News Release world's first
solid steel, multi-axis force measurement/motion and cursor control sensor – Selected As 1998 Innovation of The Year
April 27, 1999 … At a banquet, held at The Tech Museum in San Jose, the editors of EDN Magazine announced that Bokam's DX-360/DX-380 product line
was selected by EDN's world wide readers and web visitors as the winner of the coveted 1998 Innovation Of The Year award. This is a rare honor, because this marks the second year in a row that both
a product line and Bokam's President and Technical Director, Dr. Boris Kamentser, are being honored by the editors and readers of this prestigious publication as both an innovation and innovator. This exclusive award
program, sponsored by EDN Magazine, is dedicated to honoring truly outstanding designers and inventors in the electronics industry.
The DX-360/DX-380 sensor product line is the world's first monolithic, stainless steel, multi-axis, force measurement system. The DX-series product is based on unique technology and system driven
design. This approach makes the sensor equally at home in applications that range from precision industrial/robotic multi-axis force measurement and closed loop servo systems, heavy industrial man-machine
interface systems and motion control systems, to industrial, medical and military cursor control and computer interface applications. Due to the unique technology and cost sensitive design approach this
innovative system can be inserted into customer's systems at a cost that is from half
to an order of magnitude lower than conventional force measurement systems or industrial joysticks. This opens the door to the use of sensors and precision man-machine interfaces for customers and applications that have, up to now, been unable to afford such precision and reliability.
More on DX-360/DX-380 Product Lines: The DX360/380 force sensors are the industry's first monolithic, solid-steel multi axis force sensors which can be used for both force measurement and finger tip or palm controlled motion control or cursor
control systems. The three axis sensors provide linear and force proportional output with no moving or rubbing parts. The devices provide a signal in all three axis simultaneously, enabling full force vector
resolution or uninterrupted three axis motion control input. Since the devices are both linear and proportional their output can be used to control both the position and the rate in robotic or automate systems as
well as accurately determine the direction and magnitude of an applied force. At the hart of this sensor is unique technology and manufacturing process that allow Bokam to imbed strain sensitive materials into the
stainless steel monolith. This eliminates the bond and glue lines present with conventional strain gage sensors and which are at the hart of drift, time-output dependency and inaccuracy. The unique approach
creates a sensor that is stable over time, does not require re-calibration and has a linear and proportional output through the operating temperature range. The sensors have a universal mechanical interface with a
tapped hole into which any post or stylus can be attached for force input or hand or finger interface. The force applied to the post or stylus is translated (via moment) to the sensor below. The strain
sensitive elements measure the microscopic deflection of the body due to the applied force and report it to the electronics as a voltage change. Due to the simple standard interface the sensor can be installed
virtually into any application or system. Its compact size (1" in diameter for a 5lb range and 2" diameter for 30lb range) can replace cumbersome multi-axis systems with just one simple package and the tightening
of 4 screws. Due to the lack of moving or rubbing parts all sensors are virtually indestructible, not affected by dirt, pollution, humidity or other operating environments. This offers a substantial reliability
and usability advantage for industrial equipment where these devices have replaced traditional joysticks by offering greater reliability and more accurate control. Two electronic packages are offered with
the sensors. One provides an analog 0-5V output and the other incorporated the IBM Track Point technology to provide a standard mouse interface. About EDN: EDN, published by Cahners
Publishing Company, is the premier design magazine of the electronics industry. Headquartered in Newton, MA, it serves the vital information needs of design engineers and engineering managers worldwide. The
EDN franchise includes EDN, EDN Europe, EDN Asia, EDN China and EDN Access, the only full content, EOEM publication Web Site.
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