Motion Control Solution from Portescap is Compact Powerhouse for K Team's Next Generation Educational Robots
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WEST CHESTER, PA - Portescap, a Danaher Motion company, in partnership with its distributor partner, Delta Line Europe, has developed a miniature motion control solution for Swiss-based K Team's next generation Khepera III robots. K Team is a leading Swiss manufacturer of educational robots. The Khepera III robot is designed for robotic demonstrations and experiments in training future engineers and designers on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to real time programming and controls.
For this particular application, K Team was seeking a high performance miniature motion control solution. Because the Khepera III robot is battery operated, K Team was looking an optimally sized coreless DC motor that was no longer than 16mm in diameter and 46mm long, with low current consumption of <15 mA, low noise and high positional accuracy. Portescap was able to provide the solution with a 16mm coreless brush DC motor with integrated encoders and a spur gearbox that satisfied each of the application demands, helping the Khepera III to provide previously unattained performance in the area of miniature robots.
"Based on recent research focused on the humanoid robot market, we are seeing estimates that the total market potential of such robots in applications ranging from educational usage to artificial intelligence will be at $50 billion USD by 2020, compared to $0.5 billion USD in 2005. And we fully expect that miniature motors and controls will serve an increasingly critical function in this market," says Udayan Senapati, Portescap Product Line Manager. "Today we may see anywhere between five and 30 motors being used to give motion to various robot functions, and depending on the complexity of motion required of the robot, those numbers may be much higher in the near future. With our renewed emphasis on the development of high power density miniature motors in the 8 -16 mm range, Portescap is ideally positioned to serve the demanding needs of this market," he says.
About Portescap
Portescap products have been solving diverse motion control needs in medical, semiconductor, HVAC, aerospace and commercial applications for more than 70 years. Portescap offers the broadest miniature and specialty motor product line in the industry, encompassing brush DC, brushless DC, stepper can stack, geared, digital linear actuators, disc magnet and hybrid technology. Portescap has manufacturing centers in the United States, Malaysia, and India and utilizes a Global Product Development network with research and development centers in the United States, Singapore, and Switzerland.
Portescap, a Danaher Motion company, 110 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19382; 1-610-235-5499; fax: 1-610-696-4294; sales.america@portescap.com; www.portescap.com.
