Automation

Rugged, reliable thickness gauge from Olympus

An innovative, all-in-one solution that is suitable for virtually every thickness gauge application is now available from Olympus.

The 45MG is an advanced ultrasonic thickness gauge packed with standard measurement features and software options. This unique instrument is compatible with the complete range of Olympus dual element and single element thickness gauge transducers.

The basic configuration of the 45MG is a simple and straightforward gauge that requires minimal operator training to tackle most common thickness gauging applications such as wall and coating thickness, mineral deposition and corrosion.

Additional software options and transducers turn the 45MG into a significantly more advanced instrument that allow it to be used for applications well beyond a typical entry-level unit. Examples include fibreglass (to 100mm), rubber, very thin materials (<200µm), and high precision quality control (to 1µm resolution).

According to Graham Maxwell, National Technical & Key Account Manager at Olympus, all the options are built-in to the unit at manufacture and accessed by purchasing ‘unlock codes’.

“Each function is controlled by a separate software module so additional features are available by upgrading the software. You can have as few or many options as required. Most are available individually at the time of purchase or can be added in the future as the customer’s needs change.”

The 45MG is built for operation in difficult environments, for example those encountered in the marine, aviation, refinery and pipeline industries. It has a rugged, sealed construction meeting the IP67 standard, and has also been shock and vibration tested using MIL-STD-810G. In addition, the unit can be used in a wide range of operating temperatures.

The 45MGhas been designed for easy operation with a simple keypad that can be used by both right- or left-handed technicians. The display is a colour transflective QVGA monitor that is bright both indoors and in direct sunlight. With the data storage option, up to 475,000 thickness readings can be stored in user defined grids and easily copied to a spread sheet via microSD card or USB connection.

www.olympus.co.nz

Sandvik’s end-to-end process enables flexible production of enhanced fertilisers

Inline mixing and granulation technology designed by engineering company Sandvik is helping fertilizer manufacturers add value to commodity materials and bring profitable new products to market.

Using an end-to-end process that mixes liquid and/or solid products then converts them into uniform pastilles, producers are able to upgrade low value products such as sulphur and ammonium sulphate with the addition of urea, adjusting the ratio to suit specific crop needs.

Other mixes and blends successfully produced on this system include ammonium nitrate derivatives, sulphur bentonite and NPK complex fertiliser.

Production begins with accurate dosing and weighing of the materials to be combined, followed by mixing and, if necessary, grinding. The resulting solution is then fed in molten form to Sandvik’s Rotoform system, where it is deposited onto a continuously running steel cooling belt as droplets.

The speed of the Rotoform drop depositor is synchronized with the speed of the belt to create hemispherical pastilles of a uniform size and shape. Cooling water sprayed against the underside of the belt absorbs the heat of the melt, resulting in controlled solidification. After being discharged from the end of the steel belt cooler, the solid pastilles are conveyed away for storage or bagging.

“A single line will deliver throughputs of up to 150mtpd depending on the product,” explains Sandvik’s Kumar Swamy, global product manager, fertilisers.

“This level of capacity makes it ideal for introducing speciality products, while rapid changeover between different blends enables product development and testing.”

Rotoform is widely used for sulphur solidification in the oil and gas industry, where refineries operate multiple lines in parallel to achieve the high capacities required. This approach offers fertilisers the ability to build a system that grows with market demand, with the flexibility to turn individual lines on or off without halting overall production.

Rotoform is environmentally friendly with low energy consumption, no visible dust emission and vapour levels that can easily be captured in a simple atmospheric absorber.

“Blending sulphur and AS with urea to produce enhanced fertilisers benefits everyone,” says Mr Swamy.

“Sulphur is more than just a vital plant nutrient; its presence enhances the efficiency of nitrogen so these products can significantly boost a farmer’s crop yield. The ability to upgrade low value products opens the door to higher profit margins for producers. And a clean production process benefits the environment at large. It’s a win-win situation.”

Bag dumping system with glove box, compactor and conveyor

A new Flexicon Bag Dumping System with glove box, bag compactor and flexible screw conveyor isolates bulk material from the operator and plant environment throughout opening, dumping and compaction of bags, and the conveying of material downstream.

Bags are staged on a stainless steel tabletop and then transferred through a plastic strip curtain into a dumping enclosure comprised of a glove box, empty-bag chute and dust collector atop a receiving hopper.

The dust collector maintains negative pressure within the enclosure, preventing the escape of dust through the curtain, while containing dust generated during bag opening and dumping activities.

A bag infeed chute through the sidewall of the enclosure allows the operator to pass empty bags directly into the bag compactor, causing dust generated from compaction as well as dumping activities to be drawn onto the system’s two filter cartridges.

An automatic reverse-pulse filter cleaning system releases short blasts of compressed air inside the filters at timed intervals causing dust build-up on the outer surfaces to fall into the hopper, conserving useable product. Filters are readily accessed by removing the interior baffle, and replaced rapidly using quick-disconnect fittings.

The compactor employs a large pneumatic air cylinder to compress bags into a removable bin that accommodates 50 to 80 bags. The waste access main door, and a flapper door within the bag infeed chute, are equipped with safety interlocks that prevent operation of the compactor unless both doors are closed.

The hopper discharges into an enclosed Flexicon flexible screw conveyor for dust-free transfer of a broad variety of products including free- and non-free-flowing materials from large pellets to sub-micron powders, including products that pack, cake, seize, smear, fluidise, break apart or separate, with no separation of blended products.

The company also manufactures pneumatic conveying systems, bulk bag dischargers, bulk bag conditioners, bulk bag fillers, drum/ box/container tippers, drum fillers, weigh batching and blending systems, and engineered plant-wide bulk handling systems with automated controls.

www.flexicon.com.au

Matrox claims bandwidth breakthrough

Matrox Graphics says its Avio KVM extenders are compatible with Apcon IntellaPatch® Series 3000 XE network switches, supporting10Gbps, and form the world’s highest bandwidth KVM extension and switching solution.

With this new digital matrix switch solution, users will benefit from superior performance through 10Gbps link connectivity. Cabling complexity and cost is also minimised due to single cable per desktop configurations and leading switch-to-desktop density.

Avio takes advantage of the full bandwidth available in 10Gbps SFP+ transceivers to transmit two uncompressed HD video signals, USB keyboard and mouse, USB 2.0 devices, and stereo analog audio over a single fibre-optic duplex LC-LC cable. Once each workstation is connected to its own port on the IntellaPatch XE switch, administrators can use the Apcon software interface to easily route a workstation or server to a remote location.

The combined Matrox-Apcon solution allows users to take advantage of 10Gb throughput, with significant capacity to support up to 143 desktops per chassis from a remote user location.

“With a 10Gbps fibre-optic infrastructure, Avio extends a broad-range of signals over large distances, maintaining system performance and allowing the centralisation of systems without compromising user experience,” says Matrox business development manager Caroline Injoyan.

“Avio’s compatibility with IntellaPatch Series 3000 switches is key to allowing users to easily address all their switching, distance, security, and safety requirements.”

Apcon Graphics develops innovative, scalable technology solutions to enhance network monitoring, support IT traffic analysis, and streamline IT network management and security. The company is an industry leader for state-of-the-art IT data aggregation, filtering, and network switching products, as well as leading edge management-software support. Organizations in over 50 countries currently depend on Apcon solutions in their network infrastructures.

Avio F120 and F125 KVM extenders let users run remote desktops without compromising graphics performance through the uncompressed, high bandwidth transmission of digital content. Consisting of a transmitter at the workstation and a receiver at the remote user location, Avio extends a desktop with its keyboard, mouse, and peripherals by up to 4km. System background noise is consequently eliminated in the work area, enhancing operator efficiency, with all equipment centralised in a climate-controlled machine room for improved security and easier system maintenance.

The IntellaPatch Series 3000 extended capacity network switch is a high capacity network monitoring aggregation switch that supports connections up to 40Gbps including the 10Gbps connection rate supporting the Avio solution. Its modular design delivers flexibility in configurations while delivering leading reliability with redundant controllers with automatic failover, hot-swappable controllers, power supplies transceivers, optics and fan assemblies.

The IntellaPatch Series 3000 XE is also managed through Apcon’s leading and intuitive management system, WebX.

www.matrox.com

Crouzet and HMS present joint solution for monitoring the Millenium 3 logic controller over the web

Crouzet, a manufacturer of automation control components, has decided to use HMS Industrial Network’s Netbiter as remote management solution for their latest generation of micro PLCs – the Millenium 3 Smart. This provides users of the micro PLC with instant access to data on their field equipment over the web.

An example of an early adopter is the Swedish-based company Triplesign who uses the solution to monitor alternating billboards. With Netbiter, they can see the status of each billboard and even remotely control which message to display.

“I have been working with the Millenium 3 Logic Controllers for some time and the fact that the Netbiter solution had a ready-made template for this micro PLC was a great advantage,” says P-A Claveroth, sales and marketing director at Triplesign.

“We simply connect the Netbiter unit to the Millenium 3 and all parameters show up immediately in a web browser.”

How it works

A Netbiter EasyConnect gateway is connected to the Millenium 3 micro PLC in the field. The Netbiter gateway communicates with a cloud-based data center called Netbiter Argos. This data center collects and stores the data from the field equipment. By logging in to Netbiter Argos, users can see the exact status of the Millenium 3 and thereby their own devices in a web dashboard. They can also get alarms and notifications whenever something happens.

“This combined solution will be very useful for applications in segments such as air conditioning, access control, heat pumps, water and air treatment, waste treatment, lifting and handling, medical equipment and pump management,” says Henrik Arleving, product line manager, remote management at HMS.

“These segments are very suitable for remote management and Netbiter offers users and service engineers a quick way to improve control of the applications and reduce costs.”

André Chovin, automation marketing manager at Crouzet says – “In the frame of remote management, HMS’s Netbiter solution contributes to make the most out of the Millenium 3 Smart logic controller as it gets it connected from anywhere, anytime, 24/7. The main attribute of the Millenium 3 range is its easiness of use. Similarly, the Crouzet/HMS solution is easy to use and effective for remote management of automated systems.”

The joint solution is already available and distributed by Crouzet and HMS’s distribution network.

Electric soft starter in latest solid state motor controllers

Rockwell Automation has launched the Allen-Bradley SMC-50 smart motor controller, the company’s latest generation of solidstate motor controllers.

This new product line includes a newly designed three-phase, fully solid-state, silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) power structure. The new SMC-50 controller addresses the motor control needs of OEMs and end users seeking a more economical alternative to drives and more advanced control than across-the-line starters.

Designed for customer flexibility, the SMC-50 controller combines advanced monitoring and protection features, multiple start and stop options, and expandable control inputs and outputs. These features help users increase efficiency, reduce downtime and improve control.

Rated at 200V-690V AC and with software from 90-520 amps, the SMC-50 controller is ideal for controlling motor speed and torque in a range of normal-duty applications, including pumps, compressors and short conveyors, as well as in heavy-duty applications, such as rock crushers, wood chippers, centrifugal fans and long conveyors.

The SMC-50 smart motor controller’s design improves voltage output to maximize efficiency of motor starts and stops. For application scalability, it features nine standard starting modes, six stopping modes and several slow-speed functions.

In traditional starting mode, for example, if the SMC-50 controller senses that the motor has reached full speed before completing the selected ramp time, it will automatically switch to providing full voltage to the motor. Depending on the application, controlling voltage during motor stopping is equally critical to controlling voltage during motor starts. For example, the SMC-50 smart motor controller using the AllenBradley smart motor braking feature engineered with automatic zero-speed quickly stops a motor without the need for additional hardware or feedback devices.

To further protect motor assets and decrease downtime, the SMC-50 controller utilizes advanced power monitoring diagnostics. This results in highly scalable user-configurable faults and alarms, including motor overload protection, over/ under voltage, stall protection, over/ under power, jam detection, over/under current, excessive starts, current and voltage imbalance, power frequency protection, power factor protection, and preventative maintenance faults and alarms.

The SMC-50 controller also boasts innovative features, such as energy saver, motor winding heater, and the snapshot and event log features, which capture fault, alarm and operational history.

The SMC-50 controller’s combination of standard and advanced features combined with user programming options, scalable I/O options, and network-integration capabilities, provide the ultimate in motor performance and energy management.

www.nzrockwellautomation.com

Maple 17 pushes the envelope

Maplesoft™ has updated its flagship product, Maple™, the technical computing software for engineers, mathematicians and scientists.

With Maple 17, Maplesoft introduces more computation tools and a large collection of enhancements dedicated to supporting the creation of applications.

Maple 17 offers numerous advances in a variety of branches of technical computation that push the frontiers of knowledge and Maple’s capabilities, Maplesoft says.

New functionality includes ground-breaking achievements in solving a whole new class of differential equations, major advancements in solving systems of equations, new signal processing tools, expanded support for physics, statistics, dynamic systems and more.

Performance has also been enhanced with improvements to frequently called routines and algorithms as well as in the low-level infrastructure of memory management. One example is a new memory manager, which takes advantages of multiple processors to allow computations to run 10 percent faster on average, with memory-intensive computations running up to 50 percent faster.

Maple 17 introduces further productivity advancements, with special emphasis on application development. Highlights include a new advanced code editor to make algorithm development even easier for more complex applications and an embedded video component, for adding rich multimedia content to applications.

In addition there is improved command completion while using math notation, improvements to 2-D and 3-D visualizations and new programming constructs to make it easier to write multi-threaded code for parallel execution.

www.maplesoft.com

National Instruments launches Veristand 2012

National Instruments has released NI VeriStand 2012, the latest version of its configuration-based software environment with an open, intuitive software interface for developing real-time testing applications.

Engineers can use the new version of NI VeriStand to perform high-speed data acquisition and logging, and to find useful data faster during post processing with additional data logging flexibility. They can get up and running faster using new hardware configuration utilities and NI SC Express integration makes acquiring conditioned measurements easier than ever before.

“This release of NI VeriStand is the next step in our investment to provide a real-time testing platform that reduces risk and cost across a spectrum of applications ranging from embedded software validation to mechanical test systems,” says National Instruments Business and Technology Fellow Mike Santori.

“As the importance of software continues to grow in today’s products and systems, we continue to add new features to NI VeriStand to help engineers meet strict time-to-market requirements despite increasing test challenges.”

NI VeriStand 2012 is priced at $5025.

The features of the new product include real-time model execution from a variety of modeling environments, and open, extensible architecture to create custom code modules or incorporate custom user interfaces. It has built-in test automation using the Stimulus Profile Editor and is integrated with NI hardware I/O library, including FPGAs, embedded networks, machine vision, RF and a range of multifunction data acquisition modules including instrument-grade I/O.

Since 1976 National Instruments has equipped engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery. Its graphical system design approach to engineering provides an integrated software and hardware platform that speeds the development of any system needing measurement and control.

www.veristand.com

Olympus develops magnetic thickness gauge

Accurate measurement of the thickness of thin-walled items such as blow-moulded plastic bottles is now easier following the release of the Magna-Mike® 8600 Hall Effect thickness gauge from Olympus NDT.

This unique instrument is a portable thickness gauge that utilises a magnetic method to make reliable thickness measurements on non-ferrous materials.

It is a versatile tool, which can be used in a wide range of applications including measurements of thermo-formed plastic trays, extruded tubing, and automotive tear seams.

The Magna-Mike 8600 can also be used on glass and composites, as well as any non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, brass, copper and titanium, with a thickness range from 0.001-25.4mm.

Taking a measurement with the Magna- Mike 8600 is a simple procedure. The magnetic probe is held or scanned on one side of the test material while a small target ball is placed on the opposite side or dropped inside a container.

The probe’s Hall Effect sensor measures the distance between the probe tip and the target ball, which is instantly displayed as an easy-to-read digital thickness reading. Material properties do not affect the instrument’s accuracy.

The Magna-Mike 8600 has both straight and angled magnetic probes with replaceable wear caps to increase durability and reduce replacement costs. An expanded assortment of magnetic and non-magnetic steel target balls, discs and wire targets makes the Magna-Mike 8600 the ideal instrument for applications with complex geometry where ultrasonic thickness measurements are difficult or impossible.

Non-destructive measurement capabilities allow for pinpoint thickness readings in tight corners and grooves.

The instrument also boasts powerful standard thickness measurement features such as minimum and maximum scan and a strip chart view feature. The colour LCD display with full VGA resolution provides superior readability and a simple keypad makes it easy to access important functions. USB, RS-232, and VGA outputs are provided for connection to external displays.

The Magna-Mike 8600’s internal data-logger provides on-board storage of thickness data of more than 475,000 thickness readings in various fi le formats. The unit also features a MicroSDcard slot for additional storage and data transfer. The instrument can export data to the MicroSD card in CSV (Comma Separated Values) or text formats that can be copied or pasted into almost any Windows program.

The included WinXL interface program allows the Magna-Mike 8600 to send thickness readings directly to an Excel spreadsheet.

Olympus is a manufacturer and distributor of high-quality optical, electronic and precision engineering products, for scientific, medical and industrial applications. Olympus industrial leading edge testing technologies include remote visual inspection, microscopy, ultrasound, phased array, eddy current, eddy current array, x-ray fluorescence and diffraction, high speed video, and optical metrology. www.olympus.com

Hawk proves lucrative for rml Engineering

Installation of a Hawk robot as part of a packaging project at Fonterra’s Takanini plant means rml Engineering has sold six of the 2-axis pick and place robots, earning the company $6 million last year.

The Hawk project initially started off as a research and development exercise in partnership with Victoria University and the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The knowledge and tools gained from that research led to the in-house development of the Hawk robot by rml’s automation and design divisions.

The Hawk has many attractive features for use in product handling. The configuration of the robot arms allow for high speed and accurate movements while maintaining a small footprint – ideal for packaging applications.

The design allows for easy scaling of the robot’s dimensions. rml has developed optimisation software to find ideal dimensions for a given pick-and-place application, allowing the Hawk to be tailored to customers’ requirements.

The Hawk’s control is handled using software based on the Rockwell kinematic engine. It has outperformed rml’s expectations in testing and production.

The Hawk can achieve 46 cycles/min of a 90/400/90mm path with a 10kg load and 31 cycles/min with a 35kg load. It has a tool speed exceeding 3.5m/s.

The Hawk got its name from a staff member who came up with a ‘bird of prey’ theme reflecting the motion and look of the robot.

www.rmlengineering.co.nz

Aiming to cut development time

Maplesoft is working on the Symbolic Control project with Toyota using new symbolic computation methods in robust control design, with a strong focus on methods for linear, nonlinear, and parametric systems.

The main goal is ground-breaking research that leads to the implementation of symbolic design and analysis methods for linear, nonlinear and parametric robust control.

Research will allow developers to consider system nonlinearities, modelling inaccuracies and parametric uncertainties in the design process.

Toyota expects to shorten development time while maintaining high quality results.

Model simplification enables the conversion of high-level descriptive models into smaller executable models for faster execution and provides for better analysis, higher efficiency, and more accurate simulation.

Remote truck-to-workshop link

Volvo Trucks has developed a new GSM-based system that allows the workshop to check a truck’s condition remotely – a development that promises increased uptime and lower maintenance costs.

This new remote system is fitted to the new Volvo FH range, updated for the first time in 20 years and launched in Europe in September last year. This new Volvo flagship, with an engine meeting Euro VI emissions requirements, will be available in New Zealand next year, says Clive Jones of Motor Truck Distributors. The new remote services are possible thanks to the latest version of in-truck Telematics Gateway – (TGW). This allows the Volvo workshop to monitor the vehicle’s wear and condition and also read trouble codes remotely, using the GSM network.

“With these new communication facilities on board the trucks, the workshop receives continuous information about wear in a number of components,” explains Volvo Trucks head of service Christian Gustavsson.

This means the workshop can plan the servicing according to the individual vehicle’s actual needs.

“This will increase uptime and minimise the risk of unplanned stoppages by the roadside. This promotes security and reduces administration for the haulage firms, at the same time as their customers can count on high reliability,” says Mr Gustavsson.

Remote communication between truck and workshop is a complement to the service schedule. For instance, if a truck is driven in a different way compared to the original plan, the service intervals may end up being too frequent or too far apart. When the workshop receives data about the actual wear rate, it can adjust service intervals to suit the truck’s actual needs.

“Many of the parameters are difficult to calculate. A truck driven in tougher than average conditions wears out certain components more quickly, while a truck operating in calmer conditions may still have a lot of wear left in the same components when the scheduled replacement date arrives. This in turn means uncertainty for the haulage firm,” says Mr Gustavsson.

If the truck is used in a way that differs from the use that was planned for in the original service schedule, the workshop receives information about this.

“For example, the workshop can be alerted to brake pad wear. As a result the worn parts are replaced in time, they don’t give up when you’re out on a long-distance trip,” Mr Gustavsson says.

“It’s a win-win situation. It’s far more efficient both for the haulage firm and the workshop if it’s possible to avoid unplanned workshop visits.”

With TGW it will be possible to have remote updates of parameters and, in the future, it will be possible to update entire software packages in the truck. Initially the system will encompass a limited number of parameters but within a few years, according to Mr Gustavsson, Volvo Trucks will develop a far wider range of such facilities with the aim of improving haulage firm uptime and reducing operating costs.

www.volvotrucks.com

Electronic hubodometer wins with accuracy and durability

By Phil Whyte

Local truck fleet owners can now buy the first electronic hubodometer approved by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The Stemco DataTrac Pro has been specifically configured for local conditions and is exclusively manufactured for TATES New Zealand Ltd by Stemco in the USA.

Hubodometers have a hard life on New Zealand roads, and replacing them regularly is an ongoing significant cost for truck owners. However, durability along with accuracy are the Stemco’s big advantages over the mechanical hubos used on New Zealand heavy vehicles for decades, says TATES Manager John Johnson.

“This became apparent during TATES’ own trials, including two years in the Central North Island where the electronic hubos and mechanical hubos were fitted to the same trucks and trailers,” Mr Johnson said.

“During this time many of the mechanical hubos had to be replaced, but we didn’t have to replace one Stemco.

“Its accuracy derives from the fact it is electronic, and there are no moving parts.”

The Stemco DataTrac Pro also underwent stringent tests by NZTA during a period of six years to ensure it complies fully with New Zealand transport regulations. It was noted as being the most accurate Hubo tested.

The lack of moving parts ensures the Stemco’s accuracy and that it doesn’t suffer from the parts failures, misaligned mounting or any of the other problems associated with mechanical hobos. To prevent it being affected by dirty road conditions the Stemco has a watertight polycarbonate body.

It is battery powered, which is said to last for 10 years – there is a low battery alert. Anyone who has tried to read a mechanical hubo in the dark will appreciate the Stemco’s large digital display which on demand displays its distance, serial number or revolution per kilometre calibration.

The unit is fitted with a tamper proof microchip and can be calibrated to any tyre size. It is the same physical size as mechanical models and fits on a half inch UNF mounting stud.

“The market reception has been great, “Mr Johnson says, “and already we have some manufacturers fitting the Stemco as standard.”

The Stemco DataTrac Pro is available through TATES’ network of suppliers. The company is so confident of the durability of the new electronic hubo that is offering a five year/500,000km warranty.

For more information:
TATES New Zealand Ltd
Tel: 09 299 7777

Flexible analyser ideal for busy academic and manufacturing labs

Swiss company Mettler Toledo has launched its latest Excellence Dynamic Mechanical Analyser, DMA 1.

This highly flexible analyser offers six different deformation modes to more accurately gauge materials performance. The one piece of equipment is able to handle multiple dynamic and static measurements to characterise viscoelasticity, glass transition, softening, crystallisation, phase transformation and more. DMA 1 is ideal for both academic and manufacturing labs that handle many different types of materials under tight budget and time constraints.

Ease of use has been considered in every aspect of the DMA 1 to ensure it delivers on its promise of flexibility. Researchers can set the sample arm and analysis head at multiple angles based on sample nature and geometry. Simple adjustment of the sample arm - without having to calibrate in between configuration - means samples of many shapes and sizes can be processed in quick succession.

Rapid cooling to as low as -190°C with minimal liquid nitrogen consumption also helps improve sample throughput, reduce costs, and improve operator safety.

A key feature of the DMA 1 is its linear variable differential transformer which measures changes in length over a measurement range of ±1mm with a mean resolution of 2mm. Fitted near the sample to minimize influence of measuring system deformation, this resolution improves the accuracy of time lag/phase shift measurement between the force and displacement to help manufacturers more precisely determine how a particular material will behave in its manufactured context.

The DMA 1 also offers the critical ability to operate in liquids or at specific relative humidity levels. A humidity chamber/generator and circulating heat bath allow measurements under optimum conditions in every deformation mode.

For more information:
Visit: www.mt.com/ta-news

MapleSim joins in design of walking and talking RoboThespian robot

Cybernet Systems subsidiary Maplesoft Japan has announced its collaboration with Engineered Arts Limited, a company that designs and produces the revolutionary RoboThespian robots.

The current RoboThespian is a life-sized, programmable humanoid robot designed to be used for entertainment and communication. It can talk and sing - and even recite Shakespeare.

The next generation RoboThespian robot will be a full size humanoid dynamic robot that walks, runs and jumps. MapleSim is playing a critical role in the design and modeling of this balancing and walking robot.

The goal of the RoboThespian project is to make humans think more deeply about humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence.

Cinematic, theatrical and engineering techniques combine to produce entertaining robots that tackle challenging ethical, environmental and social issues.

Being fully interactive, user friendly, and capable of speaking more than a dozen languages, RoboThespian can communicate and entertain in a way that few people have experienced before.

RoboThespian robots are used by science centres in 14 countries and can be seen entertaining and educating visitors in theatrical installations around the world.

Max Q, the RoboThespian installed at NASA Kennedy Space Center, is programmed to answer questions about space including the Hubble Telescope and astronauts’ life in space, with the goal of educating and inspiring visitors.

For more information:
Visit: www.maplesoft.com