Detecting the first raindrops or moisture on the windshield and adjusting wiper speed to match the rainfall level has become a typical feature in today's luxury vehicle. At the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show, Hella announced a capacitive rain sensor design for integration into the windshield similar to a radio antenna. The barely visible unit allows areas of the windshield or rear window to be used for rain detection that previously had been difficult to sense. This occurs in contra-rotating wiping systems, which use the butterfly principle, and panorama windshields. The rain sensor is a capacitor which changes value depending on the amount of water hitting the windshield. Rain drops hitting the sensor area of the windshield detune an electric oscillator circuit containing the capacitive sensor and cause a signal change proportional to the amount of water. This input controls the wiping intensity providing a level of functionality beyond intermittent wipers. For more information on Hella's capacitive rain sensor go to: http://rbi.ims.ca/4914-500
Inforbix is leveraging its CAD and product data access technology to power up a free iPad app that lets mobile users search and access engineering data.
Unlike his friends in engineering programs, blogger Jon Titus had little need for calculus except in a few of his college physical-chemistry labs and classes.
In the wake of the Chevy Volt fire investigations, sales are down, and General Motors' (GM) CEO Dan Akerson is blaming the downturn on a spate of bad publicity.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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