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Taking a Ride with Interface

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One of the greatest pastimes in the world are amusement parks. They bring fun and thrills for all generations with attractions for purposes of entertainment that include rides, shows, and games.

There is also a lot that goes into building an amusement park to keep the thrills high and the safety even higher. In addition, many types of theme park and carnival amusements keep innovating like most things in our society. The first historical reference amusement ride came around in the 1880s in the form of a carousel found at Dreamland Margate in England. The ride that was in the form of a ship and would pitch daring thrill seekers up and down like they were at sea.

Today, the level of entertainment is far more demanding of adventure and reality. Amusement entertainment continues to evolve through all types of animatronics, interactive screens, alternative realities, and physical adventure. This also requires a great deal of imagination and innovation backed by science and engineering to keep the audience captivated throughout the experience. This is also where Interface plays a significant part in amusement adventure testing and safety monitoring.

Critical in designing and building amusement park rides and other entertainment features is the application of force sensing before, during and after production. When you think about the different variables that go into building a roller coaster, you often think about velocity, drag, and gravitational energy. Factors that also play a massive role are weight, torque, and force. There are no exceptions to accuracy when measuring and evaluating these factors. It requires precision measurements from quality sensor technologies.

Interface load cells, torque transducers, and instrumentation are used in all types of entertainment and amusement applications. The reasons are apparent, it is because quality, safety, and durability matters. It also defines the believability and exhilaration of the experience. Our products are used in the engineering and design of amusement rides, as well as testing a myriad of components for these types of systems and apparatus. In addition to testing force to ensure an amusement park ride meets standards before it is available to the public, our load cells are utilized as embedded sensors to ensure the rides are working properly in use. The real-time feedback in testing and during use provides makers and engineers vital data to demonstrate adherence to many safety regulations and requirements needed for these types of systems in the entertainment industry.

Interface has provided sensors technologies to makers of all types of amusement park rides and forms of carnival-like entertainment. Our load cell and instrumentation devices are used to provide measurements of force for ground-level rides, twirling rides, roller coasters, railroad and transportation experiences, water rides, Ferris and rotational wheels, and about anything that spins or lifts you off the ground.

In addition to amusement park rides, Interface has helped to supply accurate and reliability force solutions for the following applications that found throughout the amusement park experience.

Amusement Animatronics and Robotics

To ensure maximum effect, quality of product development, and safety regulations, entertainment product makers use force testing and monitoring in wide variety of entertainment-related applications. Not only is this at the early stage of testing, but through the equipment’s life cycle. Continuous measurement using load cells and other sensor devices is key to the successful launch and use across all type of entertainment sectors. Another growing use case for force and torque measurement is automation of equipment and robotics, including simulation environments and animatronics.

Touch Screen Testing for Venus Displays

Monitors and displays are commonly used in all types of entertainment and amusement venues. From ticketing to directional aids, these touch screens are used by consumers with varying forces. The testing of the material durability to withstand the touch, as well as environmental conditions, packing and shipping, set-up and long-term wear is critical for those that design, manufacture, and supply this type of equipment. Entertainment has been using big screens for decades, the smaller and more mobile touch pads require rigorous test and measurement before putting them into use, not only for quality of product but also for consumer use and safety. Interface supplies load cells and instrumentation for testing forces of the glass, display housing, stands, rigging and inserts for all types of touch screens and LED screens.

Entertainment Component Manufacturing 

Interface has been designing and building a variety of sensors for more than five decades that have been used in a variety of entertainment applications. More than ever, today we understand it is imperative that sensor solutions meet the needs of smart use cases, pushing innovation and solve modern design and testing challenges. This particularly applies to the constantly evolving global entertainment and amusement industry. Interface offers a broad range of force measurement products for testing, monitoring, and embedding sensors into products and components supplied to the industry. This includes our load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, miniature load cells, digital instrumentation, wireless and Bluetooth telemetry systems, and custom force measurement devices for OEM applications.

These are just a few examples of how Interface helps create the experience you will find at amusement parks, but there is so much more we are able to assist with to ensure product quality and safety.

To learn more about other entertainment industry applications, read more here.

Entertainment-Brochure

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Interface Entertainment and Amusement Industry Solutions

Entertainment LED Screens

Gaming Hardware Benefits from Force Measurement Solutions

 

Interface Entertainment and Amusement Industry Solutions

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The special effects of a movie or the thrills you experience on a roller coaster take a lot of engineering work behind the scenes. Force measurement plays a major role in the design, development, testing, manufacturing, and maintenance of equipment used in creating entertainment and amusement features.

Interface load cells, torque transducers and instrumentation are used when quality, safety, and durability matters. You see our products used in a variety of entertainment and amusement industry solutions. This includes testing gaming simulation devices, monitoring outdoor stage equipment, designing interactive displays, operating lifting equipment, testing film drones and cameras, as well as for designing amusement rides and theme park robotics.

The part engineering plays and use of sensor technologies has grown significantly over the years in the entertainment and amusement industry. The expertise and products propel the machinery that delights audiences, while keeping purveyors, operators, and consumers safe.

Interface offers force measurement products for testing, monitoring, and embedding sensors into products by makers for various equipment used in theatre, film, video gaming, television, theme parks and entertainment venues, as well as creating spectacular multimedia attractions.

With the entertainment industry’s growth into many different submarkets, Interface’s deep range of load cells and other sensor products are used for quality testing and accurate data collection. Beyond our standard products, Interface’s experts often collaborate with specialty engineers to design customizable measurement solutions for unique applications in the entertainment industry. Interface offers highly accurate sensor systems to ensure safety and eliminate risks when building and maintaining equipment used by industry professionals.

In our industry solutions, we’ve outlined how Interface is taking part in the entertainment markets. Learn about the products and application examples that demonstrate how engineers in the entertainment industry take advantage of our robust force measurement catalog.

Entertainment Applications Using Interface Measurement Solutions

  • Display Equipment
  • Cranes and Lifts for Rigging
  • Animatronics
  • Amusement Park Rides
  • Stage Equipment and Design
  • Touch Screens and Monitors
  • Theme Park Robotics
  • Drones for Videography
  • Camera and Multimedia Equipment
  • Outdoor Festival Wind Monitoring
  • Stunt Devices
  • Operating Equipment and Machines
  • Set and Venue Designs
  • Equipment Safety Monitoring

Drone Videography

A videographer team wanted to ensure the propeller motors compensate for weight shifting or uneven weight distribution of the video camera being attached when they film landscapes and other aerial shots. Four Interface WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cells were installed to the necessary propeller motors to compensate for an uneven weight load. The WMC’s measure the weight of the film camera attached and detect weight shifting or uneven weight distribution of the video camera. The four WMC load cells accurately measured the payload weight and maintained stability of the propeller motors to when the drone was in air with the attached film camera. This information was communicated to the drone’s on-board processor for monitoring and recording this information during flight. More information is available here.

Entertainment LED Screens

A customer constructing a huge venue wanted to weigh their extremely large LED display screens. They also wanted to measure the force of the structure that is supporting the screens, to ensure stability and structural integrity. Interface suggested their LW General Purpose Load Washer Load Cells being assembled within rods that are part of the support structure. The LED screen hangs off the structure, which connects to the rods. The compression forces applied to the rod will be measured by the LW’s installed in between. The load washers are paired with WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, where the force results are wirelessly transmitted to both the WTS-BS-1 Wireless Handheld Display for Unlimited Transmitters and the WTS-BS-4 Wireless Base Stations with included Log100 software. Interface’s wireless load washer system successfully weighed the forces of the large LED screen for the customer’s new venue. Learn more.

Gaming Simulation Brake Pedal

A gaming company wanted to switch from the standard racing pedals to a load cell based pedal system for their racing simulation game. Compared to the standard racing simulation pedals, load cell pedals are more advanced and offer more accurate results. They also wanted a wireless system that will measure the strength of the pressure received by the pedals that will detect the perfect amount of braking power. Interface’s BPL Pedal Load Cell was installed onto the gaming brake pedal to measure the force applied when someone puts their foot on it. Forces were measured and recorded using the WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, where data is transmitted to the WTS-BS-6 Dongle Base Station when connected to the customer’s PC or laptop. Interface’s BPL Pedal Load Cell measured and recorded the pedal forces applied to their racing gaming brake pedals. In comparison to traditional simulation pedals that measure the distance of the pedals when pressed, Interface’s load cell pedal system provided a more realistic experience for gamers. Read more.

Interface enables incredible innovation across industries and the entertainment world is no different. We’re proud to help customers create incredible experiences and find new ways to captivate audiences. To learn more about our work in the entertainment industry here.

Entertainment-Brochure

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Gaming Hardware Benefits from Force Measurement Solutions

Why Product Design Engineers Choose Interface

Protecting Ultra HD Monitors

Robotic Arm Animated Application Note

 

Interface Bluetooth Telemetry System Provides Measurements Viewable on Mobile Platforms

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The new Interface Bluetooth Telemetry System features a free iOS and Android app to allow users to view data from multiple sensors in real-time on a smartphone or tablet.

Providing its customers with a more accessible solution for viewing and downloading force measurement data, Interface has introduced its new Bluetooth® Telemetry System (BTS) solution. At the heart of Interface’s BTS solution is the powerful Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) strain bridge transmitter module that provides access to high-quality measurements on a mobile platform such as a phone or tablet. BTS features high measurement resolution, simple integration into iOS and Android Apps, achievable ranges of up to 90m line of sight, extended battery life and the ability to view data from multiple sensors all at once.

“Interface is well-known in the industry for accuracy, and the BTS combines precision with innovative Bluetooth technology to provide the most user-friendly experience possible. The ability to receive critical data in real-time will greatly improve our customer’s product development efficiency in the digital age.” Joel Strom, CEO at Interface

The BTS features high measurement resolution, which produces a noise-free resolution of 1 in 92,000 counts (16.5 bit) when used with a 3mV/V sensor and 1 in 184,000 counts (17.5 bit) when used with a 6mV/V sensor. The system also allows for advert format and encoding as well as details on connected services to facilitate simple integration of the device within custom apps for OEM applications.

The BTS free iOS and Android apps are available for download and enable users to create dashboards with varying degrees of detail based on application requirements. The BTS sensor data output can be visualized on mobile devices with a variety of digital displays, gages, tanks, and charts. Displayed data can be defined as mathematical expressions consisting of readings from multiple transmitters, functions, and constants. The apps also facilitate Interface’s BTS module configuration and calibration.

The BTS solution continues to showcase the growing line of wireless technologies offered by Interface that are used for accurate force measurement. BTS joins Interface’s Wireless Telemetry System (WTS) in the growing demand by manufacturers and integrators who need flexibility and freedom from the restraints of wired systems. The Interface BTS is available now and details of the solution can be found here.

PRESS RELEASE

For more information on Interface and its innovative wireless force measurement solutions WTS and BTS, click here.  You can also compare the solutions in the overview below.  

WTS BTS Brochure

Force Measurement Instrumentation 101

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There are many types of instrumentation devices used in force measurement applications. Interface provides high-quality instrumentation tools to use with our wide range of load cells and torque transducers.

The variety of instrumentation solutions includes signal conditioners, output modules, high-speed data loggers, portable load cell indicators, weight indicators, and junction boxes.

Depending on the application requirements, Interface has solutions for full-data acquisition as well as wireless technology telemetry systems. Our multi-channel bridge amplifier has 4-channel capability, while the INF-USB2 universal serial has a sensor to USB output converter.  With more than 50 instrumentation products, the solutions range for all types of uses.

To provide you with more insight, here’s an overview of a few of Interface’s instrumentation offerings along with educational video demonstrations to help you.

4 Channel 9840-400-1-T Intelligent Indicator 

The Model 9840 is TEDS plug-and-play ready! It is suitable for use in calibration labs, field service, or anywhere high accuracy is important.  This intelligent digital indicator has auto-setup for multiple load cells with fast, direct analog output.  Features include two interactive 7″ graphical touch screen displays, remote sense, low noise, 24-bit internal resolution. It has a USB port with RS232 communication, mV/V calibration and can store calibrations for up to 25 sensors.  This unit also has self-calibration and is TEDS plug and play ready and IEEE 1451.4 compliant. It is fully compatible with the Gold Standard® Calibration Systems.

DIG-USB Output Module

Interface’s DIG-USB Module is a compact, high-precision strain gage converter used for converting a strain gage sensor input to a digital output. It connects to a computer via a USB port. This product allows high precision measurements to be communicated directly to a computer and is aimed at applications which require high-accuracy measurement repeatability. With the appropriate drivers installed, the DIG-USB appears as a virtual serial port to the computer.

Simply by plugging the device into a computer, data can be extracted from most strain gage bridge input sensors and acquired by software which allows data manipulation removing the need for amplifiers, filters, and multi-meters.

Watch this video for a getting started demonstration with the DIG-USB Output Module.

9890 Strain Gage Indicator

Our 9890 Strain Gage Indicator is a full-featured multipurpose and easy-to-use digital strain gage and load cell meter ideal for weight and force measurement applications. With a max current of 350 mA at 10 V, it can support up to twelve 350 Ω load cells (minimum load resistance of 28 Ω), making it ideal for multipoint weight measurement applications. It accepts mV input signals up to 300 mV (unipolar) and ± 250 mV (bipolar). The 9890’s powerful dual-scale capability allows the measurement to be displayed in two different units of measure.

This video provides an overview of the 9890 Strain Gage Indicator and how it works.

920i Programmable Weight Indicator/Controller

The Interface 920i instrumentation device is a programmable, multi-channel digital weight indicator and controller. The configuration can be performed using the front panel, with an attached USB-type keyboard (or PS/2 keyboard if using a serial interface), or by using the iRev 4 utility. Model 920i is bidirectional and comes in a NEMA 4X stainless enclosure. Standard options include 8,000,000 internal counts, 4.6 x 3.4-inch LCD 7-digit display and a measurement rate that goes up to 960 Hz. Options are available that allow you to include analog and relay outputs.

This video provides an easy-to-follow getting start guide for the 920i Programmable Weight Indicator/Controller.

These are just a few of the dozens of instrumentation solutions Interface offers, all designed for unique application needs.  For more information on Interface’s instruments, visit our web product page or review our product brochure for detailed specifications on every product.

Instrumentation Brochure

DOWNLOAD

Visit Interface’s YouTube channel for all our indicator and product video demonstrations at https://www.youtube.com/interfaceforce and be sure to subscribe to stay current with our new releases.

 

Introducing Interface’s Upgraded 4 Channel Intelligent Indicator

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Interface has been leading the way in force measurement innovation for the last 50 years, and over the course of our history, we’ve been consistently developing and improving upon our solutions.

A perfect example of this focus on continuous improvements and innovation is seen with our 4 Channel Intelligent Calibration Grade Indicator Model 9840-400-1-T. This solution is ideal for anyone who needs to calibrate a load cell with a single, double or triple bridge. And it just got some impressive new upgrades.

The new version of the 9840-400-1-T Intelligent Indicator features a more modern digital display with additional channels available. It’s now easier to use, with the same high stability and industry-leading performance as the older version of the 9840. Although the quality is the same as our older version, the update can be easily integrated with Interface’s Gold Standard® system and frames, as well as with Microsoft’s Windows® 10.

Interface’s 4 Channel Model 9840-400-1-T allows single loads with three measurements to directly compare outputs to Interface’s Gold Standard load cell, and all measurements can be captured through Interface’s Gold Standard software. This allows users to compare multiple load cells and gather data on whether the load cells are accurate or out of calibration. The 4 Channel Model 9840-400-1-T solution also has the option for high-level input channels.

The Model 9840 is already being used in more than 300 labs, most of which have highly-specific metrology requirements.

‘It is the choice for many aerospace and metrology labs that do in-house calibrations because of its reputation as one of the most accurate calibration tools on the market.” Ken Bishop, Director of Sales Engineering, Interface

Other industries that have expressed great satisfaction with the Model 9840 [user_id], including those in test and measurement and automotive.

The 4 Channel 9840-400-1-T features include two Interactive 7″ graphical touch screen displays, remote sense, low noise, 24-bit internal resolution, USB port with RS232 communication, mV/V calibration, store calibrations for up to 25 sensors. 6-point linearization, unit conversion, and front-panel tare. This unit also has self-calibration via TEDS Plug and Play ready IEEE 1451.4 compliance.

For anyone in need of a metrology-grade digital intelligent 4 channel solutions for high-end readings, Interface has the answer. To learn more, visit 4 Channel 9840-400-1-T or call 480-948-5555 to speak to our application engineers.