Eye-in-hand system

An eye-in-hand system is a type of camera system where the camera is mounted on a moving platform, such as a robot arm. This allows the camera to be moved to different positions to get a better view of the scene. Is it hand-eye or eye hand? There is no definitive answer to this question, … Read more

Data glove

A data glove is a glove-like device that is worn on the hand and is used to input data into a computer. The data glove is equipped with sensors that track the movement of the hand and fingers, and this information is then translated into computer commands. Data gloves are commonly used in virtual reality … Read more

Firmware

Firmware is a software program or set of instructions programmed on a hardware device. It provides the necessary instructions for the device to perform its specific tasks. Firmware is typically stored in the device’s read-only memory (ROM). Firmware is a key component of many devices, as it provides the essential instructions for the device to … Read more

Logic simulator

A logic simulator is a type of electronic circuit simulator that specializes in the simulation of digital circuits. Logic simulators are used in the design and development of digital circuits, and are typically used in conjunction with a waveform viewer, which allows the user to observe the behavior of the circuit over time. What is … Read more

Nematic liquid crystal

A nematic liquid crystal is a liquid crystal in which the molecules are aligned in a nematic phase, but are not oriented in a particular direction. The molecules are free to rotate about their long axes, but are constrained to move in parallel with each other. In a nematic liquid crystal, the molecules are aligned, … Read more

Aerogel

Aerogel is a synthetic porous ultralight material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is a solid with extremely low density and low thermal conductivity. Aerogels are created by one of two processes: a sol-gel process, in which a precursor gel is … Read more

Xerography (electrophotography)

Xerography is a dry photocopying technique that was invented by Chester Carlson in 1938. It uses an electrically charged photoconductive surface to attract and transfer toner particles onto paper. The first commercial xerographic copier was the Xerox 914, which was introduced in 1959. Since then, xerography has become the dominant photocopying technology. Is xerography still … Read more

TOLED (transparent organic light-emitting device)

A toled is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound that emits light in response to an electric current. This layer is sandwiched between two conductive electrodes, typically made of transparent conducting oxide (TCO). The most common type of toled is the bottom-emitting toled … Read more

Transistor-to-transistor logic (TTL)

Transistor-to-transistor logic (TTL) is a type of digital logic built using bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) instead of the field-effect transistors (FETs) used in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic. TTL is the most common logic family and is used in almost every electronic device that uses digital logic. TTL is distinguished from other digital logic families by … Read more

Portable media center

A portable media center (PMC) is a handheld device that is capable of playing digital media such as music, video, and images. PMCs are typically designed to be small and lightweight so that they can be easily carried and used on the go. Some PMCs also include features such as built-in speakers and a color … Read more