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University of Wyoming

UW Technologies Available for Licensing

Technology Disclosure: 03-011: Precision Positioning Device  

Background

A number of precision applications require the ability to move quickly, over a large dynamic range, in several directions, while withstanding failures. Consider a high power telescope mounted on an aircraft. It must be able to cancel out the aircraft’s vibrations while maintaining stability and accuracy, while still being able to rotate in at least two directions. Current positioning applications require multiple stages and the ability to move in several directions. Accomplishing both of these tasks in a small volume is very difficult.

Summary

Researchers in the University of Wyoming’s Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering are working on a positioning system that provides all of the necessary capabilities described above in a unique and novel way. By nesting multi-stages, with each stage comprising a parallel kinematic machine, this device would be able to more effectively alleviate the problems associated with vibration and thus offer more precise motion control. More importantly, the nested design is critical whenever volume is limited, and allows faster positioning by maintaining a lower center of gravity. Please see our issued U.S. patent number 6,842,994 for further details.

Applications

The potential applications for this positioning device are numerous. Precision positioning and vibration isolation are important in a number of aerospace, military, and manufacturing applications. As miniaturization proceeds in manufacturing, this technology is expected to grow in importance due to the problems associated with vibrations. Similar problems occur in a variety of scientific instruments including scanning electron microscopes, scanning tunneling microscopes, atomic force microscopes, and gravity wave detectors. Aerospace applications may include high resolution mapping, vibration isolation for news/police helicopters, and simultaneous pointing/isolation of high energy lasers.

If you would like to learn more about this precision positioning device and how your company can apply it in commercial situations, please feel free to contact the director of the Wyoming Research Products Center, Davona Douglass. We would be happy to discuss this opportunity further and share more detailed information with you.