electronics industry awards supplement 2018
Innovation – making dreams possible
Graham Maggs, VP Marketing Europe, Mouser Electronics talks about how Mouser are supporting innovation in the industry
M
ouser is delighted to be shortlisted in four categories in the inaugural Electronics Industry Awards, organised in association with Components In Electronics Magazine, Electronics Magazine and ECSN, the Electronic Components Supply Network. Of course, ‘Distributor of the Year’ is probably regarded as ‘the big one’, but ‘Best Customer Service’ is also huge, since a distributor lives or dies by its customer service. To be recognised for ‘Best Academic Support’ is also very significant for Mouser, since today’s students are tomorrow’s design engineers and we are delighted to support emerging talent. But today I want to focus on the final category ‘Excellence in Innovation’. Supporting innovation is at the heart of our philosophy – we want to be the resource that design engineers turn to first when they want to try out a new technology or a new device. To this end we put a huge amount of effort in our New Product Introduction programme, adding more new parts faster than any other distributor from our very wide supplier base. We also support that with the latest design tools – and when we say ‘off-the-shelf’ that’s exactly what we mean: our stocks are freely-available for anyone to buy; they will typically receive parts two-to-three days later. So yes, we believe in innovation, and since 2015, our Empowering Innovation Together programme which we run with TV’s Grant Imahara has been one of the most visible and
recognised programmes in the electronic component industry, featuring projects ranging from 3D printing objects in space to the amazing benefits of technologies that are Shaping Smarter Cities. For 2018, our goal is to reach even more innovators around the globe with the Empowering Innovation Together programme through the focus of how robots impact humanity. The Generation Robot series, hosted by Grant Imahara, features five videos filmed in locations around the world, highlighting the people, companies and machines that are changing how we view and interact with robots. The series showcases everything from robotic theory to real- world robotic use cases that seem like science fiction but are, in reality, a glimpse at how we will navigate in an equally human and robot world. The Generation Robot video series is supported by Mouser's valued suppliers Analog Devices, Intel, Microchip Technology and Molex. Recently, we released a new e-book titled ‘Service Robots’, which provides examples of how service robots differ from collaborative robots, presenting familiar robot forms we already see around us, as well as emerging trends in service robotics. Topics in the e-book include anatomy of a service robot, a companion robot for the International Space Station, and the challenges of creating an appendage with the dexterity of the human hand. Previously in the Generation Robot series, Mouser and Grant Imahara investigated the rise of collaborative robots: robots that work side by side with humans. In this e-book, we see what happens when those robots are more autonomous.
Graham Magg 8
Innovation in soft robotics Mouser also regularly produces thought- provoking blogs, and sticking with the innovation and robotics themes, a recent post entitled ‘Biodesign by Design: A Look at Soft Robotics’ discusses how in order to allow robotics to gain further access into human lives, designers will have to apply a human-centric approach, recreating robotic designs that are less metal and mechanical and more human-like. Some of the
CIE electronics industry awards supplement 2018
areas that are of great focus include synthetic skins coupled with nimble and dexterous hands and limbs enabling the robot to grasp objects properly—whether lightly or tightly. As robots become more affordable and accessible, they are showing up in a wide variety of applications, from medicine to farming to scientific exploration and textile assembly lines – some of which is very delicate work. Humanising robots by providing them with a more natural, human-like form and social presence is a difficult challenge. This humanisation requires an intersection of integrative biosciences, material science, mechanics and electronics to make robots behave and seem more like everyday people. Soft robotics uses gentle, compliant mechanisms and actuators built using fluids and flexible materials, enabling a wide range of motion, making them more suitable for things like exoskeletons or wearables. Many soft robotic forms are more lightweight than their traditional, more rigid counterparts and they have design elements that incorporate muscle-like actuation, soft skin attachments, and electronically releasable spring elements. Artificial muscles from robots have the potential to fundamentally shift the way many types of industrial, medical, consumer, automotive and aerospace products are powered and operated. Building machines that can replicate the delicate touch of a human hand is a hugely complex undertaking. But highly expressive hands will allow robots to naturally captivate people’s hearts and minds because future encounters will be more human. Mimicking human gestures such as shaking hands, giving a thumbs-up sign that all is well, interweaving fingers and the like will prove to soften human sentiments toward these soft robot developments.
Mouser aims to support innovation everywhere
– robotics is just one example, albeit a very topical and ‘zeitgeist’ one. We wish all innovators the best of luck – let us know how we can help.
www.mouser.co.uk
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