newsletter
A publication from ifm efector featuring innovation steps in technology from around the world
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Dear Readers,
ifm is pleased to send
you our 20th issue of
i-Step newsletter.
Over the past four
years, we’ve covered
innovations about biomedicines, communications, energy,
biometrics, applied materials, etc …
What’s apparent is that there is never
a lack of information to share with our
readers, and we hope that you’ve
enjoyed keeping up with the latest
technologies occurring around the
world. On page 2, we review a few of
our favorite past stories and provide a
follow up on the technologies.
In this issue, we’re introducing several
new ifm products that feature
compact housings with exceptional
sensing performance. ifm’s PQ
pressure sensor for pneumatic
applications and our miniature O7
Series photoelectric sensors with long
sensing ranges.
Enjoy the issue!
Lizanne Dathe
Editor, i-Step Newsletter
The Next Step in the
Virtual Experience
Photo credit: Virtusphere Inc.
EDITORIAL
The Virtusphere is a large hollow ball that works like a spinning hamster wheel that allows a user
move limitlessly without bumping into walls while the mind is in cyberspace.
Russian inventors and brothers, Ray
and Nurulla Latypov (shown above),
wanted to create a way for people to
to move around freely while
experiencing a virtual-reality world.
After years of development, the
brothers, who are both physics
engineers, developed their first
prototype of a device that allowed
users to physically move in any
direction. However, the first prototype
was similar to a treadmill, and users
IFM PRODUCT
PQ sensors offer reliable pressure
detection in pneumatic applications
ifm’s compact PQ Series pressure sensors are designed for
pneumatic applications typically found in robotics and material
handling applications. The sensors precisely measure the full
range of pressure and vacuum typical in these applications.
The cube-shaped pneumatic pressure sensor easily retrofits
traditional pressure switches at a fraction of the price. Measuring
only 32mm x 30mm x 42mm, the compact sensor can be
installed in areas with limited mounting space.
Application parameters are established using two pushbuttons. The bright, four-digit
display indicates system pressure and can be clearly seen from long distances. The
sensor features two programmable switching outputs or one switching and one
diagnostic output. In addition, the values can be programmed to change color
depending on the switching output status (e.g., red if output 1 is switched; green if
January 2010 • Issue 20
Continued on page 3
had to be attached to avoid falling off
the platform. Seven prototypes later,
the Latypovs’ idea was developed into
an enclosed sphere named the
Virtusphere. They call their invention a
“locomotion
simulator”
which
resembles a giant hollow ball that
works like a spinning hamster wheel.
The sphere is mounted on a specially
designed platform that allows it to
rotate freely with the user’s
movements.
Wearing a wireless head-mounted
display, a user can step inside the 8.5foot-tall sphere and experience
physical movements while the mind is
in cyberspace. Using virtual-reality
software, the Virtusphere allows the
user to move limitlessly – without
bumping into walls or falling over.
As the user moves, the ball rolls,
sending coordinates to a computer.
The movement of the user is
within
the
virtual
replicated
environment. The computer evaluates
the information and relays it back to
the user’s display in the form of a
changed view. The sphere can be
made compatible with any computerbased simulation.
“Wii showed us that we can play
games in a more interactive state.
Continued on page 3
ifm efector – close to you!
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
2
20th Issue Review:
An update on past innovations featured in i-Step
Lifestraw
Water Filter
May 2006
In 2005, the company Vestergaard
Frandsen introduced the LifeStraw, a
portable water purification tool to
prevent water-borne diseases. Since
then, the Lifestraw invention has won
several international awards including
the Well-Tech 2006 Innovation
Technology Award and the prestigious
2008 Saatchi & Saatchi Award for
World Changing Ideas.
The company recently developed a
larger water filter called the LifeStraw
Family
which
is
an
instant
microbiological water purifier that
filters a minimum of 18,000 liters of
water for families.
Another
Vestergaard
Frandsen
invention that has become a necessity
in areas devastated by natural
disasters and conflict is a plastic
sheeting that incorporates insecticide
®
called ZeroFly . The ZeroFly plastic
sheeting was mass distributed in the
three biggest disasters this millennium
- the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004),
the Pakistan earthquake (2005) and
the ongoing conflict in Darfur.
Printing 3D models
May 2007
of the world’s only color 3D printers,
and high-definition 3D printing
(HD3DP™) capabilities. In addition to
their fleet of 3D printers, the company
now produces hand-held portable 3D
scanners for reverse engineering and
product design.
The Energy Orb
October 2007
For California residents, monitoring
the status of power usage was
realized in the form of a glowing ball.
In October, 2007, i-Step reported on
how the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company armed its large business
customers and residents with a new
tool that forewarned when power
supplies were strained. The Energy
Orb glowed, pulsated and changed
color to indicate when conservation
was needed.
The Energy Orb was developed by
Ambient Devices, a Cambridge, MAbased company. Now the company
has expanded its products to include
tracking weather forecasts, traffic
congestion
trackers,
baseball
scorecasters, and the ambient
umbrella that continuously displays
forecasts for 150 US locations and
pulses when rain is forecasted.
Lithium-ion Batteries
June 2008
In 2007, i-Step newsletter featured a
new printer that produced a full-color
3D model in a few hours. Since then,
Z Corporation has introduced multiple
innovations of rapid prototyping
solutions including the development
Reported back in June 2008, the startup company A123 Systems designed a
radically modified version of the
lithium-ion battery for hybrid electric
and pure electric vehicles. The battery
stored energy for 40 miles of driving,
enough to cover daily commutes.
A123 Systems, established in the
research labs of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, was funded
initially in 2001 with a $100,000 grant
from the US Department of Energy.
Now, in 2010, A123 Systems has
partnered with companies such as
General Electric, Chrysler, and Toyota
to develop and manufacture advanced
lithium-ion batteries and battery
systems for the transportation, electric
grid services and portable power
markets.
Holographic
Conferencing
January 2009
In January 2009, i-Step newsletter
featured 3-D holographic technology
by Musion and Cisco companies as
the latest communication technology
to bring people together.
Although the holographic Star Wars
affect hasn’t occurred yet in most
offices, Cisco’s Telepresence video
conferencing has seen a surge in use.
Their life-size video capabilities create
a feeling of “being there” for most
users. The company has recently
partnered with Marriott and Starwood
hotels to provide Telepresenceequipped meeting rooms for the
general public.
And, Cisco Company practices what it
preaches. The company has 500 sites
in 150 cities in 50 countries. Cisco
averages 5000 weekly meetings using
Telepresence and has saved $260
million dollars in travel expenses.
IFM PRODUCT
TECH NEWS (continued)
(continued)
output 1 is not switched). Two models
are available. PQ7809 has a measuring
range of -14.5 to 14.5 psi and the
PQ7834 has a measuring range of -14.5
to 145 psi
The technology is based on a piezoresistive measuring element. The silicon
measuring cell is insensitive to liquids
(e.g. condensed water) and deposits
that might occur in the system. The cell
changes resistance when pressure is
applied. The stress induced in the cell is
transformed into an electric signal that is
proportional to the pressure. The silicon
measuring cell guarantees a high
3
PQ Sensor
actual
size
42 mm
STARTING LIST PRICE
$145.00
overload resistance as well as an
accuracy of ± 0.5%.
For mounting purposes, the PQ pressure
sensor can be fixed to flat surfaces and
profiles using the sensor’s two M4 drill
holes located in the front of the sensor.
PQ side view
4-digit display
Piezo-resistive
measuring
element
G-1/8 pressure
connection
The PQ can be mounted to a DIN rail or
connected to plates or manifolds using
ifm’s robust DIN rail bracket. The sensor
can be connected to air lines through
the G-1/8 port using a 6mm or 8mm
tubing adapter or a 1/8” NPT adapter.
For more information about PQ sensors,
visit www.ifm.com/us.
IFM PRODUCT
Mini Housing, Powerful
Performance
The O7 Series of photoelectric sensors are
designed for the precise detection of small
objects in part feeding, robotics, assembly
automation
and
material
handling
applications. The tiny sensors are highly
durable for industrial automation applications
and pack a lot of power in their small
housings.
The sensor’s small light spot and narrow light cone enable the sensor to detect small
objects over long distances. The O7 Series sensors are designed with fixed sensing
ranges – no adjustments needed – which enables simple plug-and-play installation. A
visible red light beam can be positioned for easy setup
Miniature sensors
and target alignment.
mount in tight areas
The family of O7 sensors includes diffuse sensors with
background suppression that are available with 30, 50
or 100 mm ranges; polarized retro-reflective models
with a 1 meter range; and thru-beam pairs with a 1.5
meter range.
The sensors feature a prewired cable with M8 Pico
connector. Sensor options include Light On or Dark
On, PNP models. For more information, visit
www.ifm.com/us.
STARTING LIST PRICE
Place orders, tech support 800-441-8246
15 mm
20 mm
$87.00
Visit our product catalog www.ifm.com/us
Virtusphere is the next advancement
to create a fully interactive virtual
experience that allows people to walk
or run inside the virtual environment,”
says Jim DiMascio, COO of Virtusphere.
Applications and markets for
Virtusphere include gaming, theme
parks, education, fire safety training,
military training, tourism, fitness
centers and architectural walking tours.
For gaming, DiMascio believes
Virtusphere has the opportunity to
revolutionize virtual entertainment.
Multiple spheres can be networked
together allowing people to interact
inside virtual environments and
become characters inside the game.
What’s more, everyone gets exercise
inside the Virtusphere. Getting used
to running in the huge ball without
toppling over takes some practice.
Appealing to the tourism
industry,
Virtusphere
played a part in Moscow’s
pitch to be the host for
the summer Olympics.
Moscow representatives
took a very innovative Users can move freely
approach to promoting within a sphere.
their city and potential Olympic
venues. 3D models of the proposed
venues were created and they were
able to give the Olympic committee
members virtual tours of what their
venues would be like. As an added
benefit, they were also able to
demonstrate how they would have
trained security for the safety of the
athletes and attendees. Although
Moscow wasn’t selected, the
Virtusphere was given good reviews.
Ray Latypov sees the Virtusphere also
being used in education. Instead of
walking through Moscow, perhaps
students could experience walking on
the moon.
Like any new invention, the Latypov
brothers will continue to perform
research and development to improve
their technology. Examples of future
next steps will be to include haptic
gloves to provide the view and motion
of the users’ hands, force feedback
vests to feel the impact of being hit,
and adding sensory perceptions like
smell to provide the most realistic
virtual experience.
“The future development and
applications are only limited by our
imagination,” says DiMascio.
Shop for products online. Easy ordering via eShop
ifm efector – close to you!
IFM NEWS
IFM KNOW HOW
4 Reduce sensor inventory with ifm’s
new PNP to NPN Converter Cordset
Reduce the number of sensors in
inventory and easily convert a sensor’s
PNP switching output to an NPN
output with the ifm Converter
Cordset.
LIST PRICE
$16.00
Want to receive news about
ifm products and technologies?
The Converter Cordset is designed for
sensors with industry standard M12,
3-pin connectors.
Unlike traditional converter cables that
require additional wiring and
connection points, ifm’s Converter
Cordset has the technology built right
into the cordset housing at the point
of contact.
The Converter Cordset is part of ifm’s
reliable ecolink cordset family. All
ecolink-style cordsets feature a “lockin-place” coupling nut that prevents
the cordset from detaching – even in
high shock and vibration environments. For more information about
the ifm Converter Cordset, visit
www.ifm.com/us.
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MIND-BENDER
About this issue:
How many rectangles of all sizes are
formed by the lines in this diagram?
Despite careful review by the editorial staff, the
editor cannot be held liable for the correctness of
the publication. The applicable legal regulations and
provisions for the acquisition, installation and setup
of electronic units must be adhered to.
The first 200 people who answer the mind
bender correctly will receive an ifm stainless
steel travel mug.
Log on to www.ifm.com/us/response to
enter your answer. Closing date is 2/28/10. The
answer will be revealed after this date on our
website and in the next i-Step newsletter.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any way or, using electronic systems, be processed,
copied or distributed without the editor’s expressed
written consent. It cannot be concluded from
the publication that the described solutions
or designations used are free from industrial
property rights.
Place orders, tech support
800-441-8246
Or, to know the answer sooner, provide your email address and we’ll
email the answer to you and let you know if you’ve won a prize. Answer to
last issue’s puzzle: HERO, SLUR, IDLE.
Visit our product catalog
www.ifm.com/us
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Easy ordering via eShop
ifm efector offers a
complete line of
sensors and controls.
Inductive
sensors
Cylinder
sensors
Photoelectric
sensors
Vision
sensors
Inspection
sensors
Pressure
sensors
Flow
sensors
Temperature Vibration
sensors
sensors
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networking
Cordsets
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