Wind turbines are very complex machines. It takes a lot of sensors to ensure their continuous operation generating green energy. This FAQ reviews some of the sensors used to monitor wind turbine operations, such as: Eddy current sensors monitor the lubricating gap of the shaft, how the turbine shaft rotates both axially and radially inside […]
How can a machine recognize hand gestures?
Gesture recognition is a user interface that allows computers to capture and interpret non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, head movements, body positioning, and hand motions as commands. Hand gestures are an increasingly common mode of computer control, and the types of sensors used to recognize hand gestures is growing. This FAQ briefly reviews how hand […]
How many types of radar are there?
Radio detection and ranging (radar) uses reflected radio waves to detect and determine the distance, angle, and velocity of objects relative to the radar system. A basic radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave spectrum (these can be pulsed or continuous), a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna (often […]
How can AI/ML improve sensor fusion performance?
Sensors are becoming ubiquitous as their price and availability continue to improve. However, sensor data is not that simple and is prone to noise and other interference. The complexities of sensor data have led to sensor fusion that aims to perform better than a single sensor by improving the signal-to-noise ratio, decreasing uncertainty and ambiguity, […]
How are sensors improving maritime navigation?
Of course, GPS is important, but radar and the automatic identification system (AIS) use various sensors to track and report on ship positions in real-time. Sensor fusion is being developed for autonomous shipping. And there are hydrophones combined with other sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to identify and track whale movements […]
What sensors do you need to land on the moon?
NASA is developing several sensor systems and algorithms for use on Artemis moon landings. It’s called the Safe and Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) technology suite. It consists of three primary elements: An inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a camera for terrain relative navigation. Second is Doppler LiDAR to determine the lander’s velocity […]
What sensors does NASA use to monitor Martian weather?
The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on the Perseverance rover is characterizing the surface weather as well as the dust particle size and morphology. Understanding dust behavior is a key to predicting Martian weather. Dust influences Mars’ weather the way that water controls Earth’s weather. Two of MEDA’s weather-related goals are: determination of the destructive […]
Four types of connectors for robots and drones
Many power and signal connectors are used in robot and drone sub-systems, such as sensors, motion, high-speed wired and wireless communications, and more. As industry 4.0 continues to unfold, more robots and more types of robots are being found in factories, warehouses, and other facilities to increase quality and efficiencies and reduce costs. Robots and […]
What are 1-phase and 3-phase AC power connectors & standards?
Power connectors are primarily designed to ensure a safe and reliable connection of devices to AC mains power, although they are generally specified for AC and DC voltages. AC receptacles and plugs come in various configurations with different blade widths, shapes, positions, and dimensions, designed to make them safe to use and non-interchangeable with different […]
Six keys parameters of GHz connectors in 5G applications
Connectors are essential components in radio frequency (RF) systems, especially in high-frequency applications like Gigahertz (GHz) 5G devices. Designers have a broad range of connectors to choose from, but there are a few key parameters to consider when narrowing down the choices. Six keys to selecting and integrating GHz connectors include physical size, frequency range […]
PIGAs can indeed fly – and are still the best, Part 2: Operation
The PIGA is the oldest accelerometer and widely used in rocketry and guidance, and still the best – but MEMS-based devices are getting closer At the core of each single-axis PIGA is a gyroscope. The performance of this gyro – which is unrelated to the orientation gyros – plays a large role in determining the […]
Why and how are medical connectors and standards different?
Medical connectors are different because medical applications are different. Medical systems require high reliability like industrial systems, but they have unique challenges where failure or unreliable operation can be life-threatening. A few examples include: Materials qualified for medical connectors are often specified to prevent bacteria growth and ensure that the connection system withstands sterilization or […]
What is the role of sensor fusion in robotics?
As robots become increasingly autonomous, sensor fusion is growing in importance. Sensor fusion merges data from multiple sensors on and off the robot to reduce uncertainty as a robot navigates or performs specific tasks. It brings multiple benefits to autonomous robots: increased accuracy, reliability, and fault tolerance of sensor inputs; extended spatial and temporal coverage […]
Sensor fusion levels and architectures
Sensor fusion is the process of combining inputs from two or more sensors to produce a more complete, accurate, and dependable picture of the environment, especially in dynamic settings. The goal of sensor fusion is to provide those improved results with the minimum number of sensors and minimum system complexity for the lowest cost. The […]
Sensor fusion – How does that work?
Each sensor type, or modality, has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Sensor fusion is the process of bringing together inputs from multiple sensors to form a single model or image of the environment around a platform. The resulting model is more accurate because it balances the strengths of the various sensors. Sensor fusion brings the data […]
The role of ADAS sensors in automotive design
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are intended to prevent deaths and injuries by reducing accidents. Exemplary ADAS applications include: pedestrian detection/avoidance, lane departure warning/correction; traffic sign recognition; automatic emergency braking, and; blind-spot detection. This FAQ starts with an overview of the “levels of driving automation” and its relation to ADAS. It then reviews the role […]