Unmanned Systems Technology 004 | Delair-Tech DT18 | Autopilots | Rotron RT600 | Unmanned surface vehicles | AMRC | Motion control | Batteries

73 such as fully adjustable trajectory profiles, a second control loop and synchronised motion might have 12, demanding software about 25 times more complex. Clever control strategies pursued by such software are embodiments of control theory, a huge and complex field beyond the scope of this article, but cutting-edge strategies tend to be non-linear, such as sliding mode control. Some see the state of the art in dynamic control as pretty stable and don’t expect any major advances, with the potential exception of MEMS or even smaller systems, perhaps using nanotechnology. At the nano scale, traditional schemes based on linear or Newtonian frameworks may not apply. The near future might see more widespread adoption of the automotive- derived CAN bus standard, which is mature and robust. One caveat here though is that the large number of CAN controllers available – and embedded in micro-controller systems – could mean that changing from one to another would impact the embedded software. Piezoelectric actuators, which are already finding widespread applications in very small devices such as solid-state focusing mechanisms for smartphone cameras, could eventually challenge current electromechanical systems. Changing size in response to electric currents, piezoelectric materials enable actuators to be built without moving parts. The main limitation is that they produce tiny movements, although they can generate very large forces relative to their size, but stroke lengths are increasing. One experimental example is about the size of a cigarette packet and produces a not-very-impressive stroke of 5 mm but with a force of 1000 N. One long-time observer of the technology estimates that high-precision piezoelectric actuators the size of present-day electromechanical devices but with ten times their power will be available within ten to 15 years. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Karl Meier at Advanced Motion Controls, Tom Lee at Quanser, Jay Napoli at KVH Industries, Nir Eldar at MTC Industries, Peter Kull at Pegasus Actuators and Mark Juhrig at Volz Servos for their input into this article. Unmanned Systems Technology | Autumn 2015 Belgium Septentrio +32 163 008 00 www.septentrio.com Canada Novatel +1 403 295 4500 www.novatel.com France SBG Systems +33 1 8088 4500 www.sbg-systems.com Germany Pegasus Actuators +49 6034 93 99 699 www.pegasus-actuators.com Volz Servos +49 69 985 5800 www.volz-servos.com Israel Bental Industries +972 469 601 99 www.bental.co.il MTC Industries +972 499 877 72 www.mtcind.com UK HT Servo +44 (0) 1903 823014 www.htservo.com OTM Servo +44 (0) 1784 433 155 www.otmservo.com USA Advanced Motion Control +1 805 389 1935 www.a-m-c.com Designatronics +1 516 328 3300 www.designatronics.com Elmo Motion Control +1 603 821 9979 www.elmomc.com ESI Motion +1 805 624 6030 www.esimotion.com F O Engineering +1 661 257 8481 www.foengineering.com FLIR Motion Control Systems +1 805 964 9797 www.flir.com Harmonic Drive +1 978 532 1800 www.harmonicdrive.net Kearfott Guidance & Navigation +1 973 785 6000 www.kearfott.com KVH Industries +1 401 847 3327 www.kvh.com Micromo +1 727 572 0131 www.micromo.com MOOG +1 716 652 2000 www.moog.com MotionAnalysis +1 707 579 6500 www.motionanalysis.com Some examples of motion control system manufacturers/suppliers