Speaker to Robots

Raven’s Point builds applications that speak to robots.

( Larry Niven’s science fiction stories feature a character named Chmee who is the alien ambassador to Earth.  His title, when translated into English, is Speaker-To-Animals )

• PowerHeater.  This application controls and records wind turbine blade production.  The strength of the composite materials used depends critically on a precise temperature profile imposed during a curing process lasting several days.  Hundreds of heaters, coolers, thermostats and temperature gauges are placed across the surface of the turbine blade, every one individually monitored, controlled and recorded by PowerHeater using the Modbus protocol.

• eCrew.  A modern sailboat has instruments measuring depth, wind speed and direction, and compass bearing.  Occasionally these readings are of vital importance, but usually the captain must watch wind and waves, sails and other sailboats, not the instruments.   eCrew monitors all the instruments using the NMEA protocol, warning when a critical situation arises.

• VisControl.  The chair of a state senate chamber recognizes one of the senators. When the senator begins to speak, one of three cameras has already swung into position and is webcasting the perfect image. VisControl stores over 50 preset positions for each camera, automatically selecting and moving the cameras into position whenever the speaker changes, using the VISCA protocol over RS232.

• Proteus.  A tiny submersible on the end of a long cable threads its way through a pipe and into a huge concrete oil storage container under the North Sea.  Once in position, sonar scans the interior looking for damage and silt build up.  Proteus controls and records the sonar, calculating a real time three dimensional picture.   Proprietary protocol over boosted RS232.

• SLReader.  A wireless detector is used to identify isotopes.  SLReader configures, monitors, and downloads data from the device using the ZigBee protocol.

• RTLink.  Connect the different instruments used to measure the optical properties of a patient’s eyes and eyeglasses, each with its own protocol, to a database server so the ophthalmic doctor can keep everything straight, helping to ensure that all the measurements are connected to the correct patients.

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