Out of this World

With the help of The Mathwork's Matlab - Simulink™ and Quanser's QuaRC® real-time control development software, the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) is expanding its space robotics development.

Having built a good reputation on the nano-satellite project, Quanser was approached by the CSA's Space Robotics group in search for a base platform for their next robotics program. The Space Robotics group was looking for a very specific high -performance system to allow for unhindered research concerning a variety space robotic applications:

• at least 6 degrees of freedom
• payload capacity
• performance flexibility

Following discussions with Quanser's engineering team, a decision was made to use Mitsubishi's PA-10 system (pictured here). However, CSA's Space Robotics group needed the system to be "open architecture" and tasked Quanser with the development.

Quanser then collaborated with both Mitsubishi, the robot supplier and the CSA. Using Matlab-Simulink Quanser developed the models, controller and safety functions of the PA-10 for support under Quanser's real-time control development software: QuaRC.

The CSA plans to begin work on the new platform in October 2008.

Drop us a comment! Tell us about your project using Matlab-Simulink!

WiiMote Challenge at UK ACC Conference

When we say "Control Conference" you probably imagine a lot of equations and theory. Well, this time add some hand-eye coordination too - you definitely needed them at UK ACC Control 2008 Conference in Manchester (Sept. 2 - 4). The task in our challenge was to swing up the Inverted Pendulum using a WiiMote. All who took the challenge where entered in a draw for a prize - Sony Digital Voice Recorder. The lucky winner? Dai Xuewu (pictured below) from the University of Manchester. Congratulations!

What else was there to see at the UK ACC? Displayed Quanser NI Engineering Trainers (QNETs) for junior undergrad students, 2DOF Helicopter, Omni workstation and autonomous robot Qbot for senior undergrads and Laser Beam Stabilization (LBS) for graduate projects and research represent only a fraction of solutions Quanser can offer you!

HTX Open House

Paul Gilbert, Quanser's CEO is demonstrating the use of haptic technology in the rehabilitation of stroke patients to the Honourable John Wilkinson, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation.

On June 26, Quanser and five other Ontario companies - leaders in the medical and assistive technology (MAT) field gathered in the MaRS Discovery District, a hub of research facilities and professional services organizations in downtown Toronto, designed to accelerate the commercialization of Canadian innovations.
The six companies were invited by the Health Technology Exchange (HTX), a non profit organization established by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, for an Open House event celebrating a recent relocation of HTX to the MaRS center. Since HTX focuses on development of the medical and assistive technology sector in Ontario, this move was only logical.

The HTX Open House was an occasion for invited companies to demonstrate their technologies that are on the path to commercialization as a result of a support of HTX. Quanser showcased the rehab robot. Representatives of government, research institutes and industry received a hands-on demo of this new technology that is revolutionizing the rehab of stroke patients. It caught serious attention of the Honourable John Wilkinson, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation as well as other guests.

Herve Lacheray, Quanser's R&D engineer who worked on the development of the rehabilitation robot.











The President and CEO of Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE) Mark Romoff discussing one of Quanser's projects with Paul Gilbert, the company's CEO.

Conferences are for fun too!

Attending few conferences this year we have decided to think not only business and have fun too! So we invited attendees of ASEE 2008 Conference in Pittsburgh to relax and wine and dine with us! Everybody who came could enter a contest to win a Sony Voice Recorder - and the lucky winner was Professor Ilya Grinberg from Buffalo State College. Congratulations!





We also had a lot of laughs with our button contest! The trick was to get one of three different buttons with Captivate more students - Motivate more students and Graduate better students message, and then try to find 2 people wearing a different button from yours. All three of you had to return to Quanser booth to be entered in a draw for three iPod shuffle players. The lucky trio came from New Jersey Institute of Technology: Dr. Deran Hanesian, Dr. Howard Kimmel and Dr. John Carpinelli. Congratulations to all winners!

What skills do controls engineering graduates need to have for industry?

A lot of people were attracted at the 2008 American Control Conference (ACC) to the panel discussion sponsored by our partner The Mathworks, and co-sponsored by Quanser. And indeed it was very interesting to listen to the open exchange of opinions from industry, represented by Dr. Greg Stewart from Honeywell, Dr. Andrzej Banaszuk from United Technologies Research Center, Dr. Michael Moan from Raytheon and our very own Dr. Jacob Apkarian and academia, represented by Prof. Bozenna Pasik-Duncan from University of Kansas and Dr. YangQuan Chen from Utah State University.
The discussion touched the topics of what is taught in control courses: latest techniques versus standard and proven ones; how the control courses are taught and what are the future trends in control education and how they reflect industry needs and changing landscape.

Stay tuned for the upcoming report from the panel discussion!

Quanser Autonomous Robot: Qbot

Coupled with Quanser's curriculum, the Qbot system can be used to captivate and motivate students through experiments as diverse as wall-following, path-tracking, vision processing and autonomous robotic control.

Video illustrates one of mobile robotic applications: vision-based motion planning. Qbot follows the line based on the image taken by the camera. The wheel velocity is controlled based on image feedback.

Quanser Remote Book-Signing Event at ACC 2008, Seattle

At the 2008 American Control Conference (ACC), Dr. Michael Grimble, author and renowned professor from University of Strathclyde, UK, demonstrated a rotary control that mimics complex hand movements - a truly novel way of autographing books that Margaret Awood invented.

As ACC delegates looked on, the LongPen robotic arm etched Dr. Grimble's autograph on a copy of his latest book (pictured here).


Dr. Grimble some distance away at The Mathworks booth (our partner company), was signing a tablet PC (pictured here) - an interface through which real-time memory calls allow a person to enter their signature and have it remotely written by the system. The LongPen was designed using Quanser real-time control software which is seamlessly integrated with The Mathworks Simulink graphical design environment.

Thanks to Quanser's rapid control prototyping, hardware in-the-loop testing software (QuaRC), and some very smart engineers, when autograph-seeking controls enthusiasts are not too busy reading their favourite books, they can create pretty amazing robots with Quanser’s control hardware and software.

The attendees of ACC 2008 had a chance to win one of two remotely signed copies of Prof. Grimble's latest book. The lucky winners are:
- Mr. Hamid Teimoori from the University of New South Wales, Australia
and
- Dr. Jack W. Langelaan from The Pennsylvania State University
Congratulations!