Control Engineering

Paul Grayson

http://www.macom.com/markets/automotive/sensors.asp
Automobiles are an electronic sensor rich application that will use them in numbers larger than any other single application of them in the past.  Demand for increasing numbers and types of sensors is expected continue to expand for several years as more features and functions are added to automobiles.



FORWARD LOOKING RADAR
The key component in most Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Systems  on passenger cars is the forward looking radar manufactured by M/A Com Inc., in Lowell, MA, a division of TYCO Electronics.  Specs on their radar are: 77 GHz, Pulsed Doppler, 150 m range, 3-Beam Switched Antenna, 3 Degree beamwidth.   This is just one of many automotive electronic sensors they make.  This radar is found in many makes and models of automobile both here in the USA and elsewhere around the world.  It's wide use and the fact that it has been around since 1998 would indicate that it may be available from automobile salvage yards for those who would like to experiment with it in their spare time.  To buy it from the car dealership as a new spare part is about $1,500.00 and from the manufacturer is $2,300.00  When I asked why it is more expensive from the manufacturer they said that the price is higher becuase of the amount of trouble it is to deal with people developing new applications for their products.  Gene's Auto Parts, an auto salvage yard, charges roughly half the dealer new price for parts taken off of scrapped automobiles so we should be able to buy the radars for about $750 each provided that we can give Gene's the make and model of car it is for along with the part number for what we want.   The local rep said that the space under the car ahead acts as a wave guide and that radar readings of several cars ahead can be taken although usually they are discarded when used for adaptive cruise control.  He also said that MSU has a truck project they are working on and he just recently shipped them 24 radars for that project.



Traverse City Record -Eagle 6-24-2008

THE RACE TO BE IN THE RACE
Gretchen Murray of the Traverse City Record-Eagle did a very good job of explaining the work being done to make AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC's  truck driverless. The story and two great pictures are archived at: http://www.record-eagle.com/education/local_story_176094230.html    We are now rushing around getting the truck AGV WENDY DARLING ready to lead the veterans groups marching in the Cherry Festival Parade, 7-12-2008. As many Robot Club and AIM Team members as can, will ride in the truck. Being the type of people who volunteer, many of them will be at a car wash fundraiser for one of their other charities parade day. 


wall-e with stars in his eyes; Pixar 6-27-2008
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/

FICTION AS A MOTIVATING FORCE
Pixar has produced a series of trailers and previews http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/ of their new movie about a cute and lovable robot, named WALL-E. The movie is to be released this Friday and from what I have seen of it so far it certainly looks like Pixar Animation Studios have done it again... created another animated feature film.  They seem to be the company that leads the pack in producing drawings that move, something that I find intriguing. As a story about the comic adventures of a robot, it serves as a great way to get people thinking about what they would like robots to do for them. Amazingly there is also an extensive Wikipedia article about the movie at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WALL-E  This movie is going to help people like robots and perhaps inspire a generation of kids to choose robotics as a career.  I know I want to build a Wall-e to have around the shop here at AIM.

GO ROBOTS !

Paul F. Grayson - Chief Engineer
AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MAGIC, LLC
Racing to build technology that saves lives.
390 4-Mile Rd. S.
Traverse City, MI 49686-8411
(231) 946-0187, (231) 883-4463 Cell
pgrayson@aimagic.org
AIM: http://aimagic.org
Robot Club: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/robotcluboftraversecitymi/
CE Magazine: http://www.controleng.com/blog/1180000318.html

Industries: Machine Control