver or gold
become smaller, their colors will change
ed and will still see different colors as the
orientation changes
Other materials, like butterfly wings,
allow robots to mimic chameleons and depending on their size, shape, and the are shiny and colorful at certain angles
octopi — among other futuristic applica- direction they face. and can also change color when viewed
tions. In this case, the researchers reduced at other angles; however, those materials
Unlike other materials that try to emu- gold to nano-sized rods. By pointing the rely on precisely ordered microstruc-
late nature’s color changers, this one can rods in a particular direction, their color tures, which are difficult and expensive
respond to any type of movement like could be controlled. Facing one way, they to make for large areas. The new film can
bending or twisting. Robots coated in it might appear red but when moved 45 be made to coat the surface of any sized
could enter spaces that might be danger- degrees, they change to green. object just as easily as applying spray
ous or impossible for humans and offer The problem facing the team was how paint on a house.
information just based on the way they to take millions of gold nanorods floating Though futuristic robots are an ultimate
look; for example, a camouflaged robot in a liquid solution and get them all to application of this film, it can be used in
could enter tough-to-access underwater point in the same direction to display a many other ways; for example, the film can
crevices. If the robot changes color, biol- uniform color. Their solution was to fuse be incorporated into checks or cash as an
ogists could learn about the pressures smaller magnetic nanorods onto the larg- authentication feature. Under normal
facing animals that live in these environ- er gold ones. The two different-sized rods lighting, the film is gray but when when
ments. Although some other color- were encapsulated in a polymer shield, so viewed through polarized sunglass lenses,
changing materials can also respond to that they would remain side by side. That elaborate patterns can be seen. In addi-
motion, this one can be printed and pro- way, the orientation of both rods could be tion, the color contrast of the film may
grammed to display different, complex controlled by magnets. change dramatically if the film is twisted.
patterns that are difficult to replicate. Once the nanorods are dried into a thin Watch a demo on Tech Briefs TV at
Nanomaterials are simply materials film, their orientation is fixed in place and www.techbriefs.com/tv/chameleon-skin. For
that have been reduced to an extremely they no longer respond to magnets. But if more information, contact Jules Bernstein at
small scale — tens of nanometers in the film is flexible, it can be bent and rotat- [email protected]; 951-827-4580.
5mm
New material with programmable colorimetric responses can behave more like animal skins.

Rugged Precision
Soft Robotic Insect The MAQ®20 Industrial
Survives Being Flattened by Data Acquisition & Control System
a Flyswatter
The ultra-light robotic insect can be folded
or crushed, yet continues to move.
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland
R esearchers have developed a soft robotic insect propelled

at 3 cm per second by artificial muscles.
Two versions of the soft robot, dubbed DEAnsect, were
developed. The first, which is tethered using ultra-thin wires, is
exceptionally robust. It can be folded, hit with a flyswatter, or
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The robotic insect uses its soft artificial muscles to move at 3 cm per second
across different types of terrain.
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The assembled DEAnsect consists of the soft robot with artificial muscles, www.masterbond.com
a battery, and control electronics.

equipped with a microcontroller for a which returns to its initial shape when the robot, which itself weighs just 0.2 gram, to
brain and photodiodes as eyes, allowing it voltage is turned off. The insect has such carry everything it needs on its back. The
to recognize black and white patterns, muscles fitted to each of its three legs. technique opens up new possibilities for
enabling DEAnsect to follow any line Movement is generated by switching the the use of DEAs in swarms of intelligent
drawn on the ground. voltage on and off very quickly — more robotic insects, for inspection or remote
DEAnsect is equipped with dielectric than 400 times per second. repairs, or even for gaining a deeper
elastomer actuators (DEAs), a type of The team used nanofabrication tech- understanding of insect colonies by send-
hair-thin artificial muscle that propels it niques to enable the artificial muscles to ing a robot to live amongst them.
forward through vibrations. These DEAs work at relatively low voltages by reduc- In the longer term, researchers plan to
are the main reason why the insect is so ing the thickness of the elastomer mem- fit new sensors and emitters to the insects
light and quick. They also enable it to brane and by developing soft, highly so they can communicate directly with
move over different types of terrain conductive electrodes only a few mole- one another.
including undulating surfaces. cules thick. This design allowed the Watch a demo of the DEAnsect surviving
The artificial muscles consist of an elas- researchers to dramatically reduce the a flyswatter hit on Tech Briefs TV at www.
tomer membrane sandwiched between size of the power source. techbriefs.com/tv/robot-insect. For more in-
two soft electrodes. The electrodes are DEAs generally operate at several kilo- formation, contact Herbert Shea of the Soft
attracted to one another when a voltage is volts, which required a large power sup- Transducers Laboratory at EPFL, at
applied, compressing the membrane, ply unit. The new design enabled the [email protected]; +41 21 693 66 63.
Hummingbird Robot Uses AI to Maneuver in Tight Spaces

The robots could fly silently for covert operations and stay steady through turbulence.
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
F lying robots that behave like hum-

mingbirds were developed that are
trained by machine learning algorithms
based on various techniques the bird
uses naturally every day. This means that
after learning from a simulation, the
robot “knows” how to move around on
its own like a hummingbird would such
as discerning when to perform an es-
cape maneuver.
Artificial intelligence (AI), combined
with flexible flapping wings, also allows
the robot to teach itself new tricks. Even
though the robot can’t see, for example, it
senses by touching surfaces. Each touch
alters an electrical current that can be
tracked. The robot can essentially create a
map without seeing its surroundings,
which could be helpful when the robot is
searching for victims in a dark place.
Drones can’t be made infinitely small-
er due to the way conventional aerody-
namics work and they wouldn’t be able
to generate enough lift to support their Robotic hummingbirds learn from computer simulations how to fly like a real hummingbird. The
weight. But hummingbirds don’t use robot is encased in a decorative shell. (Purdue University photo/Jared Pike)
conventional aerodynamics and their
wings are resilient. Designing the robots with higher lift which was demonstrated by testing the
The robots have 3D-printed bodies, enables them to eventually incude a bat- dynamically scaled wings in an oil tank.
wings made of carbon fiber, and laser-cut tery and sensing technology such as a The robot requires only two motors and
membranes. The researchers built one camera or GPS. Currently, the robot can control each wing independently of
hummingbird robot weighing 12 grams needs to be tethered to an energy source the other, which is how flying animals per-
— the weight of the average adult mag- while it flies but soon will be untethered. form highly agile maneuvers in nature.
nificent hummingbird — and another The robots could fly silently just as a Watch it fly on Tech Briefs TV at www.
insect-sized robot weighing 1 gram. The real hummingbird does, making them techbriefs.com/tv/hummingbird_robot.
hummingbird robot can lift more than more ideal for covert operations. And For more information, contact Xinyan Deng
its own weight (up to 27 grams). they stay steady through turbulence, at [email protected]; 765-494-1513.

Materials & Coatings
Liquid-Repelling Substance Works on All Surfaces
The new coating can eliminate complex disinfectant procedures for protective faceshields.
University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
A cting like an invisible force field, a

new liquid coating may provide an
extra layer of protection for front-line
lation can coat and protect just about
any surface including metals, paper,
ceramics, and even plastics.
repaired, fully restoring the omniphobic
properties to their initial state.
This technology has many applications
healthcare workers. The coating repels The two-layer coating involves placing but the researchers are currently focused
nearly all substances off a surface, an ultra-smooth silica layer on a surface on providing a solution that will keep nurs-
enabling cleaning of personal protective and then functionalizing this layer with a es and doctors safe when battling COVID-
equipment a bit easier. highly reactive silicone to effectively block 19. The coating will prevent droplets or
Surfaces that can repel a broad range all kinds of liquids from sticking on the microbes from sticking to a faceshield,
of liquids are called omniphobic. The surface. Not only does the coating repel making disinfecting the faceshields feasi-
new spray-on solution can make any countless substances but even under harsh ble just with water rather than requiring
surface, including a faceshield, omni- exposure to UV light, acids, and high tem- complex disinfectant procedures.
phobic. The applicability of these coat- peratures, the coating maintains its resis- For more information, contact Patty
ings has always been limited to silicon tance qualities. If the coating does become Wellborn at [email protected]; 250-
wafers or smooth glass. The new formu- damaged, it can be easily and repeatedly 317-0293.
Aerogels Protect Against Electromagnetic Interference

Aerogels based on cellulose nanofibers can effectively shield electromagnetic radiation over
a wide frequency range.
Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
E lectric motors and electronic devices

generate electromagnetic fields that
sometimes have to be shielded in order
foils are used for this purpose; however,
for many applications, such a shield is
too heavy or too poorly adaptable to the
Cellulose fibers are obtained from wood
and due to their chemical structure,
enable a wide range of chemical modifica-
not to affect neighboring electronic given geometry. A light, flexible, and tions. They are therefore a highly popular
components or the transmission of sig- durable material with extremely high research object. The crucial factor in the
nals. High-frequency electromagnetic shielding effectiveness is needed. processing and modification of these cel-
fields can only be shielded with conduc- Researchers now have used nanofibers lulose nanofibers is to be able to produce
tive shells that are closed on all sides. of cellulose as the basis for an aerogel, certain microstructures in a defined way
Often, thin metal sheets or metallized which is a light, highly porous material. and to interpret the effects achieved.
The researchers have produced a com-
posite of cellulose nanofibers and silver
nanowires, thereby creating ultra-light fine
structures that provide excellent shielding
against electromagnetic radiation. With a
density of only 1.7 milligrams per cubic
centimeter, the silver-reinforced cellulose
aerogel achieves more than 40 dB shield-
ing in the frequency range of high-resolu-
tion radar radiation (8 to 12 GHz); virtual-
ly all radiation in this frequency range is
intercepted by the material.
The correct composition of cellulose
and silver wires is decisive for the shield-
ing effect and also the pore structure of
the material. Within the pores, the elec-
tromagnetic fields are reflected back and
forth and additionally trigger electromag-
A sample of the electromagnetic shielding material: a composite of cellulose nanofibers and silver netic fields in the composite material that
nanowires. (Image: Empa) counteract the incident field. To create

pores of optimum size and shape, the freezing direction, the damping effect is cellulose nanofibers with two-dimensional
researchers pour the material into pre- optimized. Shielding structures cast in this nanoplates of titanium carbide that were
cooled molds and allow it to freeze out way are highly flexible — even after being produced using a special etching process.
slowly. The growth of the ice crystals cre- bent back and forth 1,000 times, the The nanoplates act like hard “bricks” that
ates the optimum pore structure for damping effect is practically the same as are joined together with flexible “mortar”
damping the fields. with the original material. The desired made of cellulose fibers. This formulation
With this production method, the absorption can be adjusted by adding was also frozen in cooled forms in a target-
damping effect can even be specified in more or fewer silver nanowires to the com- ed manner. In relation to the weight of the
different spatial directions: If the material posite as well as by the porosity of the cast material, no other material can achieve
freezes out in the mold from bottom to aerogel and the thickness of the cast layer. such shielding.
top, the electromagnetic damping effect is In another experiment, the researchers For more information, contact Dr. Gustav
weaker in the vertical direction. In the hor- removed the silver nanowires from the Nyström at [email protected]; +41
izontal direction, i.e. perpendicular to the composite material and connected their 58 765 45 83.
Graphene-Reinforced Carbon Fiber

This high-strength material could be used to improve safety and reduce the cost of
producing cars.
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
A new way of creating carbon fibers —

which typically are expensive to make
— could one day lead to using these light-
ed in the right way, these long strands of
carbon-based atoms, narrower than
human hair, are lightweight, stiff, and
bon fibers, some of which sell for up to
$900 per pound.
Currently, most carbon fibers are pro-
weight, high-strength materials to improve strong — a perfect application for keep- duced from a polymer known as polyacry-
safety and reduce the cost of producing ing passengers safe. lonitrile (PAN), which is very expensive,
cars. Using a mix of computer simulations Carbon fiber sells for about $15 per making up about 50% of the production
and laboratory experiments, researchers pound and the team aims to reduce that cost of carbon fibers. PAN is used to create
found that adding small amounts of the to $5 per pound by making changes to 90% of carbon fibers found in the market
2D graphene to the production process the complex production process. A today but its production requires an enor-
both reduces the production cost and lower production cost will increase car- mous amount of energy. First, PAN fibers
strengthens the fibers. bon fiber’s potential applications includ- have to be heated to 200 to 300 °C to oxi-
For decades, carbon fibers have been a ing cars. Further, the research may lower dize them. Next, they must be heated to
mainstay of airplane production. If creat- the cost of producing other types of car- 1,200 to 1,600 °C to transform the atoms
into carbon. Finally, they have to be heat-
ed to 2,100 °C, so the molecules are
GRAPHENE 100 nm aligned properly. Without this series of
steps, the resulting material would lack its
needed strength and stiffness. Adding
20 nm
trace amounts of graphene — only
0.075% concentration by weight — to the
first stages of this process allowed the team
to create a carbon fiber that had 225%
greater strength and 184% greater stiff-
ness than the conventionally made PAN-
based carbon fibers.
The team gleaned insight into the chem-
ical reactions taking place through a series
of small- and large-scale computer simula-
tions conducted on several supercomput-
ers. They connected experiments of differ-
ent scales to show that the process works.
The flat structure of graphene helps to
align PAN molecules consistently through-
out the fiber, which is needed in the pro-
duction process. Further, at high tempera-
2 nm tures, graphene edges have a natural cat-
alytic property so that the rest of PAN con-
denses around these edges.
Using lab experiments and computer simulations (shown here), researchers found that adding
graphene to the carbon fiber production process greatly strengthens the material. (Image: For more information, contact Liam
Margaret Kowalik and Adri van Duin/Penn State) Jackson at [email protected]; 814-865-0171.

Smart Fabrics with Bioactive Inks Monitor the Body by
Changing Color
Bioactive inks printed on wearable textiles can map conditions over the entire surface of the body.
Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts
B iomaterial-based inks have been de-

veloped that respond to chemicals
released from the body (e.g. in sweat) by
such devices have been invented incor-
porating electronics in wearable patch-
es, wristbands, and other configurations
molecules such as pH-sensitive indicators
or enzymes like lactate oxidase to indi-
cate levels of lactate in sweat. The former
changing color. The inks can be screen- that monitor either localized or overall could be an indicator of skin health or
printed onto textiles such as clothes, physiological information such as heart dehydration, while the latter could indi-
shoes, or even face masks in complex rate or blood glucose. The new bio-inks cate levels of fatigue of the wearer.
patterns and at high resolution, provid- provide non-electronic, colorimetric de- Many other derivatives of the inks can
ing a detailed map of human response tection of a theoretically very large num- be created due to the versatility of the
or exposure. The technology could simul- ber of analytes using sensing garments silk fibroin protein by modifying it with
taneously detect and quantify a wide that can be distributed to cover very active molecules such as chemically sensi-
range of biological conditions, mole- large areas: anything from a patch to the tive dyes, enzymes, antibodies, and more.
cules, and possibly pathogens over the entire body and beyond. While the reporter molecules could be
surface of the body using conventional The components of the sensing gar- unstable on their own, they can become
garments and uniforms. ments possible are biologically activated shelf-stable when embedded within the
Wearable sensing devices have attract- silk-based inks. The soluble silk substrate silk fibroin in the ink formulation.
ed considerable interest in monitoring in these ink formulations can be modi- The inks are formulated for screen-
human performance and health. Many fied by embedding various “reporter” printing by combining with a thickener
(sodium alginate) and a plasticizer (glyc-
erol). The screen-printable bio-inks can
be used like any ink developed for
screen-printing and applied not just to
clothing but also to various surfaces such
pH 7 pH 3 as wood, plastics, and paper to generate
patterns ranging from hundreds of
microns to tens of meters.
While the changes in color presented
by the inks can provide a visual cue to
the presence or absence of an analyte,
pH 7 pH 8 use of camera imaging analysis scanning
the garments or other material can gath-
er more precise information on both
quantity and high-resolution, submilli-
meter mapping.
Watch a demo of the bio-inks on Tech
Briefs TV at www.techbriefs.com/tv/bioinks.
A T-shirt screen-printed with pH-sensitive bio-active inks can provide a map of pH response on the
wearer. Variations of bio-active inks can detect other molecules released by the body or in the sur- For more information, contact Mike Silver
rounding environment. (Image: Tufts University) at [email protected]; 617-627-0545.
Thermally Conductive, Stretchable Rubber Material

This material could be used for artificial muscles that power bio-inspired robots.
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A thermally conductive rubber material

was developed that represents a
breakthrough for creating soft, stretchable
The combination of high thermal con-
ductivity and elasticity is critical for rapid
heat dissipation in applications such as
manufacturing, energy, and transporta-
tion are other areas in which stretchable
electronic material could have an impact.
machines and electronics. The new mate- wearable computing and soft robotics, Previously, high-power devices have
rial, nicknamed “thubber,” is an electrical- which require mechanical compliance been affixed to rigid, inflexible mounts
ly insulating composite that exhibits a and stretchable functionality. that were the only technology able to dis-
combination of metal-like thermal con- Applications could extend to industries sipate heat efficiently. Stretchable mounts
ductivity and elasticity similar to soft, bio- like athletic wear and sports medicine for can now be created for LED lights or
logical tissue that can stretch more than lighted clothing for runners, and heated computer processors that enable high
six times its initial length. garments for injury therapy. Advanced performance without overheating in ap-

M AT E R I A L S C H A N N E L
Sponsored by
Thubber, a thermally conductive rubber material, could be used to create

soft, stretchable machines and electronics.
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www.techbriefs.com/tv/epoxy-adhesives
Textile Coating for

More Effective PPE
University of Pittsburgh
researchers say that a new textile
coating can repel liquids like
blood and saliva and also prevent
viruses from adhering to the
surface.
www.techbriefs.com/tv/
PPE-coating
Nanomaterial for
Color-Changing
Robotic Skin
A new film made of gold The key ingredient in thubber is a suspension of non-toxic, liquid metal
nanoparticles can change color in microdroplets. The liquid state allows the metal to deform with the sur-
response to any type of rounding rubber at room temperature. When the rubber is pre-stretched, the
movement, like bending or droplets form elongated pathways that are efficient for heat travel.
twisting, allowing robots to mimic
chameleons. plications that demand flexibility such as lighted fabric tablet
www.techbriefs.com/tv/ computers that can fold up into a wallet.
gold-nano-skin
The key ingredient in the material is a suspension of non-
toxic, liquid metal microdroplets. The liquid state allows the
New Stable Electrolyte metal to deform with the surrounding rubber at room temper-
Boosts Batteries ature. When the rubber is pre-stretched, the droplets form
A lithium-based electrolyte from elongated pathways that are efficient for heat travel. Despite
Stanford University boosts the the amount of metal, the material is also electrically insulating.
performance of lithium metal
batteries and is far less To demonstrate these findings, an LED light was mounted
flammable than conventional onto a strip of the material to create a safety lamp worn around
electrolytes. a jogger’s leg. The thubber dissipated the heat from the LED,
which would have otherwise burned the jogger. The re-
www.techbriefs.com/tv/ searchers also created a soft robotic fish that swims with a thub-
stable-electrolyte
ber tail, without using conventional motors or gears.
For more information, contact Lisa Kulick at lkulick@
www.techbriefs.tv andrew.cmu.edu; 412-268-5444.
42 Tech Briefs, September 2020

Health & Biotech
Biomaterial Shields Against Harmful Radiation
A new form of melanin can protect human tissue from X-rays during medical treatment
or spaceflight.
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
R esearchers have synthesized a new

form of melanin enriched with
selenium. Called selenomelanin, the
Compared to the weight and bulk of tra-
ditional radioprotective materials like
lead, melanin is lighter and more flexible
comparison, they also prepared cells treat-
ed with synthetic pheomelanin and eumel-
anin as well as cells with no protective
new biomaterial shows promise as a in how it can be used. Melanin samples are melanin. After receiving a dose of radia-
shield for human tissue against harm- currently in orbit at the International tion that would be lethal to a human
ful radiation. Space Station, being studied for the mate- being, only the cells treated with sele-
Melanin is found in most organisms rial’s response to radiation exposure. nomelanin still exhibited a normal cell
across the plant and animal kingdoms as Recent studies have focused on pheomel- cycle. Further testing with bacteria showed
well as in bacteria and fungi. Though anin, which contains sulfur, as the best that selenomelanin can be biosynthesized,
best known for pigmentation, melanin candidate for that purpose. meaning that live cells fed with appropri-
also provides valuable protection from A new kind of melanin — enriched with ate nutrients can then produce selenomel-
radiation. Five kinds of melanin have selenium instead of sulfur — was found to anin on their own and retain its radiopro-
been observed in nature, with pheomel- provide better protection against X-rays. tective properties. In fact, although the
anin (the pigment in red hair) shown to Selenium is an essential micronutrient selenomelanin was synthesized in a lab,
absorb X-rays more efficiently than the that plays an important role in cancer pre- the researchers believe it may already be
more common eumelanin (black and vention and previous research reports that present in nature.
brown pigments in dark hair). selenium compounds can protect animals The team envisions that this new bioma-
Unwanted exposure to radiation oc- against radiation. These compounds are terial could be applied to a person’s skin
curs during many common activities, found in normal human proteins but have like a melanin-based sunscreen. It could
from air travel to X-ray diagnosis and not been associated with melanin in also be used as a protective film to shield
clinical radiation therapy. It’s an even nature before. materials from radiation while in transit.
greater consideration in extreme cases The research team synthesized the new For more information, contact Prof.
such as a nuclear reactor malfunction or biomaterial, which they called selenomel- Nathan Gianneschi at nathan.gianneschi@
human space travel. anin, and used it to treat living cells. For northwestern.edu.
Smartphone App Detects Early Signs of Eye Disorders

in Children
The app allows parents to efficiently and effectively screen their children more often
throughout their development.
Baylor University, Waco, Texas
A prototype smartphone app helps

parents detect early signs of various
eye diseases in their children such as
children taken prior to their diagnosis.
For children with diagnosed eye disor-
ders, CRADLE was able to detect leuko-
ties for light to reflect off the ocular
lesions regardless of its location in the eye.
As the app’s algorithm has become
retinoblastoma, an aggressive pediatric coria for 80 percent of the children. The more sophisticated, its ability to detect
eye cancer. The ComputeR Assisted app detected leukocoria in photos that even slight instances of leukocoria has
Detector LEukocoia (CRADLE) app were taken an average of 1.3 years prior improved. Initially, the CRADLE app was
searches for traces of abnormal reflec- to their official diagnosis. used primarily to identify retinoblastoma
tions from the retina called leukocoria The effectiveness of traditional screen- — a rare eye disease that is the most com-
or “white eye,” a primary symptom of ings during a general physical exam is lim- mon form of eye cancer in children up to
retinoblastoma as well as other common ited, with signs of retinoblastoma via the age 5. So far, parents and some doctors
eye disorders. detection of leukocoria in only 8 percent have used it to detect cataract, myelin reti-
The app searches through family pho- of cases. CRADLE’s sensitivity for children nal nerve fiber layer, refractive error,
tographs for signs of leukocoria. The age 2 and younger surpassed 80 percent. Coats’ disease, and retinoblastoma.
sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of Given the number of photos taken by For more information, contact Terry
the prototype were determined by ana- family and friends and the variety of envi- Goodrich at [email protected];
lyzing more than 50,000 photographs of ronments, there are multiple opportuni- 254-710-3321.

Health & Biotech
4D Printing Creates Microneedles to Replace Hypodermics

Inspired by parasites, the tiny needles could help eliminate painful shots.
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
P ainful hypodermic needles may not

be needed in the future to give shots,
inject drugs, and get blood samples.
fourth dimension that allows materials
to morph into new shapes. The 4D-print-
ed microneedle array will allow for more
skin, and posing an infection risk.
People with diabetes often take blood
samples multiple times a day with nee-
With 4D printing, engineers have creat- robust and sustained use of minimally dles to monitor blood sugar levels.
ed tiny needles that mimic parasites that invasive, pain-free, and easy-to-use micro- Microneedles (miniaturized needles)
attach to skin and could replace hypo- needles for delivering drugs, healing are short, thin, and minimally invasive;
dermic needles. wounds, biosensing, and other soft tis- reduce pain and the risk of infection;
While 3D printing builds objects layer sue applications. and are easy to use. But their weak adhe-
by layer, 4D goes further with smart Hypodermic needles are widely used sion to tissues is a major challenge for
materials that are programmed to in hospitals and labs to extract blood controlled drug delivery over the long
change shape after printing. Time is the and inject drugs, causing pain, scarring run or for biosensing, which involves
using a device to detect DNA, enzymes,
antibodies, and other health indicators.
In nature, some insects and other
organisms have developed microscopic
features that adhere to tissue such as the
microhooks of parasites, barbed stingers
of honeybees, and scaled quills of porcu-
pines. Inspired by these examples, the
engineers developed a microneedle that
interlocks with tissue when inserted,
enhancing adhesion. They combined a
micro 3D printing technique and a 4D
printing approach to create backward-
facing barbs on a microneedle.
The researchers showed that tissue
adhesion with the microneedle is 18
times stronger than with a barbless
microneedle, resulting in more stable
and robust drug delivery, collection of
biofluids, and biosensing.
This microneedle array has backward-facing barbs that interlock with tissue when inserted, For more information, contact Todd Bates
enhancing adhesion. (Image: Riddish Morde) at [email protected]; 848-932-0550.
Electronic “Skin” Brings Sense of Touch and Pain to

Prosthetic Hands
The “E-dermis” will enable amputees to perceive through prosthetic fingertips.
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
A mputees often experience the sensa-

tion of a “phantom limb” — a feeling
that a missing body part is still there. Pain,
brings back a real sense of touch through
the fingertips. Made of fabric and rubber
laced with sensors to mimic nerve end-
designs is critical, especially when it comes
to incorporating the ability to feel pain.
That’s where the e-dermis comes in, con-
while unpleasant, is an essential, protec- ings, the “e-dermis” recreates a sense of veying information to the amputee by
tive sense of touch that is lacking in the touch as well as pain by sensing stimuli stimulating peripheral nerves in the arm,
prostheses that are currently available to and relaying the impulses back to the making the so-called phantom limb come
amputees. Advances in prosthesis designs peripheral nerves. The sensor goes over to life. Inspired by human biology, the
and control mechanisms can aid an the fingertips of a prosthetic hand and e-dermis enables its user to sense a contin-
amputee’s ability to regain lost function, acts as the person’s own skin would. uous spectrum of tactile perceptions, from
but they often lack meaningful, tactile Human skin is made up of a complex light touch to noxious or painful stimulus.
feedback or perception. network of receptors that relay a variety of The e-dermis does this by electrically
An electronic skin was developed that, sensations to the brain. Bringing a more stimulating the amputee’s nerves in a non-
when layered on top of prosthetic hands, human touch to modern prosthetic invasive way, through the skin. A neuro-

morphic model was made, mimicking the
touch and pain receptors of the human
nervous system and allowing the e-dermis
to electronically encode sensations just as
the receptors in the skin would. Tracking
brain activity via electroencephalography
(EEG), it was determined that the test sub-
ject was able to perceive these sensations
in his phantom hand.
The researchers then connected the
e-dermis output to the volunteer using a
noninvasive method known as transcu-
taneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS). In a pain-detection task, the
team determined that the test subject
and the prosthesis were able to experi-
ence a natural, reflexive reaction to
pain while touching a pointed object,
and non-pain when touching a round
object.
The e-dermis is not sensitive to temper-
ature — for this study, the team focused
on detecting object curvature (for touch
and shape perception) and sharpness
(for pain perception). The technology
could be used to make robotic systems
more human and to expand or extend to
astronaut gloves and spacesuits.
The electronic skin can restore the sense of touch through the fingertips of prosthetic hands. (Larry For more information, contact Tracey
Canner/JHU) Reeves at [email protected]; 443-997-9903.
Wireless “Pacemaker” for the Brain

This neurostimulator could deliver fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases such as
epilepsy and Parkinson’s.
University of California, Berkeley
S imultaneously stimulating and record-

ing electrical signals in the brain is
much like trying to see small ripples in a
pond while also splashing your feet —
the electrical signals from the brain are
overwhelmed by the large pulses of elec-
tricity delivered by the stimulation.
Currently, deep brain stimulators either
stop recording while delivering the elec-
trical stimulation or record at a different
part of the brain from where the stimula-
tion is applied — essentially measuring
the small ripples at a different point in
the pond from the splashing.
These devices can be extremely effec-
tive at preventing debilitating tremors
or seizures in patients with a variety of
neurological conditions. But the elec-
trical signatures that precede a seizure
or tremor can be extremely subtle, and
the frequency and strength of electrical In the proposed device, two of the new chips would be embedded in a chassis located outside the
head. Each chip could monitor electrical activity from 64 electrodes located in the brain while
stimulation required to prevent them is simultaneously delivering electrical stimulation to prevent unwanted seizures or tremors. (UC
equally touchy. It can take years of small Berkeley image by Rikky Muller)

Health & Biotech
adjustments by doctors before the de- ognize the signs of tremor or seizure, it tract the signal from the electrical puls-
vices provide optimal treatment. A new can adjust the stimulation parameters es, resulting in a clean signal from the
neurostimulator can listen to and stimu- on its own to prevent the unwanted brain waves.
late electric current in the brain at the movements. And because it is closed- Existing devices are tuned to record
same time, potentially delivering fine- loop — meaning it can stimulate and signals only from the smaller brain
tuned treatments to patients with dis- record simultaneously — it can adjust waves and are overwhelmed by the
eases like epilepsy and Parkinson’s. these parameters in real time. large stimulation pulses, making this
The Wireless Artifact-free Neuromod- WAND can record electrical activity type of signal reconstruction impossi-
ulation Device (WAND) works like a over 128 channels or from 128 points in ble. A platform device was built with
“pacemaker” for the brain, monitoring the brain, compared to eight channels wireless and closed-loop computation-
the brain’s electrical activity and deliver- in other closed-loop systems. WAND’s al capabilities that can be programmed
ing electrical stimulation if it detects custom integrated circuits can record for use in a variety of research and
something amiss. the full signal from both the subtle brain clinical applications.
WAND is both wireless and autono- waves and the strong electrical pulses. For more information, contact Kara Manke
mous, meaning that once it learns to rec- This chip design allows WAND to sub- at [email protected]; 510-643-7741.
Blinking Artificial Human Eye Replica for Disease

Modeling and Drug Testing
This eye-on-a-chip can help treatment of dry eye disease.
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
P eople who spend eight or more

hours a day staring at a computer
screen may notice their eyes becoming
tired or dry and if those conditions are
severe enough, they may eventually
develop dry eye disease (DED). DED is a
common disease with few FDA-approved
drug options, partially because of the
difficulties of modeling the complex
pathophysiology in human eyes.
A blinking eye-on-a-chip was devel-
oped that is used as an artificial human
eye replica to help scientists and drug
developers improve their understanding
and treatment of DED, among other
potential uses. The eye model can imi-
tate a healthy eye and an eye with DED,
allowing them to test an experimental
drug without risk of human harm.
To construct the eye-on-a-chip, re- The eye-on-a-chip attached to a motorized, gelatin-based eyelid. Blinking spreads tears over the corneal
surface, and so was a critical aspect to replicate in the model of dry eye disease cells. The cells of the
searchers started with a porous scaffold cornea grow on the inner circle of scaffolding, dyed yellow, and the cells of the conjunctiva grow on the
engineered with 3D printing, about the surrounding red circle. Artificial tears are supplied by a tear duct, dyed blue. (Penn Engineering)
size of a dime and the shape of a contact
lens, on which they grew human eye lar surface hydrated. It also helps form a human eyes, both healthy and with
cells. The cells of the cornea grow on the smooth refractive surface for light trans- DED, the corresponding eye-on-a-chip
inner circle of scaffolding, dyed yellow, mission. This was a key feature of the models proved their similarity to the
and the cells of the conjunctiva, the spe- ocular surface that researchers wanted actual organ on multiple clinical meas-
cialized tissue covering the white part of to reproduce in the device. For people ures. The eyes-on-a-chip mimicked actu-
human eyes, grow on the surrounding with DED, that tear film evaporates al eyes’ performance in a Schirmer strip,
red circle. A slab of gelatin acts as the faster than it is replenished, resulting in which tests liquid production; in an
eyelid, mechanically sliding over the eye inflammation and irritation. osmolarity test, which looks at tear film
at the same rate as human blinking. Fed The team evoked DED conditions in salt content; and in a keratography test,
by a tear duct, dyed blue, the eyelid the eye-on-a-chip by cutting the device’s which evaluates the time it takes for a
spreads artificial tear secretions over the artificial blinking in half and carefully tear film to break up.
eye to form what is called a tear film. creating an enclosed environment that For more information, contact the Office
Blinking serves to spread tears and simulated the humidity of real-life con- of Technology Management at otminfo@
generate a thin film that keeps the ocu- ditions. When put to the test against real psu.edu; 814-865-6277.

APPLICATION
BRIEFS
Force/Torque Sensor Helps Rover
Sample Mars
ATI Industrial Automation
Apex, NC
www.ati-ia.com
W hen it comes to space exploration, technological entre-

preneur and philanthropist Elon Musk said, “You want to
be inspired by things. You want to wake up in the morning and
think the future is going to be great — and that’s what being a
spacefaring civilization is all about. It’s about believing in the
future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.
And I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out
there and being among the stars.” existence of inhabitable conditions, recovering samples from
ATI Industrial Automation reached out to NASA’s Jet the planet’s surface, and arguably the most exciting objective
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with an offer to develop a custom of the mission: preparing for human exploration of Mars.
force/torque sensor for Perseverance, the Mars 2020 mission The Perseverance rover is an unmanned robotic vehicle
rover. JPL is the leading U.S. research entity for robotic explo- about the size of a car. During its exploration, it will collect and
ration of the solar system and manages NASA’s Deep Space index small samples of rock and soil from prime locations.
Network, the hardest-working telecommunications system on the Once on board, sample tubes are cached inside the rover for
planet. The Mars 2020 mission is a collaborative effort undertak- eventual return to Earth.
en by NASA, JPL, and other organizations commissioned to It was clear that JPL needed an automated system for col-
develop new technology to explore the surface of Mars. lecting and handling space material as well as moving it
The purpose of this particular mission, part of NASA’s Mars through the indexing process. To accomplish this, engineers
Exploration Program, is to learn about the Red Planet from developed the Adaptive Caching Assembly, an application
firsthand experience. The project has a full agenda that that resembles a pick-and-place operation commonly found
includes searching for signs of ancient microbial life, catego- on a factory floor. Developing the systems and components
rizing the climate and geology of Mars to help determine the that would perform in the mission would be a huge challenge
to overcome.
The Sample Caching Sub-
system consists of the Adap-
tive Caching Assembly, a
large robotic arm with a
drill, and an assortment of
drill bits used to collect
samples from designated
areas on the surface of
Mars. Once collected, a
small robotic arm known as
the Sample Handling Assem-
bly (SHA), inspects and
seals the samples in the
rover’s onboard laboratory.
An ATI Force/Torque
sensor integrated within the
SHA end effector assembly
provides enhanced respon-
siveness. With force sensing
from ATI, the SHA is
equipped to maneuver easi-
ly through the tight work-
space, performing demand-
ing tasks with accuracy.
This subsystem emulates
ATI’s space-rated F/T sensor. automated processes found

Application Briefs
Force/Torque Sensor boasts a new design that provides signal

redundancy and compensates for temperature variation,
ensuring accurate resolution of forces and torques throughout
the mission. This sensor is thermally calibrated and proven to
operate optimally in a spectrum of extreme temperatures. To
develop and test these breakthrough features, the ATI engi-
neering team designed specialized calibration equipment and
conducted 24-hour surveillance of product trials.
Components made of thermally stable, low-outgassing
materials were added to fortify the sensor against the drastic
environmental fluctuations. These materials also prevent
cross-contamination of samples during the mission, which is
one of the most important considerations of the Mars 2020
project.
Beyond space applications, ATI’s Space-Rated Force/
Torque sensor provides active force control for applications
The Adaptive Caching Assembly system layout. where repair opportunities are limited or in situations with
high vacuum or extreme temperature variability. Through the
in the agriculture and manufacturing industries, where robots project, ATI developed new technology that will be a part of
are used to make repetitive operations more precise. ATI’s NASA history and provide robust and reliable force sensing to
Force/Torque sensors are often used with robots in these applications on Earth. The temperature compensation, ther-
types of applications to enable greater process control and mally stable components, and additional signal redundancy
provide process verification such as indicating that a pin is benefit users in industries such as radioactive decommission-
inserted properly into a fixture. For the Mars 2020 mission, ing, oil and gas, metal casting and foundries, and other appli-
the sensors will encounter subzero surface temperatures and cations where conditions dictate continuous use in extreme
rugged terrain. The rover and its subsystems already survived environments.
the initial Atlas 5 rocket launch. After years of development, the highly anticipated Mars
To deliver a robust force sensing solution for Perseverance, 2020 rover is on its way to Mars and is scheduled to arrive on
ATI adapted their Force/Torque sensor technology to offset the Red Planet in February 2021.
the wide range of environmental conditions. The Space-Rated For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-117
JPL scientists inspect the Adaptive Caching Assembly.

New on the
MARKET
Product of the Month
InnoSenT, Donnersdorf, Germany, introduced the IMD-3000 radar system as an alternative to pushbutton switches. The
system enables machines, doors, and other devices to be controlled without contact. It is used as a proximity device to
reduce exposure to pathogens and dirt. The system is not adversely impacted by lighting conditions, extreme temperatures,
or harsh weather conditions and the radar penetrates plastics. The contactless operating principle is based on electromag-
netic microwaves emitted by the system’s radar antenna. If the microwaves hit an object, it reflects the signal. The reflected
wave is received and assessed by the sensor and the radar determines whether there are objects within its detection range.
The system is a direct drop-in replacement for a conventional, mechanical switch and can be connected using an industry-
standard JST plug. It is equipped with intelligent signal processing.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-120
Foam Gasket Tapes High-Temperature Insulation

Stockwell Elastomerics, Philadelphia, PA, Goodfellow, Coraopolis, PA, announced
offers silicone sponge and silicone foam gasket high-density calcium silicate high-tempera-
tape with DP-1001 silicone adhesive backing that ture insulation material with thermal and
withstands outdoor conditions and temperature electrical insulation properties for high-temperature applications. The
extremes. The silicone adhesive contains a poly- material is suited for use in chemical plants and electric power plants,
imide film support layer that provides dimension stability when remov- is stable over a temperature range up to 1000 °C, is machinable to tight
ing the release liner and installing the gasket strips. The tapes can be tolerances using carbide-tipped tooling, and is asbestos-free. The mate-
die cut or water jet cut into custom gaskets. rial is available as machined components as well as sheets and rods.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-104 For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-101
Spring Pin Socket Flowmeter Sensor

The CBT-QFE-3021 stamped spring pin SICK, Bloomington, MN, released the FTMg
socket from Ironwood Electronics, Eagan, multifunctional thermal flowmeter sensor for
MN, is designed for testing a 216 lead Quad the detection of gas flow, temperature, and
flat pack. The contactor has 14-gram actuation process pressure. The three parameters are
force per lead, self-inductance of 0.88 nH, displayed at once when measuring compressed and non-corrosive
insertion loss <1 dB at 31.7 GHz, and capacitance of 0.03 pF. The current gases. Using the calorimetric measuring principle, it is able to monitor
capacity of each contactor is 2.9 amps and socket temperature range is the transformation of heat to determine the flow rate of the gas or air.
-55 to +180 °C. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-102
Data Logger
Data Analytics Software Measurement Computing Corp., Norton, MA,
Proligent™ QuickView data analytics software introduced the WebDAQ 904 standalone, Inter-
from Averna, Montreal, QE, Canada, provides net-enabled universal data logger for remote
access to product and asset performance. Users monitoring and control of multiple signal types.
receive key performance indicators (KPI) regard- It can log four simultaneous analog inputs and
ing their manufacturing status. By monitoring supports voltage, current, RTD, thermocouples, resistance, and bridge-
values such as quality, availability, cycle time, and throughput, opera- based sensors. The device provides WiFi support for wireless operation.
tors, engineers, and management can flag potential issues. It is compat- For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-103
ible with NI TestStand.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-106 Conductive Epoxy
Epoxyset, Woonsocket, RI, offers EPOXIOHM™
Ceramic Tape EO-30M-1, a 1:1 mix, silver-filled, electrically
Cotronics Corp., Brooklyn, NY, offers Ultra- conductive epoxy for substrates including met-
Temp 390PS pressure-sensitive ceramic tape that als, ceramics, glass, and engineered plastics. It
wraps around pipes and equipment for thermal can be cured at room temperature or with mild
and electrical insulation to 2300 °F. It adheres to heat. The creamy paste can be applied in very
metals, ceramic, and glass and is made from small drops as well as larger surfaces. Complete
asbestos-free, aluminum oxide-based, high-purity refractory fibers. The cure can be accomplished in 24 hours at room temperature or gelled
tape is available in 1/8" by 50 feet long and 1/4" by 62.5 feet long sizes. at 65 °C in about 20 minutes.

New on the Market
Wireless Signal Bridge Pressure Controls

Acromag, Wixom, MI, released the Clippard, Cincinnati, OH, offers
Vertu™ VWB2000 signal wire replacement Cordis HP500 pressure controls with
system in a NEMA 4X/IP68 industrial hous- the EV line of electronic valves for lin-
ing. The point-to-point wireless signal ear pressure control within a closed-
bridge takes analog, discrete, or Modbus loop system. The controls use a micro-
signals at one location and reproduces controller, integrated pressure sensor,
them at a second location. The system con- and two EV electronic valves. Features include pressure range of 0 to
sists of two pre-paired transmitter/receiver 500 psig, integrated internal or external sensor feedback, and cus-
units that have a range of 1 mile outside or 500 feet indoors at indus- tomizable pressure ranges and mounting options.
trial environments. This range can be extended using wireless repeater For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-113
units or high-gain directional antennae.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-107 Supercapacitors
Cornell Dubilier, Liberty, SC, offers
Alignment Sensors Illinois Capacitor brand DGH Series
Cognex Corp., Natick, MA, introduced supercapacitors. The series includes 24
the AlignSight Alignment Sensor Series for different value/voltage combinations,
vision-guided motion that is designed for ranging in capacitance from 0.5F
setup of robot pick and place, machine (Farad) to 600F, with voltage ratings
tending, and stage motion alignment. The from 2.7 to 5.5 WVDC. Multiple devices can be banked in parallel or
sensors feature PatMax technology, auto- series for higher voltage or capacitance. Radial, two-pin snap-in, four-
matic hand-eye calibration, graphical setup wizard, and a flexible pin snap-in, and dual pack configurations are available, depending on
robot interface library. Built on the In-Sight smart camera platform, voltage and capacitance combinations.
the sensors enable location and alignment of patterns and fiducials, For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-114
even under adverse conditions or high level of degradation.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-109 Backplanes
Pixus Technologies, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,
Current Sense Transformers released 3U and 6U OpenVPX power and
Würth Elektronik, Waldenburg, Germany, ground backplanes in several configurations.
offers WE-CST EE4.4 series current sense The 1-slot backplanes come in VITA 65 (VPX
transformers with insulation voltage of 750 only), VITA 66.4 (optical), and VITA 67.3 (RF)
VAC for high-frequency applications up to 1 formats. The optical and RF versions feature a
MHz with currents up to 7 A. The SMT- cutout for optional insertion of the aperture
mountable transformers are approved for housing and contacts.
operating temperatures from -40 to +125°C. They are available in four For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-115
different winding ratios from 1:20 to 1:150.
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-110 Micro Coaxial Cable
Times Microwave Systems, Wallingford,
Displacement Measurement CT, introduced PhaseTrack® 047 micro
The Measuring Division of Kaman Pre- coaxial cable designed for DC to 70 GHz
cision Products, Middletown, CT, released the frequency ranges for dense or clustered
DIT-5200L non-contact displacement measur- cable configurations with high flexure
ing system that features sub-nanometer reso- requirements. It uses proprietary TF4®
lution, thermal stability of ±.03 percent, and dielectric material and pairs with popular connector options 2.92 mm,
sensitivity to 10 volts per mil (V/mil), or 39 2.40 mm, SMA, and SMP.
millivolt/per micron (mV/μm). It is available in single- and dual-chan- For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-116
nel configurations with MCX style sensor connections and input/out-
put on a 9-pin mini-D connector. RF Hybrid Couplers
For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-111 Pasternack, an Infinite Electronics
brand, Irvine, CA, offers RF hybrid
Analog Output Module couplers with a high-frequency operat-
The 750-564 analog output module from ing range of up to 40 GHz for wide-
WAGO, Germantown, WI, can be configured to band applications. The coaxial designs
feature either voltage or current outputs. Each feature SMA and 2.92-mm connectors.
channel of the 4-channel module provides diag- The couplers provide power handling
nostics that include wire break, short circuit, and capability of up to 100W (CW) and are
field power supply information. Other features are suited for RF applications that require an even split of input and
less than 3 ms of conversion time, 16-bit resolution, and output ports with 90-degree or 180-degree phase shifts while main-
accuracy of .05% upper range. taining high isolation between the ports.

Power Inverters Strain Gage Sensors
UNIPOWER, Coral Springs, FL, Micro-Measurements®, a Vishay Precision
offers Bravo ECI and TSI power invert- Group, Malvern, PA, offers C4A Series stress
ers that provide a modular and fully analysis strain gage sensors for simulation and
scalable solution using hot-swap invert- analysis used in structure design verification,
er modules at 2.5 kVA 120 VAC or 3 real-time condition monitoring of critical struc-
kVA 230 VAC. They are 2U rackmount tures, and medical applications. The sensors fea-
inverters that can be configured with up to four 2.5 kVA modules total- ture pre-attached leadwires to eliminate solder-
ing 10 kVA in a single 2U shelf. Units can be connected in parallel to ing, strain gage grid protection with polyimide encapsulation, and
increase the overall output of the inverter system. Outputs can be con- direct connection to test instrumentation.
figured to deliver single-, dual-, or three-phase AC power. For Free Info Visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-131
Automated Screwdriver
Night Vision Camera OnRobot, Odense, Denmark, released
Raptor Photonics, Larne, Northern Ire- a smart screwdriver for automating
land, released the Owl 640 N VIS-SWIR assembly processes. Screw length and
camera for imaging in low-light conditions. torque value can be set into the user
Using a 640 ¥ 512 InGaAs sensor that is sta- interface integrated into the teach
bilized to 15 °C, the camera offers a visible pendant of any leading robot. The
response from 0.6 μm to 1.7 μm. It provides screwdriver automatically calculates the speed and force required for
a high intra-scene dynamic range of typically 73 dB, enabling simulta- consistent, accurate screwdriving. Screws are retracted inside the tool
neous capture of bright and dark portions of a scene. It is available and driven automatically once the robot arm moves into position. It
with a 14-bit base Camera Link output and can run at frame rates up handles screw sizes and lengths from M1.6 to M6 and up to 50-mm
to 120 Hz. long.
PRECISION MULTIPHYSICS T56 VIBRATION

ORIFICES & FILTERS MODELING AND ACTIVATED
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FACILITY FOCUS
NASA John C. Stennis Space Center
I n 1961, when President John F. Kennedy issued his chal-
lenge for the United States to send humans to the Moon and
back by the end of that decade, a site was needed to test the
powerful rocket engines and stages that would propel them
on the historic journey. For NASA officials, the rough terrain
of Hancock County, Mississippi provided five essentials for
testing the large Apollo Program engines and stages: isolation
from large population centers, water and road access for
transportation, available public utilities, supporting local com-
munities, and a climate conducive to year-round testing.
The site was selected and in May 1963, workers began the
building project. On April 23, 1966, a Saturn V second-stage
prototype was test-fired on the newly completed A-2 Test
Stand on the site. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
walked on the lunar surface in 1969, safely transported thou-
sands of miles by a space vehicle whose boosters were tested
and proven flight-worthy at Stennis Space Center (SSC).
Until 1972, Stennis test-fired first and second stages of the
Saturn V rockets used in the Apollo Program. All the engines
used to boost the space shuttle into low-Earth orbit were flight-
certified at SSC beginning in 1975 and the same stands were
used to test-fire all first and second stages of the Saturn V in the
Apollo and Skylab programs. Space shuttle main engine test-
ing continued at Stennis for 34 years, from 1975 to 2009.
Stennis now is testing RS-25 rocket engines for the Space
Launch System (SLS) that will carry humans back to the
Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis Program and, ultimately, to
Mars. Stennis also will test the SLS core stage that will fly on
the maiden Artemis I mission next year. Testing will involve
installing the stage on the B-2 Test Stand and firing its four RS-
25 engines simultaneously. At the same time, the center is
partnering with commercial companies to test engines and
components for various commercial and military missions.
Over the years, Stennis has evolved into a multidiscipli-
nary facility comprised of NASA and more than 40 other
resident agencies engaged in space and environmental pro-
grams and the national defense, including the U.S. Navy’s
world-class oceanographic research community.
Crews at Stennis lift and install the first core stage of NASA’s new Space
The center has undergone a number of name changes Launch System (SLS) rocket onto the B-2 Test Stand. A top-to-bottom, inte-
from its original name, Mississippi Test Operations. In May grated series of Green Run tests is being conducted on the stage and its
1988, it was given its current name honoring Senator John sophisticated systems.
C. Stennis for his support of the nation’s space program.
For the first Artemis unmanned mission, Artemis I, the
Back to the Moon — Through Stennis engines have been built and tested, and are ready for attach-
With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman ment to the core stage. After the engines were installed and the
and next man on the Moon by 2024, using innovative tech- core stage was fully assembled, the entire stage was sent to
nologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. Stennis for Green Run testing.
NASA’s powerful new rocket will send humans and cargo to Green Run testing is the first top-to-bottom integrated test-
the Moon and beyond. The Space Launch System is designed ing of the stage’s systems prior to its maiden flight. The testing
to be flexible and evolvable and is the agency’s first deep space is conducted on the B-2 Test Stand at Stennis and takes place
rocket since Saturn V. Every SLS configuration uses the core over several months, culminating with an eight-minute, full-
stage with four RS-25 engines. duration, hot fire of the stage’s four RS-25 engines to generate

The energy harvesting smart sensor is a highly power-conservative mon-
itoring system consisting of a base station and wireless sensor units. The
sensors lay fully unpowered within a dormant state until they receive a
trigger energy, so they consume no stored power.
The Cryogenic Cam Butterfly Valve is designed so that the disc rides on a as a biocide to prevent negative impacts to coolant flow, heat
cam shaft and is held rigid by a torsion spring, which provides both axial transfer, and corrosion, all of which could result in damage to
movement of the disc in addition to the standard 90-degree rotation of
a standard butterfly valve. It enables low leakage at both ambient and the IATCS and adversely affect crew health and safety. A simple
cryogenic temperatures. process to analyze OPA that neither required highly hazardous
chemicals nor involved a hazardous waste stream was devel-
2 million pounds of thrust — what the system will incur during oped.
an actual launch. Floating Piston Valve – This low-maintenance valve consists
NASA completed extensive modifications at Stennis to pre- of a solid piston floating in a medium to control the flow
pare the B-2 stand for the test series. This required upgrades of stream. The piston is designed to be axially and radially bal-
every major system on the stand as well as the high-pressure sys- anced within the flow stream whether the valve is in the open or
tem that provides hundreds of thousands of gallons of water closed position. The only force imparted onto the piston is what
needed during a test. It also involved adding 1 million pounds the operator chooses to input. This eliminates a conventional
of fabricated steel to the Main Propulsion Test Article frame- actuator, valve stem, and stem seals as well as most flow-induced
work that will hold the mounted core stage and extending the thrust forces. Additionally, the valve consists of only five parts
large derrick crane atop the stand that is used to lift the SLS with a few simple seals. It’s used in nominal or extremely high
stage into place. pressures and for the use of soft or hard metal seats in the
Once installed on the stand, operators begin testing each of chemical industry, in storage tanks, and in pharmaceutical man-
the stage’s sophisticated systems. Among other things, they will ufacturing facilities.
power up avionics, conduct main propulsion system and Cryogenic Cam Butterfly Valve – Typical butterfly valves can’t
engine leak checks, and check out the hydraulics system and seal at both ambient and cryogenic temperatures. The inability to
the thrust vector control unit that allows for rotating the do this triggered the design of the Cryogenic Cam Butterfly Valve
engines to direct thrust and “steer” the rocket’s trajectory. (CCBV) in which the disc rides on a cam shaft and is held rigid
by a torsion spring, which provides both axial movement of the
Technologies disc in addition to the standard 90-degree rotation of a standard
SSC engineers invent, design, and test innovative software butterfly valve. Because the valve’s disc can rotate and translate, it
tools, algorithms, and systems that help enable the next gener- can hold a tighter seal, preventing leakage despite dimensional
ation of space exploration. changes caused by changing operating temperatures.
High-Speed, High-Dynamic-Range Video Recording Sys- Advanced Wireless Sensor – This power-conservative moni-
tem – The HiDyRS-X imaging system combines computation- toring system stays fully unpowered in a dormant state until it
al photography and HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging to receives a trigger energy that consumes no stored power. Once
increase a camera’s dynamic range and eliminate saturation. activated, the sensor takes a measurement, transmits the data
“Extreme HDR’’ was enabled by creating a software algorithm with a synchronized time stamp, and then returns to its dormant
for an extreme dynamic range scene that reads, processes, state. The system can be utilized in commercial applications that
decomposes, and reconstructs the video data from the differ- require long-term monitoring of events associated with strain,
ent cameras to develop the extreme HDR video for events like cryogenic temperatures, ambient temperatures, limit switches,
a rocket engine test. milliamp signals, volt signals, and magnetic fields.
Analytical Process for Measurement of O-Phthaladehyde Field-Deployable PiezoElectric Gravimeter (PEG) – Sensors
(OPA) – On the International Space Station (ISS), waste heat and sensing systems are typically designed for specific func-
loads are removed by an Internal Active Thermal Control tions. This can result in a time-consuming and costly cycle of
System (IATCS) that is water-based. OPA is used in the IATCS design, test, and build, since there is no real standard-sensor

Facility Focus
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Joseph Heeg
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characteristics such as resonant frequen- strong at [email protected] or (973) 841-6035
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cy, response, cable status, connectivity, [email protected], phone 228- (973) 841-6040
bonding, and linear range. Sensors can 688-2180, or visit https://technology.ssc. Reprints...........................................................................Jill Kaletha
be tested in a wide frequency range with- nasa.gov/. .................................................................................(219) 878-6068

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Allied Electronics ..........................................Cover 4 ................................................alliedelec.com

Photonics & Imaging Technology
AllMotion, Inc. ..............................................18 ..............................................www.allmotion.com
Aerotech, Inc...............................................11........................................................aerotech.com
ATI Industrial Automation..............................6 ......................................................www.ati-ia.com
Iridian Spectral Technologies, Ltd. ................9 ......................................................www.iridian.ca
AutomationDirect..........................................5 ....................................www.automationdirect.com Master Bond Inc. ................................21................................www.masterbond.com
Bird Precision ................................................51..........................................www.birdprecision.com Opal Kelly ..................................................7 ................................................www.opalkelly.com
Broadcom..............................................17 ..............................................broadcom.com Penn Optical Coatings ................................Cover 4 ........................................www.pennoc.com
Photron USA, Inc.........................................Cover 2........................................www.photron.com

COMSOL, Inc. ......................................9, 51, Cover 3 ................................comsol.com
Spectrogon US Inc.......................................17 ..........................................www.spectrogon.com
Dataforth Corporation ..................................37 ........................................................dataforth.com
ENM Company ............................................51 ............................................................enmco.com

Sensor Technology
Kaman Precision Products ............................13 ................................................kamansensors.com ATI Industrial Automation............................2......................................................www.ati-ia.com
Keystone Electronics Corp. ............................23..................................................www.keyelco.com Kaman Precision Products............................31, Cover 4 ........................www.kamansensors.com
Keller America Inc. ......................................1, 32 ............................................kelleramerica.com

L-com ..........................................................3................................................................l-com.com
Massa Products Corp...................................17, 36............................................www.massa.com

Master Bond Inc. ..................................37, 51 ..........................www.masterbond.com
Master Bond Inc. ................................25................................www.masterbond.com
Mini-Systems, Inc. ........................................11 ..............................................mini-systemsinc.com
Micro-Epsilon..............................................Cover 2, 33 ........................www.micro-epsilon.com
Novotechnik U.S., Inc. ..................................33 ..........................................www.novotechnik.com

OFS ............................................................15, 36........................................www.ofsoptics.com
Opal Kelly ....................................................21................................................www.opalkelly.com PCB Piezotronics, Inc. ..................................7, 37..................................................www.pcb.com
Photofabrication Engineering Inc. - PEI ..........1 ..............................................photofabrication.com RDP Electrosense ........................................23 ....................................................www.rdpe.com
Pickering Electronics......................................25..................................................pickeringrelay.com Renishaw Inc. ............................................3, 34..........................................www.renishaw.com
Tadiran Batteries..........................................5, 35........................................www.tadiranbat.com

Pickering Interfaces ......................................Cover 2............................................pickeringtest.com
Technologic Systems ..........................23 ..........................www.embeddedARM.com
Precision Filters, Inc.......................................51......................................................www.pfinc.com
Supplement to Tech Briefs: 2, 3

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Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring
successfully commercialized NASA technology. This
commercialization has contributed to the development
SPINOFF
of products and services in the fields of health and
medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety,
computer technology, and environmental resources.
Printed Polymer Makes Integrated Airplane Parts

NASA testing helps manufacturers ensure safety and reliability of airplane parts.
S pacecraft fuel tanks have always been

round because they need to hold as
much fuel as possible under as much
The division at OPM has since been
sold to Stamford, CT-based Hexcel
Corporation. The printed material per-
pressure as possible with a minimum of formed extremely well: among other
material, and the best shape to balance results, it showed almost no outgassing
those factors in pressure vessels is a cylin- and was resistant to deterioration from
der. But even though round containers radiation, which made it a good material
are stronger than square ones, which for space. It’s also a 600-degree melt
have weaknesses at their corners and plastic, which means it is able to with-
edges, they’re still a less efficient use of stand temperatures from 300 °F below
space. What if you could build a cube zero to 300 °F above, and in a fire, it is
that could maintain the same pressure as In 2019, NASA engineers test-fired a 3D-print- flame-retardant with very low smoke
ed rocket engine combustion chamber. NASA
the cylinder, without adding much mass? has been exploring the use of 3D printing for a generation and toxicity.
Ted Swanson, a retired NASA God- variety of spacecraft applications. Although the printed parts are not
dard Space Flight Center senior technol- quite as strong or durable as ones
ogist, explained that it can be done with that it’s manufactured in a reproducible machined from a solid using traditional
3D printing. “You can maintain the pres- and predictable fashion.” manufacturing, the results are very close
sure by building internal struts and it’s Varholak teamed up with Northrop and the benefits of 3D printing outweigh
all built at once so there’s no welds.” Grumman, which was already working the difference for many applications.
And there is another benefit to 3D on adding PEKK to the materials it uses The comprehensive test results en-
printing: portability. “When we’re up in for printing airplane parts. This led to abled the company to demonstrate to
space, we don’t want to carry a store- Northrop Grumman’s current formula- customers they could have confidence in
house of stuff. We’d like to be able to tion of PEKK mixed with discontinuous the reliability and properties of the final
make anything we want.” But getting to carbon fibers that help dissipate electro- product. Said Varholak, “We won a
that point will take some work. Com- static charge. Northrop Grumman pro- major contract from Boeing to build
pared to traditional manufacturing, posed research and testing of printed parts for the Starliner,” a new commer-
much less is known about the materials, PEKK, with the material supplied by cial crew spacecraft. Henkel built 600
vendors, equipment, and potential pit- OPM and another company to America parts for that spacecraft including
falls of the process. Makes. The proposal included testing important structural elements such as
NASA isn’t the only federal agency for some 3,000 data points; of those, brackets to hold fuel lines, as well as
looking at 3D printing. The Air Force is nearly 1,000 were suggested by NASA to components of the life support systems
interested in having a reliable source of qualify the material for space including inside the crew capsule.
spare parts in remote locations without cryogenic tests. Northrop Grumman, with Hexcel as a
waiting for them to be flown in. Rec- key supplier, has also been using the
ognizing that widespread interest, in PEKK-carbon fiber composite for parts
2012, the Obama administration estab- for ground systems and then expanded
lished a public-private partnership called to parts for military aircraft. The compa-
America Makes to advance research in ny is also developing it for space applica-
and applications for additive manufactur- tions. Commercial aircraft will be next,
ing — NASA was an original partner. with Hexcel already currently qualifying
At a kickoff event for America Makes, its proprietary HexPEKK powder or
Swanson met Larry Varholak, then head alloy and the associated proprietary
of Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) HexAM part fabrication process for
Aerospace and Industrial, who was inter- commercial airliners. The process will
ested in a thermoplastic called polyether- replace existing parts or combine multi-
ketoneketone (or PEKK) for 3D printing. ple processes into a single part. Because
Swanson immediately thought the mate- Another benefit of additive manufacturing is the material is safe in a fire, it could be
rial could be great for space “because it’s that it allows engineers to combine parts used inside the cabin of commercial air-
a very high-grade polymer. It can be used together into a single component rather than craft to protect passengers.
joining multiple pieces. Hexcel Corporation
for selective applications — if we know its printed this piece using the NASA-tested PEKK Visit https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2020/
printed properties and we can be assured material and was to be used for ducting. ip_4.html.

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September 2020
Signal-to-Noise
Ratio (SNR) in
Hyperspectral Imagers
Measuring Surface
Roughness with an
Atomic Force Microscope
Camera Trends – Where We
Are Now and What to Expect
Supplement to Tech Briefs in the Near Future
CONTENTS
FEATURES 17 Markerless Motion Capture Technology Could Help
Skeleton Athletes’ Training
1 Camera Trends - Where We Are Now and What to 18 T-Ray Camera Speed Boosted a Hundred Times Over
Expect in the Near Future
4 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in Hyperspectral Imagers
DEPARTMENTS
APPLICATION BRIEFS
20 New Products
8 USB and GigE Connectivity for Modern Machine Vision
11 Measuring Surface Roughness with an Atomic Force
Microscope ON THE COVER
An overhead view of the colorful Grand Prismatic Spring
in Yellowstone National Park illustrates how hyperspectral
TECH BRIEFS imaging can be used for environmental monitoring.
While a regular camera records three spectral channels in
15 Geoscientists Create Deeper Look at Processes Below every pixel (red, green, and blue), hyperspectral imagers
Earth’s Surface with 3D Images have the ability to record hundreds of spectral channels,
making it easier to distinguish between similarly colored
16 Spider Silk Can Create Lenses Useful for Biological materials. Getting good results, however, depends on
Imaging managing the signal-to-noise ratio. To learn more, read
the feature article that begins on page 4.
16 Leap in Lidar Could Improve Safety and Security of New
(Image courtesy of Resonon, Inc.)
Technology
II Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-701 Photonics & Imaging Technology, September 2020

Camera Trends
Where We Are Now and
What to Expect in the Near Future
The Covid crisis is propelling the camera industry
toward disruptive transformation.
“G
enerally speaking, there are two circuit television cameras, and machine Sony’s RX100 has energized the mar-
major shifts that can occur with vision cameras.) ket for compact cameras — a niche that
sensors, and therefore, camera “On the whole,” Sam Sadoulet, struggles to survive among smartphones
design,” Trisha Hensley, executive assis- President and Chief Operating Officer and mirrorless or DSLR cameras. The
tant at Edmund Optics told me. “Pixels at Edmund Optics said, “the quality and RX100 crams 20.2 megapixels on a one-
get smaller or sensors get larger. We performance of the lens within these sys- inch-type sensor, producing exceptional
then tend to see this cycle repeat, as tems will become even more important quality images for its compact size.
both of these changes improve camera than it is now.” Other compact point-and-shoot cam-
resolution in their own ways.” eras like Canon’s PowerShot G-series, with
Right now, sensors are getting larger, Sensors Evolve to Meet its 1.5-inch, 14.3-megapixel High-Sensi-
delighting photographers with their Expanding Machine Vision Needs tivity Canon CMOS sensor — six times
ability to gain more information, Over the last 12 – 18 months, products bigger than those in previous G-series
exclude noise, and import more light from digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) models, and Fujifilm’s X100, with its large
than their smaller-sensored forebears. cameras to smartphones pushed the APS-C sensor and precisely matched
Sensor development affects lens man- standard pixel range to a maximum of 5 prime lens, give the cameras more ISO
ufacturing, since larger sensors need μm to 9 μm and beyond — generally sensitivity and sharper images. Of its
larger lenses. According to Hensley, capping at 20 μm. X100, Fujifilm says that “The combination
“While C-mount lenses are still quite rel- In the smartphone market, Nokia of a hybrid viewfinder, large APS-C sensor
evant and ubiquitous in machine vision, leads the way with its 808 PureView, and a precisely matched prime lens,
we are starting to see newer sensors push which packs a 41-megapixel image sen- makes this camera unique compared to
these lenses beyond their physical lim- sor. The 808 condenses seven pixels into anything else in the market.”
its.” (C-mount lenses are commonly one, magnifying photographs and mak- Larger sensors mean more expensive
found on 16 mm movie cameras, closed- ing them sharper. devices, so DSLR cameras, like the
Photonics & Imaging Technology, September 2020 1

Camera Trends
Covid’s Impact on the Camera

Industry
“I think that overall, COVID-19 hasn’t
done much to halt the progress or signif-
icantly alter the trajectory of the trends
and where designs are headed,”
Sadoulet told me, “it has merely slowed
it down, especially in Europe and the
Americas.”
“That’s because,” he added, “many of
the ways that imaging shapes the future
are forward-looking, long-term projects,
so the pandemic has not significantly
derailed them.”
In other words, since the camera indus-
try is driven by sensor trends whose
impact stretches into the future, the
industry remains scarcely affected by the
relatively short COVID situation.
All the same, the camera industry
suffered. Major trade shows, like NAB,
Figure 1. Using the rear LCD screen to compose and take a landscape photo with a compact digital were cancelled. New products were
camera. (credit: RTimages/Shutterstock) delayed as factories and businesses
closed. All major camera companies
Nikon D600 and Canon EOS 6D com- but also expands pixel size from the stan- transferred their work off-base. Sony
pete by making big sensor shooting dard 0.8 μm of competitors to 1.2 μm. had to close some manufacturing
affordable. Sony revolutionized the industry with plants in Malaysia; Nikon delayed its
its IMX990 and IMX991 SWIR sensors. anticipated D6 DSLR; Ricoh and Canon
Three of the Most Innovative Specifically, Sony’s new image sensors suspended the operation of some of
Image Sensors are Toshiba, can sense short-wavelength infrared their production lines in Japan; Sigma
Samsung Zero and Sony (SWIR) light as well as visible light. This closed its U.S. offices; and Fujifilm’s
As Quenton Hall, AI Systems makes these sensors particularly valu- popular X-T30 and X-T3 models
Architect of Xilinx, told participants at able for deep learning and artificial stalled, while its new X-T4 was being
the May 2020 AIA Vision Week confer- intelligence tasks, where the cameras held in limbo.
ence for machine vision education, one can pick up almost invisible defects in All camera companies are operating
of the biggest concerns is the amount manufacturing parts that standard sen- at reduced capacity and since most com-
of energy that sensors consume. sors overlook. panies source their manufacturing from
“Currently, there are tens of millions of “This is the biggest technology leap
IP cameras that are installed worldwide I’ve seen in sensors in recent history,”
annually. Not all are connected to the Steve Kinney, Director of Engineering
internet, but if you approximate [even a at Smart Vision Lights, told me,
fraction of this] they consume a huge “In the near term, these SWIR
amount of internet bandwidth, estimat- sensors will rapidly change the
ed by Cisco to increase by 2021 to game for machine vision-based
approximately 3.4 percent of all internet applications that would benefit
traffic.” Hall continued: “We need to from SWIR imaging. These
find a way to squeeze these powerful include medical research, materials
algorithms into low-power, low-cost research, and material handling
devices… We need to batch images for applications, some of which might be
peak efficiency to reduce memory churn driven by the COVID crisis.”
and pipeline stall.” “For example,” he added, “SWIR
Toshiba’s TCD1105GFG and imaging can allow materials, like certain
TCD1106GFG sensors, with their maxi- adhesives, to be seen through other
mum data rate of 25 MHz and single 3.3 materials. Some areas like personal pro- Figure 2. The
S75-SCB-SWIR
V power supply, are energy-efficient, tective equipment (PPE) are manufac- (shortwave infrared) wavelength
with unprecedented high-speed per- tured with a high-speed web process, version of the Smart Color Box is
formance. where multiple thin layers are bonded an important tool for testing different
SWIR wavelength options that work best on a
In the smartphone camera industry, or edge-glued together. The benefits of vision application. For field testing on a vision
Samsung’s 50MP ISOCELL GN1 sensor SWIR imaging afforded by the new Sony application or use in a vision lab, operators push
produces high-quality images in low-light IMX 990/991 sensors may greatly help buttons on the back of the light to choose
between six different SWIR wavelengths, includ-
conditions through an innovative method this production as the demand for PPE ing: 940 nm, 1050 nm, 1200 nm, 1300 nm, 1450
that not only isolates pixels for more light rapidly increases due to COVID.” nm, and 1550 nm. (Photo courtesy of AIA)
2 Photonics & Imaging Technology, September 2020

Figure 3.
In a world
wracked by a
pandemic, factories
will increasingly rely
on automation and
imaging to help
manufacture and
inspect products
to enable an
undisrupted supply
chain. (Photo
courtesy of AIA)
China or Japan, they’re also held back that are able to handle higher volumes the floor. In that way, we’re moving to
by supply constraints. However, contrary of goods, while simultaneously keeping the Factory of the Future — doing
to manufacturers’ expectations, none of their employees safe,” Sadoulet told me. things like in retail and in telemedicine
that has affected sales trends. Companies like Instrumental innovat- — where these industries achieve years
In fact, there has been an uptick in ed smart camera devices that could dis- of progress through digitization in just a
sales of hyperspectral, multispectral, cover and fix production issues remotely. matter of weeks.”
and automated high magnification Engineering, quality, and operations
inspection systems, needed to check leaders use these mobile devices to review Where is the Camera Industry
the quality of Personal Protective how their products are being assembled, Headed?
Equipment (PPE) like surgical masks, find errors, and make changes. “With vision and imaging pushing
gloves, and gowns. “Devices such as these replace face-to- into more and more markets, such as
“In my opinion,” Kinney told me, “sales face factory floor interaction with real autonomous systems,” Hensley said, “I
of multispectral and hyperspectral cam- time digital surveillance. And so now would expect to see more multi- and
eras are dwarfed by the large uptick in you’re seeing a big uptick in produc- hyperspectral cameras getting devel-
standard camera equipment that is indi- tion,” Danzinger said. “So instead of hav- oped, as well as seeing another round of
rectly attributed to COVID due to their ing folks on the ground, they can get all pixels getting smaller. All of these new
use in logistics systems for automated dis- this data uploaded to the cloud and requirements will put additional stress
tribution systems and smart warehouses.” automatically see where they are having on the optics within these next genera-
Eric Danzinger, CEO of Invisible AI, problems or where a part may have tion systems, and the quality and per-
told participants at the AIA Vision Week failed. So being able to capture video formance of the lens within these sys-
conference: “Our world’s changed dra- and catalogue it — not just by time but tems will become even more important
matically. Our operating environment is also by part or member — provides a than it is even now.”
different. We can’t rely on face-to-face huge advantage.” Those long-term projects for a post-
interactions to solve problems on the “Cameras,” he continued, “help us get Covid world, will be possible because the
factory floor. We can’t meet in person. data from every single machine… gener- camera industry is using its current chal-
We can’t look over someone’s shoulder ate data from the actions of employees… lenges for disruptive transformation.
to supervise their work. This creates a lot make this living digital copy of our facil- This article was written by Leah Zitter, PhD.
of stress.” ity that allows us to see problems for the Association for Advancing Automation
On the other hand, the Covid crisis throughout time and to simulate (Ann Arbor, MI). For more information, con-
creates opportunity. “Imaging technolo- improvements, all without having to do tact Dr. Zitter at [email protected] or visit
gy helps us have automated warehouses manual time studies or constantly walk http://info.hotims.com/76507-221.

Signal-to-Noise
Ratio (SNR)
in Hyperspectral Imagers
he Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is
T a well-known and readily under-

stood metric for data quality.
Stated simply, SNR is the magni-
tude of the signal divided by the magni-
tude of the noise in the signal. The SNR
0.35
0.30
can be determined by taking multiple
identical measurements, and then dividing
Radiance [W/m2 nm sr)]
0.25
the mean value of these measurements,
Μ(λ), by the standard deviation, σ(λ):
0.20
( )=
Here the SNR is written as a function 0.15

of the wavelength because it almost
always varies from spectral channel to
spectral channel. In practice, one rarely 0.10
records multiple identical measurements
to determine the SNR. Moreover, the
SNR is dependent on several factors that 0.05
may vary between scenes and deploy-
ments. Therefore, it is useful to under-
stand the factors that impact the SNR and 0.00
how one might optimize performance. 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400
The Signal Wavelength (nm)

The signal collected by a hyperspec- Figure 1. Signal from a Lambertian object of perfect reflectivity when illuminated by the sun in typical
tral imager, σ(λ), in units of Joules, col- atmospheric conditions. Visible wavelengths are indicated in blue

lected by each detector element (spatial,
spectral channel), is calculated to a
good approximation using the formula: 1.0
0.9
Detector
For optimal performance, the signal is 0.8 Grating
near detector saturation. Therefore, it is
worthwhile discussing each factor in this 0.7
equation to understand how to obtain
Efficiency
large signals and to understand the 0.6
tradeoffs.
L( )is the at-sensor spectral radi- 0.5
ance at wavelength in units of W/(m2
sr nm). In layman’s terms, this tells 0.4
you the brightness of the light coming
into the imager, usually from the 0.3
object of interest. Thus, the informa-
tion of interest is in this term. You can 0.2
increase your Signal (and thus your SNR)
with brighter illumination. Generally, the 0.1
illumination changes with wavelength.
For example, the signal from a 0.0
Lambertian object with perfect reflec- 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
tivity when illuminated by the sun in
Wavelength (nm)
typical atmospheric conditions is
shown in Figure 1. Note that illumina-
tion becomes weaker at both short Figure 2. Diffraction Grating and Detector efficiency as a function of wavelength for the Pika L
(~400 nm) and long wavelengths, and
thus the signal (and SNR) typically instrument design, and therefore not the scope of this document. Fortunately,
degrade at short and long wave- adjustable for most users. In many cases, an abbreviated treatment is sufficient for
lengths. The visible wavelength range the optical bandwidth is narrower than most purposes, although some discus-
is approximately 400-700 nm. needed, in which case it may make sense sion is useful.
AD is the detector area in m2. This is to bin spectral channels, as discussed For the purposes of this discussion we
the area for a channel, often the pixel below. Novel instrument designs can also assume:
area on the camera. Large pixel-area be employed to adjust the bandwidth*. • The detectors are “photon detectors.”
increases your signal, and pixel-binning t is the integration time (shutter) in This includes conventional silicon
effectively increases the pixel-area. seconds. This is one of the easiest CCD and CMOS cameras, InGaAs cam-
Because it is complicated and expensive parameters to adjust. The MAXIMUM eras for the 900-1,700 nm range, and
to integrate new cameras into a hyper- integration time is 1/(frame rate). Thus, longer-wavelength cameras that use
spectral imager, this is usually not a to increase signal (and SNR), one may: MCT and InSb. It does NOT include,
parameter you adjust. (1) decrease your frame rate and (2) for example, micro-bolometers. This
() is the optical system efficiency then increase your shutter. A disadvan- assumption means shot-noise is impor-
which includes optical throughput of tage of long integration times is slow tant (and often dominant), as dis-
the lenses, the diffraction grating effi- frame-rates. cussed below.
ciency, and the detector quantum effi- (f/#) is the imaging lens f-number, • The various noise sources are uncorre-
ciency. The grating and detector effi- which is a measure of the instrument’s lated within a pixel and from pixel to
ciencies usually change significantly with aperture. For maximum signal (and pixel. For example, dark current noise
wavelength and thus impact the wave- best SNR), one should set the f/# on does not correlate with read noise
length dependence of the SNR. The the objective lens to the f/# of the within a pixel, and the dark current
overall efficiency is a product of the effi- instrument. (Alternatively, a higher f/# noise in one pixel is independent of
ciencies listed above. Changing the effi- setting on your objective lens will pro- the dark current noise in any other
ciency requires changing components to vide a deeper depth of field.) Setting pixel.
the hyperspectral imager, which is not the objective f/# to a lower value than Uncorrelated noise sources do not
practical for most users. the instrument can lead to excess stray add linearly. That is, for a given meas-
is the optical bandwidth spread out light, which will degrade the results. urement one noise source may be large,
across the detector area (pixel). This is The Noise. There are many sources of another may be small or even negative.
another parameter determined by the noise, and a detailed treatment is beyond Taken together, the total mean noise,

Test & Measurement
so the maximum output corresponds

300
to the full well, such as when a camera
is in a “high gain” mode.
Other noise sources exist, but often
250
the ones listed above are sufficient to
accurately determine the SNR. Thermal
noise becomes significant at the longer
200
wavelengths in the SWIR and for wave-
lengths longer than the SWIR.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

SNR
150
Measured Using the noise sources discussed
Model above, the signal-to- noise ratio as a func-
100 tion of wavelength, SNR(), is calculated
using the following equation:
50
where Nread is the read noise and all

0 other parameters have been defined
400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 above. Before comparing this model to
Wavelength nm measured SNR, we consider some spe-
cial cases.
Shot-Noise Limit: Because the shot-
Figure 3. Measured and modeled SNR for the Pika XC2. (Image courtesy of David Allen, NIST) noise increases with signal, it becomes
the dominant noise source in cases
NT, from multiple uncorrelated noise is the integration time. One should where one has a large signal. In this situ-
sources is given by subtract the dark current from the ation, the SNR is well-approximated by
recorded signal – this is not noise, just
background that can be removed. The
where Nx is the value of a particular dark current noise is the variance in which is the square root of the number
noise source in units of electrons. the dark current. Much like shot- of electrons collected by the sensor.
From a practical point of view, this noise, the dark current noise is equal Since, the largest signal that can be col-
characteristic simplifies noise modeling to the square root of the dark current lected by a pixel in units of electrons is
because one need only identify the contribution, . the full-well depth, one finds that the
largest few noise sources to adequately Read Noise: This noise source is typi- maximum possible SNR is approximately
approximate the total noise. This can be cally provided by camera vendors and . This is why optimal per-
understood by considering the total is a single contribution to the noise formance is achieved by operating close
noise from two noise sources, of which associated with every electronic read of to detector saturation.
the second is 30% as large as the first. the pixel. For silicon cameras, pixel full-well
Here, . Thus, Digitization (or Quantization) Noise: depths are typically a few tens-of-thou-
one sees that the total noise is only slight- Most cameras used with hyperspectral sands, which means the highest possi-
ly larger than the largest noise source. imagers provide a digital output, usually ble SNRs for a single pixel are in the
between 8 and 16 bits. Because there are low hundreds. InGaAs and MCT cam-
Noise Sources a range of signal inputs associated with eras often have full-well depths of
Shot Noise: Shot-noise arises due to each digitization value, uncertainty is around one-million electrons, result-
variance in the signal itself and is equal introduced by the digitization process ing in maximum SNRs of around one-
to the square root of the number of elec- that leads to this noise source. thousand.
trons collected by the detector. The sig- Digitization noise, NDig, is given approx- Binning: The spectral resolution of
nal collected by a hyperspectral imager imately by hyperspectral imagers is often better
in units of electrons is given by ()hc– , than required, but the SNR may well be
which is the signal collected in units of lacking. Therefore, it is often advanta-
energy divided by the amount of energy where (Full Well) is the well depth of geous to bin channels to improve the
per photon. Here h is Plank’s constant the detector in electrons (this assumes SNR. However, care must be exercised
and c is the speed of light. the analog to digital converter is adjust- to take full advantage of binning.
Dark Current Noise: The dark current ed so its maximum output corresponds In principle, the SNR achieved by bin-
is often provided by the detector ven- to the full well depth), and B is the ning to BN channels is given by:
dor. It contributes to the signal number of bits. Stated another way,
desired by an amount equal to the this is the number of electrons associat-
dark current times the integration ed with each digitization step divided
time, (iDark)t, where iDark is the dark by the square root of twelve. Warning: where BN is the number of channels
current in units of electrons/s and t The digitization circuits may not be set binned and BN is the wavelength label

for the binned channels, typically the variable quantity, the result exhibits indicating SNR performance can be reli-
central wavelength of the binned spec- fluctuations. Second, one notes the ably modeled for real-world applications.
tral range. All noise sources are assumed model results match the measured val- This article was written by Rand Swanson,
to be uncorrelated and all channels ues fairly well. President, Resonon, Inc., (Bozeman, MT).
(pixels) are assumed to have identical For more information, visit http://info.
noise properties. For wavelength chan- Summary hotims.com/76507-223.
nels that are sufficiently close in wave- A model for the SNR for hyperspectral * Rand Swanson, William S. Kirk, Guy C.
length, one would expect their values to imagers has been discussed. This model Dodge, Michael Kehoe, and Casey Smith
be approximately the same. Conse- illustrates what quantities are important "Anamorphic imaging spectrometers", Proc.
quently, to achieving a large SNR as well as possi- SPIE 10980, Image Sensing Technologies:
Materials, Devices, Systems, and App -
ble pitfalls. A comparison of the model lications VI, 1098005 (13 May 2019);
and measured results is quite reasonable, https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2515641
With this approximation,
Thus, the SNR increases by approxi-

mately the square root of the number of
bins, as one would expect. The maximum
SNR with binning occurs when operating
near saturation, and is on the order of
Binning Warning: It appears some cam-

eras that provide “on chip” binning,
bin the electrons before the analog to
digital converter, but do not change
the saturation level for the analog to
digital converter. Consequently, the
effective full well per pixel actually
decreases by a factor of the bin num-
ber, BN. In this circumstance, the max-
imum possible SNR is not improved by
binning, although actual SNR may be
improved when operating well below
saturation.
SNR: Measurements and Model

The experimental SNR was deter-
mined by recording multiple measure-
ments of a calibrated integrating sphere
with a Pika XC2 imaging spectrometer
from Resonon. Using a central spatial
channel, the mean value and standard
deviation were determined for each
spectral band. The SNR for each band
was then calculated by dividing the
mean by the standard deviation.
The SNR was modeled using the
approach described above, with the inte-
gration time adjusted to match the set-
ting used for the measurements and
using the known radiance values from
the integrating sphere. Plots of the SNR,
measured and modeled, are shown in
Figure 3.
Perhaps the first thing one notices is
that the measured SNR exhibits consid-
erable fluctuation. This is not surpris-
ing, as the noise is variable and relative-
ly small; therefore when one divides a
relatively large signal value by a small,
Photonics & Imaging Technology, September 2020 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-702 7

USB and GigE Connectivity for Modern Machine Vision
ver the decades, machine vision has
O adopted a number of industry stan-
dards from the more traditional Camera
Machine Vision System Parameters Description
Link standard that involves the use of Working Distance Space between the lens and desired object
frame grabbers to the more mainstream
USB 3.0 standard. To keep up with Field of View (FOV) Total area camera must cover in a single frame
changing camera, processing, and inte-
gration technologies, the machine vision
The range of magnification to or away from a subject while
standards are consistently evolving, with Depth of Field remaining in good focus
each protocol serving various industrial
niches. This article will discuss in detail Exposure Time Window of time the object of interest is in the FOV
the merits of the USB3 and GigE vision
standards, how they keep pace with Image Resolution Number of pixels necessary for adequate image capture
imaging technologies, and how aug-
menting the cabling is critical for opti- Table 1. Various parameters for a machine vision system.
mal performance.
Maximum
Fundamental Machine Vision Power + Data Passive Cable
Interface Cable Type Peak Data Rate Power Over Cable
Considerations Length
From defect detection to optical char-
acter recognition/verification (OCR/ USB3 USB 3.0 350 MB/s 4.5 W Yes 5m
OCV), the choice of equipment and
interface for a machine vision system
100 m
relies on an array of parameters includ- GigE CAT5e, CAT6, DAC, Fiber 125 MB/s 15.4 W Yes (PoE)
ing the field of view (FOV), working dis-
tance, depth of field, image resolution, Table 2. USB3 and GigE vision comparison.
and exposure time (Table 1). All of
these vary based upon the given Choosing the Machine Vision commonly used commercial interfaces
machine vision application. For Standard for machine vision applications. This
instance, defect detection will typically The choice of camera bus depends allows for cost-effective commercial off-
require a much smaller region of inter- upon the fundamental considerations the-shelf (COTS) equipment that can be
est than feature differentiation. The listed in Table 1 as well as the installation upgraded over time as Ethernet ad-
FOV and working distance for an imag- considerations for a specific machine vances. For instance, the adoption of 10
ing system attached to a robotic arm will vision application. Speed and bandwidth gigabit Ethernet (10GigE) allows for the
be quite different from an in-line inspec- are two major considerations for utilization of the established Ethernet
tion configuration, so the respective machine vision applications. For in- infrastructure with switches, cabling,
optics, lighting technique, lens-camera stance, a high-speed web inspection with SFP+ transceiver modules, and their
combination, and interface would also part rates on the order of 400 parts per respective optics. Moreover, GigE vision
differ. minute (PPM) would typically require can transmit both power and data over
The shorter the exposure time for the advanced line-scan cameras with a high the same cable with power over Ethernet
camera, the faster the machine vision resolution and higher processing speeds. (PoE). Current GigE machine vision sys-
system would have to be in order to send It would also require a machine vision tems often have a 1 Gbps bandwidth, but
the received image data to the frame interface that minimizes the CPU usage this is quickly expanding to 5 Gbps- and
grabber, PC, or embedded processor. with high system synchronization to con- 10 Gbps-enabled equipment for higher
Lack of complexity in image data can trol peripheral functions such as lighting resolution cameras.
translate to faster processing, while or reject gates. A high bandwidth applica- The USB3 vision standard is built on
more complex data would require slow- tion such as PCB inspection would the common commercial USB 3.0 speci-
er processing speeds. However, process- require powerful high-resolution cam- fication with the augmentation of cus-
ing capabilities have evolved that do not eras as well as a topology that mitigates tom transport layers to better fit
require an investment in more expen- the intensive CPU processing that would machine vision applications. This is
sive equipment. This is especially true occur during data transfer. largely the go-to standard for machine
with the Automated Imaging Association vision because of its higher bandwidth
(AIA) GigE and USB 3.0/3.1 standards Plug-and-Play Vision Standards: and relatively lower CPU usage as com-
that have tailored popular commercial USB3 and GigE Vision pared to the other “plug-and-play” stan-
interfaces to better fit machine vision Released in 2006, the GigE vision standard, GigE vision (Table 2). Future iter-
applications. dard started the trend of introducing ations of USB3 vision include USB 3.1

generation 2, where the 400 Mbps data Through Linux kernel modifications, on the exposure, or amount of available
rate is more than doubled to 900 Mbps many vendor implementations of USB3 light. Multispectral cameras offer anoth-
with a power delivery up to 100 watts vision minimize CPU load through zero- er level of visual detection by including
over the USB cable — making this stan- copy image transfers, where image data red, green, blue — and in some cases
dard comparable with higher speed is sent directly into host memory without infrared (IR) — wavelengths. Hype-
vision standards such as CoaXPress with- CPU usage, or through on-camera rspectral imaging (HSI) divides an
out the need for external power for the image preprocessing where resources image into many more bands within the
camera equipment. are saved for the actual image process- electromagnetic spectrum (up to 300
USB3 and GigE vision have the major ing — an option found in both GigE and spectral channels).
benefits of plug-and-play capability with USB3 cameras. The flexibility and ven- Polarization data can provide addi-
software that can readily detect the cam- dor diversity within these standards tional insight into the surface of an
era on a number of host PCs. This differs enable them to scale with advancements object and is particularly desirable in
from more custom interfaces that in machine vision. cases where the object under analysis
require the use of a frame grabber such is a single color. Moreover, on-chip
as Camera Link. The lack of a frame Machine Vision Trends polarization can reveal much more
grabber reduces system costs drastically Optics and Peripherals detail on required information for a
since a standard API or GUI can be used Like any electromagnetic wave, light machine vision application. This can
on a PC or laptop. data includes amplitude (intensity/ vary from material classification,
The downside of this is the larger over- brightness), wavelength (color), and imperfection (scratch, particle, etc.)
all CPU usage and I/O synchronization polarization (contrast). Optical metrolo- detection, to shape recognition. Visual
for a high-speed application, since the gy has evolved mostly in the spectral inspection, however, can only typically
bulk of the image processing is now shift- domain from grey level cameras to RGB reveal a limited amount of informa-
ed to the host PC. There are, however, color (multispectral) cameras, and final- tion regarding the state of an object,
workarounds such as external trigger tim- ly, multispectral and hyperspectral imag- even in color. And using color for visu-
ing controllers as well as complex cameras ing systems for subsurface defect detec- al inspection tends to add expense
with custom triggering capabilities such as tion. Monochrome cameras often have a while reducing resolution. For this rea-
pulse generation, I/O interactions, and single sensor to determine grayscale val- son, monochrome cameras are used
advanced synchronization options. ues for each pixel on the sensor, based most often, along with polarization
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This requires the use of a technology
that is both scalable and easily up-
gradeable over time. Using out-of-date
or legacy systems runs the risk of need-
ing an entire redesign, and therefore
significant upfront investment, in
order to keep pace with advancements
in technology.
In terms of improving flexibility,
scalability, transmission speeds, cost-
effectiveness, and upgradeability, the
USB3 and GigE machine vision stan-
dards rank fairly high. Naturally, there
is no one-size-fits-all solution for any
given industrial vision application.
However, it is important to note that,
in addition to the need for adjust-
ments in the protocols for each of
these standards to better fit machine
vision scenarios, the physical cabling
must also be robust enough to endure
the environmental, mechanical, and
electrical strains that they may under-
go in an industrial setting.
Figure 1. Metalized GigE RJ45 assembly with lock-down machine vision screws.
Strengthening Ethernet and USB
Cables for Industrial Applications
Ethernet cable and connector heads
must undergo augmentations in order
to provide the best service for industrial
applications. This is especially true with
the advent of industrial Ethernet (IE),
which is the most popular industrial
communication standard to date, over-
taking fieldbus technology.
Where the typical Ethernet cable
comes equipped with a RJ45 connector
head and a PVC cable jacket, it would
need a much sturdier jacketing material
with an M12, or screw-down RJ45 con-
nector head (Figure 1). Although RJ45
connectors are sufficient in forming an
electrical connection with a simple
“clip” mechanism, that is not good
enough in the presence of vibration,
shock, or mechanical strains.
Circular M12 connectors are typical-
ly IP-rated with ingress protection lev-
els at, or beyond, IP67 (entirely dust
tight and able to withstand temporary
immersion). Moreover, the threaded
Figure 2. IP67 rated USB-A female connector head. fitting prevents intermittent connec-
tions and unmating during strain. In
sensors, instead of expensive HSI alter- is handling the intensive processing some cases, screw-down RJ45 connec-
natives. power required. That can be addressed tor variants are sufficient as they do
with vision-based IoT platforms such as not dislodge. Ethernet jacketing mate-
Deep Learning Ring and Nest Hello, where the AI pro- rials are a major consideration in envi-
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine cessing occurs in the cloud. However, ronments where a cable is exposed to
learning, and deep learning can offer progressive upgrades to video capture chemical, oil, or moisture ingress, as
potential alternatives to the highly and compression are necessary to gen- well as UV. Various jacketing materials
complex inspections that traditionally erate a good enough image for deep can be leveraged to mitigate the detri-
rely on the human eye. The challenge learning machine vision applications. mental effects of harsh solvents includ-

ing thermosets such as polyurethane
(PUR) or thermoplastic elastomer
Measuring Surface Roughness with an Atomic
(TPE) materials. Often, cables are Force Microscope
rated to withstand millions of flex cycles
as well as torsional loads for the fre- hin films and engineered surfaces performance. Measurements of surface
quent and rapid movements found in
robotic arms for industrial automation
T are used in a myriad of applications
including semiconductor electronics,
roughness and morphology can be essen-
tial, whether to validate an individual
applications. data storage, and precision optics. In processing step or to obtain a quality
many cases, surface roughness and relat- control metric for the final product.
Industrial USB Cables ed texture of these device components The choice of instrument best suited
USB cables are not as prolific as directly impact their overall quality and for surface roughness measurements
Ethernet for industrial uses outside of
machine vision and, therefore, there is
a more limited variety of cable/connec-
tor designs. Still, they can be similarly
ruggedized with robust jacketing mate-
rials and augmented connector heads.
Connectors can include diecast metal
shells for longer lasting connectors or
thumbscrews for connections that will
experience vibration. USB connectors
can also be IP-rated with molded back-
shells for durability. Armoring a USB
The most trusted name in
precision laser processing.
cable can protect it from crushing or
overexertion from excessive bending.
Typically, armoring involves a helically
wrapped metallic sheet with inter-
locked edges that yield a corrugated For more than 40 years, Aerotech has set the
tube that can withstand immensely high standard for long-term durability and accuracy
pressures (upwards of 1500 PSI).

The other inherent benefit of this is widest range of precision motion control
the additional protection it provides

the underlying cable from chemical the rigors of 24/7 laser production.
agents and UV. Moreover, the armoring
prevents bends beyond the allowable
bend radius of the cable or any kinking
that can occur during handling. This
solution can be more practical for USB
than for Ethernet due to the relatively
smaller lengths of cable used for the
USB3 vision standard as compared to
GigE vision.
Conclusion
The Ethernet and USB standards
enable desirable, all-purpose, COTS
solutions for machine vision applica-
tions. The modularity and technological
maturity of both of these platforms
allows them to keep pace with the inten-
sive requirements of modern industrial
applications. The cabling used in these
cases requires a high enough level of
ruggedization to function optimally
over its lifetime in order to reduce the
risk of factory downtime. See why we have been trusted to
This article was written by Dustin move more industrial laser processing
Guttadauro, Product Manager L-com applications than any other precision
(Andover, MA). For more information, con- automation company.
tact Mr. Guttadauro at dguttadauro@
infiniteelectronics.com, or visit http://
AT0520A-CSG
info.hotims.com/76507-224

depends strongly on the specific material microscopes (AFMs). Among these, the more, images can be analyzed to calcu-
being measured as well as on the expect- AFM is the only technique offering late areal surface roughness parameters
ed size and shape of its surface features. unparalleled three-dimensional spatial such as Sa (3D roughness average) and
As device dimensions in many industries resolution and the ability to measure Sq (root mean square roughness) or sta-
continue to shrink, it is becoming most types of materials (Table 1). AFM tistics on grain and domain size. In addi-
increasingly important to characterize provides complete 3D surface quantifica- tion, individual line sections can be used
surface roughness at the scale of nanome- tion by imaging topography (height), as to determine step heights, film thick-
ters and even lower. Tools commonly shown in Figure 1. ness, and even lattice spacings.
used for this purpose include interfero- While AFMs provide many advantages,
metric optical profilometers, scanning Atomic Force Microscopes it is important to note that not all AFMs
electron microscopes, and atomic force AFM topography images give informa- offer equivalent capability, performance,
tion on overall surface morphology, can and ease of use. For instance, some mod-
reveal defects, and distinguish amor-
phous and crystalline phases, and identi-
fy nucleation and growth modes. Further-
Figure 1. Topography image of a silicon carbide

wafer [6H SiC (0001)].The graph shows the aver-
age profile between the white lines in the image Figure 2. The Asylum Research Jupiter XR AFM
and gives a step height of 3.03 ± 0.08 Å between holds samples as large as 210 mm, such as this 8-
adjacent terraces. in wafer.
Oxford Scanning Interferometric Stylus Relevance

Instruments Electron Optical Profilometers
Jupiter XR Microscopes Profilometers
AFM
Lateral <1-20 nm <1-20 nm 200-500 nm 1000-10,000 nm Accurate nanoscale
resolution surface roughness
measurements
require Figure 3.Topography images of glossy printer paper
Height <0.025 nm No true 3D 1-10 nm 0.5 nm
resolution measurements nanometer-scale demonstrate that height parameters in addition to
possible resolution. Sa can more fully describe surfaces. Skewness (Ssk)
is a measure of the distribution of features relative
Measurement Surface Surface Surface topography Line profiles Areal surface
type topography morphology (inefficient for roughness to the mean, where Ssk > 1 indicates a surface
(3D) and (quasi-3D) and surface mapping) measurements dominated by peaks and Ssk < 0 indicates a surface
surface composition* require accurate with pits or valleys. Kurtosis (Sku) is sensitive to
properties* imaging of 3D
topography. the sharpness of the peaks and/or pits: Sku > 3
Measurement <1 minute <10 seconds <10 seconds <1 minute Throughput indicates especially sharp features, Sku = 3 indi-
time (per site) of multisite cates a normally distributed surface, and Sku < 3
measurements is indicates a more gradually varying surface. (z) Over
affected by time
spent per site. a very wide scan size (100 μm, 195 nm pixel size),
Surface Any material Must be Large variations in Most materials Many inspection
the coating exhibits longer-scale waviness (Ssk=-
material type can be conductive (or reflectivity and can be measured tools have 0.49, Sku=0.58, Sa=235.8 Å). (bottom) However, at
limitations measured up coated) and refractive index, unless very soft constraints on a smaller scale (5 μm scan size, 10 nm pixel size), it
200 mm in vacuum steep slopes or and/or sticky the types of
diameter and compatible edges, and very thin materials that can is evident that the coating also contains much finer
35 mm in films can be be measured. grain structure with interspersed pits (Ssk= 1.49,
height problematic.
Sku=3.15, Sa=231.1 Å). Though the apparent
Table 1. Comparison of tools for surface characterization. Specifications given for non-AFM tools are roughness is very similar at both length scales, the
typical ranges for commercial instruments. *Both AFMs and scanning electron microscopes can provide skewness and kurtosis parameters accurately
information about materials properties beyond topography. For example, AFMs can measure a host of
electrical (e.g., conductivity, permittivity), mechanical (e.g., elastic modulus), and functional properties describe the gradual, rolling waviness at longer
(e.g., piezoelectric response). scales and the pitted surface at smaller scales.

els offer very high performance but can Figure 3 shows examples of a con- low noise floor—the minimum resolvable
only hold one small sample (typically 1- sumer-grade, inkjet photo paper imaged height determined by mechanical and
2 cm) at a time. The Jupiter XR is a high- with the Jupiter XR AFM. The images electronic instrument noise—of 0.25 Å
performance AFM that can accommo- demonstrate surface characterization allows the accurate measurement of
date large samples such as 200 mm benefits at very different length scales. angstrom-scale surface roughness.
wafers or an array of several small sam- The full scan range 100 μm image shows High throughput and increased pro-
ples. Furthermore, commercial AFMs are the waviness of the paper (darker areas ductivity are also important factors to con-
still evolving rapidly, so newer models are lower and brighter areas are higher) sider. Jupiter can image 5-20× faster than
can differ significantly from those only a and some scratch marks (indicated with most AFMs, such that single images can
few years old. For example, some AFMs arrows). Such AFM data provides infor- routinely be acquired in less than 2 min-
still use outdated piezo tube scanner mation about the product quality and utes and as little as 15 seconds (depend-
technology. Such scanner designs are could influence the handling proce- ing on scan range and overall roughness).
limited to much slower image acquisition dures so as to prevent scratching and In addition, its high-speed motorized sam-
times (5-10 minutes per site or more), bending of the paper. The adjacent ple stage moves between sites in 5 seconds
are subject to many more imaging arti- 5 μm size image provides insight into or less with micrometer precision. High-
facts, and have extremely delicate, easy- the uniformity of the finer grain struc- speed scanning and positioning are espe-
to-break parts making them much less ture of this paper sample and can be cially valuable when combined with auto-
robust and reliable. used as a reference for future process matic image acquisition as described in
Oxford Instruments recently intro- optimization. case study #2 (see Figure 4).
duced the Asylum Research Jupiter XR Asylum has applied its core of advanced
AFM (Figure 2). Jupiter leverages AFM technology to ensure that Jupiter can Case Study #2: Automated
Asylum’s experience in developing high- measure surface roughness lower than the Inspection of Epitaxial Silicon
performance AFMs to provide an all-new detection threshold of other character- Wafer Roughness
AFM with a large inspectable area, that ization techniques. Moreover, Asylum Epitaxial layers are commonplace
delivers high resolution images, with reli- Research AFMs can measure roughness 2- in mod ern semiconductor processing.
able sub-nanometer roughness measure- 4× lower than most other AFMs. The ultra- Silicon epitaxy processes allow precise
ments coupled with high throughput
and high measurement confidence.
These advantages are discussed in more
detail and illustrated by the case studies
presented in Figures 3-6.
Jupiter XR AFM offers an 8 inch, fully
addressable inspectable sample stage in
its standard configuration, meaning it
can accommodate large samples up to
210 mm in diameter and 35 mm in thick-
ness. Alternatively, multiple smaller sam-
ples (e.g., those mounted on ~10 mm
sample disks) can be magnetically mount-
ed on the sample stage for successive
inspection. The fully addressable motor-
ized sample stage allows images to be
acquired anywhere in a 200 × 200 mm2
range without the need for sample rota-
tion. The full wafer accessibility allows for
quicker wafer inspection, resulting in
higher throughput and productivity.
Case Study #1: Surface

Characterization of Glossy Paper
Coating Process
The formulation, morphology, and sur-
face roughness of paper coatings directly
impact print quality and appearance.
These properties are carefully tailored to
different printing processes, inks and
intended end uses. Though large-scale
Figure 4. Non-uniform grain size is often observed in epitaxial silicon layers, especially near the wafer
coating uniformity is obviously important, edge where greater variations in process conditions may occur. As shown in the diagram, a series of
the surface roughness of the coating at the locations on a 150-mm (6-in) wafer were pre-defined in software and used in an automated routine to
nanoscale has a large influence on how acquire topography images.
(A) Image acquired 200 μm from the wafer edge with Sa=0.785 Å .
ink interacts with the paper. AFM is the (B) Image at 1.6 mm from the edge with Sa=0.833 Å .
tool of choice for such characterization. (C) Image acquired 62.4 mm from the edge (12.8 mm from the center) with Sa=0.902 Å .

layers with different dopant types and roughness compared to substrates angstrom-level roughness measure-
concentrations, while heteroepitaxial prepared by chemical-mechanical ments as well as automating measure-
layers of III-V compounds and other polishing. Figure 4 shows an example ments at different sites on the wafer.
materials enable even more options. of roughness measurements on a Exclusive blueDrive™ cantilever exci-
An additional benefit of epitaxial lay- wafer with an epitaxial silicon layer. It tation enables high measurement confi-
ers is their extremely low surface demonstrates Jupiter’s ability to make dence and reliability. Surface roughness
measurements often influence critical
business decisions, so it is vital that meas-
urements are trustworthy and the instru-
ment is reliable. Asylum’s exclusive
blueDrive tapping mode technology
improves imaging stability compared to
conventional AFMs that use piezo excita-
tion. This extends tip lifetime and, in
turn, makes roughness results more con-
sistent and repeatable (see Case study #3,
Figure 5).
Case Study #3: Quality Control of

Disk Drive Media
Magnetic hard disk drives continue to
dominate over solid state drives in appli-
cations that require massive amounts of
inexpensive data storage. This advan-
tage has been maintained by a contin-
ued increase in the data storage density
of magnetic disk media. Achieving these
high densities has required a correspon-
ding decrease in media roughness. The
Figure 5. These topography images of a glass disk media substrate are the first and last in a sequence example in Figure 5 shows roughness
of 1000 acquired over 15h of unattended operation (~54 seconds per image). In each image, the inset measurements on the substrate of a
is a digitally zoomed magnification of the lower left region to help show the finer structure. The graph
shows that the measured roughness Sa remains constant within 1% over the entire period, demonstrat- modern lubricated disk media. With
ing the remarkable stability enabled by blueDrive tapping mode imaging. 1000 images acquired unattended over
15 hours, it demonstrates extreme meas-
urement fidelity as well as high measure-
ment throughput.
Case Study #4: Quality Assurance

of Chemically Strengthened
Display Glass
Thanks to chemically strengthened
display glass, today’s mobile devices are
more resilient to bumps, drops, and
scratches than ever before. These special
glass formulations undergo an ion
exchange process wherein sodium ions
near the surface are replaced by potassi-
um ions, creating a compressive surface
stress that dramatically strengthens the
glass sheet. Figure 6 shows measure-
ments on chemically strengthened dis-
play glass acquired at different length
scales. The images demonstrate how a
flexible scan range and superior resolu-
tion can be used to monitor both overall
roughness and scratch resistance.
Figure 6. Many applications for display glass demand both low surface roughness and high abrasion
This article was written by Ted Limpoco,
resistance. (left) Example of routine roughness measurements made in 52 seconds per site. With a 1 μ m PhD, Applications Scientist, Oxford In-
scan size, the image gives Sa=9.70 Å . (right) A glass sample was subjected to intentional scratching with struments Asylum Research, (Concord, MA).
metal tweezers, and a large-area image (30 μ m scan size) was completed to characterize the dimen- For more information, contact Oxford
sions of the scratch.The profile corresponding to the white line in the image shows the damage actually
consists of a series of fine parallel scratches. In real QA measurements, such testing could be done using Instruments at www.oxinst.com/jupiter-PIT
a calibrated load to initiate the scratch (e.g., via a tribometer). or visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-222.

Geoscientists Create Deeper Look at Processes Below Earth’s
Surface with 3D Images
University of Texas at Dallas
eoscientists at The University of
G Texas at Dallas recently used super-
computers to analyze massive amounts N
of earthquake data to generate high-res-
olution 3D images of the dynamic geo-
logical processes taking place far below
the Earth’s surface. The research team
created images of mantle flows in a sub-
duction region under Central America
and the Caribbean Sea using a computa- Trench-perpendicular flow
Return
Rivera flow
tionally intensive technique called a full slab
waveform inversion (FWI).
Between the relatively thin layer of the
Earth’s crust and its inner core lies the Atlantic
slab
thickest part of the planet, the mantle. Return flow
Over short time periods, the mantle can
be considered solid rock, but on the geo-
logical time scale of millions of years, the 500 km
mantle flows like a viscous fluid.
Earth’s crust is broken into pieces called Escape flow Cocos slab
tectonic plates. These plates move across
Caribbean
and into the mantle very slowly — about as Trench-parallel flow slab
fast as fingernails grow. At regions called Escape flow
subduction zones, one plate descends Farallon slab
under another into the mantle. 1000 km
“The sinking of oceanic plates into
the Earth’s mantle at subduction zones UT Dallas geoscientists used earthquake data and a computationally intensive technique called a full
waveform inversion to create 3D images of the geometry of subducting slabs (green bodies) and
is what causes the Earth’s tectonic plates induced mantle flows (yellow arrows) under Central America and the Caribbean Sea at a depth of 500
to move and is one of the most impor- kilometers. (Image courtesy of UT Dallas)
tant processes taking place in our plan-
et,” said Dr. Hejun Zhu. “Subduction swimmer,” Zhu said. “It’s similar with coming together, with one solid piece of
zones are also the source of many natu- oceanic plates: When they dive into hot oceanic plate descending under another
ral hazards, such as earthquakes, volca- mantle, that action induces mantle separa- solid piece. Some researchers, however,
noes, and tsunamis. But the pattern of tion and flow around the plates.” have hypothesized that this fragmenta-
mantle flow and deformation around The research team created the images tion occurs, and this imaging and mod-
descending plates is still poorly under- using high-fidelity data recorded over a eling provides evidence that supports
stood. The information our techniques 10-year period from 180 earthquakes by that view.
yield is crucial for understanding our some 4500 seismic stations located in a The 3D model shows complex mantle
dynamic planet.” grid across the U.S. The numerical cal- flow patterns around a number of
The researchers tackled the problem culations for the FWI algorithm were descending fragments and in the gaps
using a geophysical measurement called performed on the high-performance between slabs. Such chunky, fragmented
seismic anisotropy, which measures the dif- computing clusters at the National pieces are seen in regions throughout
ference in how fast mechanical waves gen- Science Foundation (NSF)-supported the world.
erated by earthquakes travel in different Texas Advanced Computing Center at In the northwestern U.S., for example,
directions inside the Earth. Seismic UT Austin, as well as on supercomputers the Juan de Fuca Plate is also fragmented
anisotropy can reveal how the mantle at UT Dallas. into two pieces where it descends under
moves around the subducting plate. The images confirmed that the plates the North American Plate in the
Similar technology is also used by the ener- in the study region are not large solid Cascadia subduction zone, an area where
gy industry to locate oil and gas resources. pieces but rather are fragmented into strong earthquakes have occurred over
“When a diver dives into water, the water smaller slabs. According to the re- the centuries.
separates, and that separation in turn searchers, this looks different from the It is known that most earthquakes
affects the way the water moves around the textbook depictions of tectonic plates happen at the interface between a slab

and the mantle. If there is a gap between there are no earthquakes. That is proba- our attention to other subduction zones,
these fragments, what’s called a window bly a region where there is a gap in the including the Kermadec-Tonga subduc-
region, you wouldn’t expect earth- subducting oceanic plate. tion zone in the region of the Australian
quakes there. If you look at the earth- “The Middle America Trench that we and Pacific plates,” said Zhu.
quake distribution along the Cascadia studied has its own unique, dynamic For more information, contact newscenter@
subduction zone, there is a span where properties. In the future, we plan to shift utdallas.edu.
Spider Silk Can Create Lenses Useful for Biological Imaging

American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD
pider silk is useful for a variety of bio-
S medical applications. It exhibits
mechanical properties superior to syn-
thetic fibers for tissue engineering, and
it is not toxic or harmful to living cells.
One unexpected application for spider
silk is its use in the creation of biocompat-
ible lenses for biological imaging applica-
tions. A team of researchers from
Tamkang University and National Yang-
Ming University in Taiwan described the
feasibility of creating lenses capitalizing
on the properties of natural spider silk
material. A spider can spin several differ- - 2 μm
ent types of silks, each with different prop- An image of the spider used in the study and the dome lens generated on its dragline silk. (Credit:
erties and functions. To create the spokes Cheng-Yang Liu)
of their web, spiders use a type of silk
known as dragline silk. It is an interesting densed on the fiber, the wetting proper- tuning the length of time the silk
natural material because of its significant ties of the silk naturally formed it into a spends under the resin drip, the size of
features, such as high elasticity, great dome shape, which they found could be the dome lens can be changed, allow-
toughness, and large tensile strength. used as an optical lens. The mechanical ing the photonic nanojets to be opti-
Compared to its weight, the strength of and optical properties of the silk also mized for the desired type of imaging.
dragline silk is greater than steel. make it ideal for supporting the lens. The dome lens with flexible photonic
The authors collected smooth, uni- When they shined a laser onto the nanojets is suitable for imaging
form dragline silk from Pholcus phalan- lens, it generated a high-quality pho- nanoscale objectives at different depths
gioides spiders, commonly known as tonic nanojet — a type of beam that can within biological tissue.
daddy longlegs, and dripped a resin provide large-area, super-resolution For more information, contact media@
onto the silk fiber. As the resin con- imaging for biomedical applications. By aip.org.
Leap in Lidar Could Improve Safety and Security of New Technology

University of Colorado Boulder
hether it’s on top of a self-driving with no moving parts or electronics — sions simultaneously, instead of only
W car or embedded inside the latest
gadget, Light Detection and Ranging
that improves the resolution and scan-
ning speed needed for a lidar system.
one, they’ve done it with color, using a
“rainbow” pattern to take 3-D images.
(lidar) systems will likely play an important Current commercial lidar systems use Since the beams are easily controlled by
role in our technological future, enabling large, rotating mirrors to steer the laser simply changing colors, multiple phased
vehicles to ‘see’ in real-time, phones to beam and thereby create a 3-D image. arrays can be controlled simultaneously
map three-dimensional images, and For the past three years, the researchers to create a bigger aperture and a higher
enhancing augmented reality in video have been working on a new way of steer- resolution image.
games. The challenge, however, is that 3-D ing laser beams called wavelength steer- Autonomous vehicles are currently a
imaging systems can be bulky, expensive, ing — where each wavelength, or $50 billion-dollar industry, projected to be
and hard to shrink down to the size need- “color,” of the laser is pointed to a worth more than $500 billion by 2026.
ed for up-and-coming applications. unique angle. While many cars on the road today
University of Colorado researchers They’ve not only developed a way to already have some elements of auton-
have described a new silicon chip — do a version of this along two dimen- omous assistance, such as enhanced

cruise control and automatic lane-centering, the real race is
to create a car that drives itself with no input or responsibil-
ity from a human driver. In the past 15 years or so, innova-
tors have realized that in order to do this, cars will need
more than just cameras and radar — they will need lidar.
Lidar is a remote sensing method that uses laser beams,
pulses of invisible light, to measure distances. These
beams of light bounce off everything in their path, and a
sensor collects these reflections to create a precise, three-
dimensional picture of the surrounding environment in
real time.
Lidar is like echolocation with light: it can tell you how
far away each pixel in an image is. It’s been used for at least A Google self-driving car with lidar on top, cruising the interstate in California. (Credit:
50 years in satellites and airplanes to conduct atmospheric danieljsf, Flickr)
sensing and measure the depth of bodies of water and
heights of terrain. said Milos Popovic, associate professor of engineering at
While great strides have been made in the size of lidar sys- Boston University.
tems, they remain the most expensive part of self-driving cars by The simpler and smaller that these silicon chips can be
far — as much as $70,000 each. In order to work broadly in the made — while retaining high resolution and accuracy in their
consumer market one day, lidar must become cheaper, smaller, imaging — the more technologies they can be applied to,
and less complex. Some companies are trying to accomplish including self-driving cars and smartphones.
this feat using silicon photonics: an emerging area in electrical Rumor has it that the upcoming iPhone 12 will incorporate
engineering that uses silicon chips that can process light. a lidar camera, like that currently in the iPad Pro. This technol-
The research team’s new finding is an important advance- ogy could not only improve its facial recognition security, but
ment in silicon chip technology for use in lidar systems. one day assist in creating climbing route maps, measuring dis-
“Electrical communication is at its absolute limit. Optics has to tances, and even identifying animal tracks or plants.
come into play and that's why all these big players are commit- For more information, contact Kelsey Simpkins at kelsey.simpkins
ted to making silicon photonics technology industrially viable,” @colorado.edu.
Markerless Motion Capture

Technology Could Help Skeleton
Athletes’ Training
University of Bath, Somerset, UK
esearchers at the University of Bath have been working
R with GB skeleton athletes to develop a new type of motion
capture technology that can accurately track the performance
of the athlete during the push start phase of performance.
Skeleton is a winter sport where athletes rapidly accelerate on
ice while pushing a sled before launching forwards on to it and
The research was done at the University's push-track training facility on

campus. (Photo courtesy of university of Bath)

navigating the corners of the track at The method was used at the Univers- break out of the laboratory and take bio-
speeds of up to 90 mph. Improvements of ity’s push-track training facility, a con- mechanics into the wild. The non-inva-
fractions of a second made at the start crete slope with straight metal rails that sive nature of this approach not only
can make all the difference at the finish allows athletes to train off-season using a means that we can capture push start
line. Therefore, it is useful for both ath- wheeled practice sled. information without interfering with the
letes and their coaching team to be able The researchers used a set-up of nine athlete’s training session, but we can do
to monitor the performance of athletes cameras along both sides of the push- so in way that conforms with the current
during this start phase and how they track for the markerless system and com- need for social distancing."
respond to training. pared measurements with those According to the researchers, conven-
Standard methods of optical motion obtained using the conventional 15-cam- tional (marker-based) technologies,
capture, using multiple reflective mark- era marker-based system. which are used every day in their labora-
ers on the athlete and the sled to measure They tested the system on 12 athletes tory research, are not feasible in many
their movement in 3D space, are time for 33 push trials and found that there elite sports training and competition
consuming to set up and can interfere was very good agreement in the data environments. So, the future of sports
with the athlete’s natural performance. from both systems (measured sled and biomechanics lies in finding accurate
To overcome this, researchers at the athlete velocities were within 0.015 and and unobtrusive markerless solutions.
University of Bath’s motion research cen- 0.029 m/s, respectively), validating the This system can provide information
ter, have developed a non-invasive mark- use of the markerless method as a non- about British skeleton athletes’ start per-
erless system using computer vision and invasive and accurate alternative to the formances that was previously inaccessi-
deep learning methods to measure veloc- traditional marker-based system. ble to them and their coaches.
ity and estimate poses by identifying body Dr. Laurie Needham said: “Our latest For more information, contact Vicky Just
landmarks from regular image data. computer vision system allows us to at [email protected].
T-Ray Camera Speed Boosted a Hundred Times Over

University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
cientists from University of Warwick ing. They are also highly sensitive to The researchers use what is called ‘a
S and Chinese University of Hong
Kong have refined a new type of camera
water and can observe minute changes
to the hydration state of biological mat-
single-pixel camera’ to obtain the
images. They spatially modulate the THz
to make it a hundred times faster than ter. This means that diseases perturbing beam and shine this light onto an object.
the previous state of the art. The tech- the water content of biological matter, Then, using a single-element detector,
nique utilizes terahertz radiation, or T- such as skin cancer, can potentially be they record the light that is transmitted
rays, that sit in-between infrared and Wi- detected using T- rays in vivo without any (or reflected) through the object they
Fi on the electromagnetic spectrum. T- histological markers. want to image. They keep doing this for
rays can ‘see’ through common materi- Efficient detection and generation of many different spatial patterns until they
als such as plastics and clothing but are T-rays has been possible in laboratory can mathematically reconstruct an im-
non-ionizing — making them ideal for settings for the last 25 years. However, age of their object.
non-invasive screening. THz technology is still not widely used in They have to keep changing the shape
The researchers have reached a cru- commercial settings as the cost, robust- of the THz beam many times, which
cial milestone towards developing sin- ness and/or ease of use is still lagging means this method is usually slower
gle-pixel terahertz imaging technology behind for commercial adoption in compared to multi-pixel detector arrays.
for use in biomedical and industrial industrial settings. However, multi-pixel arrays for the tera-
applications. Their single-pixel terahertz Very few clinical trials have been per- hertz regime usually lack sub-picosec-
camera reached 100 times faster acquisi- formed for biomedical applications, ond temporal resolution, require cryo-
tion than the previous state-of-the-art most notably due to the equipment not genic temperatures to operate or incur
without adding any significant costs to being user-friendly and imaging being large equipment costs (more than
the entire system or sacrificing the sub- too slow due to the need for measuring $350,000). The setup developed by the
picosecond temporal resolution needed multiple terahertz frequencies for accu- Warwick team, which is based on a sin-
for the most sought-after applications. rate diagnosis. Finally, equipment and gle-element detector, is more reasonably
T-rays have different properties from running costs need to be within hospital priced ($20,000), robust, has sub-
other electromagnetic waves, most budgets. As a result, a lot of research picosecond temporal resolution (need-
notably they can see through many com- into terahertz technology is currently ed for accurate diagnosis), and operates
mon materials such as plastics, ceramics focused on developing the equipment to at room temperature.
and clothes, making them potentially improve imaging speed, without reduc- Their work improves upon the acqui-
useful in non-invasive inspections. ing diagnosis accuracy or incurring large sition rate of single-pixel terahertz cam-
Another quality is that the low-energy costs. As a result, the researchers are eras by a factor of 100 from the previous
photons of T-rays are non-ionizing, mak- exploring alternative imaging tech- state-of-the-art, acquiring a 32x32 video
ing them very safe in biological settings niques from those currently used in at 6 frames per second. They do that by
including security and medical screen- modern day smart phones. first determining the optimal modula-

ter amplifier Femtosecond fiber
Compu laser with
THz detector
delay line
Silicon
prism Collectio
optics n THz emitter
o- DAQ
icr e Trigger
l m evic f
ta d f
gi r f
Di irro Lens Object
m Lens
Image plane
450nm Spatial encoding
CW be mask
am
Ø5. 6m
Laser m
diode
Real-time terahertz imaging with a single-pixel detector. (Image courtesy of Warwick University)
tion geometry, second by modeling the The researchers have previously devel- pixel THz imaging through signal pro-
temporal response of the imaging sys- oped several THz devices including THz cessing approaches. Future work will
tem for improvement in signal-to-noise, modulators that make use of the total focus on improving the signal-to-noise
and third by reducing the total number internal reflection geometry to achieve and optimizing the software needed for
of measurements with compressed sens- high MDs across a broadband frequency accurate medical diagnosis, with the ulti-
ing techniques. In fact, part of their range and a new approach for ampli- mate goal being to use single pixel THz
work shows that they can reach a five- tude and phase modulation exploiting imaging for in vivo cancer diagnosis.
times faster acquisition rate if they have the Brewster angle. They are also work- For more information, contact Peter
sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. ing to improve the resolution of single Thorely at [email protected].
Upcoming...
Webinars High-Speed Imaging

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 12:00 pm U.S. EDT
High-speed imaging is used in a variety of applications, from pure science and research
to military ballistics testing. In this 60-minute Webinar from the editors of Tech Briefs
Media, three experts look at this unique technology and what it can do. Speakers will
discuss developments in high-speed thermal camera technology, examine the latest in
SPAD cameras, and provide an overview of high-speed imaging systems.
Speakers:
Jerry Beeney Edoardo Charbon Frank Kosel
Global Business Development Professor and Chair of VLSI, President,
Manager, Advanced Quantum Specialised Imaging Inc.
FLIR Systems Architecture Lab,
EPFL
Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar069

Single-Frequency SWIR Laser Blue Light Hazard Testing System
Beyond Photonics LLC (Boulder, CO) Gamma Scientific (San Diego, CA) has
released the Swift, a very compact, released its Blue Light Hazard testing system.
rugged piezo-tunable single-frequency The system utilizes the RadOMA GS-1220
solid-state laser, initially offered near spectroradiometer coupled with an aperture or
2050 nm wavelength but capable of be- integrating sphere, depending on customer measurement
ing adapted to many other near- and shortwave-IR wave- requirements, offering evaluation and classification of displays
lengths. Exhibiting high cw output power (> 35 mW standard; and luminaires according to IEC 62471 and IEC/TR 62778.
up to 100 mW optional) and less than 10 kHz/ms short-term The system provides a spectral range from 300 nm to 700 nm
frequency jitter, the Swift is suitable for use as a master and with integrated software for fast, accurate, and repeatable
local oscillator source in lidar systems. measurements. Risk group classifications range from Exempt
The Swift laser product is initially offered using Tm,Ho:YLF to High Risk (Group 3). This spectroradiometer offers viewing
operating at selected center wavelengths in the 2048-2058 nm angles ranging from 0.1° to 5° and a polarization error less
region (with 2065 region as an option) with more than 10 than 1%, reducing uncertainty while increasing accuracy and
GHz single- frequency tuning using an integral piezo actuator repeatability. Each Blue Light Hazard Testing system is calibrat-
and even wider tuning using temperature. ed in an NVLAP accredited laboratory (NVLAP lab code
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-230 200823-0) using NIST- traceable standards to ensure continued
accuracy and reliability.
High-Temperature Infrared Emitter For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-235
Opto Diode Corporation (Camarillo,
CA), an ITW company, has intro- Camera Link Frame Grabbers
duced the OD-110LISOLHT, a high- Matrox® Imaging (Montreal, Quebec,
power, gallium aluminum arsenide Canada) recently announced additions to
(GaAlAs) infrared light-emitting its Matrox Rapixo series of frame grabbers
diode (IRLED) illuminator. With a with the release of the Matrox Rapixo CL Pro,
narrow angle of emission and a wide with support for the highest performance Camera Link® cam-
temperature rating, the new IR emitter is suitable for applica- eras on the market. Each Pro board delivers onboard image pro-
tions in industrial and defense/military tasks, such as exterior cessing offload to field-programmable gate array (FPGA)
covert lighting on aircraft. devices, high frame-rate image capture, support for extended
Total power output of the OD-110LISOLHT ranges from 50 cable lengths, and reliable image acquisition.
mW (minimum) to 100 mW (typical), and features a storage Matrox Rapixo CL Pro models make use of an FPGA device
and operating temperature of -65°C to +150°C. Peak emission from the Xilinx Kintex™ -7 family, directly integrating control,
wavelength is 880 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 55 nm (typ- format, and stream logic onto the frame grabber itself. Paired
ical). The half intensity beam angle is 7 degrees (typical). The with the Matrox FDK, a powerful development kit, the Pro mod-
forward voltage is from 1.75 volts (typical) to 2 volts (maxi- els support development of custom FPGA configurations to
mum) with reverse breakdown voltage ranging from 5 volts relieve the host system of intensive image-processing functions.
(minimum) to 30 volts (typical). Other features include rise For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-245
and fall times of 20 nanoseconds, respectively.
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-231 UV-Visible-NIR Polarization Spectroscopy
CRAIC Technologies (San Dimas, CA)
Infrared Cameras announced the addition of UV-visible-NIR
The Calibir GXM camera family from polarization microscope spectroscopy capabili-
Teledyne DALSA (Waterloo, Ontario, ties to CRAIC microspectrophotometers. This
Canada) features the latest micro- feature is offered as a package that allows users
bolometer sensor, designed, fabricat- to measure polarization spectra in either trans-
ed, and packaged in their own mission or reflectance modes. With the ability
foundry. With great sensitivity in the to measure polarization microspectra™ in the
longwave infrared range (8-12 μm), it ultraviolet, visible and near infrared regions,
features both shutter and shutterless the UV-visible-NIR polarization package represents a new tool
operation and rapid image output on for both materials science and biological research.
power-up while delivering uniform response over the entire CRAIC Technology’s polarization package consists of optics
operating temperature range, making it suitable for thermal and hardware designed to be added to CRAIC Technologies
imaging systems requiring uninterrupted image acquisition. microspectrophotometers. As such, it can be used to measure
The GXM series also offers our own advanced 21-bit ADC the polarization spectra in both transmission and incident illu-
design for unparalleled intra-scene dynamic range without the mination modes. Uniquely, the optics are designed to operate
need for a gain reduction, allowing for the best possible NETD in the spectral range from the ultraviolet through to the near
over a vast range of temperature (>600°C). infrared regions.
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-233 For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-246

Mid-Wave Infrared Thermal Camera Laser Diagnostics Tool
FLIR Systems (Meer, Belgium) has announced the FLIR Luxinar (Kingston
RS8500 mid-wave infrared (MWIR) thermal camera designed for Upon Hull, UK) has
range tracking, science, and measurement applications. A new integrated a new di-
addition to FLIR Systems’ science camera series, the high-perfor- agnostics web server
mance RS8500 combines a mid-wave infrared detector and telescope in a single into the OEM 45iX
weatherproof housing built for measurement accuracy of long-range and high-tem- laser that displays real-time internal envi-
perature targets in harsh environments. ronment information from the laser in
The RS8500 allows for superior measurement accuracy through a MWIR detector, an easily accessible manner. The laser
which provides high-definition, large-format thermal images with the ability to deliv- can be connected directly to the PC via
er data up to 180 frames per second, coupled with a high-resolution, 120-1200-mil- Ethernet or connected to the local net-
limeter continuous metric zoom lens. This provides maximum situational awareness work. If connected to the local network,
at wider fields of view and zoom capabilities at longer focal lengths to maximize the any device that runs a modern web
number of pixels on a target at any distance. The camera also has the capability to browser can access the diagnostics tool.
image through neutral density filters, ensuring that hot targets do not look saturated. A local diagnostics tool desktop appli-
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-239 cation has also been developed for com-
munication with industrial lasers. This
Dual-Mode Automotive Image Sensor tool provides the same functionality and
OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) announced is designed to be compatible with the
the OV2312 automotive image sensor, which enables multiple previous version OEM 45iX, a good solu-
functions in one camera. The ability to capture both RGB and IR images with one tion for customers who already own the
global shutter (GS) sensor reduces the number of cameras and total system cost. The older builds of the OEM 45iX. Currently
OV2312 enables those dual-mode cameras with motion-artifact-free images at high res- offered for the OEM 45iX, Luxinar’s
olutions of 1600x1300 at 60 fps and 1280 ¥ 720 at 90 fps. Additionally, because this is 450W sealed CO2 laser source, the com-
the smallest 2MP GS sensor in its class — offered in a 7.2 ¥ 6.1 mm automotive chip- pany plans to extend availability to its
scale package — cameras can be placed out of sight from drivers and passengers. OEM 65iX 650W laser source and other
For operation without visible light, the OV2312 features the 3.0-micron lasers in the Luxinar range in the future.
OmniPixel®3-GS architecture, which provides near-infrared quantum efficiency of For Free Info Visit:
14% at the 940 nm wavelength. To further ensure top DSM performance while mini- http://info.hotims.com/76507-250
mizing power consumption, the OV2312 can be synchronized with the on/off pulses
of the system’s IR light source.
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-251
Why use a
High-Resolution Infrared Spectrometer nanoreinforced epoxy?
Infrared spectrometers from McPherson (Chelmsford, MA) pro-
vide spectroscopic capability to interrogate the feature-rich region key benefits of
of long-wave infrared. Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) refers to multi- nanosilica filled epoxy
spectral data collected in the 8 to 14 μm wavelength range.
McPherson’s dispersive spectrometers are now easier to use in the IR EP30NS
because devices, like uncooled bolometer arrays, readily couple to the exit focal plane.
McPherson dispersive spectrometers measure and tune specific wavelengths of Abrasion resistant
light. They are delivered with diffraction gratings selected for your application. ASTM D466-14
Grating groove density and optimum blaze wavelengths range from ultraviolet and
visible wavelengths 0.2 up to 20 microns long-wave infrared (LWIR). Gold, silver and
other optical coatings enhance performance in the IR. They also now provide ample, Optically clear
accessible space and a mechanically robust platform for mounting infrared arrays. Refractive index: 1.56
Expanded Beam (XB) Lensed Ferrule Connectors NASA low outgassing

DIAMOND SA (Losone, Switzerland) has introduced the Expanded
Beam (XB) lensed ferrule series, a novel modular, single-mode lensed
ASTM E595
ferrule. Its compact form-factor design fits into standard connector bodies (i.e.
E-2000™, MPO, MIL-38999, etc.), offering insensitivity to contamination and mating- Dimensionally stable
cycle reliability, typically found in bulky harsh environment lensed connectors.
The alignment accuracy between a fiber and a lens must be under 1 μm in order Hardness: 80-90 Shore D
to attain acceptable insertion losses, which is normally difficult to obtain. To achieve
this level of accuracy, DIAMOND uses exceedingly precise components and unique
assembly techniques, keeping ultra-low mechanical tolerances in the processing of
ceramics and opto-mechanical components. The result is a highly repeatable, low
insertion loss ferrule, that opens new perspectives in the context of optical connec- +1.201.343.8983 ∙ [email protected]
tions, where mating-cycles, dust insensitivity, reliability and low losses are required. www.masterbond.com
Photonics & Imaging Technology, September 2020 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-706

Business as Unusual
Custom Coangs made to your Specificaons
[email protected]
www.Pennoc.com
(267) 923 8798

September 2020
Chemical, Oil,
Gas Industries
Benefit from
Hazardous-Duty
Smart Sensors
Flexible, Lightweight
Printed Organic
Sensors are Ready
for the IoT/IIoT
Wireless IIoT
Sensors Need
Long-Life Batteries —
Here’s What You Need
to Know
Special Section:
OEM Sensors
Supplier Guide
Supplement to Tech Briefs

displacement · distance · length · position · profile · thickness · color· temperature
Contact Measurement 2D/3D Sensors

Draw Wire Sensors Laser-Line Scanner
Easy, fast and flexible mounting for true profile measurement
High reliability and long life time and 3D imaging
Maximum resolution and accuracy
Inductive Sensors (LVDT) Wear-free
Wear-free and maintenance-free High speed measurement
Compact sensor design
Environmentally immune Optical Micrometers
(dirt / moisture) with fixed optic
Maximum resolution and accuracy
Ideal for process control
Eddy Current Sensors IR Temperature Sensors

High precision and nano-meter Compact cameras for R&D, test and
resolution process control applications
Non contact and wear-free Widest range of sensor head styles
Suitable for fast applications and outputs from stock
Reliable in harsh applications Durable, robust and low cost OEM
Custom sensors with Embedded designs
Coil Technology (ECT)
Color Sensors Optical Displacement Sensors

For various objects and surfaces Confocal Sensors
Fiber color sensors Low-cost and high-end sensors
Fixed lens color sensors High resolution at long distance
for special targets Advanced Real-Time-Surface-Compensation
High Speed Photospectrometer
colorCONTROL ACS 7000 Laser Triangulation Sensors
Sensor systems for LED color Nano-meter resolution
and intensity tests For high precision on specular and
diffuse targets
Raleigh, NC 27617 / USA · Phone +1/919 787 9707 · [email protected]
CONTACT US www.micro-epsilon.com
Contents
FEATURES DEPARTMENT
4 Cost-Effective Printed Sensors for the IoT/IIoT 24 New Products
9 Long-life Batteries for the IIoT
SPECIAL SECTION
APPLICATIONS 26 OEM Sensors Supplier Guide
12 Using the IoT for Predictive Maintenance
14 3D Ultrasonic Sensors Support New Industrial Applications
ON THE COVER
17 Smart Sensors for Hazardous Areas
Producing a cost-effective and easy-to-deploy sensor
solution for motors and pumps operating in hazardous
areas, is a challenge. The lack of such sensors has lim-
ited the range of machinery that could be remotely
TECH BRIEFS monitored and has left a huge gap in the ability to gain
20 Self-Powered Alarm Fights Forest Fires, Monitors Environment meaningful information on the health and performance
of motors that operate equipment such as pumps,
20 Engineers 3D-Print Sensors Onto Moving Organs fans, and compressors. However, a new generation of
smart sensors has been developed that are designed
21 Smart Windows Self-Illuminate on Rainy Days
especially for rotating equipment operating in explo-
22 Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds sive atmospheres. This enables operators in industries
like chemical, oil, and gas to benefit from cost-effective
condition monitoring in a wide variety of demanding
applications. To learn more, see page 17.
(Photo courtesy of ABB)
ROBOTIC END - EFFECTORS
Measure all six components of force

and torque in a compact, rugged sensor.
r
r.
Interface Structure
high-strength alloy provides IP60, High-Speed Electronics
IP65, and IP68 environmental interfaces for Ethernet, PROFINET,
protection as needed EtherNet/IP, Analog, USB, CAN
EtherCAT, Wireless, and more
Sensing
Sensin
Se
enssi Beams and Flexures
designed
deesign
signed
ned for
fo high stiffness and over- Silicon Strain Gages
load
loaad protection
proteecttion without
prote
protec w compromising provide high noise immunity,
resolution
re utionn
resolutio
resolu accuracy, and high factor-of-safety,
standard on all F/T models
Engineered for high-performance and maximum stiffness,

with the highest resolution and accuracy available, it’s the
ultimate force/torque sensor. Only from ATI.
www.ati-ia.com
919.772.0115
2 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-710 Sensor Technology, September 2020

™
ATOM DX
encoder series
Performance in miniature
All-in-one: digital, miniaturi]ation, quality, performance

• All-in-one miniature encoder
• Versatile metrology performance
• Direct digital output
• Compatible with the Advanced Diagnostic Tool (ADT)
For more information visit www.renishaw.com/atomdx
Renishaw Inc 1001 Wesemann Drive West Dundee, IL, 60118

T 847-286-9953 F 847-286-9974 E [email protected]
www.renishaw.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-711
Figure 1. Industrial
production of printed
sensors with a
Gallus RCS 430
at Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen AG.
(Photo courtesy of
InnovationLab)
Cost-Effective
Printed Sensors
With accelerated time
from design to production,
for the IoT/IIoT
specialized foil sensor arrays
will be expanding to many
new areas.
ensors are the heart of the IoT
S — and printed organic sensors

can be used in ways that others
cannot. They are lightweight,
flexible, stretchable, and soft, so they
can bend, twist, or conform to any sur-
face. They can be laminated onto fabric
4 www.techbriefs.com Sensor Technology, September 2020

IIoT devices run longer PROVEN
on Tadiran batteries.
40
YEAR
OPERATING
*
LIFE
Remote wireless devices connected to the

ANNUAL SELF-DISCHARGE
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) run on
Tadiran bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries. TADIRAN COMPETITORS
Our batteries offer a winning combination:

a patented hybrid layer capacitor (HLC)
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batteries to operate over 40 years depending on device operating usage. However, this is not an expressed or implied warranty, as each
application differs in terms of annual energy consumption and/or operating environment. www.tadiranbat.com

Printed Sensors
and once the design has been finalized

the process can be immediately trans-
ferred to industrial scale and mass pro-
duced, both inexpensively and at high
speed. That is accomplished by using
standard roll to roll label-printing
machines modified to implement
known printing techniques such as
inkjet or screen printing with functional
rather than graphical inks.
Printed Sensor Arrays

InnovationLab prints the sensors in
the form of a matrix onto a flexible film,
typically PET, PEN, or TPU — with the
thickness of the film on the order of
microns. The sensors are arranged in a
matrix of up to a million per square
Figure 2. Matrix of printed sensors. (Photo courtesy of InnovationLab) meter. The matrix of sensors functions
something like pixels in an image, so
or provide a soft interaction between a types of printed organic sensors are for pressure sensors, for example, can sense
robot and an object. New applications pressure, temperature, or gas. not just the presence of pressure, but it
are evolving as these sensors become can also dynamically sense its amplitude
more sophisticated, reliable, and inex- Roll to Roll Sensor Printing and location.
pensive. They can be productively used A relatively young company, started in The array is formed by printing silver
in areas such as communication, infor- 2008, InnovationLab (Heidelberg, stripes on the plastic substrate. First, a
mation processing, security, medicine, Germany), has developed a roll to roll layer of horizontal stripes (rows), then
biomedical research, and environmental system to print a wide variety of sensor an array of sensors, and finally a layer of
health. They are more sustainable since types using specially designed inks. The vertical stripes (columns). Each printed
they are chemically synthesized rather sensors can be synthesized for a particu- sensor is at the junction of a row and a
than using materials that are mined lar application, using piezoresistive, column and can therefore be identified
from the earth. That means they can be piezoelectric, or capacitive technolo- as a node at a unique location of a
used to make biodegradable or recycla- gies. Key to this approach, is that it can matrix. For pressure sensing, the sensors
ble devices. Three of the more common be used to prototype small quantities are force sensitive resistors (FSR), which
Figure 3. A smart sensor mat with printed sensors. (Photo courtesy of InnovationLab)

change their electrical conductivity as a IoT Applications could have a large enough area to cover
function of the applied pressure. You The data from the InnovationLab the surface of a bed. The sensors are so
can therefore use that property to printed sensor array can be sent by thin, that a person sleeping on them
deduce the spatial distribution of the CAN bus, USB, or wirelessly directly to would not know they are there. It could
forces on the foil. visualization and analytics software be printed on TPU, thermal plastic
You can use that, for example, to residing in a computer or via a gateway polyurethane, which has good elasticity,
identify different objects based on their to be networked with other IoT devices is transparent, and resistant to oil,
pressure patterns. Dr. Florian Ullrich, and/or sent for analysis to a cloud. For sweat, grease, and abrasion, and has a
business developer at InnovationLab, each particular application, you nice feel to it. You could even buy it
demonstrated that by observing the pat- decide which data you want to send. with a thermal transfer foil so you could
tern, you can tell whether a bottle is The outputs of a number of sensors iron or laminate it onto a bedsheet. An
standing or lying. The data of just how can also be connected in series to a important use for this bed monitoring
much pressure is at which exact loca- single electronics processor. That may would be locating pressure ulcers (bed-
tion can even be used to identify differ- not be as powerful as utilizing individ- sores) for a hospital patient, which are
ent objects based upon their pressure ual electronics for each sensor matrix. a major source of serious side effects
“footprints.” On the other hand, if you are design- during hospital stays. These are formed
Dr. Alexey Sizov, Head of System ing for a specific application, it could when a patient lies in one position for
Integration and Product Development simplify things. an extended period of time. But they
at InnovationLab, explained that “If the There is a great range of possible can be treated, or even prevented, if
rows of our matrix are driven, we can applications, for example, pressure sen- they are detected early. Printed pres-
read the voltage levels at the columns. sors can be “tuned” to respond to a wide sure sensors can be designed to be sen-
We use a multiplexer to switch the rows range of forces, from a few grams to a sitive enough to detect and localize
and columns so that each pixel is read in couple of hundred kilograms. And they pressure points on the body and to
the range of microseconds and sequen- can be printed at densities of up to a mil- measure their time duration. These are
tially output to a high-speed ADC.” lion per square meter. the factors that would indicate in
The data outputs could be sent via Smart beds. One application that advance whether an ulcer is starting to
CAN bus, or USB, or wirelessly, to a could not practically be addressed with develop. In a hospital or nursing home,
computer for visualization and analytics conventional sensors, is a smart bed. the data from a number of beds could
and also via a gateway to a cloud. First of all, the printed sensor array be networked, transmitted to a server
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Sensor Technology, September 2020 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-713 7

Printed Sensors
positions appropriately. The informa-

tion can also provide a basis for various
driver assistant and safety systems, e.g.
seat belt reminders and emergency call
systems. Sensors can detect whether a
children’s seat is located on the passen-
ger side and will automatically deactivate
the airbag.
From R & D to Production

In order to develop, and then pro-
duce, printed sensing foils for a partic-
ular application, one needs to go
through a series of stages. InnovationLab
has facilities for developing and then
commercializing printed sensor prod-
ucts. They provide R & D services and a
roll to roll press to produce pilot runs.
For the final production run, they have
a partnership with Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen AG, the world market
Figure 4. Flexible printed sensors can be processed on ultra-thin and flexible substrates allowing
them to be integrated into densely packed system applications such as car seats. (Photo courtesy leader in the manufacturing of printing
of InnovationLab) presses, whose factory is located nearby.
InnovationLab has a highly modified
for analysis, and then pushed to nurses’ Further sensor types could detect fill Gallus RCS 330 printing press that sup-
smart phones or to a monitor at a levels, touch events, temperature, mois- ports prototyping and pilot production
nurse’s station — in real time — to ture, and gases. of up to one million (finger-sized) sen-
determine when a patient should be Smart warehouse. Sensor foils placed sors per day. The press can accommo-
turned. It could also be stored for later throughout a warehouse could be used date substrate widths up to 33 cm and
analysis and record-keeping. Although to keep track of all of the goods stored unlimited length. It can use screen, off-
these factors are different for each indi- there. For example, there are picking set, flexo, or gravure, as well as an
vidual, without real-time information places, where goods are exchanged. A option for inkjet, printing processes.
all patients would have to be turned at person might receive an online order to Heidelberg’s production site features a
the lower limit, perhaps every half hour. pick up three items from shelf A and two more highly developed Gallus RCS 430
That would be an unnecessary waste of from shelf B. Weight sensing foil under- printing press that is solely used for the
nurses’ time and energy. neath the piles of goods would output a industrial production of printed sen-
Smart carpets. Another IoT applica- signal confirming that the proper num- sors, run in a three-shift operation.
tion arose because of the social distanc- ber of items were removed from the cor- A critical piece of the design process
ing requirements for COVID-19. rect locations. For this application, the is developing the right ink for each
InnovationLab produced a “smart car- foil outputs would be connected by CAN application. For that, InnovationLab
pet” mat, which they installed in a large bus to central processing electronics partners with major suppliers such as
supermarket to promote social distanc- that sends out the digital data. BASF SE.
ing and control the number of cus- Automotive charging stations. If some-
tomers allowed into the store at any one one driving a hybrid or all-electric vehi- Why Printed Sensors?
time. Because of the high density of the cle needs an immediate recharge, pres- First of all, we’ve outlined some of the
sensor matrix — more than 8000 sensors sure sensors at each parking spot could unique applications for the variety of
spaced at 1 cm — and their sensitivity, send out information about which, if sensors that can be printed on plastic
the data sent to a processor is able to dis- any, places are available. foils. Their key characteristics are their
tinguish between a person and a shop- Battery health monitoring. Battery flexibility, lightness, and low cost. By
ping cart. And because it is lightweight cells expand and contract during using a roll to roll printing process on a
and flexible and connects wirelessly, it charge/recharge cycles. A sensor coat- modified standard press, you can go
can be rolled up and carried by hand to ing could detect that and use the infor- right from a pilot run to mass produc-
different locations. mation to balance cell use, prevent over- tion with minimal effort and expense.
Smart factory. By lining stocking charging, measure temperature, and by Once the initial costs have been paid off,
shelves with sensor arrays, you can track these means optimize the battery life. as the production quantity increases the
the fill levels of the stock in a factory, see Car seat monitor. The foil can be inte- cost per foil is vastly reduced, mostly
it on a central screen, then order prior grated into a car seat to measure the determined only by material costs and
to a shortage. With an increased level of force profile of a person and analyze it printing speed.
integration, you could autonomously to sense a person’s sitting position. By This article was written by Ed Brown,
generate a refill order. This would pay training the AI, you could even identify Editor of Sensor Technology. For more infor-
for itself by keeping production running which regular driver is sitting in the car mation, visit http://info.hotims.com/
without downtime. and adjust the seat and steering wheel 76507-160.

Long-life
Batteries for the IIoT
Choosing the right battery will save trouble and expense in the long run.
he remote wireless devices used Long-life batteries are especially bene- industrial grade Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
T throughout the Industrial Inter-

net of Things (IIoT) should use
ficial for powering wireless devices that
draw average currents measurable in
rechargeable battery.
Tashatuvango/Shutterstock.com
long-life lithium batteries to microamps, an essential prerequisite for Lithium Thionyl Chloride (LiSOCl2)
deliver reliable performance that re- choosing an industrial-grade primary Batteries Last Longer
duces the total cost of ownership. (non-rechargeable) battery. Conversely, Lithium batteries are generally pre-
Using long-life lithium batteries can if a device draws average current meas- ferred because they feature a high
eliminate the need for hard-wiring urable in milliamps, then you should intrinsic negative potential that exceeds
devices to AC power, which can cost as consider using some form of energy har- all other metals. The lightest non-
much as $100/ft, or even more in vesting device (typically a small photo- gaseous metal, lithium, offers the high-
remote locations. voltaic panel) in conjunction with an est specific energy (energy per unit
Sensor Technology, September 2020 www.techbriefs.com 9

Long-life Batteries
weight) and energy density (energy per reactions reduce energy capacity even
unit volume) of all commercial battery while a battery is idle. The self-discharge
chemistries. Lithium batteries operate rate varies based on several factors,
with an output ranging from 2.7 volts to including current discharge potential,
3.6 volts, whereas other batteries operate the purity and quality of raw materials,
with a lower voltage. Alkaline, for and controlling the cell passivation to
instance, is 1.5 volts, requiring larger bat- effectively limit the chemical reactions
teries to deliver equivalent power. One that lead to self-discharge.
key advantage of higher voltage is that it Current discharge potential can vary
aids with product miniaturization. Also, based on cell design. For example,
being non-aqueous, this chemistry is less Tadiran manufactures two different
likely to freeze, which is ideal for applica- bobbin-type LiSOCl2 cells using the
Figure 1. Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries have
tions involving extreme environments. been proven to last up to 40 years in certain exact same chemistry. One version is
Various primary lithium chemistries are low power applications. designed, by reducing the passivation
available, including iron disulfate layer, to deliver higher current. But the
(LiFeS2), lithium manganese dioxide 125°C, which is ideal for remote wireless trade-off is significantly shorter battery
(LiMnO2), lithium thionyl chloride applications. life (10 years) due to higher self-dis-
(LiSOCl2), and lithium metal-oxide (See For example, specially modified bat- charge. The same chemistry is used in
Table). Of these, LiSOCl2 is widely pre- teries are used in cold chains to continu- 40-year batteries, but with much lower
ferred for long-term deployment in ously monitor the status of frozen foods, self-discharge (0.7% per year) due to
extreme environments, including applica- pharmaceuticals, tissue samples, and greater passivation. The trade-off, how-
tions such as AMR/AMI metering, M2M, transplant organs at minus 80°C. ever, is delayed voltage response, which
SCADA, RFID, tank-level monitoring, asset Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries can also can be overcome with a hybrid layer
tracking, animal tracking, RFID, and envi- be modified for use in high tempera- capacitor (HLC) that works like a
ronmental monitoring, to name a few. tures. For instance, they can enable rechargeable battery to store pulses and
Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries deliver active RFID tags to track the location eliminate the problem of voltage delays
the highest capacity and highest energy and status of medical equipment to and drops. The HLC comes into play
density of all lithium cells, which is an endure multiple cycles of autoclave ster- mostly with devices that require period-
important factor for product miniatur- ilization at 125°C without having to ic spikes for two-way communication,
ization. This chemistry also features remove the battery. remote shut-off, and other advanced
quite low self-discharge (less than 1% functionality.
per year for certain cells), enabling up The Link Between Self-Discharge The passivation effect occurs when a
to 40-year battery life. In addition, bob- and Passivation thin film of lithium chloride (LiCl)
bin-type LiSOCl2 batteries can operate Self-discharge is a natural phenome- forms on the surface of the lithium
over a temperature range of -80 to non that affects all batteries, as chemical anode, which naturally limits chemical
Comparison of primary (non-rechargeable) battery chemistries

Primary Cell LiSOCL2 LiSOCL2 Li Metal Oxide Li Metal Oxide Alkaline LiFeS2 LiMnO2
Bobbin-type Bobbin-type Modified for Modified for Lithium Iron CR123A
with Hybrid high capacity high power Disulfate
Layer Capacitor
Energy Density (Wh/1) 1,420 1,420 370 185 600 650 650
Power Very High Low Very High Very High Low High Moderate
Voltage 3.6 to 3.9 V 3.6 V 4.1 V 4.1 V 1.5 V 1.5 V 3.0 V
Pulse Amplitude Excellent Small High Very High Low Moderate Moderate
Passivation None High Very Low None N/A Fair Moderate
Performance at Excellent Fair Excellent Excellent Low Moderate Fair

Elevated Temp.
Performance at Excellent Fair Moderate Excellent Low Moderate Poor

Low Temp.
Operating life Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Moderate Moderate Fair
Self-Discharge Rate Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very High Moderate High
Operating Temp. -55°C to 85°C, -80°C to 125°C -45°C to 85°C -45°C to 85°C -0°C to 60°C -20°C to 60°C 0°C to 60°C
can be extended
to 105°C for a
short time

reactions. When a load is placed on the
cell, the higher resistance of the passiva-
tion layer causes voltage to dip tem-
porarily until the discharge reaction
removes the passivation layer — a
process that keeps repeating whenever
the load is removed.
Passivation is affected by factors such as
the current capacity of the cell, length of
storage, storage temperature, discharge
temperature, and prior discharge condi-
tions. Removing the load from a partially
discharged cell can impact passivation rel-
atively more than a new cell. Passivation is
essential for limiting self-discharge, but
too much of it can also restrict energy flow Figure 2. Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries allow medical RFID tags to undergo high temperature auto-
when it’s needed most. Reduced passiva- clave sterilization without having to remove the battery.
tion permits a greater energy flow, but
there is a trade-off in the form of higher
self-discharge and shorter operating life.
The Bottle Analogy

The effects of passivation on self-dis-
charge and energy flow is similar to com-
paring bottles of fluid with different size
openings:
• The volume of a glass/bottle is equiva-
lent to battery capacity
• Evaporation/self-discharge is equiva-
lent to capacity loss
• Flow volume is equal to discharge/
energy flow
Figure 3. PulsesPlus™ batteries combine a standard bobbin-type LiSOCl2 battery with a patented
• Low liquid/electrolyte quality can clog hybrid layer capacitor (HLC) to deliver the periodic high pulses required for two-way wireless com-
the bottle opening, causing a stoppage munications.
to flow/passivation
• Low liquid/electrolyte quality can overcome with the Tadiran patented temperatures. Battery suppliers for criti-
cause evaporation/self-discharge hybrid layer capacitor (HLC) that works cal applications that require long-life
• Large openings are good for fast like a rechargeable battery to deliver peri- reliability should provide fully docu-
flow/discharge but not for storing flu- odic high pulses. The HLC also features a mented test results, in-field perform-
ids for a long time unique end-of-life voltage plateau that ance data under similar conditions, and
• Long-life demands a smaller opening can be used for low-battery status alerts. multiple customer references.
for low evaporation/self-discharge Supercapacitors work similarly for con- Specifying a bobbin-type LiSOCl2 bat-
Bobbin-type LiSOCl2 batteries have sumer applications but are rarely used in tery with a self-discharge rate as low as
very “small openings” (low flow rate with industrial applications due to inherent 0.7% per year can enable certain low
slower evaporation/self-discharge), while drawbacks such as short-duration power, power devices to operate maintenance-
LiMnO2 and Alkaline cells have “larger linear discharge qualities that prevent free for up to 40 years, significantly reduc-
openings” (higher flow rates with faster use of all the available energy, low capac- ing the total cost of ownership. To proper-
evaporation/self-discharge). Too large an ity, low energy density, and high annual ly calculate the total cost of ownership, all
opening can cause excessive evapora- self-discharge rates (up to 60% per year). costs need to be anticipated, including the
tion/self-discharge. Too small an open- In addition, supercapacitors are connect- labor and materials that would be
ing can cause the opening to get clogged ed in series, requiring the use of cell-bal- required for future battery replacements
(excess passivation), especially with ancing circuits that add expense, bulki- and all the hidden costs associated with
chemical impurities. ness, and accelerated self-discharge due premature battery failure.
to added energy consumption. When seeking a long-life power solu-
Combining Low Self-Discharge with tion, it pays to understand how passiva-
High Pulses Things to Consider When Choosing tion and extreme temperatures can
Increasingly, remote wireless devices an Industrial-Grade Battery affect battery self-discharge.
require periodic high pulses to power The cumulative impact of annual self- This article was written by Sol Jacobs, VP
two-way communications. Standard bob- discharge often does not become appar- and General Manager, Tadiran Batteries
bin-type LiSOCl2 batteries can deliver low ent for years, and efforts to predict actu- (Lake Success, NY). Contact Mr. Jacobs at
background current but not high pulses, al battery life typically under-represent [email protected] or visit http://
due to their low rate design. This can be the effects of passivation and extreme info.hotims.com/76507-161.

Applications
Using the IoT for Predictive Maintenance
fficient and effective maintenance is 3. Condition-based maintenance. You
E critical to the success of all types of en-
terprises. In the manufacturing, extrac-
open the door to much more efficient
maintenance by taking advantage of
tive, utilities, and logistics industries, any continuous monitoring using the
unnecessary downtime, directly affects the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT con-
bottom line. Failures of building systems, nects devices so that they can share
both commercial and residential, lead to information for lots of different purpos-
extra expense and unhappy occupants. es. It could be closing the loop in com-
Maintenance systems can be looked at plex interconnected systems of produc-
through the lens of five different prac- tion or distribution, or providing real-
tices as shown in the Maintenance time data for managers. The IoT runs
Maturity Model (Figure 1): on a network of sensors residing on all
1. Reactive maintenance. This isn’t really of the connected devices. At the same
a system at all, it’s basically run to fail- time as they are providing functional
ure: when something breaks, then fix data for systems, those sensors could be
it. A surprise breakdown can occur at Figure 1. Maintenance maturity model. providing data on the operating condi-
any moment. It could be a critical (Courtesy of Oracle) tion of the connected devices. That data
machine in a processing plant — most can bring maintenance to a new level by
likely to occur at a time of maximum based on manufacturers’ recommen- basing it on actual real-time conditions.
usage, which is exactly the worst time. dations, say for lubrication or replac- The data can be used in different ways.
It could be an HVAC system at times ing gaskets. This can mean that you’re It can improve reactive maintenance by
of maximum stress because of shutting down too often, fixing what’s quickly identifying the point of failure.
extreme heat or cold — again, exactly not going to be broken anytime soon. Or, it can provide data for a more dynam-
the time when it’s most needed. And Or, even if you’re following one manu- ic system of preventive maintenance.
you’d better hope you’ve thought of facturer’s schedule, you might be over- 4. Predictive maintenance. You input
having spare parts on hand. looking something else that needs real-time sensor data along with his-
2. Preventive maintenance. You have a more frequent attention, and you’re torical context such as past mainte-
fixed maintenance schedule, perhaps faced with an unexpected breakdown. nance records, to machine-learning-
Figure 2. Digital twins provide virtual representation of physical assets. (Graphic courtesy of Oracle)

based analytics software, which can The first is what they call trends, which series analytics research,” said Suri.
make predictions about the probable is based on statistical process control “Although pattern-detection on data-at-
time to failure. The many advantages algorithms that have been developed rest is well understood, pattern detection
to this type of maintenance system over many years by industry. For exam- on streaming time-series data is still a very
include being able to schedule main- ple, an algorithm could be: if six (or evolving technology,” he added. The pat-
tenance to avoid unplanned shut- more) points in a row are continually terns don’t always match the model
downs and schedule it for convenient increasing (or decreasing), that indicates because machine behavior is not always
times, such as overnight or weekends. that there might be a potential failure. the same. However, on the plus side, the
5. Prescriptive maintenance. Based on Oracle has packaged together a cata- spikes the operator is looking for do follow
the predictive maintenance data, you logue of eight statistical algorithms that a certain kind of behavior. “So, the
know approximately when some- have been developed over the years for machine learning model is not looking for
thing’s going to happen, and how to making failure predictions.(Figure 3) a precise match, it’s looking for a certain
fix it. Your software can take steps to There are a number of predictive algo- type of behavior in the sensor data that
make sure the right parts are on hand, rithms that Oracle uses internally in its allows it to identify anomalies,” said Suri.
and the right information is available IoT application. A couple of them are: The Kernel Density Estimation (KDE)
for the maintenance technician. That Symbolic Aggregate Approximation: predictive maintenance algorithm: With
way when you reach the optimum time An operator can visualize the sensor this algorithm, you input historical data,
for the maintenance shutdown, you’ll data on a user interface. The advantage typically collected over a week or two.
be ready to go without delay. is that experienced operators can recog- Based on that, the algorithm models the
nize patterns. Someone who’s been behavior of the machine, even taking
An IoT Application for Predictive using a machine for the last two or three into account seasonalities, such as time
Maintenance years will know that if the temperature of day or day of the week. Any deviation
I spoke to Jai Suri, Vice President, and pressure of a particular device both from what could be deemed the “gold-
Product Management, IoT and Blockchain spike up at the same time, that indicates en” dataset, can then be detected in
Applications, Oracle Corporation about a failure is about to happen. near-real time, say every five minutes,
their maintenance offering. “As far as we “We want to digitize the analog knowl- and would be considered anomalous
see, many of the companies we talk to are edge that exists within an organization. behavior during that period.
in the reactive phase. However, my team There are people who have knowledge in
has built an IoT application that supports their heads out of shear experience that KPIs and Predictions
condition-based, predictive, and will even- cannot be easily replicated by mathemati- The challenge, after identifying nor-
tually support, prescriptive maintenance cal modelling,” Suri explained. The idea is mal conditions and trending problems,
systems,” said Suri. to incorporate in the software what a is to make predictions for specific
Their Software as a Service (SaaS) skilled operator would do in the field: look devices and systems. The first step is to
application enables you to connect to at the data and recognize that a particular construct a Key Performance Indicator
any kind of physical asset, which could waveform means something is wrong. (KPI) because sensor data by itself does
be a motor, pump, air compressor, a Oracle’s software constructs a machine not provide enough performance con-
forklift — the list goes on — and collect learning model using that pattern, which text. It’s important to decide which are
detailed real-time information about can then be continuously applied to the most important measures of system
each of them. The Oracle software uses streaming data in real time. “This was a performance. A KPI could be Mean
this information to build a “digital challenge requiring a fair amount of time- Time Between Failures (MTBF), utiliza-
twin,” which is a virtual representation
of the physical asset. For example, if the
asset is used in an HVAC system, the
data could include fan speed, motor
temperature, and vibration, as well as
flow, pressure, and temperature of the
inlet and output air.
The digital twin could be interrogated
for this data at any moment in time. It can
be used to trigger alarms for data points.
It can also provide data for identifying
trends and making predictions.(Figure 2)
Analytics
I asked Suri to explain how the Oracle
software uses the data to determine when
conditions are trending towards failure.
He detailed a few different methods. Figure 3. Oracle automatic anomaly detection.

Applications
tion, or power consumption per hour, send a command back to the machine to ommendations for optimal time windows
for example. The goal is then to predict make a change, like “lower the speed” or for the maintenance. You don’t want to
what this KPI could be a day from now “turn yourself off.” Data can not only be perform the maintenance too early or too
or a week from now. Using a historical consumed, but commands can be sent late. The preventive maintenance sched-
dataset, you construct a machine learn- back to the machine via the IoT. ule should be merely a guideline. Ideally,
ing model for that particular KPI and With edge analytics, many of these algo- it should vary significantly based on how
then find an algorithm that is a best fit rithms can be pushed down to the sensor much you used the asset, how it is used,
for making the prediction — Oracle has itself, so that it doesn’t make the round who is using it, and so on. A recommenda-
a catalogue of algorithms to start with. trip to the cloud. Evaluating the algo- tion might show up in the UI that could
So, based on the KPI and the calcula- rithms at the machine enables low-latency say: “Your current maintenance window
tions from the dataset, Oracle’s AutoML responses. Many of the rules can also be for HVAC1 is three months. We recom-
technology, which is part of their IoT pushed down to the device itself. Let’s say mend that you increase it to four months
application automatically runs multiple the temperature’s gone up: you don’t because your time to failure is five
algorithms to find one that will provide want to wait until a rule is evaluated in the months.” Maintenance mangers can then
the best accuracy. One component of cloud and then something comes back, decide whether or not to use the recom-
the AutoML technology is to automati- you want an action in seconds or less. mendations. That way, the preventive
cally retrain the machine learning mod- Only after the rule gets evaluated and an maintenance schedules don’t stay static —
els periodically in order to find better-fit action occurs does the cloud get notified. they can evolve with time and with the
algorithms as the data evolves, typically actual machine data.
over the course of a week. Recommendations
How can all of the information be Looking Ahead
Actions made actionable for the maintenance At this point in time the costs of hard-
All of these results are then evaluated manager? One way to do that is to opti- ware and software are significantly lower-
by a rules engine. And this is another mize the preventive maintenance sched- ing while their sophistication is signifi-
point where manual input comes in. ule. One of the key inputs the mainte- cantly increasing — you can get a really
The operator decides: “If this anomaly nance managers provide to the system is high-powered computing system onto
has occurred, what action do I need to to construct maintenance programs. your machine for literally dollars.
take?” The actions could be to send out These are based on a preventive mainte- And communication costs are down.
notifications, create a maintenance work nance schedule, following manufacturer With 3G/4G cellular, it’ll cost around $5
order, or send an email. input, or their own experience. or $10 a month to connect every asset.
One action, particularly with condi- With information on anomalies, and That’s a lot if you have 10,000 or 100,000
tion-based maintenance, could be to with predictions, the system can make rec- assets. With new technologies such as
LoRa, 5G, and NB-IoT, however, the costs
are around $2 – $5 a year, per asset. Also,
protocols are becoming much more stan-
dardized. You used to have to invest in
huge amounts of software to run this kind
of data pipeline within your own enter-
prise. Now, you can just buy a subscrip-
tion and run everything in your cloud.
Predictive maintenance is poised to
become much more widely adopted,
and that will help to boost productivity
in a time when we really need it.
This article was written by Ed Brown,
Editor of Sensor Technology. For more infor-
mation, visit http://info.hotims.com/76507-
Figure 4. Machine learning and AI based predictive maintenance in Oracle IoT. 164.
3D Ultrasonic Sensors Support New Industrial Applications

ltrasonic sensors are used for a wide cost, and precise short-range 3D vision systems across a variety of applications.
U range of detection tasks in the indus-
trial environment. For example, for de-
for emerging technologies, such as
autonomous driving, robotics, and smart
The performance of ultrasonic sensors is
particularly robust in harsh environ-
tecting objects with diverse aggregate buildings. Unlike existing sensor tech- ments, as they are extremely dirt toler-
states: solid, liquid, granular, color- nologies that can be negatively impacted ant and their reliability is not affected by
changing, transparent, or high-gloss. by light conditions, reflections, and dust, smoke, mist or similar.
Toposens (Munich, Germany) has weather, Toposens sensors use echoloca- Currently available ultrasonic sensors
developed advanced ultrasonic sensors tion to generate robust, real-time 3D have the problem that they can only per-
that use sound to support robust, low- echo location data to guide autonomous form tasks in one-dimensional space. This

AcoustiSens®
Wideband Vibration Sensor
Optical Fiber
IMPROVED OSNR FOR GREAT ASNR
Figure 1. 3D echolocation sensor. (photo courtesy of Toposens)
means, that if the localization task requires sensors that measure,

object positions and distances in three-dimensional space, ultra-
sonic sensors are no longer suitable for the application.
Toposens wants to change this now. The company has devel-
oped an ultrasonic sensor that locates multiple objects and meas-
ures their distances in three-dimensional space. With the 3D abil-
ity of the sensor, the technology is no longer confined to the typi-
cal applications for currently available ultrasonic sensor technolo-
gies such as filling level or distance measurement — whole areas
can be observed.
These sensors will improve autonomous technologies in the
industrial environment like AGVs or forklifts and make
machines and everyday work safer and more efficient.
What Makes 3D Ultrasound Technology Different From

Conventional Ultrasonic Sensors?
For distance measurement, a typical ultrasonic sensor uses a
transducer to periodically send out pulses. These pulses get
Optimal performance for
reflected from objects in the detection area of the sensor and
are then returned to it. By measuring the time it takes the pulse Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems
to travel to the object and back to the sensor, the distance to the
object can be calculated. This principle is called time-of-flight
(ToF) measurement. MONITORING
In addition to measuring the distance to an object, Toposens’ MIDSTREAM
technology also calculates the horizontal and vertical position of
an object relative to the sensor itself — it provides 3D coordinates PERIMETER
for the reflected echoes. The localization of objects in three- RAIL
dimensional space also allows multiple objects to be detected in BORDER
a single scan. In that sense, the principle behind the 3D ultrason- HIGHWAY
ic technology is similar to the echolocation used by bats.
In comparison, an ordinary ultrasound sensor will normally
SMART CITY
only give the distance to the nearest object. Because of this, a
limited opening angle is usually applied for this type of sensor.
In contrast, the Toposens sensor systems allow for opening
angles of up to 140°. Due to the quadratic damping of the
ultrasonic pulses as they travel through the air, the sensor is
especially suited for object detection at close-range distances.
Capabilities of 3D Ultrasound for Autonomous Vehicles

in Industrial Environments
Autonomous technologies in industrial environments for www.ofsoptics.com
example, forklifts or AGVs, are typically equipped with a wide
range of sensors to ensure a smooth, safe, and reliable work-

Applications
Figure 4. Beacon-based 3D tracking system.

(Photo courtesy of Toposens)
trolled by the receiver unit. To start the

tracking process, the receiver sends a
trigger via Bluetooth to the sender,
Figure 2. Vehicles can use 3D ultrasound to recognize their close-range environment. (Image cour- which then sends out an ultrasonic
tesy of Toposens) pulse. When the receiver detects the
ultrasound pulse, the 3D coordinates of
the sender are calculated using a
patented algorithm and the data is out-
put via USB or UART. In the current
development state, the tracking system
offers an accuracy of ±30 mm when the
distance between the sender and receiv-
er is 10 m.
This functionality was tested in an
elevator application. By training an
observed scene and clustering the
points that do not belong to this scene,
the elevator doors were prevented from
closing on people.
Figure 3. Noise cancellation in an observed scene. (Image courtesy of Toposens) The system can of course also be used
in the industrial sectors. For example, in
flow. However, there are still accidents its architecture to calculate location of freight elevators, but also in all other
and work delays every day, as these tech- the echo. applications wherever areas need to be
nologies generally have problems with Toposens uses a proprietary micro- observed.
close-range detection — for example phone layout to reliably calculate the
objects that suddenly appear. 3D location of each echo. In addition, Further Applications
Since 3D ultrasound technology is the signal strength of each reflection is Since the possible applications for
designed to detect objects and obstacles also available for post-processing func- 3D ultrasonic technology are so
at distances of up to five meters, by tions. This enables autonomous tech- diverse, the next logical step was to fur-
using the positions of the detected nologies to create a 3D point cloud of ther develop the system for other appli-
echoes, the vehicles can use just ultra- warehouses or other industrial envi- cations. Therefore, Toposens started to
sound to recognize their close-range ronments. develop a 3D beacon-based tracking
environment. system based on their ultrasound tech-
The 3D ultrasonic technology oper- Path and Trajectory Prediction With nology. The 3D tracking system can
ates by transmitting at a pre-configured 3D Ultrasound Technology output 3D coordinates based on ultra-
frequency and listenening for corre- Through the filtering and clustering of sound with a single receiver and at
sponding echoes reflected from objects point cloud data, static objects in the least one beacon. This enables a multi-
in the immediate surroundings. These scene can be ignored and new objects that tude of new applications in the indus-
echoes are received by an array of micro- enter the observed scene can be tracked trial area.
phones that convert membrane vibra- in real time. The trajectory of these tracks With the help of the tracking system,
tions into electrical signals, which are allows the technology to infer whether machine safety, as well as the safety of
subsequently sampled by an analog-to- objects or people are likely to enter an the workers can be improved. If, for
digital converter (ADC). The technolo- area of interest in the observed scene example, machines or autonomous tech-
gy usess digital signal processing func- The system, which consists of a nologies and workers are equipped with
tions that are particularly optimized for receiver and at least one sender is con- the tracking system, an automatic switch-

off can be guaranteed if a person comes Cutting-Edge Sensor Technology Is With the Toposens’ sensor technolo-
dangerously close to running machines Needed for the Future Of Industrial gy, further applications in the industrial
or vehicles. Advancement sector can be opened in the future. All
But not only can work safety be There is no doubt that technologies in this based on their already established
increased due to the high accuracy of the industrial environment as well as in and reliable ultrasonic technology.
the tracking system in close-range dis- other areas will have to be made safer This article was written by Andreas Just,
tances, autonomous technologies can and more efficient in the future. There Head of Marketing at Toposens GmbH
for example, dock with millimeter will be a great demand for reliable, (Munich, Germany). You can contact Mr.
accuracy at charging stations or other robust, and cost-efficient sensor solu- Just at [email protected] or visit
locations. tions. http://info.hotims.com/76507-162.
Smart Sensors for Hazardous Areas

mart wireless sensors for rotating ma- and performance of motors that operate monitoring in a wide variety of demand-
S chines are deployed in thousands of
installations worldwide. But producing a
equipment such as pumps, fans, and
compressors. It has also resulted in an
ing applications.
cost-effective and easy-to-deploy sensor increased safety risk for operators who Functions of Smart Sensors for
solution for motors and pumps operat- need to venture into hazardous areas of Hazardous Areas
ing in hazardous areas, is a challenge. plants to carry out condition monitoring Smart sensors for hazardous areas
These are areas where the presence of of equipment. monitor key parameters of assets such
flammable vapor or gases requires spe- However, a new generation of smart as motors and pumps and provide
cial precautions to prevent the risk of ex- sensors has been developed by ABB, detailed insights into their perform-
plosion. The lack of such sensors has which are designed especially for rotat- ance and health. This includes gather-
limited the range of machinery that ing equipment operating in explosive ing information on power and energy
could be remotely monitored and has atmospheres. This enables operators in consumption, which enables the identi-
left a huge gap in the ability to gain industries like chemical, oil, and gas to fication of energy- saving opportunities,
meaningful information on the health benefit from cost-effective condition for potential cost savings of up to 10%.

Applications
While many other sensors measure
only vibration and temperature, the
Ability Smart Sensor also measures high-
frequency vibrations, magnetic fields,
temperature, and acoustics. As a result,
it can measure the speed and rotation of
motors with extreme accuracy.
To earn qualification to operate in
hazardous areas, sensors must meet
specific design requirements and com-
ply with a large number of standards.
For instance, they must ensure that an
internal short circuit in the battery will
not cause heating that could ignite
gas. When battery-powered sensors are
short circuited during testing they
must reach a temperature no higher
than 135°C, the T4 temperature class
standard.
The sensor enclosure must not have
any components that generate heat or
sparks. To ensure this, sensors must be
Figure 1. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. (Photo courtesy of ABB) filled with conductive material to prevent
sparks or the spread of heat if
The sensors can also indicate when spe- faster and more robust than previous the enclosure is compromised. Further-
cific maintenance operations are designs. It also has more working memo- more, the sensor must be able to sustain
required, such as when a bearing needs ry and more internal storage memory, as stresses that arise from its environment.
regreasing. well as a battery life of up to three times This smart sensor was designed to oper-
The data collected by the smart sen- longer than many competing designs. It ate in a temperature range of -40°C to
sors can help predict potential failure, can communicate with smartphones, +85°C, as this is typical for most industri-
so that preemptive action can be taken tablets, PCs, and plant gateways using low al electronic components. However, it
before a breakdown occurs. This can energy Bluetooth or WirelessHART. A can actually operate in a range of -70°C
prevent unexpected downtime and new antenna design ensures reliable com- to +130°C. This was determined through
reduce maintenance costs, as predictive munication over distances of up to sever- Highly Accelerated Life Tests (HALTs),
maintenance is far cheaper and less dis- al hundred meters in line-of-sight. The which use cycles of high and low temper-
ruptive than reactive maintenance. new sensor also has greater sensitivity to ature and a combination of high vibra-
Using smart sensors also allows equip- small changes in the condition of the tions and extreme temperatures to test
ment installed in difficult or dangerous- equipment, including advanced warning the resilience of the sensor.
to-access locations to be safely moni- of bearing damage.
tored from a distance. As a result, Vibration
employees have to enter these haz- Designing for Hazardous Areas Vibration sensors are becoming com-
ardous locations less frequently, increas- Smart sensors for hazardous areas face monplace in consumer electronics and
ing their safety. several design challenges. They must industrial automation — but creating a
This new generation of ABB hazardous measure high-frequency vibrations, high-quality vibration sensor is no easy
duty smart sensors — Ability™ — incor- demonstrate physical resilience against task. For example, it is essential to stop
porates a microprocessor that is both harsh and hazardous ambient condi- resonances occurring anywhere in the
tions, and have a long life. sensor body from impacting the trans-
ducers that pick up vibrations from the
machine being monitored. Many aspects
make the problem more difficult to
solve — positioning, mounting brackets,
and method of attachment to cite a few.
Doing so at the lowest possible cost is a
complex tradeoff to solve.
ABB’s first approach to the new sen-
sor used a large pressed-steel plate at
the bottom of the sensor to transmit the
vibrations of the monitored asset in as
direct a manner as possible. The sensor
had two electronic boards, one glued to
Figure 2. ABB smart sensor for hazardous loca- Figure 3. Hazardous duty sensor testbed. the metal plate (itself screwed to the
tions. (Photo courtesy of ABB) (Photo courtesy of ABB) asset) and another connected to the

plate and that board using only a flexi-
ble cable. This first version of the metal
plate delivered poor performance with
respect to self-resonance. Resonance
forces from the body of the sensor
propagated to the pressed metal base
and were picked up by the vibration
transducers.
By using a fine-grained model of the
sensor and metal plate, however, many
alternatives were simulated, resulting in
a metal plate that not only completely
sticks to the machine without propagat-
ing vibration forces from the body of
the sensor to the location of the vibra-
tion transducers, but also maintains
cost targets.
Batteries
Batteries are a special problem for
wireless sensors operating in hazardous
areas. Replaceable or rechargeable bat- Figure 4. Motor-mounted hazardous duty sensors. (Photo courtesy of ABB)
teries are undesirable because:
• Replaceable batteries can increase the the corresponding leakage current ily adapted to new requirements due to
cost of the sensor to the point where it based on a proven battery model. a flexible software architecture that
makes more sense to simply change In a further battery charge measure- decouples individual components from
the entire sensor — and get new elec- ment tactic, the firmware uses a point the hardware/operating system plat-
tronic components with higher per- system to calculate the charge consumed form. These components communi-
formance into the bargain. by normal sensor operations. Most of cate using a publish-subscribe middle-
• There is a risk that the user would the time, the sensor is in a deep sleep ware. Overall, the firmware is organ-
compromise the hazardous area pro- and consumes very little power, but ized as a software product line, and
tection status by inserting the new bat- when the sensor awakens, its power con- thus it is suitable for the creation of
teries incorrectly. sumption ramps up. The sensor records new sensor variants based on the same
• Ingress protection against dust and how much time each battery-consuming underlying platform.
water could also be compromised if the operation takes — for example, the As with all wireless sensors, cyberse-
batteries are not replaced correctly. duration of Bluetooth chip activity. curity features are critical. The Ability
ABB’s goal was to design an embed- From the durations and power curves of Smart Sensors include secure key
ded system with a design life of up to 15 the operations, the consumed charge is exchange for Bluetooth communica-
years as well as providing a reliable indi- calculated and subtracted from initial tion with out-of-band pairing, Blue-
cation of remaining battery life. battery capacity. Based on a rolling aver- tooth encryption, user authentication,
That was difficult for at least three age value of the consumption, remain- role-based access control, and secure
reasons: ing lifetime is estimated and published. firmware update.
• To limit battery internal leakage cur- This approach captures actual battery
rent, the temperature experienced by usage rather than relying on a prede- Looking to the Future
the battery must be moderate. fined battery lifetime and assumed The heart of Industry 4.0, the
• To prevent the soldered pads from power consumption levels, which are Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT),
breaking, vibration forces from the often inaccurate. and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is
battery and the sensor must not propa- a pervasive network of sensors that
gate to the interface between the two. Future Proofing provide high-quality, fine-grained
• The sensor’s power consumption must The new Smart Sensor’s firmware data. Without wireless sensors that are
be kept low, even with a large battery and software have two major goals: to safe to operate in hazardous areas,
installed. support the creation of different types these networks would be incomplete.
In the new smart sensor, the battery of sensors in the future and to allow a In fact, safe monitoring of machinery
and its soldered pads are enclosed in a deployed sensor to be reconfigured for in hazardous areas, is more critical
battery holder that is separated from monitoring various asset types. As an than any other because it has to be
the primary heat sources by an air gap, example of the latter goal, a new sen- kept safely isolated from its environ-
which protects it from the heat coming sor could be reconfigured on-the-fly to ment.
from the monitored asset. be used either as a motor sensor or a This article was written by Teijo Kärnä,
To evaluate the temperature-depen- pump sensor — or for any other asset Global Product Manager, ABB Ability™
dent leakage current of the battery, type, characterized by selecting prede- Smart Sensor. You can contact Mr. Kärnä at
the sensor measures battery tempera- fined or custom-made machine pro- [email protected] or com or visit
ture during operation and estimates files. The sensor’s firmware can be eas- http://info.hotims.com/76507-163.

Tech Briefs
Self-Powered Alarm Fights Forest Fires, Monitors
Environment
A remote forest fire detection and alarm system is powered by nothing but the
movement of trees in the wind.
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
I n a new study, a team of Michigan State

University scientists designed and fabri-
cated a remote forest fire detection and
of unique material that fit within one
another. The core sleeve is anchored
from above while the bottom sleeve is
alarm system powered by nothing but free to slide up and down and move
the movement of the trees in the wind. side to side, constrained only by an elas-
The device, known as MC-TENG — tic connective band or spring. As the
short for multilayered cylindrical tribo- two sleeves move out of sync, the inter-
electric nanogenerator — generates mittent loss of contact generates elec-
electrical power by harvesting energy tricity. The MC-TENG are equipped
from the sporadic movement of the tree with several hierarchical triboelectric
branches from which it hangs. layers, increasing the electrical output.
“The self-powered sensing system It stores its sporadically generated elec-
could continuously monitor fire and trical charge in a carbon-nanotube-
MSU's Changyong Cao directs the Laboratory
environmental conditions without for Soft Machines and Electronics. (Photo cour- based micro-supercapacitor. The re-
requiring maintenance after deploy- tesy of MSU) searchers selected this technology for
ment,” said Professor Changyong Cao. its rapid charge and discharge times,
For Cao and his team, the tragic forest on battery technology for power. allowing the device to adequately
fires in recent years across the American Although solar cells have been widely charge with only short but sustained
West, Brazil, and Australia were driving used for portable electronics or self- gusts of wind.
forces behind this new technology. Cao powered systems, it is challenging to At a very low vibration frequency, the
believes that early and quick response to install these in a forest because of the MC-TENG can efficiently generate
forest fires will make the task of extin- shading or covering of lush foliage. electricity to charge the attached
guishing them easier, significantly TENG technology converts external supercapacitor in less than three min-
reducing the damage and loss of proper- mechanical energy — such as the move- utes. The researchers outfitted the ini-
ty and life. ment of a tree branch — into electricity tial prototype with both carbon
Traditional forest fire detection by way of the triboelectric effect, a phe- monoxide (CO) and temperature sen-
methods include satellite monitoring, nomenon where certain materials sors. The addition of a temperature
ground patrols, and watch towers, become electrically charged after they sensor was intended to reduce the like-
which have high labor and financial separate from a second material with lihood of a false positive carbon diox-
costs, yet low efficiency. Currently which they were previously in contact. ide reading.
remote sensor technologies are becom- The simplest version of the TENG For more information, contact Adrian de
ing more common, but primarily rely device consists of two cylindrical sleeves Novato at [email protected].
Engineers 3D-Print Sensors Onto Moving Organs

Designed to assist in robotic surgeries, biomedical devices can be printed in and on the
human body.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Bethesda, MD
A new technique allows 3D printing of

hydrogel-based sensors directly on the
surface of organs, such as lungs — even as
assist a surgeon with removing a tumor
from a lung, for example, this technology
could 3D print a sensor onto the surface of
ing of various functional devices on and
inside human bodies. Examples include
electrode arrays that interface with the
they expand and contract. The technology the lung to monitor how well it functions nervous system to treat pain, bioscaffolds
was developed to support robot-assisted during and following the procedure. with engineered cells that can regenerate
medical treatments. According to the The researchers expect the break- tissues, and efficient and accurate appli-
researchers, along with a robot’s ability to through technology to facilitate 3D print- cation of surgical glues and skin grafts.

A key to making the technology work
was the use of motion capture technolo-
gy, which is similar to that used in films
and video games. Moviemakers use the
technique to track moving elements in a
scene to seamlessly insert special effects,
or on actors to convert them to CGI
characters. That type of closed loop
tracking enabled addition of a new
degree of freedom in 3D-printing — suc-
cessfully printing a sensor onto an
expanding biological surface without
damaging the organ.
After fine-tuning the new system on a
balloon as it was inflated and deflated,
the team moved on to printing on an
animal lung in the lab as it was rhythmi-
cally pulsed with air to simulate breath-
ing. A special hydrogel embedded with
electrodes around its perimeter was
printed to form an electrical impedance
tomography (EIT) sensor map. The
device is able to stretch with the move- Sensor 3D printed onto expanding and contracting lung. (Credit: Zhijie Zhu, University of Minnesota)
ment of the surface it is on, such as when
lungs are breathing in and out — move- organ using a sensor printed onto its sur- “We are beginning to learn a lot about
ment that the sensor can electronically face, according to the team. They envi- the effects of COVID-19 on the human
relay for real-time tracking of the strain sion developing different types of sen- body,” said Michael McAlpine, Ph.D. “A
on the lung surface as it expands and sors that could be adapted to different technology like this could be used to
contracts. organs, such as a sensor printed on a monitor changes in respiratory function
Measuring the lung’s flexibility with human heart to monitor cardiac func- during and after coronavirus infection.”
the EIT sensor is just one example of tion. The technology could also be a use- For more information, contact Thomas M.
remotely measuring the health of an ful tool in caring for COVID-19 patients. Johnson at [email protected].
Smart Windows Self-Illuminate on Rainy Days

Self-powering, color-changing humidity sensors are applicable to various fields
including smart windows, health care, and safety management.
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Gyeongbuk, Korea.
S mart windows that automatically

change colors depending on the
intensity of sunlight are gaining atten-
using chitosan-based hydrogel and com-
bined it with solar cells to make a self-
powering humidity sensor.
ences to occur in a particular space to
transmit only certain wavelengths and
reflect the others to select only the
tion as they can reduce energy bills by Sensors using light are already widely desired data. It is known that the reso-
blocking the sun’s visible rays during used in our daily lives for measuring nance wavelength of transmitted light
summer. But what about windows that such things as air quality or distance. can be controlled according to the thick-
change colors depending on the humid- The basic principle is to use light to ness and refractive index of the dielec-
ity outside during the monsoon season detect changes in the surroundings and tric layer. However, the existing metal-
or on hot days of summer? Recently, a to convert them into digital signals. dielectric-metal resonators had a big dis-
Korean research team has developed the Fabri-Perot interference is one of the advantage in not being able to control
source technology for smart windows resonance phenomena that can be the wavelengths of transmitted light
that change colors according to the applied in optical sensors and can be once they were manufactured, making it
amount of moisture, without needing materialized in the form of multilayer difficult to use them in variable sensors.
electricity. The team successfully devel- thin films of metal-dielectric-metal. It is The research team found that when
oped a variable color filter using a metal- a device where multiple wavelengths chitosan hydrogel is made into the
hydrogel-metal resonator structure enter a filter and cause multiple interfer- metal-hydrogel-metal structure, the res-

Tech Briefs
wavelength depending on the external
humidity.
The design principle is to overlap the
filter’s resonance wavelength with the
wavelength where the absorption of the
solar cells changes rapidly. This filter is
designed to change the amount of light
absorption of solar cells depending on
the amount of moisture, and to lead to
electric changes that ultimately detect
the surrounding humidity.
Unlike conventional optical humidi-
ty sensors, these newly developed ones
work regardless of the type of light,
whether it be natural, LED, or indoor.
Also, not only does it function without
external power, but it can also predict
humidity according to the filter’s color.
According to Professor Junsuk Rho,
“This technology is a sensing technology
that can be used in places like nuclear
Metal-hydrogel-metal filter that repeats expansion and contraction as moisture level changes power reactors, where people and elec-
around it. (Image courtesy of POSTECH) tricity cannot reach.” He added, “It will
create even greater synergy if combined
onance wavelength of light transmitted team developed a humidity sensor that with IoT technology such as humidity
changes in real time depending on the can convert light’s energy into electrici- sensors that activate smart windows that
humidity of the environment. This is ty by combining a solar battery with a change colors according to the level of
because the chitosan hydrogel expands water-variable wavelength filter made of external humidity.”
and contracts as the humidity changes a metal-hydrogel-metal structured For more information, contact Junsuk Rho
around it. Using this mechanism, the metamaterial that changes resonance at [email protected].
Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

Empa researchers were able to demonstrate real-time acoustic monitoring of laser weld seams.
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Dubendorf, Switzerland
W ith an X-ray experiment at the

European Synchrotron ESRF in
Grenoble, France, Empa researchers
time monitoring of the weld quality
would be a major advantage.
While in conduction welding only the
in deep penetration laser welding. To do
this, they are using an inexpensive
acoustic sensor while also measuring the
were able to demonstrate how well their surface of the material is molten, in deep reflection of the laser beam on the metal
real-time acoustic monitoring of laser penetration welding the laser beam pen- surface. The combined data are ana-
weld seams works. With almost 90 per- etrates quickly and deeply into the mate- lyzed within 70 milliseconds with the
cent reliability, they detected the forma- rial and produces a thin hole filled with help of artificial intelligence (convolu-
tion of unwanted pores that impair the metal and gas vapors, which is called a tional neural network). This allows the
quality of weld seams. Thanks to a special "keyhole". If the keyhole becomes too quality of the laser welding process to be
evaluation method based on artificial deep, the vapor pressure of the metal monitored in real time.
intelligence (AI), the detection process vapor decreases while the surface ten- The Empa researchers recently
is completed in just 70 milliseconds. sion of the molten metal increases. The demonstrated the accuracy of their
Laser welding is a process suitable for keyhole becomes unstable and can even- monitoring method at the European
joining metals and thermoplastics. It has tually collapse, leaving a pore in the weld Synchrotron ESRF in Grenoble. Using
become particularly well established in seam — an unwanted fault in the materi- their laser, they melted a keyhole into a
highly automated production, for exam- al. It is therefore important for the qual- small aluminum plate, which was simul-
ple in the automotive industry, because a ity of laser welding seams, to be able taneously scanned by hard X-ray radia-
laser operates with virtually no wear, is detect the moment when the keyhole tion. The entire process, which takes less
very fast, and offers high precision. But becomes unstable. Before now, it was than a hundredth of a second, was
until now, the quality of a weld seam only possible to look into the keyhole recorded with a high-speed X-ray cam-
could only be documented retrospec- from the top using optical methods. era. The result: the individual phases of
tively, either by means of X-rays, magnet- A group of Empa researchers has now the welding process could be correctly
ic analysis methods, or by dissecting indi- succeeded in precisely detecting and identified with more than 90 percent
vidual samples from production. Real- documenting the moment of instability certainty.

RDP
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• Wide range of sensors and instrumentation backed
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Automating ■ Monitoring ■ Testing ■ And More...

Formation of a "keyhole" when a laser beam hits a metal surface. For FREE Information Pack
(Graphic: Empa) Call RDP Electrosense
800-334-5838 or
Once the laser beam hits the metal, the first phase of the visit www.rdpe.com
heat conduction welding process begins — only the surface is
melted. Subsequently, a stable keyhole is formed, which "wob-
bles" (unstable keyhole) with longer exposure times.
Sometimes the keyhole spits out liquid metal, similar to a vol-
canic eruption (blowout). If it collapses in an uncontrolled www.embeddedARM.com
manner, a pore is formed. All these phases can be detected in
real time.
In some experiments, the researchers created pores in the
weld seam and then closed them again with a second laser
TS-7100
pulse. The formation of the pore could be detected with 87 Our smallest single board computer measuring only
percent certainty, successful removal with as much as 73 per- 2.4" by 3.6" by 1.7", with optional 2.8" touch LCD
cent. Being able to detect the fault during the welding NXP i.MX6 UL 696MHz ARM CPU
means that post-processing with the laser can be started
immediately.
The monitoring process developed at Empa can be used not
only for laser welding, but also for quality control of 3D-print-
ed metal parts. In the powder bed process — one of the most
common methods used in 3D metal printing — a laser beam
passes through a layer of metal beads and welds them together.
If pores appear, the laser could be directed towards the defec-
tive area a second time to remove each pore subsequently.
However, this can only be done with the help of real-time mon-
itoring, because any pores that have been created must be
eliminated immediately, before they are covered by further lay-
ers of metal.
"One advantage of our monitoring method is that the
acoustic and optical sensors we use are inexpensive and robust
and can be easily retrofitted in existing industrial plants," said
Kilian Wasmer, who coordinated the work. The AI that was
used for the signal processing was done with graphics proces-
sors that can calculate several tasks in parallel. “Such proces-
sors are also used in modern game consoles and are available
at a reasonable price. Thus, the rapid technical progress in
Playstation and others has helped our work a lot."
For more information, contact Rainer Klose at [email protected].

New Products
MEMS Sensor for Safety-Critical Automotive Flow Transmitters Interface With PD and
Applications Turbine Flow Meters to a Smart Phone
Murata Electronics (Smyrna, GA) announced a AW-Lake (Oak-Creek, WI) introduces the EDGE
new Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Six family of flow electronics that interface with positive
Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) inertial sensor that displacement or turbine flow meters. When installed
delivers high performance for safety-critical automo- on a flow meter, the EDGE electronics can force the
tive applications. The SCHA600 combines an XYZ-axis sensor to output a frequency or analog signal output
gyroscope and XYZ-axis accelerometer with digital SPI Interface to pro- for greater flexibility when interfacing with readout equipment or con-
vide bias stability and noise performance for safety-critical automotive trol rooms. Modbus output also adds system compatibility for more
applications. Further, the orthogonality of the measurement axes is cali- advanced operations. A Bluetooth mobile application supports signal
brated at the manufacturing level so system integrators can skip this cost- processing, allowing users to monitor and program flow meters from a
ly, yet critical, step. This new sensor allows for higher levels of Advanced smartphone that serves as a hand-held display. With basic scaling and
Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD) func- advanced functions, the application allows for remote correction of
tionality through data fusion with Global Navigation Satellite Systems nonlinear flow meters to provide a linear analog output.
(GNSS) and various perception sensors such as camera, radar, and lidar. For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-175
Long-Range Ultrasonic Air Transducer
Absolute Pressure Sensor AIRMAR® Technology Corporation (Milford,
TTI Americas (Fort Worth, TX) is now offering NH) is introducing their ultrasonic ART15 Airducer,
Amphenol Advanced Sensors NPB-101 Digital Output an air transducer for long-range level measurement of
Absolute Pressure Sensor. The NPB-101 provides low both solids and liquids. With a 60-meter (197-foot) range, it
power consumption and compact size, making it ideal delivers long distance level measurement performance without
for battery-powered and mobile applications. It employs the high cost of radar technology. Ideal applications for the ART15
a MEMS pressure sensor with a signal-conditioning IC to include silos, large wells, wastewater facilities, large capacity tanks, and
provide accurate pressure measurement from 260 mbar to 1260 mbar. river crossings/bridges. It requires minimum maintenance, is not
This sensor is temperature compensated and calibrated while also pro- affected by color or object transparency, and can be utilized in dark
viding a temperature output via an internal sensor. environments. It also comes equipped with a built-in thermistor that
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-172 provides ambient temperature.
Automotive-Grade 3D Hall Effect Sensor
Melexis (Tessenderloo, Belgium) has an- Combined Displacement and Inclination Sensor
nounced the MLX90395 Triaxis® Magnetometer ASM Sensor’s (Elmhurst, IL) Posiwire ® cable exten-
Node, an automotive-grade (AEC-Q100) mono- sion sensor WST85, combines displacement and incli-
lithic sensor that uses the Hall effect to provide nation measurement. Displacement is measured using
contactless sensing in three dimensions. The dual- cable extension sensor technology with contactless,
die version of the MLX90395 provides redundancy for demanding sce- magnetic multi-Hall encoder technology. Inclination is
narios, such as gear lever position sensing in automotive applications. Its measured by an integrated inclination sensor element
functionality is defined through the system processor, rather than hard- based on MEMS technology. The sensor is suited for applications in
wired into the device itself. Along with magnetic field sensors to measure harsh environments such as in mobile machines. It measures linear posi-
three fields (Bx, By, Bz), it also integrates a temperature sensor and sup- tion up to 6000 mm and inclination between +/-180° in one axis.
ply voltage monitor. The sensor operates in one of three modes: single Available digital outputs are CANopen and CANopen redundant. The
measurement, burst mode, or wake-up on change mode. sensor reaches a linearity of up to +/- 0.05 % of the measurement range
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-173 for linear position and of up to 0.05° for inclination position.
Thermal Imaging
Camera for Body IIoT Radar Level Sensor
Temperature The Micropilot FWR30 from Endress+Hauser
(Greenwood, IN) is their first cloud-connected radar to
Monitoring provide full transparency in the storage and transport
The TIM QVGA-HD-T100 compact thermal imager for body temper- of liquid. An 80 GHz wireless IIoT sensor, it combines
ature screening from Micro-Epsilon (Raleigh, NC) is designed for tem- high-end technology and user-friendly digital services in one cost-
perature measurement of a group of people and for targeted tempera- effective device. The instrument’s continuously recorded measurement
ture measurement of an individual person. The software automatically data can be accessed at any time, from anywhere due to the device’s
recognizes and displays people with increased body temperature, which cloud connection, with communication made possible by an integrated
can indicate a febrile illness. The thermal imager is, among other SIM card. An integrated battery allows operation without an external
things, intended for visitor and staff entrances, security gates, public power supply, a particular advantage for measuring points that are diffi-
institutions, train stations, and airports. Three camera lenses are avail- cult to access. It also provides information on the location of the storage
able for temperature screening. tanks and containers via the cellular communication system.
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-174 For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/76507-178

Eddy Current Measurement Systems Configurable 2D and 3D Machine
Kaman Precision Products (Middletown, CT) is offering the KD-5600 Vision Solutions
family of eddy current measurement systems for use in COTS applications
for fast steering mirrors, magnetic bearing active control, shaft vibration,
image stabilization, and adaptive optics. Designed for non-contact linear
position displacement sensing applications, there are three configurations for tailored use. The
KD-5656 (digital system), KD-5640 (analog system), and KD-5690 (FE system) are equipped with
custom sensors, signal processing, analog to digital converter, and a custom calibration system to With the SICK (Minneapolis, MN) App-
ensure precision and accuracy. For optimum operation of each channel, there are two matched Studio, part of the SICK AppSpace ecosystem,
sensors. Input signals are filtered and SWaP-C scaled to provide optimum operation, remove programmable sensors and edge devices can be
common mode noise, and deliver a drive signal. They also provide digital filtering as part of the configured for new tasks using SensorApps.
signal conditioning to reduce signal noise. Many apps are already available for download
via the SICK AppPool. For specific applications,
SensorApps can also be used independently by
PoE-Powered Sensors the customer and developed together with
Launching with 12 of Monnit’s (Salt Lake City, Ut) most popular sensors for SICK experts and the support of a developer
remotely monitoring critical building systems and infrastructure, their new community. Until now, basic programming
PoE•X sensors allow users to incorporate remote monitoring into their build- skills were required to generate your own
ing’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) infrastructure. PoE•X leverages existing state-of-the-art tech- SensorApps in SICK AppStudio. That is no
nologies within “smart” buildings, allowing users — particularly those maintaining mission-criti- longer the case with the new AppPool. With a
cal facilities — to take advantage of financial and practical benefits. The development of these new graphic interface, users can now solve spe-
sensors allows for a plug-and-play placement into a building’s LAN network. Although they can cific sensor applications, even without pro-
be powered via a building’s PoE infrastructure, users have the additional flexibility of plugging gramming skills, by configuring and linking
the sensors into both line power or a standard Ethernet network. The PoE•X line will initially predefined function blocks in a data flow.
consist of temperature, humidity, dry contact, water detect plus, open/close, water rope, high For Free Info Visit:
temperature, low temperature, duct temperature, motion detection, air quality PM 2.5 meter, http://info.hotims.com/76507-171
and thermocouple sensor types.
Hermetically Sealed LVDTs

The new HATR Series of hermetically sealed AC-LVDTs from NewTek
Sensor Solutions (Pennsauken, NJ) are temperature, vibration, and debris tol-
erant to serve in inline position measurement applications in the harsh and
often caustic conditions of pulp and paper mills. For example, they can serve
in process control systems to provide dimensional feedback on tensioning arm position and
roller location to control paper thickness. Featuring a welded ¾" hermetically-sealed housing,
they are resistant to debris, fluids, and caustic materials and operate at temperatures of 400°F.
The sensor windings are potted inside the housing with a two-component epoxy, providing pro-
tection against hostile environments. With electrical connections made through a radially
mounted connector, they provide a reduced housing length to fit into smaller spaces. Units are
available in ranges of ±0.05 inch (1.27mm) to ±10 inches (250mm). Linearity is <0.25% of full
range and repeatability <0.01% of full range.
Dynamometer Test System

SAKOR Technologies Inc. (Owosso, MI), announced a system that fea-
tures dual opposing 7.5 kW AccuDyne™ four-quadrant AC motoring
dynamometers, variable frequency drives, and a variety of subsystems config-
ured for testing electrical machines. The dynamometers are capable of bi-directional loading and
motoring, allowing researchers to test different algorithms and designs. One dynamometer can
be used for testing permanent magnet motors and the other to test induction motors.
The dynamometers feature regenerative operation, which recovers most of the load energy
and makes the system extremely power efficient. They operate at up to 8,000 revolutions per
minute (rpm) and offer up to 150 percent overload capacity, making them compatible with most
small hybrid and electric vehicle architectures.
The system is automated by SAKOR’s DynoLAB™ test automation control system, which pro-
vides the capabilities necessary for the typical test engineer and/or technician to design and
implement complex test procedures without the need to learn a programming language.
Sensor Technology, September 2020 www.techbriefs.com Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/76507-718

OEM Supplier Guide: Sensors
Infineon Technologies AG
Acceleration/Vibration..................................26 Position/Displacement..................................28 www.infineon.com
Chemical/Gas ................................................26 Pressure........................................................29
Electrical/Magnetic.......................................26 Littelfuse, Inc.
Proximity ......................................................29 www.littelfuse.com
Encoders/Resolvers ......................................26
Temperature/Humidity ..................................29
Flow ..............................................................27 Magnet Applications
Force/Strain/Load/Torque .............................27 Vision/Optical ..............................................30 www.MagnetApplications.com
MEMS.............................................................27 Wearables ..........................................................30
Marquardt Switches
Motion...........................................................28 Other ............................................................30
https://us.marquardt.com
MEMSIC, Inc
www.memsic.com
ACCELERATION/VIBRATION
PNI Sensor
Arnold Magnetic Technologies www.pnicorp.com
https://arnoldmagnetics.com Technologic Systems
480-837-5200
[email protected]
embeddedarm.com
techbriefs.com/st20/technologicsystems
Renishaw, Inc.
KAMAN Precision Products 847-286-9953
860-632-4326 [email protected]
[email protected] www.renishaw.com
kamansensors.com CHEMICAL/GAS techbriefs.com/st20/renishaw
techbriefs.com/st20/Kaman
AirTest Technologies
KOBOLD Instruments Inc. www.airtest.com
www.koboldusa.com
ams AG
LORD MicroStrain ams.com
www.microstrain.com Technologic Systems
480-837-5200
Andon Electronics Corporation
Meggitt Sensing Systems/Endevco www.andonelect.com [email protected]
www.endevco.com embeddedarm.com
City Technology, Ltd. techbriefs.com/st20/technologicsystems
www.citytech.com
DD-Scientific Ltd.
www.ddscientific.com
Micro-Epsilon America ENCODERS/RESOLVERS
919-787-9707 Electro Optical Components Inc.
[email protected] www.eoc-inc.com Advanced Micro Controls, Inc.
www.micro-epsilon.com https://www.amci.com/
Excelitas Technologies Corp.
techbriefs.com/st20/micro-epsilon http://excelitas.com ASM Sensors, Inc.
Murata www.asmsensors.com
InfraTec Infrared LLC
http://www.murata.com/ www.InfraTec-Infrared.com Avago Technologies, a Broadcom Ltd.
Company
www.avagotech.com
BEI Sensors
www.beisensors.com
OFS Massa Products Corporation
860-678-6636 781-740-6117 Dynapar
[email protected] www.dynapar.com
[email protected]
https://www.ofsoptics.com/ www.massa.com Encoder Products
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. www.encoder.com
www.pcb.com
Everight Position
evrtp.com
ELECTRICAL/MAGNETIC
Griffin Motion, LLC
360 Magnetics www.griffinmotion.com
www.360magnetics.com
Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd Heidenhain Corp.
+44 1752 723330 Allegro MicroSystems www.heidenhain.us
[email protected] www.allegromicro.com
www.siliconsensing.com Micronor, Inc.
techbriefs.com/st20/siliconsensing HSI Sensing www.micronor.com
www.hsisensing.com

ENCODERS/RESOLVERS continued
Pepperl+Fuchs Morehouse Instrument Company, Inc.

www.pepperl-fuchs.com www.mhforce.com
POSITAL FRABA
www.posital.com Massa Products Corporation
781-740-6117
[email protected]
www.massa.com RDP Electrosense
610-469-0850
OMEGA Engineering, Inc. [email protected]
Renishaw, Inc. www.omega.com www.rdpe.com
847-286-9953 techbriefs.com/st20/rdpe
[email protected] Omron
www.renishaw.com https://www.omron.com
techbriefs.com/st20/Renishaw
Piezo Kinetics
Rockwell Automation, Inc. www.piezo-kinetics.com
www.rockwellautomation.com S. Himmelstein and Company
Sensirion AG
www.sensirion.com 847-843-3300
Sensata Technologies
www.sensata.com [email protected]
Siargo Ltd. https://www.himmelstein.com/
US Digital www.siargo.com
www.usdigital.com Strainsert Company
Sierra Instruments www.strainsert.com
Zettlex www.sierrainstruments.com
https://www.celeramotion.com/zettlex/ The L.S. Starrett Co.
www.starrett.com
TE Connectivity
FORCE/STRAIN/LOAD/ www.te.com
FLOW TORQUE Tekscan
www.tekscan.com
Airmar Technology Corporation Althen Sensors & Controls
www.airmar.com www.althensensors.com. Transducer Techniques
www.transducertechniques.com
Trilion Quality Systems

www.Trilion.com
AW-Lake Company ATI Industrial Automation XSENSOR Technology Corporation

414-574-4300 https://www.xsensor.com/
919-772-0115
[email protected] [email protected]
www.aw-lake.com www.ati-ia.com
techbriefs.com/st20/aw-lake
FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology
Axetris (FUTEK), Inc. MEMS
www.axetris.com www.futek.com
ACEINNA
Burkert Fluid Control Systems Hardy Process Solutions www.aceinna.com
www.burkert-usa.com www.hardysolutions.com
CTI Sensors
Dwyer Instruments, Inc. HBM, Inc. www.ctisensors.com
www.dwyer-inst.com www.hbm.com
Indium Corporation
Fluid Components International (FCI) Honeywell Sensing and Control www.indium.com
www.fluidcomponents.com sensing.honeywell.com
Jewell Instruments
Gems Sensors & Controls imc DataWorks, LLC www.jewellinstruments.com
www.gemssensors.com www.imcdataworks.com
Safran Colibrys
GF Piping Systems Interface Force Measurement Solutions www.colibrys.com
www.gfps.com www.interfaceforce.com
Hoffer Flow Controls, Inc. Interlink Electronics
www.hofferflow.com www.interlinkelectronics.com
ifm Kistler Instrument Corp. Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd
www.ifm.com www.kistler.com +44 1752 723330
[email protected]
www.siliconsensing.com
techbriefs.com/st20/siliconsensing

MEMS continued
SiTime
www.sitime.com
STMicroelectronics
www.st.com Renishaw, Inc. Micro-Epsilon America
847-286-9953 919-787-9707
www.renishaw.com www.micro-epsilon.com
techbriefs.com/st20/renishaw techbriefs.com/st20/micro-epsilon
Technologic Systems Servo2Go.com Ltd. Motion Controls LLC
480-837-5200 www.servo2go.com www.motioncontrolsllc.com
[email protected]
embeddedarm.com MTS Sensors
techbriefs.com/st20/technologicsystems www.mtssensors.com
Vesper NewTek Sensor Solutions, LLC

www.vespermems.com Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd www.newteksensors.com
+44 1752 723330
Novotechnik U.S., Inc.
[email protected] www.novotechnik.com
www.siliconsensing.com
techbriefs.com/st20/siliconsensing
MOTION
Teknic, Inc.
Aerotech, Inc. www.teknic.com
https://www.aerotech.com
RDP Electrosense
Amada Miyachi America, Inc. 610-469-0850
www.amadamiyachi.com [email protected]
BinMaster
POSITION/DISPLACEMENT www.rdpe.com
techbriefs.com/st20/rdpe
www.binmaster.com
Aleph America Corporation
Electromate Inc. www.aleph-usa.com
www.electromate.com
Alliance Sensors Group
Haydon Kerk Pittman www.alliancesensors.com
www.haydonkerkpittman.com Renishaw, Inc.
AMETEK Factory Automation 847-286-9953
www.ametekfactoryautomation.com [email protected]
www.renishaw.com
Dynamic Structures & Materials techbriefs.com/st20/Renishaw
https://www.dynamic-structures.com/
KAMAN Precision Products Sherborne Sensors
860-632-4326 www.sherbornesensors.com
[email protected]
kamansensors.com
techbriefs.com/st20/kaman KAMAN Precision Products
860-632-4326
[email protected] Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd
kamansensors.com +44 1752 723330
techbriefs.com/st20/kaman [email protected]
Massa Products Corporation www.siliconsensing.com
781-740-6117 techbriefs.com/st20/siliconsensing
[email protected] Steute Industrial Controls, Inc.
www.massa.com www.steutewireless.com
Massa Products Corporation
maxon Swift Navigation
www.maxongroup.us 781-740-6117
[email protected] www.swiftnav.com
www.massa.com
Microchip Technology
www.microchip.com
OFS Technologic Systems
860-678-6636 480-837-5200
https://www.ofsoptics.com/ embeddedarm.com
techbriefs.com/st20/technologicsystems

POSITION/DISPLACEMENT continued
Velmex Inc. Trensor, LLC BASF Corporation

www.velmex.com www.trensor.com www.catalysts.basf.com/tempsensing
Vishay Semiconductor, Optoelectronics Validyne Engineering Dickson

Group www.Validyne.com www.DicksonData.com
www.vishay.com/optoelectronics
Viatran Durex Industries
Zemarc Corporation www.viatran.com www.durexindustries.com
www.zemarc.com
FLIR Systems Inc.
www.flir.com
PROXIMITY Fluke Process Instruments

PRESSURE www.flukeprocessinstruments.com
Balluff, Inc.
Acuity www.balluff.com Heraeus Sensor Technology
www.acuitymicro.com www.heraeus.com/en
Comus International
All Sensors www.comus-intl.com Indo-MIM
www.allsensors.com www.indo-mim.com
Delta Mobile
Anfield Sensors Inc www.deltamobile.com Innovative Sensor Technology USA Division
http://anfieldsensors.com/ www.ist-ag.com
Fargo Controls, Inc.
Bristol Instruments www.fargocontrols.com inTEST Thermal Solutions
www.bristolinstruments.com www.intestthermal.com
Dataforth Corporation Measurement Computing

www.dataforth.com www.mccdaq.com
DunAn Sensing
KAMAN Precision Products
www.dunansensing.com
860-632-4326
Evergreen Telemetry [email protected]
www.evergreentelemetry.com kamansensors.com Micro-Epsilon America
techbriefs.com/st20/kaman 919-787-9707
[email protected]
www.micro-epsilon.com
techbriefs.com/st20/micro-epsilon
KAMAN Precision Products Minco

860-632-4326 Massa Products Corporation www.minco.com
[email protected] 781-740-6117
kamansensors.com [email protected]
techbriefs.com/st20/kaman www.massa.com
OFS
860-678-6636
[email protected]
Keller America, Inc. OFS https://www.ofsoptics.com/
877-253-5537 860-678-6636
[email protected] [email protected] Palmer Wahl
www.kelleramerica.com https://www.ofsoptics.com/ www.palmerwahl.com
Madison Company Pelonis Technologies, Inc.

www.madisonco.com www.pelonistechnologies.com
SICK AG Sensaphone
www.sick.com www.sensaphone.com
Technologic Systems
480-837-5200 Sensor Scientific Inc.
[email protected] www.sensorsci.com
embeddedarm.com
techbriefs.com/st20/technologicsystems Tadiran Batteries
www.tadiranbat.com
SignalFire Wireless Telemetry
978-212-2868 TDK Electronics Inc
[email protected] https://www.tdk-electronics.tdk.com
signal-fire.com TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY
techbriefs.com/st20/signalfire
Ametherm, Inc.
SMW Autoblok www.ametherm.com
https://www.smwautoblok.com/us/en/

TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY continued
Thermik Corporation Zarbeco, LLC Forza Silicon

www.thermik.com https://zarbeco.com/ www.forzasilicon.com
Wavelength Electronics, Inc. Gill Sensors & Controls Limited

www.teamwavelength.com www.gillsc.com
WEARABLE Heilind
www.heilind.com
Aspinity
VISION/OPTICAL www.aspinity.com InnoPhase
www.innophaseinc.com
Access Optics LLC BeBop Sensors
http://www.accessoptics.com www.bebopsensors.com Introtek International, LP
www.introtek.com
Computar Optics Bosch Sensortec GmbH
www.computar.com www.bosch-sensortec.com
D3 Engineering Cardiac Insight

www.d3engineering.com www.cardiacinsightinc.com
Keller America, Inc.
Finetech Chirp Microsystems 877-253-5537
www.finetechusa.com www.chirpmicro.com [email protected]
www.kelleramerica.com
Focuslight Technologies Inc Computer Simulation Technology
www.focuslight.com www.cst.com Linx Technologies
www.linxtechnologies.com
FSI Technologies Inc. EarlySense
www.fsinet.com www.earlysense.com Master Bond
www.masterbond.com
Inrad Optics InvenSense
http://www.inradoptics.com www.invensense.com Mencom Corporation
https://www.mencom.com/
Konica Minolta Sensing Americas Knowles Electronics
https://sensing.konicaminolta.us/us/ www.knowles.com
Maxwell-Hiqe Corporation Maxim Integrated

www.maxwell-hiqe.com www.maximintegrated.com
NEOFECT Micro-Epsilon America

www.neofect.com 919-787-9707
[email protected]
Nicomatic www.micro-epsilon.com
Micro-Epsilon America www.nicomatic.com techbriefs.com/st20/micro-epsilon
919-787-9707 Pharad, LLC
[email protected] www.pharad.com
techbriefs.com/st20/micro-epsilon Triax Technologies
www.triaxtec.com
Mike Doherty Designs, LLC OFS
www.mikedohertydesigns.com 860-678-6636
[email protected]
Opto Diode Corp. https://www.ofsoptics.com/
www.optodiode.com OTHER
OSI Optoelectronics, Inc.
www.optoelectronics.com American Portwell Technology
www.portwell.com
Princeton Infrared Technologies, Inc. PICMG
www.princetonirtech.com BitFlow, Inc.
www.bitflow.com 617-875-4701
QImaging [email protected]
www.qimaging.com ClickFold Plastics www.picmg.org
https://clickfold.com
Resonon, Inc. PowerFilm Solar
www.resonon.com DGH Corporation https://www.powerfilmsolar.com/
www.dghcorp.com
Surface Optics Corporation Specialty Coating Systems
https://surfaceoptics.com Dymax Corporation www.scscoatings.com
www.dymax.com
Vision Research - Phantom Camera Transtector Systems
www.phantomhighspeed.com Elcam Medical www.transtector.com
www.elcam-medical.com
Xometry
EpoxySet Inc. https://www.xometry.com
www.epxoxysetinc.ocm

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Kaman Precision Products

217 Smith Street
Middletown, CT 06457
Phone: 800-552-6267
Fax: 860-502-1281
www.kamansensors.com
Company Description Products/Services Offered
Kaman Precision Products – Measurement Division is a Capabilities include complete program management, laser
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Keller America
351 Bell King Rd Products/Services Offered
Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 877-253-5537 Keller is a
Fax: 757-596-6659 worldwide
Email: [email protected] leader in quali-
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Company Description
based upon this proven
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Micro-Epsilon USA Headquarters

8120 Brownleigh Drive
Raleigh, NC 27617
Phone: 919-787-9707
Fax: 919-787-9706
Micro-Epsilon offers a worldwide unique range of sensors, Micro-Epsilon designs and manufactures high-precision sen-
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The Micro-Epsilon customer base includes world leading • Optical Micrometers to measure diameter, gap, edge, or opacity
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Renishaw
1001 Wesemann Drive Products/Services Offered
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Phone: 847-286-9953 Our smallest incremental optical encoder, the ATOM DX™,
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(less than 1% per year), the result of better quality raw materi- high pulses, and can recharge and operate at extreme temper-
als and proprietary manufacturing techniques. atures (-40°C to 85°C).
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14 Executive Forum: Machine Learning & AI

56 NASA Spinoff: 3D-Printed Parts Testing

20 Technology Integrates Electronics onto Physical Prototypes

21 Miniature Electronic Devices Work Under Extreme Pressure

22 Breathable Electronics for Wearable Technologies

23 Electronics Cooling Using Additive Manufacturing

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26 Electronically Controlled 2D Reflector Improves Microwave

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28 Electronic Diodes Demonstrate Performance Beyond 5G

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30 Comb-on-a-Chip Optical Ruler Measures Colors of Light Waves

31 Occulter for CubeSat Coronagraph

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34 Technique Mass-Produces Cell-Sized Robots

35 EEG-Based Technique for Controlling a Robotic Arm

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