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DENSO Introduces Micro-Inspection Robot At SAE 2000

7 March 2000

DENSO Introduces Micro-Inspection Robot At SAE 2000 World Congress in Detroit DENSO CORPORATION DENSO Micro-Inspection Robot[AG] DETROIT, MI USA 03/07/2000    

    DETROIT, March 7 The DENSO tradition of developing
industry leading micro-technology continues.  In 1995, DENSO introduced the
world's smallest motorized car, a distinction bestowed by the Guinness Book of
Records.  Today, DENSO introduces its newly developed Micro-Inspection Robot,
a research project, at the SAE 2000 World Congress.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000307/DETU008 )
    DENSO is the fourth leading automotive supplier in the world.

    OVERVIEW OF MICRO-INSPECTION ROBOT
    The Micro-Inspection Robot has a diameter of 7 mm and an overall length of
27 mm.  It fits inside 8 mm piping and is inertia-driven while searching for
cracks in pipe walls using an eddy current sensor.  The robot moves at 10 mm/s
in a pipe of 10 mm diameter with a power supply wire.  It consists of a
locomotive mechanism with a piezoelectric biomorph actuator and a control
circuit.
    DENSO also developed a wireless robot whose power is supplied from outside
via microwave energy.
    The microwave energy supply device consists of rectifying circuits and a
compact receiving antenna.  The demanded energy of 400 mW is supplied via
microwave without wire.  A 24 GHz microwave is rectified into DC electric
energy at a high converting efficiency of approximately 50 percent.
    The locomotive device of multi-layered biomorph actuator is newly
developed and consumes only 150 mW.  The control circuit consists of a
sawtooth generator and programmable logic device and controls the direction of
the robot by an outside light signal.
    The micro-robot has been developed for inspection of the inner surface of
thermoconduction tubes in power plants under a national Japanese project.

    SIGNIFICANCE OF MICRO-TECHNOLOGY
    What is significant about micro-technology?  Is there merit in its
development?  Says Kunihiko Hara, director of DENSO's Research Laboratories
and Corporate R&D, DENSO Corporation, "Small creatures have a special
mechanism optimized for moving effectively with a minimum of energy, allowing
them to enjoy rotary and parallel motions beyond our knowledge.  With this
kind of super mechanism, they can freely fly in the air with much less energy
without causing any particular harm to the global environment."
    Hara continues, "In other words, it is an ideal future machine which is
environmentally friendly.  Investigations into micro-technology currently in
progress may lead to an unexpected discovery in the mechanism of motion and
movement.  DENSO, as a leading automotive parts manufacturer, can contribute
to the development of innovative, high-performance systems with eco-friendly
features for automotive use by creating the ultimate micro-car.  We see this
as the technology of the 21st century.
    DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi, Japan, employs more
than 72,000 people in 25 countries.  In North America, DENSO employs 13,000 at
21 companies including DENSO International America, Inc., its North American
headquarters.
    Global sales totaled $14.5 billion.  North American consolidated sales for
1999 are estimated at $3.6 billion.