Automotive & motorsport
GettinG a feel for it
sony’s Playstation 5 features the dualsense controller, making it the latest innovation in gaming. offering a more immersive experience, the controller’s adaptive triggers allow players to feel the game. this technology, known as haptic feedback, communicates a sense of feeling to its users, which can be useful in many applications including in the automotive industry. here, dave Walsha, commercial development officer at precision drive system supplier Electro Mechanical systems (EMs) explores haptic technology and the motors behind it
braking, which recuperates energy lost through braking and returns it to the battery. However, when the battery is full, the vehicle must rely on its mechanical friction braking system to slow the vehicle or to bring it to a standstill. Instead, it would be more beneficial to
use a resistor to discharge the excess energy. Not only is the resistor useful in the event of an electrical fault on the batteries or during emergency braking, but it also reduces servicing costs due to decreased wear on the friction braking system. The energy dissipated into the resistor can also be used to heat the cabin or the batteries, which rapidly lose their efficiency at low temperatures, therefore reducing the requirement for a dedicated electrical heater. Cressall’s EV2 water cooled modular
resistor can be used in automotive applications to ensure any excess energy from braking is safely dissipated or recycled. The EV2 has a unique design that separates the resistor elements from the coolant, providing a lightweight yet high power solution, and the modular units can be combined to handle from 3kW to 1MW. The popularity of EVs has oscillated through
the decades, but climate change is increasing their demand, which in turn is driving developments in many areas of EV technology.
Cressall
www.cressall.com Instrumentation Monthly February 2021
somatosensory system. The somatosensory system is the part of the nervous system that responds to change on the surface of, or just inside, the body. It includes the sense of touch, sense of position and movement and haptic perception, which is the ability to recognise an object through touch. There are different ways to use technology
H
to deliver this sense of feeling. The most appropriate technique depends on the product’s application. Applications of haptic technology include uses in the automotive industry, which use motors to haptically communicate with the user.
EyEs on thE road Haptics are increasingly used in the automotive industry to improve passenger safety by minimising the need for the driver to take their eyes off the road. Haptic feedback can be integrated into the car’s touchscreen interface to confirm touch commands such as adjustments to the heating system or music playback to the driver. The gentle vibration that the system generates
is detected by the driver’s somatosensory system, to give them a non-visual confirmation that their command has been actioned. This prevents the driver from having to take their eyes off the road to check the interface. On a more complex level, haptic technology
is increasingly being incorporated into other contact surfaces, including the steering wheel and the seat. In conjunction with other devices, such as sensors, motors can provide haptic feedback to the driver by catching their attention through a warning vibration. If the sensors detect a possible safety
aptic technology is any technology that allows users to experience touch. It does this by triggering the body’s
threat, for example, if the driver gets too close to the vehicle in front or they are approaching the edge of their lane, a motor located within the steering wheel can vibrate to warn the driver. This non-visual communication alerts the driver without further compromising their safety. The goal of haptic feedback systems is to
restore the sense of touch available when performing tasks with human hands, while still offering the control and reliability benefits that uses robotics can bring to minimally invasive procedures. Achieving this precision requires a motor that can deliver accurate movements to the robot. The FAULHABER SR series of DC
micromotors with precious metal commutation has a low mechanical time constant and low weight, which makes the motors highly reactive. They can also have integrated incremental magnetic encoders, adding just 1.8 millimetres to the motor’s length, which can help control dynamic changes to the direction and velocity of the motor’s rotation and the positioning of the motor. This closed loop feedback can give the robots better precision in their incisions than an unaided surgeon could achieve alone. Whether it is getting a feel for the
virtual world through the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller or improving driver safety through vibratory motors, haptic feedback’s ability to immerse the user in an alternate reality is amplifying user experience across several sectors. In the way that cameras provide sight and
speakers provide audio, haptics offer its users an additional sense, leaving just the development of smell and taste technology before users can
experience a full AR sensory explosion.
www.ems-limited.co.uk
29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
