Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!news.cerf.net!iat.holonet.net!bsmall
From: bsmall@iat.holonet.net (Brad Smallridge)
Subject: Sensors Expo West
Message-ID: <C4D1nB.1xp@iat.holonet.net>
Organization: HoloNet National Internet Access BBS: 510-704-1058/modem
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1993 21:13:58 GMT
Lines: 62

A REVIEW of SENSORS EXPO WEST

Roger Gilbertson and I went to Sensors Expo West in San Jose on 
March 4th thinking that there can't be anything too new or different 
in the field of sensors --- we were wrong.

Electron Technology Inc. specializes in all types of sensors 
enclosed in glass tubes. The one that caught my eye was a 5 lead tilt 
sensor, filled with a tiny amount of alcohol and salt solution. The 
resistance between the various leads changes according to the 2D 
tilt of the device. Connect this up to 4 ADC to give a robot a sense 
of balance. Electron Technology, Inc. 626 Schuyler Ave. Kearney, 
NJ 07032 (201)998-8100.

You know those tiny buttons you put at the base of a light bulb to 
protect the bulb from surges? Well, the next generation of light bulb 
buttons are much smarter. We saw a light dimmer button that is 
activated by flipping the switch on and off up to 4 times with each 
flip giving a dimmer setting. Another one can be pulsed into a mode 
that dims over a length of time, great for putting your kids to sleep. 
Sorry, didn't get the name of the company but look for them soon 
in the hardware stores.

Beaudrea Electric Inc. has a tilt sensor that can detect tilt by 
sensing the earth's magnetic field. Put this on your head and you 
have an inexpensive ($395) Polhemus-like VR sensor. Beaudreau 
Electric Inc. 23 Industrial Drive, Waterford CT 06385-9715 
(203)443-6570.

We looked a long time at the Aromat Triple Beam (TM) 
photoelectric sensor. These sensors triangulate on an object by 
sending out an IR beam. The light coming back is focused onto a 
photoelectric linear array and the circuitry determines the strongest 
pixel. The measured triangulation distance is little effected by the 
amount of light coming back or the targets color. These units are 
about $80 and are set up with a threshold setting on the unit. 
Aromat Corp. 629 Central Ave. New Providence NJ 07974 
(800)228-2350.

We talked to an enthusiastic sales person from Allegro Micro 
Systems. They have a line of hall effect sensors that made me 
rethink how I do encoding. They also have a line of H-bridges 
similar to the SGS-Thompson line. Allegro Micro Systems 115 
Northeast Cutoff Box 15036 Worchester MA 01615 (508)853-
5000.

Photonic Power System Inc. is a startup company that specializes in 
sending power to a remote sensor without wires using a laser to 
send 20mW down a fiber to the targets systems photo voltaic cell. 
Powering a system without batteries and wires has high-voltage and 
medical applications when complete electrical isolation is important 
and when an onboard battery is unserviceable. Photonic Power 
Systems Inc 550 California Ave. Suite 320 Palo Alto CA 94306 
(415)424-0940.


Brad Smallridge writes for the San Francisco Robotics Society of 
America, a nonprofit organization. To get the SFRSA newsletter 
for one year send your address and a check for $5 to the Robotics 
Society of America, PO Box 1205, Danville, CA 94526-1205.


