Accelerating towards a driverless future
09 September, 2014 by Mike Smyth, specialist technical writer
Cars speeding along a motorway set in a futuristic landscape populated by beings dressed in silver metallic suits used to be the stuff of comics and those deep into science fiction. However, some of those imaginative images could well become reality within the next 10 years as autonomous or driverless vehicles steer out of the laboratory and onto the roads.
Wearable sensors to detect firearm use
08 September, 2014Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated how low-cost, wearable inertial sensors could detect firearm usage.
Agilent U5855A TrueIR thermal imager
07 August, 2014 | Supplied by: Agilent Technologies Australia Pty LtdThe U5855A TrueIR thermal imager allows engineers to safely and efficiently identify potential faults without shutting down the systems or disrupting the productivity of an industrial plant.
Macro Sensors HSIR Series LVDT linear position transmitters
11 July, 2014 | Supplied by: Bestech Australia Pty LtdMacro Sensors HSIR Series LVDT linear position transmitters are suitable for serving as level sensors to measure liquid level changes from a few centimetres to several metres in gauging tank level volumes.
The goose bump sensor
26 June, 2014Researchers have developed a flexible, wearable polymer sensor that can directly measure the degree and occurrence of goose bumps, technically known as piloerection, on the skin.
Vishay Semiconductors VCNL4020X01 proximity and ambient light sensor
23 June, 2014 | Supplied by: Arrow Electronics Australia Pty LtdVishay Semiconductors' VCNL4020X01 is a proximity and ambient light optical sensor with an operating temperature range to 105°C. The product combines an IR emitter, a photo-pin-diode for proximity, an ambient light detector, a signal processing IC and a 16-bit ADC.
Goal-line technology at World Cup 2014
11 June, 2014The GoalControl-4D system is equipped with 14 high-speed cameras located around the pitch, with seven cameras focusing on each goalmouth. Using a special detection software, the ball is filtered out from the image sequences and its real-time position is automatically calculated as X, Y and Z coordinates as well as speed, making it 4D.
Intel strengthens investment in connected cars
02 June, 2014Intel has announced a range of solutions and initiatives for the connected car of the future.
Electronic companies team up for automotive vision systems
22 May, 2014Freescale Semiconductor has teamed up with Neusoft Corporation and Green Hills Software to create next-generation automotive vision applications.
Inductive Sensing challenge selects finalists
08 May, 2014 | Supplied by: element14element14 has selected 10 finalists in the Inductive Sensing Challenge, a global design competition using Texas Instruments' LDC1000 inductance-to-digital converter.
New technique could cut sensors required for terahertz imaging
06 May, 2014A new technique developed by MIT researchers is said to reduce the number of sensors required for terahertz or millimetre-wave imaging by a factor of 10, or even 100. The technique could also have implications for the design of new, high-resolution radar and sonar systems.
Infineon TLI4970 current sensor
01 May, 2014 | Supplied by: Infineon Technologies Australia Pty LtdClaimed to require just one-sixth of the board space taken up by other sensors, the Infineon TLI4970 current sensor measures alternating and direct currents up to ±50 A. The digital sensor does not require external calibration.
Smartphone-readable, anti-counterfeiting particles
15 April, 2014
Around 2-5% of all international trade involves counterfeit products, according to a 2013 UN report. Counterfeit products - including electronics, automotive and aircraft parts, pharmaceuticals and food - can pose safety risks and cost governments and private companies hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Microchip SMBus temperature sensors
30 March, 2014 | Supplied by: Microchip Technology Hong Kong LimitedThe Microchip EMC1043 family of System Management Bus (SMBus) temperature sensors monitors three temperature zones - one internal diode and two externally connected diodes - for PC and embedded environments.
Vanishing electronics
24 March, 2014Researchers are developing sensors that can detect the early onset of swelling and temperature changes in the brain after head injuries and then vanish when they're no longer needed.
