Honeywell Linear Transducers

Applications

Control of animated character movement

      Dragon picture courtesy of AVG, Inc.

PROBLEM:
As we become more sophisticated observers we expect more of entertainment facilities. Years ago when we went to the amusement park we were amazed at the mannequin that moved. In fact people who were able to act rigid and move in jerky motions hired out as human mannequins.

We have come a long way since then. Now we expect animated creatures to look so lifelike that we can believe they really are alive. These characters must be free standing with no noticeable cables or wires or noisy hydraulic or pneumatic systems driving their motions. The motions must be smooth, fluid and lifelike, right down to the movement of the eyes and fingers. The challenge is to replicate complex biological motor functions with sensors and control circuits that fit into a character and provide lifelike operation. 

SOLUTION:
Miniature position sensors 3/8 inch in diameter with smooth, continuous sensing signals fit into the creatures, make no noise, and provide output so smooth that you expect the character to get up and walk away. Some day they may.

The 3/8 inch diameter MLT was designed to fit into extremely tight spaces. Its usable stroke is very long compared to its body length which minimizes dead space. It is extremely light so that it can be mounted in the hand of a fully extended arm without requiring large control motors to create the required motion.

The MLT's high level, continuous DC analogue output eliminates the need for amplifiers or special shielding. The MLT's long life insures that the creature will not require any surgery until it reaches middle age.

ENVIRONMENT:
The LT and MLT position sensors have been chosen by some of the best known animated creature manufacturers because of their small size, robust construction, smoothness of operation and long term reliability. Next time you're at a theme park consider that we are probably close by.

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