Best of 2013
High tech cameras Lightning fast and legendary p. 8
Comfortable seats, better air To stand up and walk again Aircraft technology today p. 20 Modern prosthetics p. 38 TRATRA DYNAMICDYNAMIC FromFrom 00 toto 90009000 rpmrpm inin 44 ms.ms.
READYREADY ININ 1111DAYSDAYS
TheThe configurable configurable DC DC drives drives of of maxon maxon motor motor areare very very dynamic: dynamic: The The DCX DCX motor motor with with 3535 mm mm diameter diameter accelerates accelerates to to 9000 9000 rpm rpm withinwithin 4 4 ms ms at at nominal nominal voltage. voltage. Configure Configure aa custom custom drive drive online online to to include include gearhead gearhead andand sensor. sensor. Your Your finished finished drive drive will will ship ship from from SwitzerlandSwitzerland in in 11 11 working working days. days. dcx.maxonmotor.comdcx.maxonmotor.com
225x280.indd225x280.indd 5 5 03.10.1303.10.13 09:52 09:52 maxonmaxon EC-4pole EC-4pole TheThe power power packet. packet.
maxonmaxon drives drives in in humanoid humanoid robots. robots. WhenWhen itit reallyreally matters.matters. HumanoidHumanoid robots robots also also rely rely on on our our drive drive systems. systems. They They are are used, used, for for instance, instance, in in hand, hand, arm, arm, hip hip and and leg leg joints, joints, wherewhere they they enable enable service service robots robots to to move move precisely precisely in in the the real real world, world, not not only only in in the the movies. movies.
AndroidsAndroids like like Hubo Hubo 2 2engineered engineered at at Kaist Kaist (Korea (Korea TheThe maxon maxon product product range range is is built built on on an an exten- exten- maxonmaxon motor motor is is the the world’s world’s leading leading supplier supplier AdvancedAdvanced Institute Institute of of Science Science and and Technology) Technology) sivesive modular modular system, system, encompassing: encompassing: brushless brushless ofof high-precision high-precision drives drives and and systems systems of of up up areare becoming becoming more more agile. agile. They They are are able able to to ges- ges- andand brushed brushed DC DC motors motors with with the the ironless ironless maxon maxon toto 500500 wattswatts powerpower output.output. maxonmaxon motormotor ture,ture, shake shake hands, hands, walk walk and and even even run. run. There- There- winding,winding, iron-cored iron-cored flat flat motors, motors, planetary, planetary, spur spur standsstands for for customer customer specific specific solutions, solutions, high- high- forefore androids androids have have to to rely rely on on energy energy efficient efficient andand special special gearheads, gearheads, feedback feedback devices devices and and estest quality, quality, innovation innovation and and a a worldwide worldwide distri- distri- andand dynamic dynamic DC DC drives drives such such as as the the brushless brushless controlcontrol electronics. electronics. butionbution network. network. See See what what we we can can do do for for you: you: maxonmaxon EC-4pole. EC-4pole. www.maxonmotor.comwww.maxonmotor.com
225x280.indd225x280.indd 4 4 03.10.1303.10.13 13:40 13:40 Contents __ 3
Editorial In focus: robots, high-tech cameras, and little green men. UAC-mounted cameras offer new insights p. 14
Eugen Elmiger, CEO maxon motor ag Leading the field thanks to prosthetics Martian for a while p. 30 p. 37
maxon drive systems are used in countless 4 Pictures of the year 2013 26 Nano satellites in orbit applications; for example in medical technology, aerospace, or the communication sector. These 6 News 28 Visions of the future were the focus topics in the three tablet editions Of high-speed airplanes and travels 8 In the focus to the Moon and Mars of “driven – the maxon motor magazine” in 2013. Fascinating photos shot with We compiled the best stories, interviews, and high-tech cameras 30 Life on Mars technical reports in a “best of” magazine. Read
the interview with robot expert Rob Knight, learn 10 Witnesses 32 Modern prostheses are how high-tech cameras shoot high-resolution Moments, digitally captured for lifesavers pictures quick as a flash, be amazed at how, eternity thanks to state of the art prostheses, people learn 38 Newfound freedom 14 The world from above Autonomy with the exoskeleton “Rex” to walk again, and discover what it would be like Aerial pictures may offer to live like a little green man on Mars. unexpected insights 40 Compact power The history and future of miniature Happy reading! 16 The fascination of space drives How telescopes explore the universe 42 In vacuum What electric motors can do 20 Mile-high comfort zones in a vacuum maxon motors in modern Frame Eleven, Udo Kroener – Fotolia.com, Rex Bionics Ltd. – Fotolia.com, Rex Bionics Ltd. Frame Eleven, Udo Kroener / passenger aircraft 44 Fractions of seconds maxon motors offer ultra-fast 24 Rocket propulsion switching Hypersonic airplanes will The current tablet edition with require only fractions of today’s 46 ECCERobot interactive and multimedia flying times How robots will change our lives features can be found in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. 48 DCX: configure online Photos: Cover: Leica Camera AG Page 3: Photo Higher, Ottobock Healthcare GmbH, Volker Maiwald GmbH, Volker Ottobock Healthcare Page 3: Photo Higher,
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 4 __ Pictures of the Year 2013
Space
March 3, 2013 On March 3, 2013, the Space X Dragon capsule docked at the Interna- tional Space Station (ISS). Aside from food for the ISS crew, the capsule also carried supplies and equipment for scientific experiments, such as the stem cells of mice, Paris protein crystals, and plant seeds. Brushless June 17, 2013 maxon motors were used The Boeing 787 Dream- for positioning the two liner was the center solar panels, for opening of attention at the Paris the instrument bay hatch, Air Show. A special and for locking in place feature is the plane‘s air the fixture that allows conditioning, which Dragon to be grappled makes long trips more by the space station’s. comfortable for the robotic arm. passengers. 48 brush- less maxon DC motors, spur gearheads and resolver combinations ensure a pleasant climate high up in the sky. Photos: maxon motor ag, NASA
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Pictures of the Year __ 5
Zurich
March 9, 2013 The international robotics trade show Robots on Tour drew large crowds. Among the many robots on display was “Roboy”, one of the most advanced tendon-con- trolled robots. More than 50 brushless maxon drives are responsible for the android‘s precise movements.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 6 __ News
Enhanced service offering New production site in Korea
Successful partnership maxon motor awarded mission patch by SpaceX
SpaceX honors maxon motor with a mission Since early this year, type EC-i 40 President of maxon motor manufactur- patch (Flown in Space). This certificate, brushless DC motors are being pro- ing Co. Ltd., adds: “The development signed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, confirms duced in Sejong City. The EC-i 40 and production of maxon motors is a that maxon motor successfully participated has a diameter of 40 millimeters and is valuable addition to our existing busi- in the first commercial SpaceX mission to the designed to deliver up to 70 W of ness in Korea. In Sejong, we will stay ISS in May 2012. The maxon motors power. It stands out through its very abreast of the latest advances in tech- continued to function reliably in follow-up high torque. nology and contribute to their develop- missions. On the voyage to the ISS, brushless “The maxon motor Group already ment to ensure that products conform EC maxon motors were used to rotate the has production sites in Switzerland, to the highest quality standards.” The solar arrays to keep them aligned with the sun Germany, and Hungary. This fourth new site will also strengthen our service as Dragon orbited the earth, to open the production site marks the Group’s portfolio for the entire region of East instrument bay door which contains navigation expansion into Asia. This expansion is Asia. Sul: “We are pleased at the oppor- equipment, and to lock in place the fixture part of our long-term growth strategy in tunity to offer our customers in Korea that allows Dragon to be grappled by the space the region,” says Eugen Elmiger, CEO of and neighboring countries high quality station’s robotic arm. the maxon motor Group. Howard Sul, service on short notice.”
Are you planning to go to the 2014 soc- cer world cup in Rio de Janeiro? Prefer- ably in an Airbus A380? If you make the trip 172’584 wth 600 passengers, about 172,584 liters of jet fuel is required, or about 288 liters per person. A new diesel car with 2 liter liters displacement, 163 hp and 4 passengers would only need around 431 liters of fuel for the same linear distance. That’s only a little over 100 liters per person – roughly a third of the amount above. Engineers are constantly trying to save fuel, by means of new aerodynamics, jet engine technology or lightweight design. Ironless DC motors contribute to this effort with their efficien- cy and their lightweight design. Photos: maxon motor ag, sfmthd – Fotolia.com
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 News __ 7
New Products
New motor/gearhead maxon ESCON Module 50/5 variations
maxon DCX 10S/ DCX 22L and maxon GPX 22C/ GPX 22LN
maxon motor has expanded its configurable DCX product family. The DCX 10L is now complemented by a shorter version, the DCX 10S. Like all DCX motors, this brushed properties and a very fast digital DC motor excels through high power Easy commissioning – current controller with an enormous density and low vibration. highest performance bandwidth for optimal motor current/ The DCX 22L is the new big brother of torque control. The drift-free, dynamic the short DCX 22S. At 22 mm diame- maxon ESCON speed characteristics enable a speed ter, this brushed DC motor tops even range from 0 to 150,000 rpm. the RE 25 (20 Watt). The GPX 22C is Module 50/5 A motherboard for initial commission- a performance-optimized version of The miniaturized OEM plug-in module ing of the module is available. With the GPX 22. Ceramic axles provide belongs to the new ESCON servo the «ESCON Studio» graphical user better operating characteristics and a controller family. The powerful interface, the servo controller can be longer life span. Another new member 4-quadrant PWM service controller is adapted easily. The large range for the in the GPX family is the low-noise designed for efficient control of input voltage and the operating version of the GPX 22. The GPX 22LN permanent magnet-activated brushed temperature allows flexible use in has special plastic planet gears in the DC motors or brushless DC motors almost all drive applications – in input stage that reduce operating (BLDC motors) with Hall sensors, up automation technology, in small noise by about 5 dBA. to approximately 250 W. The OEM machine manufacturing and equip- plug-in module has excellent control ment engineering, and in robotics.
spindle drive maxon DCX 10S GP 8 S
spindles. This is the case with max- on’s new GP 8 S spindle drive. The standard version of the drive can be combined with two different motor types (RE8/0.5 W and RE8/0.5 W with encoder). maxon DCX 22L Low-wear and economical The benefits of metric spindles in- clude backdrivability and cost-effec- GP 8 S spindle drive tiveness. Ceramic spindles have the advantage of minimizing nut wear (ceramic version) thanks to their ceramic glide surface. Spindle drives convert rotary motion The spindles are used in appli- into linear motion. The two most cations such as drives, measuring maxon GPX 22C/ common designs are the ball screw equipment, medical and optical GPX 22LN and the lead screw. Smaller drives technology, and vacuum and labora- can also be designed as metric tory applications.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Model: Leica S2 Shutter speed: 1/750 sec
Model: Leica S2 Shutter speed: 1/1500 sec Leica Fotografie International, Leica Camera AG, maxon motor ag / Photos: Jonas Bendiksen
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Digital photography __ 9
Because all settings are made with an open Lightning-fast shutter, the first thing the central shutter of a reflex camera does after release is to close. The mirror swings up, then the central shutter opens images for the duration of the exposure before closing again. Finally the mirror swings back into the Digital high-end reflex cameras can deliver extremely path of light, and the shutter opens. Even though sharp photos. This is a challenge not just for the it employs the classic solution of mechanical springs for the efficient storage of potential en- photographer’s skill. The technology inside the camera ergy, the central shutter is a piece of cutting-edge also plays a role. technology. The tensioned-spring principle con- tributes significantly to the extremely compact dimensions.
Small motor for tensioning The springs are tensioned by a specially devel- oped maxon motor with a high-precision over- running clutch and release their stored energy to activate the shutter blades when the shutter The Leica S system combines the image quality release is depressed. A specially constructed of a medium-sized camera with the handling, solution prevents the blades from rebounding speed, flexibility of a compact camera. The objec- when the shutter is opened or closed. A micro- tives used in the Leica S have a built-in dedicated processor-controlled pawl and ratchet mecha- processor for controlling the auto focus. These nism controls the shutter cycle via two electro- lenses are also available with a central shutter, magnetically activated plungers. for maximum flexibility when using flash. The gear motor is used for tensioning three Besides the focal-plane shutter, which is springs that store the energy for the central shut- integrated in the camera, the central shutter ter. A maxon A-max 12 is used as the base mo- is one of two common designs. A central shut- tor. The gearhead is an all-new development by ter is typically located at the center of the objec- maxon motor, specially adapted to fit in the lim- tive, between the lenses. It consists of several ited available space. The development of a com- blades arranged around the optical axis in a pact, enclosed and sealed custom version with concentric pattern. When the shutter release perpendicular power transmission to the shut- is depressed, the blades snap back from this ter through a crown gear – all with a life span of axis synchronously and let the light fall on the more than 100.000 releases – was a special chal- sensor. lenge.
Small but strong gearhead is an all-new The gear motor in the development adapted Leica S lens is used for to the available space. tensioning three springs The maxon A-max The whole is more than The central shutter generates no vibration maxon A-max 12 that store the energy portfolio offers the sum of its parts: and is very fast. The gear motor is used Ø 12 mm, for the central shutter. high-quality DC motors Leica sets a new for tensioning three springs that store the precious metal brushes, An A-max 12 is used with an optimal price/ standard with its S lens energy for the central shutter. 0.75 W as the base motor. The performance ratio. system.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 10 __ Legends at work
Moments for eternity
Ever since technology has made it possible, people have wanted to preserve special moments like historical events or challenging physical feats in photographs. Leica is a pioneer of camera design.
Article: Anja Schütz
The first Leica camera. Leica Fotografie International / Photos: Leica Camera AG, Jonas Bendiksen
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Mountaineer Hilde Bjørgaas on the way up and in the focus of a Leica S2. She is climbing in the Lofoten, a Norwegian archipelago of about 80 islands. 12 __ Legends at work
19 68 Impressions of the Olympic Games in Mexico City, photographed by René Burri.
The rocks in the Lofoten, an archipelago off the In 1961, serial production passed the one Norwegian coast, are a challenge to any climber. million milestone. In 1986, Leica GmbH was There are 800 meters of altitude to overcome. founded to consolidate the activities in the pho- Every crack in the rocks is checked for stability tography market. Twelve years later the first dig- before the next anchor is set. Without a safety ital Leica compact camera is introduced. line, the risk of falling would be far too great. Leica continues its growth and has won the Finally reaching the top is what mountaineers hearts and minds of many photographers, for live for, and it is a moment worth preserving for example with its digital reflex cameras. The posterity. company maintains close ties with the famous Leica and other pioneers of camera design image agency Magnum Photos. Being accepted have made this possible. The history of the com- as a member is like a knighthood for photo pany goes back to 1849, when the optician Carl graphers. This year, Leica honored the photo Kellner founded an optical institute in Wetzlar, reporter and Magnum photographer René Burri Germany. The first Leica, known among con- with the “Leica Hall of Fame Award” for his life’s Magnum Photos
noisseurs as the “Ur-Leica”, was designed by work. The now 80-year old photographer cap- / Oskar Barnack in 1914. Many more camera tured many important events of the past century models were to follow. and achieved worldwide fame. They include, for example, the iconic portrait of Cuban revo- lutionary leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara with a cigar. The Swiss photographer also recorded
historical events in Germany before and after René Burri Campardo, Sandro / the Berlin Wall was built, as well as the fall of
A legend: René Burri in front of his the Wall. life’s work, for which he received the
Leica Hall of Fame Award. Photos: Keystone
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Legends at work __ 13
1979 Impressive: Transport of the legendary Space Shuttle through California, photographed by René Burri.
1989 René Burri documented the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 in numerous pictures.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 14 __ Remote controlled
The Torresol concentrated solar thermal power plant in southern Spain, photographed from a UAC equipped with technology by Photo Higher.
The world from above
Aerial images offer many benefits to a wide range of industries and companies. Often things are revealed from above that are hidden to the observer on the ground.
The camera gimbals are Mining companies survey mines from the air, oil device’s core is the drive unit for the stabilizing driven by maxon EC 32 flat and gas suppliers monitor their drilling rigs, and platform, for which the company required small brushless DC servo motors. energy utilities their overland lines. All these ap- brushless DC motors. The original requirement This customized drive system is flat and compact plication have one challenge in common: In a was for a backlash-free gear motor with 40 rpm while still fulfilling the frequently rough operating environment, the and an output torque of 2 Nm. The overall demanding speed and camera needs to be protected against wind, tur- weight of motor and gearhead was not to exceed torque requirements. The bulence and the vibration of the carrier aircraft 100 g, and the maximum length was 50 mm. key factor however is the backlash-free output, which while being kept in a stable position. This is the Power consumption is an important issue in makes these drives an ideal job of high-precision camera gimbals. The sus- most UAC applications. Thanks to their higher choice for camera gimbals. pension offers a stable and level platform that power density and better efficiency, brushless The motors are controlled by allows users to shoot high-quality aerial photo- a custom maxon servo DC servo motors by maxon offer lower energy controller. graphs. The company Photo Higher, based in consumption than other motors, allowing the Wellington, New Zealand, has specialized in the UAC to remain airborne for longer periods of design, development, and manufacture of high- time. precision camera gimbals for vertical-ascent ro- After numerous trials with a variety of drive tary-wing UACs. Gimbals by Photo Higher are units, including the use of an angular gearhead lightweight, easy to operate, and very stable. The that turned out to be too heavy, an ideal solution
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Remote controlled __ 15
The Halo 2000 by Photo Higher is a three-axis camera stabilizer system made from 100 per cent carbon fiber. The stabilization is provided by maxon motors and servo controllers.
maxon EC 32 flat Ø 32 mm, brushless, 15 W
was found: a flat brushless DC servo motor to adapted specifically to suit the requirements of drive the gimbals directly. This customized drive this application. system is flat and compact while still fulfilling The camera gimbals of the AV and Halo se- the speed and torque requirements. The key fac- ries by Photo Higher were designed for demand- tor however is the backlash-free output, which ing applications. The system is stable enough for makes these drives a perfect solution for camera film recording, allowing the UAC to be used gimbals. Independent of camera brand and or to abtain high-resolution aerials and geodata maxon ESCON servo model, the end user can always adjust the gim- quickly. In addition to UACs, the gimbals are controller bals to match the center of gravity of the entire also suitable for helicopters, airships, cranes, system. In a well balanced system, the DC ser- or boats – a wide range of applications. Aerial vos offer strong acceleration and fast response at images in particular continue to fascinate due very low energy consumption. to the perspective and offer surprising insights, To control the brushless DC servos for vari- revealing connections that were the subject of ous camera gimbals, Photo Higher uses a cus- conjecture before. A common use today is to tom servo controller, also made by maxon. Some simplify the search for subterranean archaeo- of the characteristics, like the shape of the circuit logical sites.
Photos: Dedicam GmbH, Photo Higher board, amplification, and connectors, have been
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Can we make artificial stars? Humanity still has a long way to go before we can make artificial stars. For scientific applications however, there already is such a technology. The Optical Tube Assemblies of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research light up the sky. Article: Anja Schütz
The flagship of European astronomy is the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on mount Paranal in Chile. The location offers optimal conditions for observations in the infrared and visible light range.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Laser cannon __ 17
A high-precision drive system by tude of 90 km, making them glow. This happens maxon motor controls the tip with an accuracy of 45 mm – at 90 km distance. These glowing spots function as artificial guid- and tilt motion of the Field Selector ing stars and make astronomical observations Mechanism. easier.
maxon drive systems in the Field Selector Mechanism The design of the OTA consists of a 20x laser beam expander and an active tip-and-tilt mir- ror, the Field Selector Mechanism (FSM). This mechanism is bonded to a membrane spring- and-strut combination that allows only tip and tilt movements. The mirror of theFSM has a di- ameter of 100 mm. It can be rotated around two orthogonal axes in a plane parallel to the mirror surface. The rotation of the mirror results in an asymmetrically reduced response in the on-sky angle of the laser beam. The mirror is elastically hinged and is aligned by means of self-locking actuators with high stiffness. The required ab- solute accuracy is achieved with sensors that With the Optical Tube Assemblies, directly measure the mirror’s orientation with laser beams are shot high into the atmosphere to generate artificial stars. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is respect to the base. the most successful scientific observatory in the A high-precision drive system using brush- world. Since it was founded in 1962, the ESO has less maxon flat motors, a planetary gearhead been providing astronomers and astrophysicists with a spindle, and an encoder is responsible for with state-of-the-art research facilities. The flag- the accurate tip-and-tilt movements of the mir- ship of European astronomy is the Very Large ror in the FSM and thus for precise alignment of Telescope (VLT), located on mount Paranal in the laser in the sky. In a telescope, two maxon Chile, which offers optimal conditions for ob- motors are used per FSM unit. For the design of servations in the infrared and visible light spec- the actuators, the dynamic range requirements trum. Only recently, the oldest known solar twin were decisive. Very few commercially available was discovered using the VLT. This star, very actuators are equipped with a self-locking func- similar to our sun, is roughly 8.2 billion years tion that fulfills these requirements. Therefore, old, compared with our sun’s 4.6 billion years. TNO developed a high-precision spring trans- The VLT consists of four main telescopes, mission based on a standard maxon spindle with mirror diameters of 8.2 meters, and four drive with planetary gearhead and integrated auxiliary telescopes. The Netherlands Organi- ball-screw spindle. As the available space in sation for Applied Scientific Research has de- the FSM units puts limits on the height of the veloped a projection system for the VLT. The components, brushless flat motors are especially so-called “Optical Tube Assemblies” (OTAs) are suitable for this application. In 2015, the first complex projection systems for generating arti- telescope in the Paranal Observatory in Chile ficial stars. Aided by these systems, four power- will be equipped with the new laser technology. ful 20-Watt lasers send light beams up into the Furthermore, the ESO plans to implement the atmosphere to create “artificial stars”. Their pur- technology in other telescopes. Regardless of pose is to correct distortions in the VLT’s images whether we will create artificial stars in the fu- that are caused by turbulence in the air. ture or not: We will definitely see the stars much Normally, telescopes collect incident light more clearly. from the sky and focus it in an instrument.
C. Malin, TNO The new technology reverses this process: The / telescopes are used to project laser beams into The first prototype of the Field Selector the sky and thus create points of light. The laser Mechanism (FSM). Two maxon motors
Photos: ESO beams excite a layer of sodium atoms at an alti- are used per FSM unit.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 18 __ Traces The mysterious dark energy A clear sky full of stars impresses everyone who has the opportunity to witness a truly dark night. Dark matter and dark energy are two important components in our understanding of the universe’s expansion.
by Bruno Leibundgut
Glittering starlight tells us of faraway worlds. And static universe, the night sky would not be dark, in this case, faraway really means far away: Voy- but as bright as the surface of the stars. The first ager 1, the first probe ever created by human- people who thought of this were Edmund Halley ity, has just left our solar system after 35 years and Jean-Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in the 18th of travel, during which it has covered a distance century, and the problem was described by Hein- of 18.8 billion kilometers. A light beam or a ra- rich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers in the early 19th dio command takes a little over 17 minutes to century. Today it is generally known as Olbers’ get from Earth to Voyager 1. In other words, the paradox. Think about it like this: In an infinitely handlers of Voyager 1 can go for a coffee after large forest, your glance would inevitably fall on sending a command, as the confirmation will a tree trunk eventually, no matter in which direc- not arrive until more than half an hour later. tion you looked. In a similar way, in an infinite However, in comparison with the size of the universe the glance would inevitably fall on the cosmos, Voyager is basically still sitting in our surface of a star – and therefore the entire sky lap. The sun’s closest neighboring star is already would be as bright as the surface of the sun, far 4.6 light years away. Were we to send a friendly too bright for the naked eye to look at! hello, we would have to wait nine years for an In a finite forest however, it might be pos- answer! And most of the stars we can see at night sible to catch a glimpse of, for example, a lake are hundreds or even thousands of light years beyond the forest’s edge. This indicates that our away from us. Communication in such a system universe must be dynamic, and probably also fi- would quickly become a test of patience beyond nite. The Big Bang marks the beginning of our the scope of a human life. universe in time. This was 13.5 billion years in the past. Because the universe keeps expanding, It all started with the Big Bang the light from the Big Bang shifts ever longer There is another feature of the night sky that is wavelengths. This radiation can be observed as often overlooked: It’s dark! Even in a dense field of the cosmic background radiation. However, it is stars, most of the sky is black. This trivial-seeming invisible to the human eye. fact is fundamental to our understanding of the The dynamic universe is defined by its con- universe. In an infinitely old and infinitely large, tents. The key element is the effect of gravita-
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Traces __ 19
Bruno Leibundgut grew up in Basel, where he studied physics and astronomy. After his doctorate he held science positions at Harvard and Observation of a distant supernova. The brightness change is clearly visible. at the University of It was brightest around March 13, then it faded over the course of a month. This supernova California in Berkeley. exploded about 5 billion light years from the sun. Two decades ago he joined the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Munich. Today he is its scientific director. He was part of one of the tion, and thus matter, in the cosmos. Gravitation independently discovered that the farthest su- teams that discovered should have slowed the expansion since the Big pernovae are farther away than should be ex- the accelerated Bang. However, the amount of observable mat- pected in a hypothetical matter-less, empty expansion of the universe. ter is insufficient to explain this effect. Astrono- universe. The only way to explain this is by in- mers therefore had to postulate two additional troducing an additional force. For this discovery, components, dark matter and dark energy. Dark Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess, and Brian Schmidt matter exerts a gravitational pull while dark en- received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011. ergy, which is possibly an accelerating feature of It is not quite clear yet what dark matter and space itself, drives the universe apart. Dark mat- dark energy really are. Dark matter has to consist ter is necessary to explain why galaxies remain of particles outside our everyday experience of coherent. Dark energy was discovered when ex- reality. Its interaction with our world is so subtle plosions of distant stars – so-called supernovae that it can be measured only at the scale of galax- – were observed. A supernova can be observed ies and has not been shown in the laboratory yet. for a few weeks and used to measure distances Dark energy is even more mysterious. It could in the universe. be connected to a term that Albert Einstein once introduced into physics out of sheer exaspera- Mysterious dark energy tion. However, there are other possible explana- Two groups of researchers observed distant su- tions. However, it is going to take a few more pernovae in order to measure the effect of dark years until we will be able to understand these
Photos: ESO matter on the expansion of the universe. They two important components of space.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 20 __ Aerospace technology
Autopilot and pedal adjustment
maxon EC 22 Ø 22 mm, brushless, 40 W
maxon GP 22 C Ø 22 mm, 0.5–2.0 Nm
Brushed and brushless feedback joysticks of the the pedal. To this end, a DC motors by maxon fly-by-wire flight control. drive system consisting motor are also used in The pedal adjustment in of a brushless EC 22 and the cockpits of aircraft. the cockpit is also con- a planetary gearhead For example in the alti- trolled by maxon motors. (GP 22 C) is used. tude control equipment Pilots can adjust the rud- and in the control de- der pedals to match the vices for the control sur- length of their legs. faces, in the automatic A maxon unit drives a thrust control or in force linear spindle that adjusts
Satellite communication
In the near future, many flights are likely to offer Internet and cellular phone connections – thanks to maxon pro ducts, among others. Some airlines are already maxon GS 45 running pilot projects Ø 45 mm, 0.5–2.0 Nm with such systems. Shades and displays maxon drive units are responsible for the tip- Aircraft cabins contain EC-max 16 motors com- EC product range. and-tilt movements of numerous automatic bined with a planetary Thanks to the brushless the antenna, to con- systems, like window gearhead (GP 16) are design, the drives are stantly keep it aligned to shades, displays or used for adjusting the well suited for long the current satellite posi- seats. Here again the shades in a modern air- periods of operation. tion. The satellite sends maxon EC 32 light and efficient maxon craft. maxon EC-max and receives the data Ø 32 mm, brushless, drives can be found. is a cost-optimized from an earth station. 80 W Brushless EC-45 flat mo- tors, EC-32 motors, the GS 45 spur gearhead and encoders are used. Tips-Images, Udo Kroener – Fotolia.com, Tips-Images, – Fotolia.com, Udo Kroener /
EC-max 16 Ø 16 mm, brushless, Photos: Bildagentur-online 5 W Pavel Losevsky – Fotolia.com, maxon motor ag
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Aerospace technology __ 21
Comfortable seats, better air Modern passenger aircraft are getting more and more comfortable. maxon motors make a decisive contribution. A challenge in lofty heights.
and the displays of the on-board entertainment system are operated automatically – depending on the aircraft type – and are moved by motors. A total of 48 maxon motors are installed in the environmental control system of a Boeing 787. This includes drives for the cabin In modern passenger aircraft, pneumatic cush- ventilation, for cooling the electronics, and for ions in the seats for example make long flights closing and opening the air inlet on the outside much more pleasant. The customary plastic of the aircraft. The aircraft’s environmental con- foam in the seat cushions is replaced with air- trol system – more than 5 m long and 700 kg filled chambers. Flat motors made by maxon heavy – would suffice to cool or warm 25 house- take care of filling the cushions with air. Other holds. The cabin ventilation system consists of maxon motors ensure quiet electronic adjust- 36 shut-off valves that are driven by brushless ment of the seat backs and thus further contrib- maxon EC 45 flat motors. These light motors ute to the passengers’ comfort. Window shades have been designed to fit into even the smallest
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 22 __ Aerospace technology
spaces, thanks to their tiny dimensions. EC flat matic thrust control, or in the force feedback motors achieve speeds of up to 20,000 rpm and, joysticks of the fly-by-wire flight control. thanks to their open design, offer excellent heat An aircraft also has numerous valves for vari- dissipation and high torques. ous tasks. For example, the water supply and wa- ter disposal in the lavatories are controlled by maxon motors for the cockpit and means of valves that are opened and closed by for the lavatory maxon drives. Let us take a look into the cockpit. This is an- other area where maxon motor’s brushless and Highest loads across long life spans brushed DC motors are used, for example in the Motors for aerospace applications differ greatly attitude control system, in the actuators for the from standard motors. They have to cope with mechanical flight control surfaces, in the auto- great temperature fluctuations (–55 to +85 °C), withstand constant vibration and repeated im- pacts, have a long life span, and emit as little electromagnetic interference as possible. Fur- thermore the weight, quiet running and absolute reliability of the drive system play an important role. Pneumatic seat system
Environmental control system for passenger aircraft
Modern pressure cabins a flame barrier at the and environmental con- output shaft and special trol systems ensure a vibration-resistant pleasant atmosphere in threads for fastening. commercial aircraft. The maxon EC 45 flat is Brushless maxon used as valve actuator in Fore more Information on the seat system DC motors help to main- the aircraft. It is charac- by Lantal see the interview on p. 23. tain the correct pressure terized by a simple, reli- in the cabin, provide able design with high In modern passenger The motors are a central adequate oxygen and torque resistance in a aircraft, pneumatic cush- component of the air ensure that the tempera- short design. The brush- ions in the seats make cushion system. Each ture is just right. The less motor functions in long flights much more aircraft seat with inte- cabin ventilation system the standard temperature pleasant. This system grated pneumatic air consists of 36 butterfly range encountered in replaces the customary cushion system is valves that are operated civil aviation, from –55 to cushion foam in the seat equipped with a maxon with EC 45 flat motors. +85 °C. A total of 48 cushions with air-filled motor. A single brushless maxon EC 45 flat The linear drives for the drive systems by maxon T+T Fotografie chambers. Brushless EC 45 flat motor per seat Ø 42.9 mm, air inlets consist of motor are installed in the / maxon flat motors take drives the vane pump of brushless, 30 W adapted brushless EC 32 Boeing 787. The EC 45 care of filling the cham- the air cushion. The flat motors with low-temper- flat drives the valve flap bers with air. The system motors have an output ature Hall sensors, via a spur gearhead. allows various degrees of power of more than filling; this allows the 30 W, but weigh only 75 passenger to steplessly g apiece – a particularly choose between a hard important criterion for Adisa, maxon motor ag, Lantal or soft setting. The air use in aircraft. / cushion system also makes the seats lighter, thereby reducing the aircraft’s fuel use and, ultimately, its operating maxon EC 45 flat costs. Ø 42.8 mm,
brushless, 50 W Photos: Lantal, Shutterstock
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Aerospace technology __ 23 “It is important to think laterally.” Globally, around 60 percent of all aircraft textiles are produces by Lantal, a Swiss company. With the development of a pneumatic seat system, Lantal has discovered another market niche for itself.
Interview: Anja Schütz
What in particular fascinates you about I want to enjoy the benefits of the comfort Dr. Urs Rickenbacher your job as CEO at Lantal? What are the system? completed his doctorate largest challenges? in business education The first airline that offered a fully pneumatic and educational man- It is fascinating to work with people from dif- comfort system in the business and first class agement (Dr. oec. HSG) ferent cultures every day and to experience the seats of their long-distance aircraft was Swiss In- at the University of St. beauty and diversity of the textile industry. The ternational Airlines. Today more than 3000 seats, Gallen. After his studies, he worked in executive challenges are in particular the internationality mainly in the business class, have been equipped positions at Gebr. Sulzer of the business, as well as our aim to provide best with this system. In addition to SWISS, these AG, Kuoni Reisen AG, performance in the face of strong competition, seats can be found at Lufthansa, Brussels Air- Jelmoli AG and the USM with high cost and margin pressure and a high lines, Austrian Airlines and at British Midland Group before he became the CEO and delegate of degree of volatility. International under the label of British Airways. the board of directors at Orders have been received from Air Canada, Lantal Textiles Group in Where did Lantal get the idea to develop a for the Boeing B777, as well as from two north Langenthal (Switzerland) pneumatic seat cushion system (PCS)? American airlines and an airline company from in 2003. Was marketing the idea to customers a the Middle East. rocky road? Urs Baumann, the then owner and CEO of Lan- How much does Lantal invest in research tal, saw a patented, small air-filled seat bench at and innovation? the “prospective concepts” invention company. This question cannot be answered with a simple He made the right men- number. In the international market, innovations “It is fascinating to work tal connections and rec- are crucial for survival. We constantly watch top- with people from different ognized an opportunity ics and trends in the aerospace, bus and railway for using the technology industries, as well as related fields such as archi- cultures.” in Lantal’s core business tecture, fashion, furniture design and mobility, with seat covers. It took to detect trends and ideas and implement them four years until the first commercial seat cush- towards sustainable corporate development. It ion had been certified and installed at an airline. is important to think laterally, to get new input Another four years were needed to get business from other industries and to integrate these ideas and first class seats equipped with a fully adap- with our strategic objectives. Innovation is of tive seat cushion system. Certifications in the central importance for a highly specialized com- aerospace industry are – rightly so – very com- pany. it is not limited to new design versions and plex and time-consuming. targeted process optimization, but rather also in- cludes new products that succeed in generating Download the tablet edition The air cushion technology has now more or new benefits for the customer. 2//2013 of driven to read established itself in the business and first the complete interview. class. With which airline should I fly if magazine.maxonmotor.com
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 24 __ Hypersonic planes
and Sweden got together to concretize the vi- sion of the SpaceLiner. The concept is based on a two-stage, reusable system: One passenger cap- sule and a booster stage that separates from the passenger capsule after the first thrust.
Rocket drives provide thrust Rocket motors for extreme speeds: After the first thrust, the booster stage separates from In principle, a hypersonic flight works just like the passenger capsule. The plane lands like a conventional passenger aircraft. any other flight, but at speeds of at least 1.7 km/s, i.e. over 6000 km/h. For short distances, the SpaceLiner can even achieve 20,000 km/h. This requires a powerful propulsion system. “On the SpaceLiner, we cleverly solve that problem by using rocket engines,” says Martin Sippel, pro- ject manager at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Bremen. The rocket engine burns liquid hydrogen and oxygen; as a result, water vapor forms. Unlike for example the supersonic aircraft Concorde, which burnt 25,000 liters of In minutes fuel per hour, the drive of the SpaceLiner has 90 been designed to be environmentally friendly right from the start. from Paris to Active cooling required Another challenge for the scientists is the heat that develops during the flight. Due to the enor- mous friction with the earth’s atmosphere, tem- Sidney peratures of up to 1800 °C are generated at the outer surface of the SpaceLiner. “In addition to a lightweight and very reliable passive thermal Today, a flight passenger needs around 24 hours to travel a distance protection on the large surfaces, the SpaceLiner of 16,800 km. Hypersonic aircraft with rocket engines will reduce this therefore needs active cooling on its nose and on time to a fraction. the front sides of the wings,” explains Sippel. The project is currently in an early phase of Article: Anja Schütz development. According to the DLR, the first hy- personic aircraft with passengers could take off in 2050. However, it will take a little longer until The SpaceLiner hypersonic aircraft does not need the technology takes hold in the price-conscious a long runway; it launches vertically into the sky mass tourism sector. Martin Sippel estimates over Paris. After a flight phase of around eight that, in the beginning, a SpaceLiner ticket will minutes, it switches to horizontal cost roughly the same as the space tourism flights “Due to the friction with flight and glides to its destination offered by Virgin Galactic. We are talking about the earth’s atmosphere, at a height of 80,000 m. During around 200,000 dollars – an expensive, but ex- some stages of the journey, the tremely speedy way of traveling. Until hyperson- the nose and wings need 50 passengers are traveling at 20 ic flight becomes a matter of habit for the general active cooling.” times the speed of sound, or about population, various technical developments will 20,000 km/h. 80 minutes later, the ensure that the passengers travel in comfort. And SpaceLiner touches down on a normal runway maxon motors installed in numerous aircraft in Sydney. This might sound simple, but in real- components contribute to this, performing their ity it is quite complex. duties out of sight. Within the scope of the Fast20XX study (Future High-Altitude High-Speed Transport), scientists from Germany, Austria, Spain, Swit- zerland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, France
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Hypersonic planes __ 25
Download the tablet edition 2//2013 of driven to see a simulation of what a flight in the SpaceLiner might be like. magazine.maxonmotor.com
How fast is a hypersonic aircraft? Mesosphere up to: 80,000 m
SpaceLiner 20,000 km/h (Mach 20 – 24)
Felix Baumgartner Jet Stratosphere 1342 km/h (Mach 1.1) 3500 km/h (Mach 2 – 3) up to: 36,000 m
Oleksiy Maksimenko Concorde / 2333 km/h (Mach 2)
Troposphere Passenger plane up to: 10 000 m 915 km/h (0.85 Mach) , Photos: DLR, Avenue Images Photos: DLR, Avenue
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 26 __ Miniature satellites
Thirty by ten by ten centimeters: The UKube-1 miniature satellite. Nanosatellites heading for space Photos: Clyde Space
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Miniature satellites __ 27
Nanosatellites or CubeSats are miniaturized satellites used in space research. They are only 10 x 10 x 10 cm in size and weigh less than 1 kg. These cost-effective and practical satellites were developed for research purposes. To improve the inclination control for the small CubeSats, Clyde Space cooperates with maxon motor. This opens up new areas of application for nanosatel- lites, for example observing the Earth with high- resolution cameras, transmitting data with high bandwidth, applications in the fields of space science and astronomy, or precision inspection of new technology in orbit.
Innovative inclination control developed Clyde Space and maxon motor have jointly de- veloped a tri-axial inclination control system. It is based on torque positioning by means of a re- action wheel. The wheel is driven by a brushless maxon DC motor. When the speed of the reac- “maxon’s participation was decisive tion wheel changes, the resulting torque rotates for the development of the reaction wheel.” the CubeSat. The satellite is stabilized by means Craig Clark, CEO Clyde Space of rotation at constant speed. To achieve com- plete inclination control on all three axes, sev- eral reaction wheels are used. Clyde Space was looking for a cost-effective solution and decided on a brushless standard maxon motor with a di- ameter of 20 mm. maxon motor modified this Clyde Space, a Scottish company, researches new product to suit the application environment, de- livered and installed the reaction wheel and en- application options for nanosatellites. To this end, it sured proper dynamic calibration of the entire counts on brushless DC motors by maxon motor. subassembly. Article: Anja Schütz “maxon’s participation in the project was de- cisive for the development of the reaction wheel. We are now able to provide our customers with complete tri-axial inclination control based on series-produced components,” explains Craig UKube-1 is the first British CubeSat mission – Clark, CEO of Clyde Space. When he chose the and the first Scottish satellite ever. In September components, high resilience was important: “We 2013, it will be launched into space from the Ko- specifically chose maxon motor to ensure that smodrom in Baikonur (Kazakhstan), with the the brushless DC motors can handle the strong Russian Sojus-2 rocket. On board the UKube-1 vibrations and impacts during the rocket start satellite there is a GPS device for measuring the and the high cyclical thermal load and radiation weather in the plasmasphere, as well as a camera in orbit.” to take photos of Earth. maxon motors drive the The aim is to record the effects of radiation reaction wheels that on technical devices by means of an innova- control the inclination of tive new image sensor and to find out whether the satellite. the reliability of communication satellites can be improved by using cosmic radiation. UKu- be-1 also contains various instruments that en- able British students to interact with the space vehicle.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 28 __ A new world? On the rim of the Valles Marineris Robin Phillips, Aerospace Project Manager at maxon motor ag in Sachseln (Switzerland), comments on three controversial theses concerning the subject of hypersonic flight, as well as manned trips to Mars and to the Moon.
Robin Phillips studied mathematics at Bristol University (UK) and astro- physics at the University of Kent (UK) before working as an instrument support scientist at the James Clerk Jim Urquhart
Maxwell Telescope on Mauna / Kea in Hawaii. Then he moved to the University of Lethbridge in Alberta (CA) NASA, Reuters where he worked as a project / manager in an instrumenta- tion group, designing and deploying specific measuring instruments for telescopes. This work ultimately led him to his current position at maxon motor. Photos: maxon motor AG, DLR, Reuters
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 A new world? __ 29
Manned space research in the future might lead to Mars or back to the Moon. There are ambitious projects that The Moon or Mars are not really very distant ob- are planning a Mars colony, jects; they are in fact amongst the closest objects we can consider visiting. This statement shows although it has not yet been estab- how far we really are from a Star-Trek-like abil- lished whether a person can The German Aerospace Center ity to travel around the galaxy. The unmanned survive on Mars. (DLR) plans to fly from Europe to spacecraft Voyager 1, which flew past Jupiter Australia in just 90 minutes with a and Saturn in the early 1980s, is only now reach- I think there is a good chance that humans will ing the edge of our solar system, and it has been be living on Mars within the next 50 years. The special hypersonic passenger plane travelling for 35 years to get there! technology for doing this has been around for in 2030. This isn’t a realistic goal. I actually think it is more likely that we will some time. Over the last 10 years, unmanned have a permanent presence on Mars before we spacecraft have discovered that Mars still has I am sure this will become a reality, but I doubt have regular hypersonic travel from Europe to frozen water present. This makes the techni- 2030 is realistic. Since the 1960s, there have been Australia! There are a number of very rich peo- cal aspects of building a colony on Mars much many attempts to develop high-speed superson- ple investing large amounts of money in reduc- simpler. If a suitable power source is available, ic (or hypersonic) aircraft, but they have always ing the cost of access to space. I think in a decade all the other basics for sustaining life can be failed, not because the technology is impossible, or two, it will be within these people’s (and their made on Mars. In theory, it should be possible but because the market for them just isn’t there. companies’) reach to put people on Mars. For to build domes, develop agriculture for food and People prefer cheap tickets to fast travel! This human travel to Mars, new propulsion technol- separate the air we need to breathe. However, it could clearly been seen in the case of Concorde ogy is not really needed. The problems that need is just too expensive for governments to fund vs the Boeing 747, both of which were developed solving have more to do with how to land when if there are no exceptional circumstances. The in the late 1960s. Despite massive government you get there and how to protect those fragile Moon landings in 1969–72 undoubtedly count subsidy, no airline chose to buy Concorde over human bodies from heat, cold and radiation on as an extraordinary achievement, but they were the Boeing 747. the way! a product of special political circumstances in The situation is no different today. Even Boe- “We took a giant step forward in solving the the 1960s and were not part of a long-term plan. ing’s Sonic Cruiser concept of a few years ago, landing problem with the sky crane system used In the last decade, we have started to see rea- which was designed to travel near the speed of to land the Curiosity rover. This was specifically sons being found to justify sending humans be- sound, couldn’t be made to work commercially, selected as one of the very few systems that is ca- yond low Earth orbit and into a long-term pres- and the Boeing 787 was developed instead, with pable of landing a heavy system (as any manned ence on the Moon or Mars. This means there an emphasis on economy of travel. Before hy- spacecraft would be) on a planet with an atmos- has to be a reason for people to live and work personic travel becomes a reality for commercial phere that is too thin for parachutes to slow a there and ultimately, in the long term, for these airlines, there needs to be a step change in tech- spacecraft down sufficiently for a soft landing.” places to develop their own economies. This sort nology, both in terms of the propulsion systems of process takes a long time. For comparison, it and in terms of airframe cooling. This probably took 128 years between Columbus discovering means a fuel system that doesn’t rely on fossil North America and the first permanent European fuels, since as these become scarcer, the argu- settlement (Plymouth, MA) being founded. A ment for economy instead of speed just becomes fully self-sustaining colony is of course a very stronger. long way off. Mining is not the only possible rea- I’m sure we will eventually develop such an son for going there, tourism may be another ex- aircraft, and maybe my grandchildren will get to ample where people are willing to pay sufficient fly in it in their old age. I think that is the kind of money to make it a profitable venture. I for one timescale we are talking about. would love to have the opportunity to stand on the rim of the Valles Marineris and admire the view!
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 30 __ Experiment Martian for a while
Volker Maiwald is 31 years old and studied aerospace technology at RWTH Aachen. Since 2010, he has been working for the German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the Institute of Space Systems in Bremen. Volker Maiwald was acting commander and habitat engineer of the Crew 125 in the Mars Desert Research Station from February 23 to March 9, 2013.
The Mars base in the desert of Utah is small: The two-story station has a diameter of just ten meters. Here the six “astronauts” During the “EVA live for two weeks. missions”, the crew collects rock samples that are later examined in the laboratory of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS).
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Experiment __ 31
In ancient times, Mars was seen as the embodi- son. Showers were ment of the god of war due to its red color. It taken every third day, has carried the name ever since. In 1965, the for two minutes. We Mariner 4 space probe took the first close-up ate dried food: Small photos of Mars and quickly destroyed earlier as- tomato, broccoli or sumptions of artificially created “channels” or beef cubes that be- even civilizations on Mars. The planet neverthe- came edible when less remains very interesting for many scientists. water was added. But Currently its surface is not suitable for human the isolation from habitation, but it is the outside world in less hostile to life than particular was a very The crew’s quarters: Venus. Mars has a rich dramatic experience: You cannot exit the Mars A folding table and a supply of resources, station whenever you want. Even during time bed in a space of 3 square meters. including water ice, outside, you are isolated from the outside world and it is comparatively in your (simulated) space suit. The feeling of be- easy to reach. ing cramped in becomes noticeable within the Currently a num- first few days. And it was a very intense time: On ber of probes and average, we worked approx. 18 hours per day, on rovers (e.g. Europa experiments and reports, on keeping contact to Mars Express, or the ground control and on maintenance tasks. Mars gets its red color US rovers Curiosity Each gram that is taken to Mars costs a lot from hematite, which and Opportunity) are exploring Mars. ESA and of money. So you have to make do with as little contains iron. NASA, but also several private companies, plan as possible. In the ideal case, everything can be to bring people to Mars and build colonies there recycled. The MDRS is round, has a diameter of – a dream that will not be realized within the 8 meters and two floors. The lower floor contains next 30 years. the workshop, laboratory and airlocks, while the Such an endeavor – similar to the historical upper floor contains the computer workstations, exploration trips, but hopefully more peaceful – kitchen, dining table and the “quarters”, which needs planning and training, for example in the is only 1.5 x 2 meters for each person – not very Crew 125 of the MDRS: Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, spacious! Csilla Orgel, Ayako where I had the opportunity to test “Life on But after two weeks of “life on Mars”, six stran- Ono, Volker Maiwald (rear, left to right), Mars” for two weeks. In addition to geological gers from five nations have become good friends Melissa Battler, Hans and biological research, the objective behind the – and perhaps that is the biggest achievement of van ’t Woud, Matt Cross desert station of the Mars Society is to test the a Mars mission: Get- (front, left to right). restrictions that apply during a mission to Mars, ting closer together, and to gain valuable experience before attempt- to continue in the Detlev Van Ravenswaay Detlev Van / ing a real trip to Mars. But why would one want spirit of the flights to to go there? the moon: We come Mars could provide many answers regarding in peace, for all man- the origin and development of the solar system kind. and the Earth and could provide a habitat to live Science Photo Library / in – with the aid of technology. In the weeks be- fore my trip to Utah, two asteroids came close to Earth; one crashed down in Russia. It is maybe not such a bad idea to consider establishing set-
Jim Urquhart, Keystone Jim Urquhart, tlements on another planet. /
Cramped quarters within an endless expanse A manned mission to Mars would of course entail restrictions. In Utah, our crew of six had a daily water supply of 120 liter – back home,
Photos: Volker Maiwald, Reuters Photos: Volker that is the water consumption of a single per-
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 32 __ Artificial limbs
Strong replacements Modern prostheses are high tech systems that save lives and significantly improve the quality of life of their wearers. Researchers hope for further advances through a better interface with the nervous system.
Article: Anja Schütz
The computer specialist Curtis Grimsley of New enough to quickly reach the stairs. He hurried York was focused on his work when the earth down the seventy stories to the floor, reached the suddenly started to shake. He was sitting in his entrance, and made it out of the building. Only office on the 70th floor of the World Trade Cent- later would he find out exactly what happened er on the fateful date of September 11, 2001. A that morning, the number of colleagues who lost day that had begun as a normal workday turned their lives in the World Trade Center, and how into a nightmare in a matter of seconds: Photos lucky he really was. Curtis was able to escape fell off walls, paper flew through the air, and – despite wearing a prosthetic leg. The former people ran for their lives. In a panic, they raced basketball player and track athlete had lost his
to the staircase. Curtis was one of those lucky left leg in a car accident years earlier. For sev- GmbH, Schlossmuseum Jagsthausen Photos: Ottobock Healthcare
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Artificial limbs __ 33 eral years, Curtis Grimsley lived with a standard prosthesis, until he heard of a new German in- novation: The C-Leg, the world’s first prosthetic leg to be completely controlled by a micropro- cessor. In the C-Leg (short for “computerized leg”), integrated sensors continuously analyze the walking situation, and the hydraulics in the prosthesis adjust themselves automatically. With a standard prosthesis, Curtis probably wouldn’t have made it out of the building. Prostheses didn’t always have a “mind of their own.” The history of prosthetics can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians, who used simple prosthetics as early as 2000 B.C. In the Middle Ages, wood and iron were the favored materi- als for artificial limbs. One of the most famous prostheses in the 16th century was the “iron hand” of Götz von Berlichingen: It was made of more than 200 parts, and its mobility made it a wonder of its time. The fingers were movable and could be fixed in various positions by gears.
Arm muscles coordinate the motion of the hand Today, hand and arm prosthetics are a bit more complex. The human hand is a singular work of Curtis Grimsley’s C-Leg helped him successfully nature – a multitude of nerves, tendons, muscles escape from the World Trade Center. and bones are all interconnected to form a pre- cision instrument. Recreating the natural form and numerous functions in a prosthesis is one of the greatest challenges in medical engineer- ing. The Michelangelo prosthetic hand made by Ottobock Health Care GmbH comes remark- ably close to nature’s original. It can perform of the prosthesis. A force sensor integrated in the seven different gripping movements. A maxon artificial thumb supports the motion by measur- motor moves the thumb joint; a second motor ing the level and direction of the gripping force. moves the main joints of the other fingers. The For instance, if an object is about to slide out of artificial wrist can lock into various positions, the hand, the equipment automatically adjusts but has attenuated mobility otherwise. Its atten- and prevents the object from falling. uation makes the motion of the prosthesis seem very natural, for instance when shaking hands. From external prostheses The interface with the human body is essen- to endoprostheses tial for functional prosthetic arms or hands be- As opposed to external prostheses – artificial cause the motion of the prosthesis is controlled body parts outside of the human body – endo by body signals from the arm muscles that have prostheses are implanted inside remained intact. In many cases, the motion of the body, for instance as pacemak- The human hand is a the prosthesis is coordinated by two arm mus- ers, hearing implants, or medica- precision instrument, a cles, with one muscle responsible for opening tion pumps. The technology for the hand and the other for closing it. The con- implantable medication delivery unique work of nature. traction of the muscle generates an electric pulse systems is very advanced. These Recreating it is not easy. on the skin. This pulse is received by implanted devices are often critical for the electrodes and transmitted to a microprocessor survival of the patient, which means they have in the prosthesis. The more the muscle tenses, to be absolutely reliable. Implantable pump sys- the faster and more forceful the gripping motion tems are used for treating a range of illnesses –
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 34 __ Artificial limbs
The Alfapump fluid pump
The Alfapump implant is placed between the subcutaneous fat layer and the peritoneum. The implant is made of PEEK (polyether ether ketone), a biocompatible plastic. maxon EC 13 The unique ambient Ø 13 mm, brushless, 6 W conditions within the human body require The EC 13 motor drives special motors and the pump gears of the appropriately adapted Alfapump. The motor is electronics, as no equipped with Hall hermetically sealed sensors that provide encapsulation is possible important position when plastics are used. feedback. The motor Due to the presence of controller uses these moisture, the implant is Hall sensors to achieve sealed completely; the reliable and stable electronics are protected operation, in particular with an additional at low speeds and high coating. load torques.
The C-Leg prosthesis
A microprocessor in the knee joint of the C-Leg recognizes the wearer’s phase of gait and reacts in real time – both for the swing phase and the maxon RE 10 standing phase. The Ø 10 mm, precious metal active prosthesis brushes, 0.75 W independently makes adjustments for different terrain and walking Each C-Leg contains speeds. Around 50 times two RE 10 motors by per second, it measures maxon motor. One the load on the knee joint strength of the motor is and the knee’s angle. its small size. With a The electronics calculate 10 millimeter diameter, it the required suspension is the third smallest DC in the hydraulic knee joint motor made by maxon. and ensure that the The RE 10 features servo-controlled valves ironless windings and bend and stretch the neodymium magnets knee at the right that allow top perfor- moment. Two valves mance with minimal size. adapt the characteristics Precious-metal brushes Jana Baskova, maxon motor ag, Sequana Medical AG, Ottoock Healthcare GmbH Jana Baskova, maxon motor ag, Sequana Medical AG, Ottoock Healthcare of the hydraulics. These are used for the / valves are controlled by commutation of the RE 10 DC motors by motors. This ensures maxon. detent-free running of the maxon motors, even
at low speeds. Photos: iStockphoto
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Artificial limbs __ 35
Implantable medication delivery systems including diabetes and ascites. Ascites is a con- dition in which fluid collects in the abdominal The active implant is placed in the lower cavity. The cause is often a severe illness such as abdomen and delivers a cancer. Sequana Medical has developed an ac- dose of medication at a tive implant for controlling the collected fluid in given time of day, the abdomen. When necessary, the Alfapump, according to parameters driven by a maxonmotor, pumps set by the physician. The Reciprocating piston implant has a wireless pump by maxon medical the fluid from the abdominal cav- Endoprostheses are data interface to a ity into the patient’s bladder. The implants placed inside patient interface, making pump was commercially implanted it possible to adapt the pump by maxon medical. the human body. dosage at any time. The This generates a linear for the first time in October 2011, internal medication reser- movement that pumps in Vienna, Austria. According to voir can be refilled by a the liquid. The individual Prof. Dr. Markus Peck-Radosavljevic of the Gas- specialist. The service life parts of the pump have troenterology and Hepatology Department at of the implant spans very narrow tolerances several years and is and allow the pump Vienna General Hospital (AKH Wien), the two limited only by the life of volume to be adjusted short operations went without complications. the battery. The with a precision of less “The Alfapump System represents a real break- centerpiece of the device than a microliter per through in the treatment of refractory ascites. is a reciprocating piston piston stroke. By using the Alfapump, the patient no longer has to return to the hospital on a frequent ba- sis to undergo drainage procedures,” says Peck- Radosavljevic.
Neural interface as a vision for the future Despite all the advances in medical engineering, we still have a long way to go before prostheses and implants will measure up to the functional and aesthetic quality of nature’s designs. The dream of many prosthesis developers is an even The Michelangelo active hand prosthesis more internalized connection between the body and technology. The key lies in neural interfaces Features of the Michel- – it is hoped that electrodes, placed in the brain, angelo prosthesis made could make it possible to achieve even more by Ottobock include complex movements with prostheses. There seven different gripping movements, a realistic is also much unbroken ground in the field of appearance, and a low maxon EC 10 (base) haptics. Various research projects are currently weight of just 420 grams. Ø 10 mm, brushless, focused on giving artificial hands the sense of Michelangelo is a 8 W, with Hall sensors touch. In the EU research project “SmartHand,” myoelectric prosthesis. At each contraction of a team of scientists from Italy and Sweden has the muscle, electric There are two EC 10 developed an artificial hand equipped with voltage is generated on motors in the “Michelan- 40 sensors and miniature motors. These sen- the skin of the user; this gelo” prosthesis. The sors and motors allow it to emulate the sensory voltage controls the motor was modified with prosthesis. The main high-precision worm faculties of human skin. Robin af Ekenstam, a drive provides the gearing. The electroni- Swedish national who lost his right hand due to gripping movement and cally commutated cancer, was one of the first patients to test the gripping force of the brushless DC motors scientists’ prototype: “When I grip something, I prosthesis. The actively feature excellent torque driven elements are the characteristics, high can feel it with my fingertips, which is strange, thumb, index finger, and power, an extremely high since I don’t have them anymore.” middle finger. The ring speed range, and a long Download the tablet edition finger and little finger life span. Their outstand- 1//2013 of driven to see move passively. With the ing control qualities make how the Michelangelo thumb’s special drive, it it possible to realize prosthesis is controlled by is also possible to form a precision positioning the wearer‘s muscles. flat, open hand. drives. magazine.maxonmotor.com
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 36 __ Leg prostheses “The wearer should forget the prosthesis is there.”
With the C-Leg, Ottobock HealthCare GmbH has created a unique prosthetic leg that increases the wearer’s safety and improves their quality of life.
Interview: Anja Schütz Dr. Helmut Pfuhl was born on April 22, 1961. During and after his studies, he was employed by the Dr. Pfuhl, you have been working at the The C-Leg prosthesis is a marvel University of Göttingen Ottobock Group for 17 years. How did of prosthetic engineering. The hydraulic and Mercedes Benz. He has been the CMO your career begin, and what is your role as characteristics are modulated by two of Ottobock HealthCare Managing Director of Prosthetics? valves that are controlled by RE 10 DC GmbH since 2002. He I started as assistant to Prof. Hans Georg Näder, motors. How important to the prosthesis also headed the the company’s owner. My job was to develop the is this functional design? international marketing strategic corporate planning. On the one hand, First of all, the day-to-day safety of the amputee business unit until 2011. In 2012, he became the challenge was to communicate the compa- is the most important consideration when de- managing director of ny’s growth targets, and on the other hand, to signing a prosthetic leg. You also need to con- the prosthetics work with teams to draw up strategic options sider ease of motion, which directly leads to business unit. for achieving those targets. After the next eight higher mobility and improved quality of life. years as CMO of Ottobock HealthCare, I was The adjustable hydraulics are the centerpiece of made Managing Director of the C-Leg prosthetic knee system. They make it “The safety of the amputee the prosthetics business unit possible for the prosthesis to adapt to a range of is the most important in 2012. We adopted an or- situations. The feedback from numerous sensors ganizational structure based allows the prosthesis to recognize situations such consideration.” on business units to make the as walking in uneven terrain in the woods, walk- company faster and more dynamic. However, ing downhill on a slope, or suddenly stumbling. the main benefit of this step is that it enables A microprocessor analyzes this information and us to define targets and strategies for the dif- then sends the information and positioning sig- ferent business areas and to optimally network nals to the minimotors. The motors then adjust the profitable areas vital to our success. And that the hydraulics accordingly. It’s important that pretty much describes my current role. the size, weight, power consumption, and noise emissions are kept to a minimum. Our goal is Ottobock is a very successful company for the wearer to forget the prosthesis is there, today – the number of employees has and feel completely secure at work and in daily tripled, and the revenue has even life. It’s not enough for the prosthesis to be as quadrupled. What was it like experiencing lightweight and inconspicuous as possible. The this incredibly fast growth first hand? amputee also has to trust the system, and be able Just as you said: incredibly fast! The company is to rely on it at any moment. To make sure this is constantly recreating itself. This means employ- the case over the entire service life of the pros- ees constantly face new challenges. They have to thesis, we only use components that meet the Download the tablet be flexible, but most important is a willingness highest quality standards. edition 1//2013 of driven to learn and expand the company’s knowledge to see what daily life is base. It is fascinating to see how products emerge like with a C-leg. magazine. from this very knowledge base, frequently in co- maxonmotor.com operation with external experts.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Leg prostheses __ 37
Kelly Cartwright was born on April 22, 1989 in Melbourne, Australia. In 2008, she was discovered by the Australian Paralympics Committee and joined Australia’s national team. Since then, she has enjoyed numerous victories, most recently at the 2012 Paralympics in London. Kelly Cartwright is one of the Ottobock Health Care GmbH Paralympic “The only thing ambassadors. that really is off limits is wearing high heels.”
Kelly Cartwright lost her right leg to cancer as a teenager. relationship. You need someone who listens and At the Paralympics 2012, she set a new world record in the long jump, takes you seriously. Every human is different jumping 4.38 meters for gold. and has different needs. A solution that works well for one athlete doesn’t necessarily work for someone else.
What role do athletics play in your life? Do you live according to a particular Athletics have always been important for me, motto? but more as a hobby. Since the amputation, ath- As far as I’m concerned, you can do anything letics have become one of the most important you want, whether you have a disability or not. things in my life. Right now, I can’t imagine my People often ask me what sort of things I’m not life without athletics. able to do because of my disability. The only thing that really is off limits is wearing high How important is the relationship between heels. There are some things I do in a different the athlete and the prosthetist? way because of my disability, but my disability
Photos: Ottobock HealthCare GmbH Photos: Ottobock HealthCare It’s important that there is complete trust in the doesn’t keep me from doing them.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 38 __ Exoskeletons
To once again get up, stand, walk, … Rex Bionics, based in Auckland, helps people with impaired mobility to get back on their feet with the robotic exoskeleton “Rex”. Integrated maxon motors drive the smooth movements of the artificial limbs. Article: Anja Schütz
The exoskeleton weighs 84 pounds, but the user joystick operation is that no movement or nerve does not carry any of this weight. The exoskel- functions are required to use the exoskeleton. eton is powered by an integrated, exchange- With a speed of approx. 3 m per minute, Rex able battery that lasts for around two hours of is not very fast, but the user moves very safely. continuous operation. Rex is controlled with Whether switched on or off, the exoskeleton re- a joystick and control pad. Other exoskeletons mains stable. This means the user can take part
frequently use sensors. A major advantage of in a sports event or a concert without worrying Photos: Rex Bionics Ltd., maxon motor ag
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Exoskeletons __ 39
The wheelchair is empty. The exoskeleton returns temporary autonomy to the patient.
about being pushed over. In addition, Rex does not require supporting aids such as crutches, giving the user full use of his or her arms and hands.
Strong motors for a secure stance Rex is a highly complex electromechanical de- vice. Each exoskeleton has thousands of pre- cision parts, including the limbs, which are controlled by a network of 29 mi- crocontrollers. The special arrange- Rex is a highly sensitive ment of microcontrollers allows medial product, and for movements and reactions in a matter of seconds. The user expe- the saftey of the user is of maxon RE 40 riences the motion as very smooth utmost importance. Ø 40 mm, and fluid. Motors made by maxon graphite brushes, ensure that no jerky movements occur. The mo- 150 W tors control all movements of the limbs, which move in the same way as a human leg. Ten type DC RE 40 maxon motors are inte- grated in each exoskeleton. The RE 40 delivers a powerful 150 W and has an efficiency of more High efficiency Ten maxon DC RE 40 than 90 percent. The mechanically commutated motors are used in each DC motors are characterized by good torque be- exoskeleton. The RE 40 havior, high dynamics, a very large speed range, delivers a powerful 150 W and a long service life. Rex Bionics chose to use and has an efficiency of more than 90 percent. high-quality motors by maxon for a good rea- The mechanically son: Rex is a highly sensitive medical product, commutated DC motors and the safety of the user is of utmost impor- are characterized by tance. good torque behavior, high dynamics, a very large speed range, and a long service life.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 40 __ History of technology How little drives do big things Camera systems, humanoid robots, or use in space: High-tech drives that pack a lot of power into a small form factor are needed everywhere. Here is a brief overview of the history of miniature drives – and a peek into the future.
Brushless DC motors New magnet materials In 1988, the advent of In 1983, maxon motor electronically commuted introduced the Ferrit series motors heralded a new era. (F motors), achieving for maxon motor introduced its ironless motors a previously first motors under the name unheard-of performance for “maxon BL motor the cost. Ferrite magnets EC040-070”. The take up more space, but abbreviation BL they are significantly less Enhanced automation a useful automation. Soon stood for “brush- expensive. During this time In 1996, maxon motor afterwards maxon motor less”. The maxon motor also launched introduced the A-max built an even stronger electronically the modular product series – a modern, version, the RE-max with commutated DC program, which allows cost-effective version with an Nd-Fe magnet. servo motors stand out customers to configure their an AlNiCo magnet. With the with excellent torque own drives with motors, A-max series, maxon motor 1996 characteristics, high power, gearheads, and digital was able to continue to an extremely wide speed tachometers. provide the same wide 1988 range, and a very long 1983 range of options while at service life. the same time achieving
For extreme performance With its Heavy Duty motors, maxon was the first manu- facturer to launch a stan- dard motor for extremely Customized development rough operating conditions, This is one of the great such as temperatures strengths of maxon motor above 200 degrees Celsius. today. maxon motor has Developed to meet the developed numerous new demanding requirements of products for at times deep drilling, it opened up extreme application new possibilities in many 1996 environments, such as on 2010 fields of application. Mars.
Photos: maxon motor ag, NASA / JPL
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 History of technology __ 41
Founding the company In 1961, the company that is maxon motor ag today was founded by the brothers Erwin and Artur Braun as Interelectric AG, a production site for the Frankfurt-based electronics manufacturer Braun. Shearing foils for electric razors by Braun GmbH were the first product made at the Sachseln facility. 1961 Nobody was talking about miniature drives at the time.
Self-supporting copper Ironless coil winding When the Braun GmbH was Between 1968 and 1970, sold to Gilette in 1967, the research and develop- ideas for new products ment department created were in high demand. While an entire product family of developing a multi-function DC motors with diameters electric razor, the company The heart of maxon motors: between 12 and 32 milli- created a first high-perfor- a globally patented ironless winding. meters in record time. At mance electrical micro the same time, maxon motor with an ironless coil: motor patented the The maxon DC motor was maxon’s first manufacturing process for born. DC motor. It was ironless rotors with a designed to self-supporting copper drive an electric winding. Building the motor razor. without iron increased the efficiency by a factor of 1967 almost two compared with traditional DC motors. 1968–1970
Configurable drives Smaller, more powerful, squeezed into smaller and Today, precision drives by smarter, and more robust smaller spaces. Stronger maxon motor can be found Take computers, phones, or magnets also allow to in communications any other electronic concentrate more power in technology, industrial application: Devices are a compact frame. The automation, robotics, safety becoming smaller and currently smallest drive in engineering, or aerospace. smaller. As a result the the standard program, the They are used e.g. in trend towards miniaturiza- maxon EC4, has a diameter underwater robots to clean tion in drive technology of only 4 millimeters. Some ships, or in telescopes continues. More and more extreme applications looking at new astronomical 2012. The powerful DCX “intelligence” can be require motors that, for phenomena. A new motor motors with matching example, are able to program was launched in drives and encoders are withstand temperatures of configured online and will up to 500 degrees Celsius. be ready for shipment in Some initial tests have eleven working days or less. already been conducted 2012 successfully. 2013
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 42 __ Extreme conditions
The Diamond Light Source particle accelerator in Great Britain.
versions of motor components under vacuum Electric motors conditions. The vacuum classification deter- mines to which extent the individual motor components have to be adapted. in vacuum The higher the vacuum class, the more im- portant the preceding outgassing process. This Electric motors are also used in vacuum, for example entails high requirements on the temperature in production equipment for the semi-conductor industry, resistance of the motor components, as outgas- sing always also places a thermal load on the in particle accelerators, or in near-Earth space. motor: The electric motor is usually outgassed Article: Kornelia Stubicar, project manager at maxon motor ag in an oven, and during operation in the vacuum itself, the motor is subjected to increased ther- mal load due to reduced heat dissipation. There is risk of overheating, as the motor cannot prop- erly transfer the produced heat to the evacuated surroundings. Therefore, in vacuum, continuous load operation should be avoided wherever pos- The term ‘vacuum’ describes the state of a gas sible, for example by planning for a power re- with a defined volume at a pressure that is sig- serve when selecting the drive. nificantly lower than the atmospheric pressure. In vacuum, lubricants in the bearings and This means a state in a space that is largely parti- gears of the drive are subject to faster outgas- cle-free. Operating electric motors in a vacuum sing, which can significantly reduce the drive‘s presents special challenges. First we need to de- life span. The increased outgassing of plastics, termine the vacuum range in which the motor for example cable insulation, leads to the plastics will operate. The categories are low vacuum, me- becoming brittle. This can be avoided by using dium vacuum, fine vacuum, high vacuum and Teflon instead ofPVC . ultra-high vacuum. Influence of the drive on the vacuum Influence of the vacuum on the drive If a standard motor is used in vacuum, there is risk In vacuum conditions, the motor components of the evacuated environment (vacuum) being are subject to increased outgassing. The low contaminated very quickly. In the high and pressure causes the emitted material to deposit ultra-high vacuum ranges in particular, this on the surrounding walls and components. influence of the drive on the vacuum can be a
Therefore it is not possible to use the standard problem. maxon motor ag Photos: Image courtesy of Diamond Light Source,
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Extreme conditions __ 43
Vacuum class Pressure hPa Application area maxon motor types (~mbar)
Low vacuum 300 … 1 Vacuum cleaner All types
Medium vacuum 1 … 10-3 Vacuum packaging, All EC, DC motors with filament bulb special graphite brushes
High vacuum (HV) 10-3 … 10-7 Silicon wafer processing All EC, DC motors with (semiconductor industry) precious metal brushes
Ultra high vacuum 10-7 … 10-12 Manufacture of cathode ray Heavy Duty series, (UHV) tubes near-Earth space (Moon) modified (BLDC) EC
Extremely high < 10-12 Interplanetary space, Customer specific drive vacuum (EHV) mass spectrometers based on HD Series
The vacuum is contaminated by the outgas- duty brushless EC 22 HD motor (BLDC motor). sing of softeners in plastics, of adhesives and Although it was initially developed for use in lubricants, as well as of surface coatings. How- undersea oil drilling, the brushless 22 mm mo- ever, the contamination can also stem from air tor, with its laser-welded housing made of stain- pockets in constructions that have not been less steel and its high temperature range, turned deaerated. out to fulfill many of the requirements for use in vacuum. As a brushless DC motor, it is by nature Replacing components during more efficient, quieter and more responsive than manufacturing the stepper motor used previously. Such outgassing is particularly critical in semi- In the course of modifying the EC 22 HD conductor and optical applications. The out- for use in the synchrotron, maxon motor had gassed material can for example condense on to consider numerous factors. The first was the optical elements, heat radiators, or on solar thermal behavior. The BLDC motor used in the cells. To prevent outgassing of electrical motor particle accelerator is temperature-resistant up components under vacuum, targeted measures to 200 °C. Another key requirement was a gear- are taken during the manufacturing of the mo- head with high transmission ratio. To keep the tors. For example, the gearhead lubrication is outgassing in a high vacuum of 10–7 mbar and adapted by using vacuum-compliant lubricants. more as low as possible, each component of the Adhesive joints are avoided as far as possible or motor was checked individually and improved if replaced by welded joints. Whether plastics, in- necessary. The PVC insulation normally used on sulation or adhesives – in general, materials with the cables was replaced with a Kapton coating, low outgassing rates are used. for example. The customary adhesives and epox- ides were eliminated, and the motor was largely Motors for use in a particle assembled with welded joints. accelerator A good example for maxon motors used in ul- Conclusion tra-high vacuum is a particle accelerator (syn- To use electric motors in vacuum conditions, chrotron) in Oxfordshire (Great Britain). In the numerous factors have to be considered. On one synchrotron, which measures 45,000 square me- hand, precautions need to be taken to prevent ters, electrons are accelerated to 3 giga-electron contamination of the motor by outgassed ma- volts (GeV), and light beams are generated that terials. On the other, certain characteristics like are up to ten billion times brighter than the sun. high temperature resistance need to be ensured. To prevent loss of electrons through collisions The heavy duty motors and matching gearheads with air molecules, the entire process happens (EC 22 HD, EC 32 HD, GP 32 HD) provide a in a vacuum with only a billionth of the atmos- very good basis for vacuum applications. As pheric pressure. brushless DC motors, the maxon drives are by The modified maxon motor EC 22 HD The challenge for maxon was to develop a nature more efficient, quieter and more respon- in the DLS particle accelerator. high-power brushless motor without adhesives, sive than the stepper motors that were previous- without plastics and with an extremely high tem- ly used for vacuum applications. With the exper- perature resistance. The starting point for this tise of maxon motor, drives can be optimized to customer-specific solution was maxon‘s heavy- meet customer-specific needs.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 44 __ Electronic shift systems
The story of Campag- nolo’s electronic shifting system, now marketed under the name «Campagnolo EPS» (Electronic Power Shift), is a tour in six stages. Product development began in 1992. Two years later, maxon motor was brought in. The EPS shift system was launched on the market three years later and has seen continuous further development since then. Photos: Campagnolo Srl, maxon motor ag
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Electronic shift systems __ 45
The newest EPS system, successfully launched in November 2011, consists of a battery, the electronics, a shift lever, the wiring, and the drive mechanism. maxon motors are located in the shift mechanism (at the rear) and in the derailleur (at the front).
Almost 100% The compact maxon The electronic shift RE 16 is well suited for system provides high applications where space shifting accuracy, a very is limited. A similar RE fast response, and the motor was used as the required power. This basis for the Campag- allows for even faster nolo electronic switching shifting. The position of system. RE-motors are the derailleur can be high-quality DC motors, adjusted more precisely equipped with powerful than with a mechanical permanent magnets. The system. centerpiece of the motor Powered is the globally patented ironless rotor. This means cutting-edge technology for compact, powerful drives with low inertia. Thanks to the low inertia, the DC motors feature up high acceleration.
In competitive cycling, every second before the finish line counts. The manufacturer maxon RE 16 Ø 16 mm, graphite and Campagnolo has developed precious metal brushes, an electronic shifting system 2 to 4.5 W that uses maxon motors to execute shifting operations in tenths of a second.
Article: Anja Schütz The shift system changes from the smallest to the largest sprocket with a single click of the lever. The electronic mechanism shifts through eleven gears in only 1.5 seconds.
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 46 __ Friendly cyclops
Rob Knight was educated at Cambridge University in Manufacturing Engineer- ing, and at the University of Essex in Embedded Systems and Robotics. He was instrumental in the production of the world’s first commercially available robotic fish and is now actively engaged in developing the most anatomically accurate humanoid robot yet seen.
Rob Knight is looking for a new name for ECCE. You are invited to send your creative suggestion to [email protected]
A touch more human Rob Knight of The Robot Studio has dedicated his life to robotics. His current main interest is the ECCE project, a generation of robots that very closely emulates human movement and may even take the dog for a walk in the future. Interview: Anja Schütz
What is the difference between the old have most recently demonstrated however has a (EDS) and the new ECCERobot 3? 100% maxon drive train interfaced to an open The main technical difference is in the level of source ROS control system – and this is finally the drive technology used. TheEDS is built with starting to show the potential of the anthropo- motors and gearboxes taken from battery-pow- mimetic approach to robotics. ered screwdrivers aimed at the mass consumer marker. As such they have a good deal of grunt What is an anthropomimetic robot? and are tough enough for the job, but are very An anthropomimetic robot is a machine built to noisy and inefficient. The ECCE3 was built with copy the precise anatomical design of the human a mixture of maxon gearmotors and 3rd party body as closely as possible with the same bone control electronics, but as a complete system it and muscle layout as a person and most impor-
never ran smoothly. The new DCX robot that we tantly including a series elastic element, i.e. a Photos: maxon motor ag
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Friendly cyclops __ 47
spring, in the drivetrain of each muscle. We call all size of the robot down whilst packing in 20% this a compliant robot, and it has a much “softer” more powered degrees of freedom, making it the style of movement in the same way that adding most realistic copy of the muscles of the human suspension to a car allows it to drive on rough shoulder yet. ground. Robots being part of our daily lives seems ECCE3 is now only a torso – what are the less of a question of “if” than “when”. In next steps in development? your imagination, what is a robot that We are committed to opening up the design of shares people’s everyday life going to be the robot to the open source community and to like? do this requires a new manufacturing approach. I don’t think we can be certain yet, but “robot So far all the robots have been produced exclu- age” is certainly a strong candidate for what sively by hand moulding and assembly tech- will follow the “information age”. niques which have proven difficult to pass on. To If robots really do become ubiq- “It could take the dog make this into a practical open source technol- uitous, then you can imagine they for a walk, prepare food, iron ogy we plan to reverse engineer the latest DCX would operate as a set of physical based design into CAD and optimise it for 3D preferences. So you might interact your clothes, or vacuum.” printing. by checking boxes on your smart- We have already started publishing our im- phone – “ironing to be done at 10 am” – except plementation of the open source software that instead of sending you a reminder, the robot we use and hope to add a detailed open source would actually do the task. Walk the dog, receive hardware build guide in the near future. The home delivery of groceries, prepare food, vacu- aim is to produce a completely integrated open um clean house, etc., etc., etc. source platform that works all the way through These tasks though are all still well beyond High power density from high-level software, to low-level micropro- the capabilities of any robot, and it will take a maxon DCX motors excel through their very cessors right down to great deal of effort to change that. Whether this high power density “We are creating a the nuts and bolts of happens in time is the crucial question, because (torque per volume) and head-to-toes copy of the building the physical there are deeply ingrained problems in the low vibration. Thanks to machine which brings structure of our society that are already starting the robust design and human body.” the ironless maxon rotor, it all together. This to make themselves known and will come to a DCX motors provide a really is the essence head in less then twenty years. The slow recov- dynamic drive for almost of building robots, that the whole system must ery from the recent economic crisis in Europe any application – includ- work together in unison – it’s not like program- is a reflection of a society that has tremendous ing ECCE, the robot. The matching GPX 22 ming which can port from system to system, in quantities of debt and an unsustainably aging planetary gearheads robotics the integrity of the system is key. population. Robots as skill multipliers may be combine high power We though only develop each section of the one technological solution, perhaps even to both transmission with a very software as far as is necessary to produce a work- these problems, but it is just one possible way to short design. ing system, and so all the individual parts can go and the clock is ticking. still be much improved. Our hope is that the open source community will be triggered by the Will future versions of ECCE3 do availability of this complete set of plans into pro- household chores or similar operations in ducing and improving robots of their own which the near future? they share back into the community. Certainly that is the aim. The next generation As for us, yes, we are planning to finish the should be capable of simple tasks like tidying maxon DCX 22 S design of the robot and construct a robot copy the kids toys away – large, brightly coloured ob- Ø 22 mm, brushed, 5.5 Watt (precious metal brushes), of the human body – complete from head to toe. jects that can be handled fairly roughly. More 14 Watt (graphite brushes), sophisticated tasks should follow, and what I configurable You are using maxon DCX motors. What really hope to see in the next few years is an ac- are the benefits of using this drive celeration as ever larger numbers of people get technology? involved. Smaller, lighter and smoother with tremendous torque for their size all improve the final perfor- maxon GPX 22 mance of the robot. What’s really nice with the Ø 22 mm, planetary DCX 22 is that it’s allowed us to bring the over- gearhead, configurable
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 48 __ Configure maxon X drives Unlimited possibilities Commutation: Graphite brushes: Article: Anja Schütz High currents and peak currents Start-stop and reversing operation Larger motors (from approx. 5 W) Bearings: EMI suppression Ball bearings: Precious metal brushes: All operating modes Extremely low currents and voltages High radial and Continuous operation axial loads EMI suppression and CLL spark quenching Sintered sleeve Economically priced bearings: Shaft: Continuous operation Length at high speeds Diameter Economically priced Surface
Gear stages: 1 to 5 stages
Flange: Encoder: Connection Counts per turn Centering collar Cable outlet with strain relief Cable length
Shaft: Length Winding: Connections: Low nominal voltage: Terminals Low resistance Cable High current Connectors High speed constant: Flange: Speed per volt Connection High nominal voltage: Centering collar High resistance Shaft: Low current Length High torque constant: Surface Torque per ampere Bore
The picture shows In late 2012, maxon motor launched a new what can be dynamic drive series. The DCX motors feature configured online. dcx.maxonmotor.com a compact design, optimized power density, a high degree of customization, state-of-the- art manufacturing methods, and short de- livery times. They are especially well suit- ed for customers who have very specific requirements for motors and whose prod- uct is still in development. Their short lead
time makes DCX motors ideal for minimi- Photos: maxon motor ag
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 Configure __ 49
or without a cable, and the cable length is also variable. GPX gearheads offer high torque capacity in a compact design, run quietly, and feature low backlash. They are configurable as well and can have up to five gear stages. The ENX encoders, also configurable, have a sturdy design and high signal quality. The 2-channel encoders with dif- ferential signals guarantee interference-free function, even under the heaviest loads. The counts per turn, cable outlet, and cable length of the encoders are variable. Their sturdy design, high power density, quiet running, and ironless maxon rotor make DCX motors a drive system suitable for a di- verse range of applications. They are particularly well suited for applications with speeds under 20,000 rpm and for applications in start-stop operation. The target market sectors for the Luca Bongulielmi, Head of Strategic Business DCX drive series include medical technology, Development at maxon motor ag. industrial automation, robotics, the aerospace industry, and mechatronic applications.
Configure and order online The new product series of brushed DC drives zing the time to market of new products. The X is an important member of the maxon motor portfolio is rounded out by individually config- product family. According to Luca Bongulielmi, urable gearheads and encoders. Head of Variants and Standards at maxon motor, not only the product and technol- Configurable from A to Z ogy development posed a challenge. It was also One strength of the DCX motors is their high a feat in itself to conceive and implement the power density. The DCX 35L motor, with a di- lean processes for order processing. The design ameter of 35 mm, has a speed/torque gradient and processes have been optimized for the con- (4 rpm/mNm) close to that of the figuration of the products. The key tool for con- Their short lead time RE 40 DC motor (40 mm diameter, figuring these drives is maxon motor’s online makes DCX motors 3.5 rpm/mNm). Its maximum ef- configurator, which provides customers with an ficiency is 90%, and its maximum entirely new way to configure and order maxon ideal for minimizing output power is 120 W. products. For instance, after completing a con- the time to market of The range of possible combina- figuration, it is possible to download 2D and 3D new products. tions within the DCX drive series dimensional drawings. A complete specifica- is virtually unlimited. For exam- tions document describes the configured drive ple, the DCX 22S features precious metal or system. graphite brushes, can be equipped with stand- ard preloaded ball bearings or sintered bear- ings, and covers a wide range of voltages thanks to six different ironless windings. The newly developed casings and flanges make it possible Almost everything is to specify the mounting type of your choice. configurable on a DCX For narrow spaces, the DCX motor is available motor. Download the tablet edition 1//2013 of in a short, flangeless version. The length and di- driven to watch our ameter of the output shaft can also be selected. video tutorial. magazine. In addition, the motors can be delivered with maxonmotor.com
driven The maxon motor magazine 2013 50 __ More «driven»
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Published by: maxon motor ag, Realization: Infel Corporate Media, Print: Landenberg-Druck AG, Brünigstrasse 220, Postfach 263, Militärstrasse 36, CH-8004 Zürich Pilatusstrasse 10, CH-6060 Sarnen CH-6072 Sachseln, Editors: Michael Frischkopf, Frequency of publication 2014: Tel. +41 (41) 666 15 00 Simona Stalder, Alexander Jacobi, biannual issue as iOS/Android App and Marcel Leibacher, Claudia Sebald Management board: Eugen Elmiger, in print form (April, November) Design: Guido Von Deschwanden Dr. Karl-Walter Braun, (Creative Director), Peter Kruppa, Languages: German, English Dr. Ulrich Claessen, Norbert Bitzi Sebastian Mutti Print run: 15,000 (German), Project manager: Michel Riedmann Photo Editor: Diana Ulrich 6000 (English) Chief Editor: Anja Schütz Proofreading: CLS 4-Text GmbH, Copyright: © 2013 by maxon motor ag, Spichernstraße 2, D-10777 Berlin Sachseln. Reprint only with express written permission from the publisher.
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