Robot Drones Flock Like Geese, and more...

Metamaterials Enable In-flight Broadband Connection Replacing the traditional fixed antenna on airplanes with new antennas based on metamaterials is paving the way for in-flight broadband internet connections that has been on every traveler's wish list. A recent IEEE Spectrum article sheds light on the future of in-flight broadband technology and how the development of a metamaterials antenna will foster its development. In particular, the article discusses the concept of adopting metasurfaces, which is similar to what is used in cloaking, to steer electromagnetic radiation emanating from antennas. While building the broadband metamaterial antenna is fairly straightforward, much of the effort has centered on reconfiguring and maintaining the optimum beam shape over the bandwidth of interest.   Couplings Designed for Defense Applications Stäubli Corporation Low Lead Time Structural Bonding Films 3M Aerospace and Aircraft Maintenance Division Highest quality couplings for a large variety of applications such as unmanned aerial Vehicles (UAVs), military ships, submarines, and armored vehicles. In the areas of aerospace and defense Staubli was awarded and maintains: AQAP 2110 NATO quality requirements. Visit us here to learn more. Available when you need it! 3M Scotch-Weld Adhesive Films, many with 30-day lead times and low minimum order quantities, offer advanced bonding solutions to meet your unique needs. These 3M films are certified to many different Aerospace OEM specifications, and can accommodate a wide range of cure conditions and substrates. We've Landed Approval for Your Cadmium Plating Specs Columbia Chemical Corporation New 6 GHz Switching   Pickering Interfaces US Inc. Boeing Company granted approval toColumbia Chemical COLCAD 100 brightener for cadmium plating applications on all models of their commercial airplanes. COLCAD 100 is now the only Boeing approved cadmium brightener available for these applications. Under the approval, COLCAD 100 may also be added to existing baths containing former Boeing approved brighteners. Pickering Interfaces is introducing four new switching solutions with frequency coverage from 10 MHz to 6 GHz — 40-880 SPDT and 40-882 SP4T switch — dual, quad, hex, and octal configurations, 40-881 SP6T switch - single or dual version, and 41-182 programmable attenuator available in single, dual, or triple configurations.
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Design & Assembly . . . Servos Slash System Size, Part Count This Design World article describes the role of servo motors in a tooling system used to produce the "skins" of aircraft wings. Using servo motors coupled with custom mechanical actuators, the tooling system manufacturer was able to halve the number of parts in the system and the size of the machine's footprint. On the Rise: Computed Tomography A technology originally driven by the medical field — computed tomography (CT) — is increasingly invading the industrial world, notes NDT magazine. Offered by such companies asNordsen Dage, North Star Imaging, and GE's phoenix X-Ray, CT systems are now inspecting safety critical components, such as aerospace turbines and rotor blades. Frost & Sullivan predicts that the CT inspection equipment market will grow at an annual rate of 8%. Electrical/Electronic Components . . . Electric Encoders in Space It took 15 years to get humanoid robotsinto space. When the tool-wielding Robonaut-2 ran through its first space paces in late 2011, several Electric Encoders provided needed robustness and dexterity. Without ball bearings, glass disc, or light sources, the devices contain virtually no failure mechanisms, making them highly tolerant of shock, vibration, and temperature extremes. Will Mobile Apps Empower Drone Sensors? Smartphone app developers are being tapped by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to create mobile apps that can enhance sensor performance for drones, and for related intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance vehicles. The agency hopes to speed up development of a swarm application to fly multiple drones in unison, under its ADAPT (Adaptable Sensor System) program.   Small Technology, No Big Deal! Suntron Corporation HEMP/EMP Filters Captor Corporation Suntron supports JSF, F-22, IED Jammers, JTRS, SM3, SM6, UAV, and UGV platforms. Delivering complete manufacturing services and embedded computing solutions for high reliability products used in safety/mission critical, and productivity /monitoring devices for aerospace and defense markets. NADCAP, AS9100, and ITAR registered. Meet or exceed the MIL-STD-188-125-1 requirements with Captor Corporation's HEMP/EMP Filters. We can provide custom tailoring for your unique application or accommodate existing applications such as AC/DC power, telephone lines, analog fire alarms, servo motors, and synchro transmitters. Visit us here to access drawings, electrical ratings, and PCI-HEMP Parameters. MSK Developing Rad Hard Motor Drives for Space Use M.S. Kennedy Corp. Most Sophisticated Whisker Reinforced Ceramic Ever Greenleaf Corporation The M.S. Kennedy Corporation is developing radiation hardened motor drives for use in space applications such as satellites, planetary exploration vehicles, and launch vehicles. These motor drives are constructed with rad hard components and utilize hybrid microcircuit assembly methods to minimize size and weight while offering very high performance and reliability. Learn more. WG-700™ is a completely new whisker-reinforced ceramic insert. Greenleaf's new, proprietary "platinum" nano-layered coating provides low-friction machining in both wet and dry environments, high temperature stability, abrasion resistance, oxidation resistance, and chemical inertness. With Greenleaf's WG-700™, customers can expect superior wear resistance and toughness at high-speeds and feeds. Materials . . . Reusable Space Vehicles If more space vehicle parts were recoverable, it could drastically cut the cost of space flights. This money idea has a Mars-minded space company working on reusable rocket stages. Here's an animation showing how massive fuel stages would use thrusters to guide themselves back to earth and land on their own power. Textured Coatings Reduce Drag Airplanes are more efficient when their surfaces are designed to reduce drag. A research group at the University of Surrey in the UK has developed a process called infrared radiation-assisted evaporative lithography that can create textured plastic surfaces composed of bumps or ridges in different sizes. Besides aircraft, the textured coatings could be used on water vessels to reduce drag or as tiny lenses to focus light. Engines & Flight Control . . . Sensors Glide Behind Enemy Lines Instead of putting soldiers in harm's way, disposable GPS-guided micro drones are designed to glide into areas of interest to capture intelligence. Essentially a sensor-equipped circuit board with wings, a CICADA (Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft) is attached underneath the wings of a mother ship drone, then released to glide into its target area with an accuracy of 4.6 m (15 ft). A Flock of Drones Swiss researchers have demonstrated that flocks of robotic drones can be programmed to fly in close formation in large numbers, just as real birds do when flying in a flock. Such swarms might eventually be used for surveillance, searches, or mapping. A video that accompanies this article demonstrates how flight dynamics and radio communication range impact the drones' ability to successfully keep within a single flock.   High Performance Flight Qualified Sensors Columbia Research Labs, Inc. Starrett Electronic Bore Gage with Output Starrett Columbia Research Labsmanufactures a wide variety ofSensors for Airborne and Military applications. CRL can offer Flight Qualified Force Balance and/or Piezoelectric Accelerometers and Strain Gages, some boasting over 25 years of U.S. government military program support. The Starrett AccuBore is a trigger-activated, three-point contact bore gaging system with extended range. It features an easy-to-read digital display as well as mechanically-driven parallel anvils which extend simultaneously, establishing a more true alignment to the axis of the bore, providing consistent pressure and more accurate readings as opposed to models with spring-driven contacts. New Aerospace Brochure   Zeus, Inc. Zeus' new aerospace brochuredemonstrates the company's impressive array of products and possible applications for the aerospace industry. From spiral wrap and heat shrink products used in wire harnessing to optimized tubing for advanced applications, Zeus Inc.'s exceptional products make it a key supplier for aerospace leaders. Pyroid® HT Pyrolytic Graphite Thermal Spreaders MINTEQ® International Inc, Pyrogenics Group Available in sheets or shapes for Aerospace thermal applications, Pyroid® HT Pyrolytic Graphite heat spreader material offers thermal conductivity 4x (1700 W/m°K) that of copper at only 25% of the weight! Using Pyroid® HT thermal material allows a smaller, economical footprint with better performance for all thermal applications. Careers & Commentary . . . SAMPE Asia 2012 Conference and Exhibition    SAMPE    FUTEK's Webinar:  Exploring Load Cells Through a Miniature S-Beam Jr. Sensor — 2/15/2012   SAMPE Asia takes place 21-23 February 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This event provides a forum for the advanced materials community. Visit the SAMPE Asia Web page for more information today. On February 15, FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. will present "Exploring Load Cells Through a Miniature S-Beam Jr. Sensor". Join your peers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE webinar — right from the convenience of your desktop. Learn more about FUTEK's USB technology and USB sensor applications.Register today!