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April 28, 2005
$30 Billion Fluid Power Industry Validates LatchTool Group's Contention
The National Fluid Power Association petitions Government to fund development of compact and efficient hydraulics.
Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) April 27, 2005 -- The National Fluid Power Association announced last month that it had received a favorable response from the National Science Foundation for its proposed consortium of University Research Centers to develop compact and efficient fluid power.
The group comprised of prominent universities in close cooperation with the $30 billion fluid power industry seeks $18 million to fund research to integrate components into unified systems that will minimize the weight and volume of fluid power systems. They expect to expand fluid power from its current use for heavy equipment to portable and self-powered applications such as wearable tools and rescue robots.
Over the past nine years, the LatchTool Group has quietly pursued this quest for smaller, lighter, more affordable hydraulic systems that could be integrated into tools, prosthetics and a plethora of industrial and consumer products.
The Company introduced its technology at an American Society of Mechanical Engineers event last November where it showed its PowerCylinder™, a mechanical force amplifier that uses encapsulated hydraulic circuitry. The device weighs ounces, yet leverages pounds into tons. Last month, the PowerCylinder was picked a best product of 2004 by Design News, a Reed Business Information publication for mechanical and design engineers.
Monday, the LatchTool Group announced that it has integrated a simpler version of its encapsulated hydraulic circuitry directly into a locking type of pliers. For the first time, women, the elderly and infirmed can have the hand strength equal to a man's. The prospects for miniaturized compact hydraulics are huge, just as the LatchTool Group contends, and now the NFPA and its more than 400 members assert.
LatchTool has multiple patents both issued and pending that covers its developments in valves, hydraulic circuitry and systems integration. The Company has offered to make its PowerCylinders available to the proposed consortium should the NSF decide to go ahead with the funding proposal.
Contact:
Sean Fry
LatchTool Group
719-360-0977
e-mail protected from spam bots
www.latchtool.com
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 01:47 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2005
Maine & Asmus Announces First Intellectual Property Forum May 24th
Nashua law firm organizes forum to provide management techniques to technology companies.
Nashua, NH (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) April 14, 2005 -- Maine & Asmus, an intellectual property law firm in Nashua, has organized the first Forum for Corporate Management of Intellectual Property, a day long program scheduled for May 24th at the Sheraton Hotel in Nashua.
Attorney Vern Maine of Maine & Asmus reports, "The program provides panelists and attendees from Boston area technology companies the opportunity to present and exchange ideas on how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their IP programs." Patent attorneys will also present tips and techniques for better management of intellectual property matters. Internet demonstrations of search techniques and information sources are planned.
Moderator for the program is Gregg Fairbrothers, Founder and Executive Director of the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network (DEN) and Adjunct Professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Panelists are from BAE Systems, Cell Signaling Technology Inc., Nuvera Fuel Cells Inc., Sepracor Inc., WNA Comet East. Additional panelists representing investors and directors of technology companies are being sought for a second panel.
Lunch is included in the $85 per seat cost. Seating is limited. Advance registration is required. Legal education credits are being applied for. Information and pre-registration is available online, or contact Attorney Vern Maine, Maine & Asmus, at 603-886-6100.
Notice: Maine & Asmus is a Nashua-based Intellectual Property Law Firm with a long-standing commitment to the New England business community. Maine & Asmus supports and promotes the effective use of intellectual property to meet sound business objectives. This is not a solicitation for engagement, but may be construed as advertising in some jurisdictions.
Approved for distribution by
Vernon C. Maine, Member
Maine & Asmus, Attorneys at Law
100 Main Street, Suite 2
Nashua, NH 03060
Tel. 603-886-6100, Fax 603-886-4796
e-mail protected from spam bots
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:01 AM | Comments (0)
Underwater Robot Keeps Divers Safe, Captures Detailed Video During Caribbean Refinery Inspection - ROV Assists Completing the Mission with Minimum Additional Cost
Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc. (OCC – ( http://www.ocean-coastal.com/ ) of Trumbull, CT is a recognized industry leader in civil, structural, coastal, and geotechnical engineering for waterfront structures. When tasked with inspecting an offloading pier at a Caribbean Refinery early this year, they started with standard Engineer-Diver techniques. However, due to safety concerns, making use of the Engineer-Divers was not possible.
Exton, PA (PRWEB) April 20, 2005 -- Ocean and Coastal Consultants, Inc. (OCC – ( http://www.ocean-coastal.com/ ) of Trumbull, CT is a recognized industry leader in civil, structural, coastal, and geotechnical engineering for waterfront structures. When tasked with inspecting an offloading pier at a Caribbean Refinery early this year, they started with standard Engineer-Diver techniques. However, due to safety concerns, making use of the Engineer-Divers was not possible.
Electronic Sales of New England (ESNE - http://www.esalesne.com/ ), a premier technology provider in nearby Old Saybrook, CT was tasked with finding a solution - fast. Mark Warren, a Principal of ESNE recommended a VideoRay (http://www.Videoray.com) Remotely Operated Vehicle for its portability, ease of use, and maneuverability in tight locations. He had a leased unit on the way to the site within 18 hours of getting the call.
Jeff Snyder of OCC was the engineer and ROV operator on site. He commented on the mission - "Despite the fact that we had a mid-level VideoRay - the Explorer model - and I had previously operated a Pro III model – I was able to get everything we really needed in a very short period of time.” We inspected almost the entire structure, penetrating through locations where divers could not have entered safely. We also inspected mooring dolphins away from the primary structure. When we had problems or questions, the VideoRay team talked us through them by phone."
To do the inspection, Jeff broke the structure into segments where the VideoRay was flown on the surface to a piling, where it submerged for the underwater inspection. A full video documentation was recorded. He was able to inspect 75-95% of the support beams and underside of the concrete deck and was able to determine the condition of the beams and concrete. He was also able to see a good sample of the "H" piles and the center beam to make their determinations about the structural integrity of the facility. Stan White, president of OCC commented further: "There's two aspects to doing a job like this right. One aspect is to understand what to look for, how problems develop and how they can be fixed - the engineering expertise our firm has worked years to develop. Another is stay on top of the right tools as they become available, and keep your people safe and productive.
The quick deployment of the VideoRay to solve a field discovered condition on this job is something we're proud of - and we're proud of Jeff for the way he pulled it off." Scott Bentley, the president of VideoRay, compared the development of ROV technology to the early years of computer development. "A popular misconception in the 1980s was that big computers were needed for 'big' computer jobs. Many people feel that way about ROVs - only big ROVs can do big jobs. We're now learning that smaller is better on inspection ROVs - VideoRays have the thrust, control, cameras, and accessories needed to inspect this site, which was very large and very complicated. Look for VideoRay to develop even more capable units in the near future."
For further information:
Jeff Snyder e-mail protected from spam bots
Ocean and Coastal Consultants
Project Engineer
Phone: 203.268.5007 Ext. 237
Chris Gibson e-mail protected from spam bots
VideoRay LLC
Director, Marketing
Phone: 610.458.3010
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 04:00 AM | Comments (0)
Robots, Toys, Speech Recognition – Voice Controlled Robosapien
Many Robosapien owners love to talk to their favorite robot. Now, with the help of the Robosapien Dance Machine project and the CMU Sphinx speech recognition engine, he is listening.
(PRWEB) April 16, 2005 -- Robot fun took a quantum leap forward today when voice recognition was added to the Robosapien Dance Machine, the power scripting program for making your own Robosapien dances, videos, and comedy skits. Thanks to the power of Carnegie Mellon University’s Sphinx speech recognition engine, Robosapien robot owners can now control their favorite robot with just their voice.
Robosapien Dance Machine, a free open source project hosted by SourceForge, is a richly featured, drag and drop graphical design environment for making your own scripts to control your robot. Within minutes, even a novice computer user can make their own comedy sketches, videos, and other tricky performances. The software was used in the making of the now infamous Robosapien Rap video. With the recent upgrade of voice control, Robosapien owners can now interact with their little friend in a whole new way.
Why voice recognition? Robert Oschler, lead developer on the project, had this to say “I was browsing through SourceForge’s database of open source projects, when I was astonished to find that the Sphinx voice recognition engine had been released as a free open source project. Since I have professional speech recognition experience, it was impossible to pass up this opportunity to show the world what this engine can do, and in a way that was tremendous fun for all Robosapien owners.”
A short entertaining video of the robot being controlled by voice is available at: http://www.robodance.com/
Resource List:
Robosapien Dance Machine download page: http://sourceforget.net/projects/robodance
Technical Support forum: http://www.roboburp.com/phpBB2/
Robosapien Experts Corner: http://www.evosapien.com
Robosapien Rap Video: http://www.robotsrule.com/html/robot.php
CMU Sphinx home page: http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/html/cmusphinx.php
CMU Sphinx download page: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cmusphinx/
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:59 AM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2005
Helping Human and Robot Firefighters Work as a Team
Imagine a firefighter scrambling through a burning building, searching for survivors of a devastating explosion. Injured people on the far side of a brick wall, but out of reach. However, the partner on the other side promptly smashes through the wall, clears a path so both can help the survivors. Science fiction perhaps? No, this is exactly the scenario that partners in the PELOTE project have been working on.
(PRWEB) April 14, 2005 -- Libor Preucil, from the Czech Technical University in Prague and coordinator of this IST project, admits that the participants had the events of 9/11 in New York very much in mind when writing the project. “We wanted to design principles for systems where firefighters could be aided by semi-automated robots, especially in conditions of high hazard or limited visibility.”
Robots as part of the team
To date, says Preucil, robotic assistance in such scenarios has been limited to remotely-operated machines with a camera. “We wanted to see how robots with a certain amount of intelligence could share tasks and communicate with their human partners, despite problematic environments and severe limitations on their capabilities.”
“Robots can operate in conditions that are difficult for human beings,” he says. “They can lift heavier objects, see and navigate better in poor visibility and can withstand higher temperatures. Human beings, however, are better at adapting fast to changing circumstances. Our aim was to enable robot and human to work together in partnership and share their complementary skills.”
Personal navigation system for each team member
PELOTE focused on how human firefighters and their robot counterparts would make use of a personal navigation and localisation system which could guide their movements, at the same time informing the external command centre of the exact location of each team member.
Researchers developed a backpack for the firefighter which uses inertial guidance systems, rather than GPS, to provide the location as shown on a personal display screen, as well as that of the command centre. “The idea is that team members would download a map of the interior before entering the building, and with the start point being calibrated at, say, the entrance, this personal map would enable them to know where they are – no matter how bad the visibility.”
Thanks to this personal backpack, both the mission controller and the firefighters know the exact location of each team member at all times. The team also shares sensor data (e.g. temperature) and video images via wireless communication. If an area is highly polluted with toxic fumes, the mission controller can send in a robot which explores and takes measurements. Another robot can navigate through a part of the building which has been extensively destroyed and where human progress is difficult or dangerous, search for victims and act as a communication platform between the controller and the victim.
A key focus throughout the project was to how to present human firefighters as a telematic entity on the system. This is why the firefighters’ backpack plays a key role in acting as a localisation device, as well as supporting personal navigation. Both mission controller and individual firefighters all see identical information showing the position of each team member on their personal screens. Wireless communication was based on standard Wi-Fi technology, and the technology between the screen representations was based on C++ and Java.
User reactions positive
PELOTE completed at the end of March 2005 with an experimental prototype that was demonstrated to students and volunteer firefighters at the Juliux Maxmilian University of Wurzburg in Germany. “The human demonstrator wore dark-shaded glasses – in effect he was blindfolded,” says Preucil. “As a result he had to rely totally on the information he could see on his personal screen, plus the guidance given by the mission controller, to navigate around the test area.”
Overall user reactions to demonstrations of the system were positive, he says. Some saw the weight of the backpack, around 15 Kg, as a potential issue. However, Preucil emphasises, this was a prototype, and further engineering development would be needed. “What was noticeable was the speeding-up of any rescue mission. This was quite remarkable, especially in environments where visibility is limited by smoke or the shape and structure of the environment is not well known.”
The PELOTE partners now hope to take the concept further within a further research project. “We have done a lot of development work in the basic project, and the next steps for us would be in engineering development, for example making the backpack lighter and the system more robust.”
Preucil notes that the firefighting scenario is just one potential upshot of the technology. Other likely applications include service robots for home environments, remote control of robots in online education, tele-maintenance of industrial transport robots and even planetary rovers.
Please mention IST Results as the source of this story and, if publishing online, please hyperlink to: http://istresults.cordis.lu/
Contact: Tara Morris, +32-2-2861985, e-mail protected from spam bots
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:23 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2005
The Smithsonian’s National Design Museum to Spotlight Atair Aerospace’s Composite Parafoil as Part of Its “Extreme Textiles” Exhibition
The Smithsonian has selected Atair Aerospace’s (Atair AS) Composite Parafoil for display opposite the Wright Brothers’ 1902 flyer to contrast early to state-of-the-art textiles used in aviation. The exhibit entitled, “Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance” will be on view April 8, 2005 through October 30, 2005 at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.
Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) April 5, 2005 -- The Smithsonian has selected Atair Aerospace’s (Atair AS) Composite Parafoil for display opposite the Wright Brothers’ 1902 flyer. This display will contrast early to state-of-the-art textiles used in aviation.
Atair AS’s ‘Cobalt’ composite parafoil is being displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum exhibit, “Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance.” Atair AS’s parafoils represents the state of the art in gliding parachute design. Also displayed will be a “Birdman Suit” constructed using Atair AS’s non-woven composite textiles and inventive manufacturing techniques.
Led by one of New York City’s own, Daniel Preston, Atair AS is revolutionizing the parachute industry with the development of composite textiles and manufacturing techniques. Atair AS is using its Composite Parachute Technology™ (CPT) to develop highly efficient, light weight parafoils with applications of great social consequence. Atair AS’s CPT is being implemented on autonomously guided parafoils for resupply, and unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance in IRAQ.
Atair AS’s autonomously guided parafoil systems were developed for the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) to transition the Army’s current WWII-era low altitude, low accuracy, high vulnerability airdrop practices into the 21st Century. Existing airdrop methods expose air and ground troops to threat from insurgents’ inexpensive shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). Guided parafoil systems can be likened to a smart bomb but for safely delivering cargo. Atair AS’s systems can be air dropped at up to 35,000 ft., autonomously glide over 30 miles, and land cargo within 150 ft. of a target—thus saving lives and protecting assets. Cargo for ground and special operations forces includes food and water, medical supplies, fuel, munitions and other critical battlefield payloads.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Preston will speak on Atair AS’s enabling technologies during the Museum’s May 12 symposium at Rockefeller University entitled, “Extreme Textiles: The Space Between Science, Technology and Design.”
“Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance” will be on view April 8, 2005 through October 30, 2005. For further information on the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum visit www.cooperhewitt.org.
Atair AS is a Brooklyn-based defense contractor dedicated to modernizing military and industrial airdrop techniques through its range of innovative autonomously guided parachute systems, UAVs, and composite materials. Atair AS is under contract with the U.S. Army/DoD to continue developing state-of-the-art autonomous GPS and INS guided parafoil/parachute systems.
For more information on Atair Aerospace, Inc., please contact Rick Zaccari at e-mail protected from spam bots, or visit Atair Aerospace’s website at www.atairaerospace.com.
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:08 AM | Comments (0)
Protonex Raises $9 Million in Second Round - Portable Fuel Cell Company Adds Global Design/Manufacturing Partner
Protonex Technology Corporation, a manufacturer of high-performance fuel cell power systems for portable and remote applications, announced that it has raised $9 million in a second round of institutional funding. The financing was led by existing investors Conduit Ventures Ltd., SAS Investors, Solstice Capital and Commons Capital. New investors are Parker Hannifin Corporation, Contango Capital Management and the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund.
Southborough, MA (PRWEB) April 5, 2005 -- Protonex Technology Corporation, a manufacturer of high-performance fuel cell power systems for portable and remote applications, announced that it has raised $9 million in a second round of institutional funding. The financing was led by existing investors Conduit Ventures Ltd., SAS Investors, Solstice Capital and Commons Capital. New investors are Parker Hannifin Corporation, Contango Capital Management and the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund.
Scott Pearson, CEO, Protonex, states that the funds will be used to further develop Protonex’s patent-pending fuel cell technology, to commercialize and launch products, and to expand the company’s operations. "The high level of interest we received from venture capital funds and industry leaders is very gratifying because it provides strong evidence of our market leadership. Protonex has demonstrated fuel cell prototype systems and is focused on creating high-value products for specific applications. The addition of a world-class manufacturing partner, Parker Hannifin, further strengthens our position and will enable us to achieve economies of scale in a much shorter period of time."
Protonex’s high performance portable fuel cell systems are compact, lightweight and durable, and provide customers with a better solution than shorter term and/or heavier power sources such as batteries and generators. A soldier on a 3-day mission, for example, currently carries 13 primary batteries weighing over 29 pounds, whereas Protonex’s fuel cell system will provide the same amount of power while weighing less than 10 pounds (including all required fuel). In addition to its military efforts, Protonex also intends to adapt its product line to address a wide range of commercial applications.
Parker Hannifin Corporation sees its financial investment in Protonex as a natural extension of the existing strategic partnership between the companies. According to Akbar Naderi, Group Vice President, Parker Hannifin, “Parker has been successfully working with Protonex on joint product development, engineering, design, manufacturing and sales initiatives related to fuel cell products. Together, Parker and Protonex helped Vectrix Corporation deliver the world’s first high-performance fuel cell/electric scooter, and are actively engaged in developing other products. We look forward to leveraging the strong synergies between Protonex’s fuel cell systems and Parker’s industry-leading component design and manufacturing technologies.”
John Butt, Managing Partner, Conduit Ventures added, “As a worldwide fund specifically focused on fuel cells, we understand this market, and it is clear to us that Protonex is well ahead of competition in its power range. Conduit and our fellow investors feel that this funding, combined with the company’s strong military traction, positions Protonex for long-term success.”
About Protonex Technology Corporation - www.protonex.com
Established in 2000, Protonex manufactures high performance, long duration, portable and remote power systems. Protonex provides complete power solutions in the 10 to 500 Watt power range to OEM customers for off-grid applications underserved by existing battery, generator, solar and other power technologies. The company’s innovative fuel cell products also complement existing power technologies and are utilized in hybrid designs for customer applications.
About Parker Hannifin - www.parker.com
With annual sales exceeding $7 billion, Parker Hannifin (NYSE: PH) is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of commercial, mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs more than 48,000 people in 46 countries around the world.
For more information about Protonex, please contact:
Greg Cipriano, Vice President, Marketing and Military Development
Protonex Technology Corporation, 153 Northboro Road, Southborough, MA 01772-1034
Phone: (508)490-9960
Fax: (508) 490-8575
Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
Posted by Industrial-Manufacturing at 03:07 AM | Comments (0)