Design News is pleased to present the finalists in the Electronics & Test and Automotive categories of our 2012 Golden Mousetrap Awards. These are the products that are in the running to be named the winner of our annual contest -- in their respective categories.
For the first time ever, the winners will be announced during a live ceremony held during the Pacific Design & Manufacturing Show in Anaheim, Calif., on Tuesday, February 12, and on Designnews.com following the ceremony.
Congratulations to our finalists and good luck!
Click the image below to see the Electronics & Test and Automotive finalists.
Click here to read about the finalists in the Automation & Control category.
Click here to read about the finalists in the Materials & Assembly category.
Click here to read about who made the cut in our Design Tools: Hardware & Software category.
I would like to know how high the Lift Buddy can lift. Most of the toughest tasks (for example, in my garage) require a reach of about eight feet. If the Lift Buddy can do that, they've got a customer.
Nancy, that sounds like an other great app for Lift Buddy. It's been several years since I had to lift a saddle, but I'd probably have problems now getting one onto a horse's back.
TI's gas sensing platform is another interesting one. Gas sensing systems are a growing market for the home. Emission testing stations can also use them for measuring exhaust gases. On the inside of the vehicle, there could also be a growing market in alcohol (breathalyzer) sensing, as well as carbon monoxide sensing. I've always wondered when someone would develop a CO sensor for inside the car. Anyone who's ever driven an old beater knows the importance of that.
When it comes to technology, most pronosticators have been notoriously inaccurate. Here's one of my favorites from Popular Science in 1949: "In the future, computers may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Reminds me of a funny story, Charles. When I was a kid, I interviewed my neighbor who happened to be an engineer for Texas Instruments for a school assignment. He told me that when the transistor first came out - they said it was just a fad...
Over the years, we've heard many prognosticators predict the demise of 8-bit, Nancy. The folks at Microchip always laugh about it. Seems like they've always had the last laugh.
I agree Charles - love 8 bit microcontrollers and leave it to Microchip to expand on its peripheral capabilities. Seems like there is a PIC for every task!
I agree Ann - after reading your post, I could hardly wait to see the Lift Buddy. I have had a similar prototype in the works for years that we call the "Saddle-Jack." Being a horsewoman, I have seen a need for something that would help folks who are prone to back problems to be able to saddle their horses by themselves. We have the two wheeler but are still in the brainstorming stage for making it work in a cost-effective manner. That Lift Buddy is a great idea for lots of applications!
It's amazing to see how many peripherals Microchip is able to integrate onto an 8-bit chip. I suppose that's why, after numerous predictions of ther demise of 8-bit, it's still going strong.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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