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Projects
are aimed at solving the technical electrical and industrial problems affecting
the successful design and evolution of MEMS. Sarcos is a leader in the development
of intelligent micro systems that consist of silicon-based micro-sensors
and electronic servo-actuation systems.
SENSORS
Sarcos' microsensors take advantage of physical properties encountered by systems operating at the microscopic scale. Sensors are being developed to measure machine operational characteristics such as rotary movement, strain, load, acceleration, and position. Fluid-based systems measure pressure, vibration, sound, and flow.
One such microsensor is the Sarcos Rotary Displacement Transducer (RDT). It consists of emitter and detector disks, housing elements, and a sealed input shaft. The chips are closely spaced and interact electrostatically to measure relative position with absolute rotary resolutions up to 16 bits depending on the model.
Sarcos microsensors are both digital and absolute. They achieve major improvements in performance in terms of cost, reliability, resolution, size, and ruggedness. The microsensors also include local on-chip intelligence for multiplexing, signal processing, and self-calibration.
Sarcos is manufacturing and selling, on a limited basis, sensors for the measurement of rotation, linear strain, and multi-axis strain.
ACTUATORS
One example of a Sarcos electronic servo-actuation
system is the electrostatic wobble motor (shown on the left). Wobble motors
are a unique innovation that bring high performance and low cost to electric
motors. Electrostatic motors use rotors with diameters between 120 and
500 microns (a human hair is roughly 80 microns or 0.08 millimeter). Typical
magnetic motor rotors range in diameter from 0.2 to 3.0 centimeters. Wobble
motors are robust, can be produced in a variety of sizes, require no
lubrication, provide higher
torque-to-weight ratios than conventional motors, and are inexpensive
to produce.
Applications for Sarcos servo-actuation systems include; automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer products, instrumentation, toys, and manufacturing machinery.