Fiber Optics Encoders

Read how Micronor’s fiber optic encoders provide an inherently safe sensing option with immunity to lightning, radiation and magnetic fields.

NASA Lunabotics Challenge

Nearly fifty University Teams recently gathered in Florida for the NASA Lunabotics Challenge. The robots are tasked with driving, digging, and depositing regolith—the fragmented rock material that covers the moon’s surface—in a lunar simulant. Beyond robotics and mechatronics, the program teaches team work, project management and industry collaboration.

Wiegand Effect Energy Harvesting

The “Wiegand effect” was discovered almost fifty years ago and has been used successfully in several specialized applications. However, its full potential for energy harvesting and signal generation has received only limited recognition. With recent enhancements to the energy output from Wiegand devices and the emergence of a new generation of ultra-efficient electronic chips for wireless communications, the technology is showing significant promise, especially in the exciting new area of the Internet of Things (IoT). UBITO, a member of the FRABA Group of technology companies, is leading research and development projects aimed at fulfilling this promise.

Intrinsically Safe Absolute Rotary Encoders

In the most hazardous environments, where an explosive atmosphere consisting of flammable gas or vapor is regularly present and a sensor fault cannot be risked, Intrinsically Safe (IS) sensors may be the best sensing option. Generally, these sensors are paired with a barrier which limits the amount of electrical and thermal energy that can enter the Hazardous Area to an amount that is so small that even in the situation of a sensor fault, there is not enough energy to cause an ignition.