EZ-Robot, a Canadian robotics start-up, provides the world with a revolutionary platform that places robotics in the hands of everyone. Having quickly outgrown from the prototyping phase, EZ-Robot is happy to announce that a new infrastructure is in place, operational, and ready to push the limits of robotics to new heights. In December 2011, EZ-Robot was unexpectedly featured on the popular tech blog Engadget. The instant exposure was every start-up’s dream, however, as EZ-Robot quickly learned; it was not all blue skies ahead. “The phenomenal response from the article helped us realize the necessity to provide a powerful and easy robot platform,” said DJ Sures, CEO of EZ-Robot.

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center has partnered with the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), and the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to host the Robotics Rodeo III at the Maneuver Battle Lab at Ft. Benning, GA June 20-29, 2012. “The Robotics Rodeo III is an opportunity for scientists and engineers from industry and academia to demonstrate new and innovative unmanned ground systems to the U.S. Army user- and research-and-development-communities,” said Dr. Jim Overholt, U.S. Army Senior Research Scientist-Robotics. “By partnering with JIEDDO this year, our competitors have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the latest technology for Soldiers and the top DOD stakeholders for robotics development.”

Tekscan Inc.’s FlexiForce® division announces the release of the FlexiForce QuickStart Board. The QuickStart Board is a finished single voltage source circuit designed for OEMs to quickly drop into a prototype or even easily design into a product to obtain force measurements. A recent sensor survey conducted by UBM Canon among design engineers showed that a top challenge they face in sourcing components, like force sensors, is ease of integration. The QuickStart Board is designed to ease that burden by making force sensor integration quicker and easier.

Now designers of machinery used in potentially explosive environments can upgrade to a new ATEX-certified optocoupler that has improved performance over competing devices. New from Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH), the CNY65Exi optocoupler meets the European Union's ATEX 94/9/EC directive for operation in potentially explosive atmospheres while offering best-in-class isolation voltage and comparative tracking index. The CNY65Exi is certified to provide intrinsic safety protection with ATEX certificate PTB 03 ATEX 2033 U. It features best-in-class isolation voltage of 11,600 V and comparative index tracking (CTI) of 475 according to VDE 0303/DIN 53480. The device fulfills the ATEX gas [II (1) G (Ex ia) IIC] and dust [II (1) D (Ex ia) IIIC] provisions.

TORC Robotics now offers unmanned vehicle conversion kits to rapidly configure by-wire, tele-operated, and autonomous control on customer selected mobility platforms. An open architecture supports the integration and control of modular mission payloads, allowing the kits to be used in a wide range of applications from basic unmanned vehicle research to Warfighter-ready solutions, including IED detection and defeat, ISR, RSTA, and CBRNE missions. The kits integrate tightly with host vehicle systems to provide significant performance advantages over “one size fits all” solutions, while maintaining all of the vehicle’s original capabilities for manned operation. By leveraging its Robotic Building Blocks™ product line for drive-by-wire conversion, safety, power management, autonomous navigation, and operator control, TORC is able to focus on the integration of customer-defined capabilities and mission-specific behaviors.

Lumenpulse Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of high performance, architectural LED-based lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, and urban environments, today announced that it will be sponsoring the Walpole RoboRebels, the Walpole High School robotics team, as it prepares for the annual FIRST robotics competitions.

Addressing the high cost and lack of interoperability of active 3D glasses, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today released two infrared receivers developed specifically to be compliant with the Consumer Electronics Association's CEA-2038 standard for IR synchronization of active eyewear used with 3D TV sets. The TSOP75D26 and TSOP35D26 are industry-first surface-mount IR receivers designed to be assembled into active 3D glasses, where they receive infrared signals from the TV set and ensure the glasses' LCD shutters open and close in proper synchronization to create the 3D effect. With these industry-standard receivers, TV manufacturers can reduce the cost of the active 3D glasses, one of the main barriers to broader adoption of 3D TVs. With adoption of the CEA-2038 standard and use of the TSOP75- and TSOP35D26 receivers, consumers will be able to watch 3D programs on any TV set.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. today released lead (Pb)-free and lead (Pb)-bearing thick film chip resistors with IECQ-CECC approval. Both devices are offered in two versions: approved to EN 140401-802, Version A, to meet the needs of the industrial electronics industry; and approved to EN 140401-802, Version E, for military, avionics, and space applications. Version E devices feature established reliability with an assessed failure rate level of E6. The CRCW....EN802 offers pure tin termination plating on a nickel barrier, which has been proven under extensive testing to provide immunity against tin whisker growth. The resistor complies with the RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC, and it is compatible with lead (Pb)-free and lead (Pb)-containing soldering processes.

Novocell Semiconductor, Inc., the producer of the IC industry's most reliable one-time programmable antifuse non-volatile memory, introduces SWIFT2Chip™, a new full service, end-to-end, NVM deliverable process and technology package that includes the patented and uncontested NovoBlox™ SmartBit™ technology, unparalleled documentation support, and an on-call, dedicated account engineer.

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. (X-ES) has introduced the company's first ruggedized COM Express® module, the XPedite5550, which complies with the PICMG COM Express Compact form factor (95mm x 95mm) and supports an enhanced Type-5 pinout. The XPedite5550 can be hosted on a standard COM Express carrier card, hosted on a custom carrier card built to include any additional requirements from the end user, or integrated into the X-ES XPand6000 Series of Small Form Factor (SFF) rugged systems.

Liquid Robotics®, an ocean data services provider and developer of the Wave Glider®, the first wave-powered marine robot, is pleased to announce BP has agreed to be the exclusive oil and gas industry supporter of the PacX Challenge. Designed to gain greater knowledge and understanding of our oceans, the PacX Challenge is a yearlong, scientific journey of four Liquid Robotics' Wave Gliders across the Pacific Ocean. While on their treacherous expedition over remote parts of the Pacific Ocean, these marine robots are collecting, transmitting and making available an unprecedented array of scientific data from ocean winds, wave heights, weather, oxygen, and currents to barometric pressure.

Less than four years after its release, the TETRIX® Building System continues to spread across the globe and into the hands of educators inspired to teach robotics.

eSilicon Corporation, the largest independent semiconductor value chain producer (VCP), announced today that HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd. has licensed eSilicon's silicon-proven 40nm ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) macros for its next generation of high-performance network-application ASICs. HiSilicon, founded by Huawei in 1991, is a leading semiconductor design company in the communications and consumer electronics markets. HiSilicon has established end-to-end advantages in fixed network, wireless network, digital media and wireless terminals. In the digital media field, HiSilicon provides a complete portfolio of SoCs and solutions for DVB, IPTV, surveillance and smart phones.

Vishay Precision Group, Inc. today announced that its Vishay Foil Resistors division (VFR) is now offering a wide variety of surface-mount and through-hole resistors built on Bulk Metal® Z- and Z1-Foil technologies for high reliability and high stability in medical applications. Including the recently introduced CSM3637Z, CSM3637P, Z203, and FRSM series, a wide variety of resistor configurations, chip packages, and ultra-high-precision specifications are available for optimized performance. Devices such as the VCS1625Z, VCS1625ZP, and CSM3637Z offer 4-terminal Kelvin connections for high reliability, while the FRSM, VSMP, and FRSH series feature wraparound terminations. The flexible terminations of the SMR3DZ and SMR3D eliminate stress transference from the PCB due to a difference in thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE), while the hermetically sealed packages of the VHP101, VHA512Z, and VSM46 (PRND) prevent the ingress of moisture and oxygen.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. today introduced a new series of dual-in-line thin film resistor networks offering a wide operating temperature range of - 55 °C to + 215 °C. Providing nearly a 100 °C extension in operating temperature range over traditional thin film chip resistors, the HTRN series features low absolute TCR of 25 ppm/ºC, TCR tracking of 5 ppm/ºC, and tight ratio tolerances to 0.05 %. Featuring a rugged, molded 50 mil pitch construction with no internal solder, the HTRN series of resistor networks offers four isolated resistors with a wide resistance range of 1 to 100 kilohms per resistor, with divider ratios from 2:1 to 100:1. The devices feature very low noise of less than - 35 dB, low voltage coefficients of 0.1 ppm/V, and a power rating of 100 mW per element (400 mW per package).

Supertex, a recognized leader in high voltage analog and mixed signal integrated circuits (ICs), today introduced HV2733, a sixteen-channel, high voltage, analog switch with integrated bleed resistors. It is well-suited for applications where low voltage signals control high voltage switching, such as in medical ultrasound imaging, metal flaw detection through non-destructive testing (NDT), optical MEMS modules, and piezoelectric transducers.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today introduced a new high-temperature, surface-mount, wraparound thick film chip resistor. For down-hole drilling applications, the CHPHT is the industry's first such device to offer an operating temperature range from - 55 °C to + 230 °C and a storage temperature range of - 55 °C to + 245 °C. Optimized for multi-chip modules (MCM) in down-hole drilling instrumentation, the high-temperature capabilities of the CHPHT resistor allow for the extraction of petroleum at deeper depths. Offered in 0603, 0805, 1206, and 2010 case sizes (with other sizes available upon request), the resistor offers a wide resistance range from 0.1 ohm to 100 megohms; tolerances of 1 %, 2 %, and 5 %; and power dissipation of 12.5 mW to 100 mW at + 230 °C.

Microscan, a global technology leader in barcode, machine vision and lighting solutions, announces that it has been awarded a Global Technology Award in the category of ID Systems for its Vision MINI smart camera. The award was presented to the company during a Tuesday, November 15, 2011 ceremony that took place at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany during Productronica 2011. As the world’s smallest, fully integrated vision system, the ultra-compact Vision MINI is designed for reliable vision performance in embedded identification and inspection applications. Premiering in 2005, the Global Technology Awards program is an annual celebration of product excellence in electronics surface mount assembly. Recipients of the award represent leading examples of technology innovation, selected by a distinguished panel of industry experts.

MTS Systems Corp., Sensors Division has introduced a detached electronics housing system for use with Temposonics® R-Series Sensors. R-Series sensors are used in industrial manufacturing applications where accurate measurement and low maintenance are critical. The R-Series Model RD4 is a housing style that allows the electronics to be removed from harsh environments where they may be damaged by temperature, shock, vibration or other conditions. In addition to the detached housing style of the RD4, MTS Sensors also offers a rod-style (RH), profile-style (RP) and flexible style (RF) housing style for all of the R-Series output types.

MTS Systems Corp., Sensors Division has developed new technology for their Temposonics® sensor that includes both an incremental interface and absolute output, such as Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI), in a single sensor housing. This configuration will allow for more precise position and speed control in linear motion by providing feedback to both the drive and the motion controller. The technology is expected to be launched with a new product in the first half of 2012.