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Established Slovak university in cooperation with a Slovak scientific and research institute and a Slovak company have developed a new method and apparatus for contactless sensing of mechanical quantities and are looking for a licensee/investor/buyer

Summary

Profile Type
  • Technology offer
POD Reference
TOSK20240610003
Term of Validity
10 June 2024 - 10 June 2025
Company's Country
  • Slovakia
Type of partnership
  • Investment agreement
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Targeted Countries
  • All countries
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General information

Short Summary
An innovative method and apparatus for contactless sensing of mechanical quantities have been developed by a team of inventors from an established Slovak university, an established Slovak scientific and research institute and a successful Slovak company.
Using the proposed method, it is possible to sense mechanical quantities such as displacement small deformations of the elastic member with a high accuracy.
The preferred cooperation type are commercial agreement or investment agreement.
Full Description
Known methods of sensing of mechanical quantities usually utilize the sensing of deformations on the elastic body caused mainly by force or pressure. By accurate measurement of the magnitude of this deformation, while knowing mechanical properties of the material of the deformation member of the sensor, high measurement accuracy is obtained. Standard methods of sensing are based on the use of converters working on the basis of strain gauges or on the basis of magnetostrictive or piezoelectric effect. The output of such converter is electromotive voltage which contains information about the measured non-electric physical quantity. Contactless sensing methods do not utilize direct electrical contact with the deformation member of the sensor, while deformations are sensed by means of optoelectric, capacitive and inductive principle, allowing free movement of the deformation member and sensing from a greater distance from the point of action of the load as well as sensing in various environments. The team of inventors from an established Slovak university, an established Slovak scientific and research institute and a successful Slovak company has managed to eliminate the above-mentioned shortcomings to a great extent. The essence of the new solution is as follows. If there is a resonant electric circuit in the electromagnetic field, the electromagnetic field is affected by this resonant electric circuit. The greatest influence on the electromagnetic field occurs when the frequency of the electromagnetic field is close to the resonance frequency of the resonant electric circuit. This effect is transmitted to the emitter in the form of a reflected electromagnetic wave. The reflected electromagnetic wave is redirected by the directional member to the evaluation/control circuit. The signal from the high-frequency generator is also transmitted to the evaluation/control circuit. The evaluation/control circuit evaluates the frequency at which the most significant influence of the electromagnetic field and the resonant electric circuit occurs and calculates the resonance frequency of the resonant electric circuit. If the resonant electric circuit is a part of the elastic body of the mechanical member, which changes its shape and also the resonance of the resonant electric circuit due to the effect of the mechanical quantity, then the resonance frequency of the resonant electric circuit, as well as the frequency evaluated by the evaluation electronics, will carry the information about the incident mechanical quantity.
The institutions and the company are looking for a partner to cooperate with via commercial agreement or investment agreement.
Advantages and Innovations
• requires no electrical contact connection of the mechanical member with the parallel resonant circuit, thus minimizing the measurement error,
• enables measurement of non-electric quantity with a high accuracy which provides deployment of new and efficient algorithms for the control of a device in which such a sensor is deployed.
Stage of Development
  • Lab tested
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
  • Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
IPR status
  • IPR granted

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
The use of the solution is expected in industrial fields, where accurate measurement of non-electric physical quantities is required, such as robotics, mechatronics, precision engineering, machine tools, precision measuring machines and instruments.
The institutions are looking for a partner to cooperate with via commercial agreement (an industrial partner for licensing of this technology is sought) or investment agreement (a partner to sell this technology to is sought).
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME 50 - 249
  • Big company
Type of partnership
  • Investment agreement
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 09001009 - Sensor Technology related to measurements
Market keywords
  • 08002002 - Industrial measurement and sensing equipment
Targeted countries
  • All countries