Automated Bottle Filling Plant - CocaCola : Videos

The Hawk-Eye Technology

We all watch live telecasting of games like Cricket and Tennis!
                In the 2011 Cricket World Cup final at Wankhede Stadium, when Malinga dropped the ball short with low bounce, and Sehwag playing on the back foot, got the ball rammed straight on his front pads. When the umpire raised his finger, the whole stadium got muted. Sehwag asked for the review, and the Hawk-Eye technology was used to check the correctness of the ball.

        Or in Tennis, when Nadal played a back-hand against Federer to score a point on the edge of the line, Hawk-Eye Technology was used to check the point where the ball pitched.

         Have we ever wondered how the Hack-Eye Technology for the ball-tracking works on?

        Hawk-Eye is a complex computer system used in cricket, tennis and other sports to visually track the trajectory of the ball and display a record of its most statistically likely path as a moving image based on the position, orientation and angle of movement of the previous positions of the ball.

        It was developed by engineers at Roke Manor Research Limited of Romsey, Hampshire in the UK, in 2001. Hawk-Eye systems are based on the principles of triangulation using the visual images and timing data provided by at least four high-speed video cameras located at different locations and angles around the playing area. The system rapidly processes the video feeds by a high-speed video camera and ball tracker. A data store contains a predefined model of the playing area and the data on the rules of the game.

        In each frame sent from each camera, the system identifies the group of pixels which corresponds to the image of the ball. It then calculates for each frame the 3D position of the ball by comparing its position on at least two of the physically separate cameras at the same instant in time. A succession of frames builds up a record of the path along which the ball has traveled. It also predicts the future flight path of the ball and where it will interact with any of the playing area features that are already programmed into the database. The system can also be used to interpret these interactions to make decisions on the state of the game based on the rules that are fed into it.

       The system generates a 3D graphic image of the ball path and playing area, which means that information can be provided to judges, television viewers or coaching staff in near real time.

Hawk-Eye In Games
            Recently, Hawk-Eye Technology has also been incorporated in Cricket related games, to provide more realistic effects to it. Codemasters Inc got the license for using the Hawk-Eye technology in the games which they develop and it was been used in its recent games like, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, Ashes Cricket 2009, International Cricket 2010 and Smash Court Tennis 3.

              This is just the starting phase of the Technology, of later, we could see lots of developments and innovations made in this technology, as its the era of technology and innovations.

Innovative Robots

AGS

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Landcrawler Robot Wobbles But Doesn’t Fall

  A Landcrawler Robot designed to work on 12 legs manoeuvres itself among the concrete platform. The co-ordination of legs and its movement when it takes a turn are amazing!! 

 Its really a Genius's work out there to have designed such a genius effort!!!

And its even more surprising when we come to know that he made it as his 2 year old son needed some robotic toy to play with!!!

Universal Gripper Utilizes Coffee Bean-Filled Balloon

 Gripping and holding of objects is the key task of a Robotic design. Designing of a Universal Joint that can hold any kind of object has been a very important task in the recent past for the engineers of modern world. Some designs like Multi-fingered hand have been proposed, but these involve more software and hardware complexities..

  These students have created a Universal Joint by using a Balloon filled with Coffee Bean powder. When pressed onto a target object, flows around it and conforms to its shape. Upon application of a vacuum the granular material contracts and hardens quickly to pinch and hold the object without requiring sensory feedback. The volume changes less than 0.5% suffice to grip objects reliably and hold them with forces exceeding many times their weight. 

  The universal gripper utilizes ground coffee beans inside of a balloon.  The coffee beans offer an interlocking grain that proved better than other materials tested that ranged from sand to ground rubber tires.

 The operating principle is the ability of granular materials to transition between an unjammed, deformable state and a jammed state with solid-like rigidity. They delineate three separate mechanisms, friction, suction, and interlocking, that contribute to the gripping force. Using a simple model we relate each of them to the mechanical strength of the jammed state. This advance opens up new possibilities for the design of simple, yet highly adaptive systems that excel at fast gripping of complex objects.

Robotic Arm Inspired By An Elephant's Trunk

  Nature has been the ulitmate source of destiny for every innovation. Here goes another inspiration from one of the world's most friendliest animal, The Elephant. Elephant Trunk, which is more easily flexible in nature, can be used to hold, grip and transfer the object in any direction in the 3D space.

  FESTO Corporation have designed the first ever Bionic Handling Assistant, which is super flexible and easily controllable just like an Elephant's arm. Using hollow plastic chambers that change size with air pressure, the Bionic Handling Assistant can move through an incredible range of motion in three dimensions. It’s designed to provide gentle forces, and to give when pushed, making it safe for working with humans in a working environment. Opportunities for the Bionic Handling Assistant in medicine, manufacturing, and mechanical repair are shown above.

Iron Man Comes Real

  Many are inspired by the adventures of the recent movie, Iron Man, which shows realistic and more feasible and non-superstitious approach of a Super Hero!.. Raytheron has come with yet another successful attempt to bring the fantasy character into real.

  Raytheon’s second-generation exoskeleton (XOS 2) is lighter, stronger and faster than its predecessor, yet it uses 50 percent less power, and its new design makes it more resistant to the environment. The wearable robotics suit is being designed to help with the many logistics challenges faced by the military both in and out of theater. Repetitive heavy lifting can lead to injuries, orthopedic injuries in particular. The XOS 2 does the lifting for its operator, reducing both strain and exertion. It also does the work faster. One operator in an exoskeleton suit can do the work of two to three soldiers. Deploying exoskeletons would allow military personnel to be reassigned to more strategic tasks. The suit is built from a combination of structures, sensors, actuators and controllers, and it is powered by high pressure hydraulics.

 
References:

For more details visit www.mechatronictips.com

Career Oppotunities In Mechatronics

AGS

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Why Mechatronics?

  Mechatronics, as we all know, is a synergetic combination of Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Information Technology. As the world is getting more and more advanced day-by-day along with inventions, improvements and updates in technology, the need for specialized engineers, who can do varied jobs are more in demand in the recent days...

  Mechatronics, being an esoteric course, stands amidst one of those many varied advanced engineering technologies that are much needed for the modern world of technologies. Because of his varied knowledge in various fields, a Mechatronics Engineer could easily replace the work done by four different engineers who are specialized in a single field alone. 

Job Opportunities 

  Mechatronics Engineers are much in demand in advance hybrid system, Bio-mechatronics, power engineering, Bio Medical Nano Technology, Orthopedics, Robotics and Research. Aeronautical companies, shipping, and IT companies are other areas where a Mechatronics Engineer finds himself useful.

  Many existing jobs categories currently or will soon require Mechatronics skills and problem solving ability among workers who currently design, implement, manufacture, service, and repair a wide array of equipment. 

Places to work for Mechatronics graduates:

• Shell Exploration & Production
• Oncor Electric Delivery
• TI Automotive
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing
• American Electric Power
• South Texas Nuclear Project
• Trico
• Penn Aluminum
• Festo Corporation
• TYCO
• Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
• Plastipak, Houston
• Gunther & Son
• Koch Machine Tool
• Toshiba International Corp. 
• Halliburton
• Luminant Power
• Southwest Research Institute
• Chevron
• and many automated plants of famous manufacturing units

Hence, on an over-all study, a Mechatronics Engineer has varied scope in many fields of applications; and also it has proved to be most advantageous and a field-loving course. If you really enjoy the course, you will enjoy to work it out at the manufacturing plants and the daily improvements in technology will amaze u to the core, to make ur selection, a well deserved one..

Good Luck!!

References:
 

http://www.harlingen.tstc.edu/mt/index.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechatronics

Aadhi Birthday 1st year

Special Correspondent
         

Aadhi, popularly called as Mass Aadhi, is a very famous person in our college.. Either for his leadership skills as MECHATRONICS CLASS REP; or as stylish Left Handed cricketer, who can convert a full-length delivery on the off-stump, into a SIX over Mid-wicket!!!

Finally after becoming one of the most influential person in the college, we, MECHATRONICS students, are proud to say that Mass Aadhi is in our class.. As the day of Aadhi's birthday grew nearer on February 2009, we all planned a surprise for him.. We all put money, and bought a big 2kg of cake in the shape of a Cricket Bat; and a KurukSastra t-shirt of XL size, on which we all signed with our words for Aadhi (It included explicit comments as well, as they are common in college-life)..

The much more exciting fact was, on that day, our Mass Aadhi was wanted by the whole of the SPS hostel at exactly 12 midnight.. He got bums on each floor from the ground to 3rd floor..
Finally when he reached SPS East Wing, we carried him to SPS E-317, and a big crowd was waiting there.. He finally cut the cake and the t-shirt was presented to him..

That was another unforgettable night of MECHATRONICS!!!

Mass Aadhi