Measurement Specialties manufacture a low cost cantilever-type vibration sensor called Minisense 100. It uses a PVDF sensing element with a mass attached at one end. The sensor is suitable for measuring vibration between 2-40Hz.

Read the Minisense 100 specifications on the Measurement Specialities web site.

The Xansys mail list, an excellent resource for help with Ansys, has shifted from groups.yahoo.com, and is now hosted at www.xansys.org.

OMRON has put an Analog Devices MEMs accelerometer (model ADXL202E) inside their new blood pressure measuring instrument, the HEM-6371T. The accelerometer senses the angle and height of the users elbow and starts measurements only after the wrist is set at the right position.

Bombardier make turbo-prop aircraft in their Q-series that have an active noise and vibration control system to reduce the noise level inside the cabin. Their Noise and Vibration Suppression System (NVS) uses actively controlled tuned vibration absorbers attached to the fuselage to reduce the vibration, and hence reduces the noise transmitted into the cabin. The system was designed by Ultra-electronics.

Read more on the Bombardier web site.

A professor at the Medical College of Georgia, is studying zebra fish that can regrow the hair inside their ears responsible for hearing. He is trying to find the genes responsible for that regrowth and see if they can be applied to human hearing problems.

Senera is a start-up company that provides structural health monitoring of bridges and tunnels using wireless transducers. Their concept is to continuously monitor the structures, with the goal of providing their customers with reduced maintenance costs, by not having to manually inspect the structures as frequently.

There is a good article on the vibration problem that occured on London’s Millenium bridge and how it was solved, in the latest issue of International Journal of Acoustics and Vibration. (Vibration of the London Millenium Bridge: Cause and Cure, David Newland, IJAV, March, Vol 8, No. 1, 2003)

Mide are the suppliers of ACX’s Quickpack piezo-electric actuators.

Read more on the Mide web site.

The Daimler Chrysler Neon has a sprial cut antennae to reduce the whistling noise.

Read more on the SAE web site.

The National Technology Transfer Center is interested in collaborating with companies and universities to develop smart structures – structures with embedded piezoelectric actuators and sensors to minimize vibration or change shape to improve the aerodynamic performance.

Read more on the NTTC web site.