The digital micromirrors that make possible solid-state scanning lidar may soon give way to more capable MEMS devices able to do much more than just beam a laser across a scene. Leland Teschler | Executive Editor The Digital Micromirror Devices (DMD) now used for video projection also play an important role in autonomous vehicle technology.…
240-W Supply Targets Robot Control, Features EN62477-1 OVC III Certification
The ZWS240RC-24 ac-dc power supply is rated at 240-W output power. This model is an addition to TDK-Lambda’s widely used long-life ZWS series of 10 to 300-W industrial power supplies. Certification to Over Voltage Category (OVC) III enables direct connection to the incoming ac distribution panel, saving the cost and space of an isolation transformer.…
Gawking from drones: Why geofences are the coming thing in UAVs
Owners of some 20 vehicles who were recently cornered by wildfires on a freeway near Los Angeles probably don’t have much good to say about aerial drones. For up to 20 minutes, five hobbyist drones prevented California firefighters from sending helicopters with water buckets over a stretch of I-5 while the flames raged. The consequence…
Bad robot: Will you trust your autonomous vehicle?
Leland Teschler | Executive Editor If you believe the hype coming out of Silicon Valley start-ups, we are on the verge of seeing highways filled with fully robotic drivers. But numerous well-chronicled accidents among semi-autonomous vehicles have brought many questions about whether people should trust artificially intelligent cars to make good decisions. We don’t have…