newsletter A publication from ifm efector featuring innovation steps in technology from around the world

EDITORIAL TECHNOLOGY NEWS Dear Readers, Imagine using your phone as a 3D Imagine what you could do with scanner to measure a room for painting or for placing new furniture without a 3D scanner in your pocket! having to use a tape measure for dimensions. Google’s latest project, Project Tango, P

strives to give mobile devices a human- h o t o

like understanding of space and motion c r e d

by using advanced sensors and i t :

T

computer vision. We are excited that e c h n

ifm’s daughter company, PMD e w s Technologies, is a partner in the project. w o r l This type of innovative technology will d . c o

drive the development of more m

applications that will interact with the Project Tango is Google’s Android-based 5” phone with advanced 3D sensors. The phone can actually world around us rather than merely build a visual map of rooms using 3D scanning. provide apps on your phone. What if you could capture the dimen - There are endless “What ifs.” Also in this issue ifm introduces two new sions of your home simply by walking We see our surroundings in three- products. A new one-piece temperature around with your phone before you sensor has been developed that is easy dimensions. Today’s mobile devices, went furniture shopping? What if you however, record data in two-dimensions to install and will eliminate challenges could scan an object and print it in on typically experienced when using but soon they will be able to see the your personal 3D printer? What if you environment the way we see it. mechanical transmitters. ifm’s inclination could see how a piece of custom sensor provides high measurement clothing would fit without trying it on? Google is currently developing a accuracy of boom angle indication in What if you could walk into a store and revolutionary Android Smartphone mobile equipment and machines with see exactly where the item you wanted prototype that will be able to scan the cranes or lifts. Enjoy the issue! to buy is located? What if you never environment in 3D. This new project is again found yourself lost in a new known as “Project Tango” and is still in Judy Giersch the experimental stage. Marketing Communications Dept. building? Google’s development team, Advanced IFM PRODUCT Technology and Projects (ATAP), spent a year working with research labs, Precise measurement of universities and industrial partners to develop the device. The partners inclination on mobile machines collaborated on ways to fit environ- ifm introduces the new JN Series inclination sensor for use ment-mapping robotics and computer JN Series in mobile machine applications. These sensors provide vision technologies into a phone. Starting List Price high measurement accuracy across the whole angular range of One of the industrial partners is PMD $398 x- and y-axes for position feedback and are capable of zero point Technologies gmbh, which is a daughter leveling applications. Parameters may be set within ±180° F company of ifm. The chips produced by and ± 45° F. PMD Technologies include PMD’s Time- The dual axis units feature CANopen and can be easily connected of-flight pixel matrix and patented to the vehicle’s controller. Suppression of Background Illumination, a feature which improves the sensor The JN inclination sensor’s robust stainless steel housing is chip’s dynamic range for indoor and completely sealed and protects the electronics from chemicals, outdoor operations. dirt and liquid ingress. Continued on page 4 Johnny Chung Lee, Technical Program Continued on page 3 August 2014 • Issue 33 ifm – close to you!

IFM PRODUCT 2 Miniature temperature transmitter fits all!

Finally, in assembling the kit, wiring can Delivered completely assembled, TA Series be complex and time-consuming. calibrated and ready to install Starting List Price We like to make things easy! 2-wire loop power operation $160 ifm has developed the TA2 Series to for easy installation simplify installation of temperature LED indicates operating transmitters for industrial applications. status The TA2 Series temperature transmitters 316 stainless steel fully welded construction prevents feature a robust one-piece housing. 78 mm Electronics are encased in a slim liquid ingress 18.5 mm diameter housing with laser- One-piece design with integrated welded threaded process connectors electronics, 6 mm diameter probe, and probe. With its 316 stainless steel and threaded process connectors construction and miniature size, the TA2 makes ordering easy using one fits into nearly any application requiring part number ifm’s core belief is to develop sensors temperature monitoring. that help our customers succeed in Available in probe lengths their business. We accomplish this by The transmitters are designed with a from 25…150 mm learning first-hand the application high accuracy tip that ensures fast challenges customers face. response time, a 2-wire analog output High accuracy Pt1000 (Class A) RTD for easy installation, and a status Tip design ensures fast response For example, we’ve learned that typical indicating LED. Models are available in time (50% of temperature change terminal chamber transmitters pose in 1 second and 90% of tempera- 25, 30, 50, 100 and 150 mm RTD ture change in 3 seconds.) mounting, ordering and wiring lengths. challenges. Units are delivered and ready to install Transmitter Thread Pre-scaled Because they are big and bulky, right out of the box. It’s that easy! chamber transmitters can be difficult to type Temperature range* mount. They do not provide any Fluid tempera - indication as to whether they are tures are critical TA26 Series 1/4” NPT 0…300 °F measurements operating. They are sold as kits that in process appli - TA23 Series 1/2” NPT 0…300 °F include multiple parts, i.e. a head cations. The TA21 Series G 1/4” BSPP -58…302 °F chamber, an RTD, a transmitter puck TA2 transmitter is ideal for TA24 Series G 1/2” BSPP -58…302 °F and a housing. When ordering these monitoring their parts, one must consider the calibrated process fluids. * All units can be rescaled between -58…302 °F RTD and match it to the correct puck. (-50…150 °C) using IO-Link.

Traditional temperature sensors are time consuming to install

1. Mount sensor 2. Mount 3. Wire RTD lead 4. Wire field wires 5. Make electrical transmitter puck wires connections ifm temperature transmitters can be installed in less than five minutes Typical applications: • Direct insertion in pipes and tanks • Heat exchanger temperature • Cooling and heating loops • Hydraulic systems • Lubrication systems

For more information about the 1. Mount TA sensor 2. Connect TA sensor 3. Make electrical and cable connections TA Series, visit www.ifm.com/us TANGO (CONTINUED ) TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Leader of the ATAP group explains, “We 3 are excited about working with partners Finger device reads to such as PMD, as we push forward the hardware and software technologies for the blind in real time 3D sensing and motion tracking on mobile devices.” Lee continues, “These sensors allow the phone to make over a quarter million 3D

measurements every second, updating P h o t its position and orientation in real-time, o

c r combining that data into a single 3D e d i t :

model of the space around you.” W H D

The 3D camera modules developed with H . c o this chip can be produced in unmatched m levels of miniaturization and still deliver excellent depth measurement Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute recognition software installed on a performance, which up until now has of Technology are developing an audio computer or smartphone,” Shilkrot said. been a challenge. This high level of reading device to be worn on the index The FingerReader would not replace integration lowers cost, power finger of people whose vision is Braille Instead, Shilkrot said, “the new consumption and size of the complete impaired, giving them affordable and device would enable users to access camera module. immediate access to printed words. a vast number of books and other This amazing technology has also piqued The so-called FingerReader, a prototype materials that are not currently available the interest of NASA. Google has produced by a 3D printer, fits like a ring in Braille.” currently joined with the NASA Ames on the user's finger, equipped with a Developing the gadget has taken three Research Center on a project that will small camera that scans text. A years of software coding, experimenting take Project Tango Smartphones into synthesized voice reads words aloud, with various designs and working on space to go aboard the International quickly translating books, restaurant feedback from a test group of visually Space Station (ISS). This is taking menus and other needed materials for impaired people. “Much work remains developers into an unfamiliar daily living, especially away from home before it is ready for the market,” environment – zero gravity. or office. Shilkrot said, “including making it work NASA plans to integrate a Project Tango Reading is as easy as pointing the finger on cellphones.” prototype onto a robotic platform, at text. Special software tracks the finger Developers had to overcome unusual called SPHERES. Syn chronized Position movement, identifies words and challenges to help people with visual Hold, Engage, Reori ent, processes the information. “The device impairments move their reading fingers Experimental Satellites are has vibration motors that alert readers along a straight line of printed text that bowling ball sized spherical when they stray from the script,” said they could not see. Users also had to be satellites that are intended Roy Shilkrot, who is developing the alerted at the beginning and end of the to be used inside the ISS device at the MIT Media Lab. reading material. to test autonomous ren - For Jerry Berrier, 62, who was born blind, Their solutions? Audio cues in the dezvous and docking the promise of the FingerReader is its software that processes information maneuvers. portability and offer of real-time from the FingerReader and vibration Three free-flying spheres will fly within functionality at school, a doctor's office motors in the ring. the ISS cabin performing flight forma - and restaurants. “The FingerReader can read papers, tions. By attaching a Project Tango Pattie Maes, an MIT professor who books, magazines, newspapers, com- smartphone with its mapping capabil ities founded and leads the Fluid Interfaces puter screens and other devices, but it to a SPHERES robot, the autonomous Research Group developing the has problems with text on a touch balls can navigate through the space prototype, says the FingerReader is like screen,” said Shilkrot. station and perform low-level duties that "reading with the tip of your finger and would usually fall to the astronauts. Berrier said affordable pricing could it's a lot more flexible, a lot more While floating in the zero-gravity make the FingerReader a key tool to help immediate than any solution that they environ ment, the smartphone will people with vision impairment integrate have right now." construct a 3D map of the station which into the modern information economy. will guide the SPHERES to where they “Current technology used in homes and "Any tool that we can get that gives us need to go without bumping into all the offices offers cumbersome scanners that better access to printed material helps us delicate equipment. must process the desired script before to live fuller, richer, more productive it can be read aloud by character- Just imagine…! lives,” Berrier said.

Place orders, tech support 800-441-8246 Visit our product catalog www.ifm.com/us Shop for products online. Easy ordering via eShop JN SERIES (CONTINUED )

4 Inclination sensor for mobile machines This issue of iStep Newsletter – Dedicated to Lizanne Dathe

A newly patented design provides less eliminate electrical damage during Lizanne Dathe, ifm’s PR Editor temperature drift over a wide operation. Noise-immune technology and Copywriter, lost her temperature range of -40…185 °F enables the sensors to ignore conducted courageous battle against (-40…85 °C), and accuracy within the and radiated noise. cancer on Saturday, April 26th, 2014. sensing range has been improved. ifm’s ecomatmobile inclin - As the Editor of this News- ifm’s product develop - ation sensors offer an ideal letter since its first edition in ment process incor - combination of features, 2006, Liz was especially devoted to producing porates specific tests for performance and value. an issue that surpassed the previous one, severe environments. The for you, her iStep Newsletter Readers. She accuracy and repeatability ifm efector offers a constantly researched interesting topics and complete family of mobile was determined to select only those that had drift of the sensors are not hit mainstream publication in the hopes tested in extreme equipment con trol solu - that you would enjoy learning about the conditions of shock and tions such as hard ened latest technologies for the first time in each vibration, temperature, PLC controllers, Can- iStep Newsletter. voltage and wet con - enabled I/O modules and A respected colleague (and my dear friend), this ditions to ensure reliable HMI displays. Prod ucts can loss will be felt by our Team, here at ifm… operation. be used on vehicles to for a long time to come. control lifting, moving, Judy Giersch, Mgr. The JN inclination sensor ifm’s inclination sensor monitors processing, trans porting is designed for contin- the position of the boom on an Marketing Communications Dept. aerial lift machine. and other auto mated ifm efector inc. uous operation and has operations. Our products an exceptional life cycle. can be applied individually or as a Longer life equates to fewer failures and complete platform solution. less downtime. Short-circuit overload About this issue Visit www.ifm.com/us/mobile Project Tango , Dave Smith; and reverse polarity protected outputs Tango Struts into the Spotlight, Kris Holt; Project Tango Helps Robots, Kevin Fogarty, http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322018 ; MIND-BENDER Finger Device Reads to the Blind, Linda Cardinal. The first 300 people who answer the mind bender Despite careful review by the editorial staff, the editor Fill in the missing number cannot be held liable for the correctness of the correctly will win a $10.00 Starbucks Card. publication. The applicable legal regulations and CIVIC = 207 Log on to www.ifm.com/us/response to enter provisions for the acquisition, installation and setup of electronic units must be adhered to. No part of this MIX = 1011 your answer. Closing date is September 30, 2014. The answer will be revealed after this date on our publication may be reproduced in any way or, using LIVID = 557 electronic systems, be processed, copied or distributed website and in the next i-Step Newsletter. without the editor’s expressed written consent. It cannot MILD = ______The answer to last issue’s mind-bender puzzle was: be concluded from the publication that the described 1738 X 4 = 6952 and 1963 X 4 = 7852 solutions or designations used are free from industrial property rights.

Position Motion Vision Safety Process Industrial Identification Machine Controls for Power Wiring ifm efector offers a sensors control sensors technology sensors networks systems condition mobile supplies technology machines complete line of sensors and controls.

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