Question 1: search for any instrumentation and control system that utilizes mass/force and translational /rotational transducers. Explain its purposes, components, and functionality via diagrams
ROBOTIC ARM (Arc Welding)
The most common manufacturing robot is the robotic arm. Robot automation systems are rapidly taking the place of the human work force. The benefits is the change provides the human work force with the time to spend on more creative tasks. The top population of robots is in spray painting, spot welding, arc welding, and material handling. Applications that in automotive industry are spot welding and spray painting. However, arc welding as shown in Figure 1 and material handling have applications in a broad range of industries, …show more content…
The sensor provides an input to a controller with the desired strategy in its memory, and the controller drives an output stage to modify or maintain the status of a load, such as a light, a motor, a solenoid, or a display. As shown in Figure 2.1, a signal conditioning interface typically exists between the sensor and the controller and between the controller and the output device. Smart sensing includes a portion of the controller functions in the sensor portion of the system. In smart sensors, software will play an increasingly vital role. The power supply requirements for the electronics and the sensor represent an additional consideration that is becoming more important as MCU voltages are decreased and more sensors are used in battery power or portable applications. Figure 2.1: Generic control System. Source obtained from (Frank, 2000) Today, it is possible to build a smart sensor for several measurements with basically two semiconductor components: the sensor and the MCU. That is the current phase of development and one of the necessary steps to the next level. The smart money is being placed on areas that take advantage of the number of technologies that are available or in developments that will fundamentally change the nature of sensing, control systems, and aspects of everyday …show more content…
The trends in sensor technology are integration(sensor, signal processing and actuator), sensor with signal processing circuits for linearising sensor output, sensor with built-in actuator for automatic calibration, change of sensitivity etc. Sensor arrays can be categorized as one-function units to improve reliability and multiple-function units

According to (Varadan, Vinoy, & Abraham, 2003), major sensing mechanism for mechanical microsensors are;
• Piezoresistive Sensing
Utilized resistors where the resistance is varied through external pressure to measure physical parameters or to be used in acceleromotor
• Capacitive sensing
Utilizes diaphragm-deformation-induced capacitance change to convert the informatio of pressure and etc
• Piezoelectrc sensing
The electrical charge change is generated when a force is applied across the face of piezoelectric film.
• Resonant