The “wing up-bend test” is a test of the mechanical integrity of composite wings as they are displaced upwards. Hanging from the end of each wing is a laser distance sensor, mounted on a gimbal to ensure the laser would be pointed perpendicularly to the floor as the wing is bent upwards.
Continue readingProject M was a proposed project to land an operational humanoid robot on the moon in 1000 days (M is the Roman numeral for 1000). As with most autonomous vehicle projects, the design of the NASA RR-1 Lander required many sensors to fully control its flight. Design engineers contacted Acuity for a solution to measure the altitude of their RR-1 Lander.
Continue readingA system integrator in Croatia worked closely with a steel pipe manufacturer to develop a system for measuring the length during production. The clever solution incorporates an AR1000 laser distance sensor from Acuity to measure to the leading edge of the pipe during cutting.
Continue readingNon-contact laser displacement sensors are used to measure the thickness of polystyrene foam-extruded insulation boards in a continuous manufacturing environment.
Continue readingA major North American propeller manufacturer and service company selected a long-range triangulation sensor to measure the profile of its propellers and controllable tip blades during the manufacturing process. Non-contact measuring, like that afforded by laser sensors, is desirable in propeller manufacturing.
Continue readingInvestigating the use of bamboo as a primary construction material, a team measured the strain of bamboo samples during materials testing. They required a laser sensor with a long standoff so that it would not get harmed if the bamboo failed and shattered.
Continue readingThe National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University uses a laser sensor in a system to measure the alignment of detectors. A full presentation of the project can be accessed from their website.
Continue readingUnmanned Autonomous Vehicle projects depend on sensors to provide spatial information for route planning and crash avoidance. A developer of an unmanned airplane arrived at a dual-sensor system utilizing a customized AR3000 setup.
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