It’s that time of year again for Electronic Products’ Annual Product of the Year Awards. Now in its 47th year, EP editors looked at over 100 products across 13 component categories to select the best new components. We added three new categories — modules, IoT platforms and development kits — to this year’s awards due to rising interest and demand for these products. They join analog/mixed-signal ICs, digital ICs, electromechanical, interconnects, optoelectronics, passives, power, RF/microwave, sensors and test and measurement (see page 11).
These award-winning products demonstrate a significant advancement in a technology or its application, an exceptionally innovative design, a substantial achievement in price/performance, improvements in design performance and/or the potential for new product designs/opportunities.
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Also in this issue, we look at technologies and tools that are needed to accelerate robotics design. IDTechEx reports that robots are seeing rapid growth across many industries, including logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and food delivery. The research firm finds that human-robot interaction, precise control and safe collaboration between humans and robots are the cornerstones of adopting automation.
Advancing these designs will require a suite of sensors, including LiDAR, imaging/vision sensors (cameras), tactile sensors and ultrasonic sensors, IDTechEx said, to achieve safety and accurate control for multiple tasks in robotics for things like collision detection, obstacle avoidance and navigation.
Cameras are also becoming increasingly important in robots with the advancement of machine-vision technology, IDTechEx said. This includes mobile robotics as one of the largest robotic applications in which cameras are used for object classification, safety and navigation.
One promising innovation is the increasing miniaturization of image sensor technology, which makes it easier to integrate into a robotic arm or component without impeding movement, IDTechEx said, and it is an application in which low-cost miniaturized spectrometers are becoming increasingly relevant. “The complexity and functionalization of standard visible light sensors can be significantly improved through the integration of miniaturized spectrometers that can detect from the visible to the SWIR region of the spectrum.”
Robotics design will also require expertise across engineering disciplines to address the design complexity that comes with incorporating sensor fusion and artificial intelligence. Development kits and platforms for robotics design are helping designers incorporate AI, machine learning and new connectivity technologies like 5G to develop smarter and safer machines while also speeding up development time and time to market. Leading the way are Nvidia and Qualcomm with complete end-to-end solutions.
Along with sensors, motors will play a central role in robotics design and industrial automation. Brushless DC (BLDC) motors deliver several advantages over other types of motors used in these applications. These include improved energy efficiency, high durability, low noise and reduced EMI, among others.
Improved energy efficiency is a significant advantage, said contributing writer Stefano Lovati. A recent report produced by the International Energy Agency found that 40% of all global electricity is used to power electric motors. Lovati dives deep into a range of BLDC motor design considerations from the driver and control scheme to the decision to use closed- or open-loop techniques and the selection of discrete or integrated motor control solutions.
This month’s issue also showcases AC/DC power supplies for industrial and medical applications. Lovati reports that in many cases, the requirements for these power supplies overlap, allowing them to be used in both applications. What they do have in common is that designers are looking for miniaturization for reduced overall weight and space, high power density and high efficiency. “The need to reduce CO2 emissions to combat global warming requires solutions that maximize efficiency while minimizing power and heat losses,” he said.
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