From CAD’s friendlier interface to holographic data storage on plastic, explore the five developments that will bring new light into the world of design:

Peering into the near-term future of product design, Design News recently pinpointed the trends that will influence the way we create and innovate. Here are the 5 developments that are expected to put their imprint on 2005:

1) CAD (computer-aided design) software will get more user- and collaboration-friendly. In response to a common complaint from engineering-software companies and their customers about the difficulty of using CAD tools, software companies are expected to bolster ease of use. For example, Autodesk is planning to allow users of its Inventor tool to design for function instead of form–a more straightforward approach. Meanwhile, Solid Edge will keep on improving its hybrid 2D/3D features–part of the many measures it’s taking to help transition users from 2D to 3D. Also high on the priority list of software companies is facilitating collaboration. For instance, Alibre is refining its collaborative architecture while PTC is incorporating tools to enable real-time conferencing. In short, life is about to get easier for CAD users.

2) Micro fuel cells will become the “it” alternative power source for portable consumer products. Okay, so all the hype has been around fuel cells as a potential power source for cars, but it’s in electronics that they will soon make a splash. This year, actually. For example, 2005 is the target date for the launch of a fuel cell powered 3G handset from DoCoMo, the mobile phone unit of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. And other leading companies such as Nokia, Toshiba, Hitachi, Casio, Sharp, NEC and Motorola have entered the micro fuel cell race. They may even be beaten to the finishing line by lesser-known companies such as MTI MicroFuel Cells, Inc. and Medis Technologies, which both have innovative micro fuel cell designs. In summary, these tiny fuel cells will be anything but small this year.

3) In motion control, portable motors that function like pseudo servos will gain ground. The lines are blurring between stepper motors and servo motors with the addition of an encoder and algorithms. While they’re not new on the scene, these so-called “pseudo” servos–a term originated by Dan Jones, president of Incremotion Associates Inc.–will become more popular and more influential in some applications this year. They still run open loop like conventional stepper motors but can operate closed loop and avoid missing steps. “You had open loop and closed loop and now you have a number of interesting in betweens,” Jones tells Design News. For example, Oriental Motor’s AlphaSTEP includes a feedback device that keeps close track of the motor shaft to spot missed steps and remedy loss of synchronism. According to Oriental’s engineering manager Nick Johantgen, the packaging industry could be one area impacted by pseudo servos this year.

4) In test and measurement, a new LAN-based standard will help keep things simple. This open standard was recently introduced by two prominent manufacturers of test-and-measurement equipment–Agilent Technologies and VXI Technology. Called LXI (for LAN-based eXtensions for Instrumentation), it uses standard Ethernet LAN hardware and software to simplify instrumentation communications and is maintained by the LXI Consortium. Engineers need only one module to start an LXI-based system and can add modules later on. What’s more, these modules function with other LAN-based or IEEE 488-based instruments, easing design and configuration. Last month, 12 other companies jumped on the LXI bandwagon.

5) Plastics are rapidly advancing thanks to three new developments. The first one dramatically improves data storage, while the second one has resulted in a new elastomer with a much coveted combination of properties. In contrast, the third development relies on nanotechnology to enhance plastic parts’ optical properties. In the first breakthrough, researchers at Bayer Material Science have developed a system that enables data to be stored as holographic images on plastic film. In the second innovation, Dow Plastics has created a special elastomer by combining ethylene and propylene through a catalyst technology. The result: plastics with sought-after properties such as low modulus, heat resistance, elastic recovery and a soft-touch feel. Finally, in the third breakthrough, Germany’s AlCove Surfaces has developed a new molding and tooling technology that can bolster the light transmittance of clear thermoplastic parts.

Sources:

Where the Cookie Will Crumble
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA493176.html

CAD Will Get Easier
Paul E. Teague
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA491476.html

Micro Fuel Cells: A Coming-Out Party in 2005
Randy Frank
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA491477.html

Pseudo Servos Coming on Strong
Randy Frank
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA491478.html

New Standard Links Instruments
Jon Titus
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA491479.html

Smaller Can Be Bigger
Joseph Ogando
Design News, January 10, 2005
www.designnews.com/article/CA491480.html