R is for Robotics

is for Robotics






A robot is a mechanical or sometimes virtual entity that can perform a set of given tasks independently or with guidance. They are usually mechanical and are driven by belts, hydraulics, DC motors and many other electronic components. They can be programmed to work autonomously or be guided by human intervention.

Today they are used in many industries and there is a concern that as time goes on they could replace humans in many key employment sectors. As well as being tools for industry robots have been created to be helpful in the home, entertaining or to compete in robotics competitions.

M is for Motor

is for Motor






Motors are used to convert energy into more useful mechanical motion and are regularly used in engineering projects. Heat engines such as internal combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat and cause motion. DC Motors on the other hand use electricity to provide motion usually with a combination of conductors carrying a current and electro-magnetic fields.

L is for LED

is for LED




Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconducter light sources with many different uses. They have been very popular as indicator lights in electronic circuits and have found many other uses for lighting things such as TV screens. They have a very long life, use very little energy and produce very low levels of heat compared to other options. They are a popular choice for the output of a circuit when teaching electronics in schools along  with DC motors.

K is for Kilowatt

is for Kilowatt





The kilowatt is another unit of measure often found in electrical engineering. It is equal to 1000 watts and is often used to show the power that is output by things like heaters, machines, DC motors and tools.

H is for Hybrid Vehicles

is for HYBRID VEHICLES








Hybrid vehicles combine traditional combustion engines with electric propulsion systems, most commonly DC motors. Hybrids charge their batteries by regenerative braking. The kinetic energy from the process of braking is transferred to electrical energy instead of being wasted. Some also have a electrical generator which is caused to spin by the combustion engine.

Hybrid vehicles reduce carbon emissions and fuel costs and have gained in popularity over the last few years but companies are now starting to move towards completely electric vehicles.

F is for Faraday

is for FARADAY







Michael Faraday is one of the most famous scientists in history. Despite having basically no formal education in the areas he excelled in he made many discoveries and invented concepts that would shape the fields of science and technology for years to come.

One of his biggest accomplishments was the discovery and research into electromagnetism. His research and the work on it by others since is the reason why things like DC motors exist and make our life better every day.

It has been suggested that Einstein had a picture of Faraday on his study wall.

E is for Electrical Engineering

is for ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING






Electrical engineering is the study and practice of using electricity, electronics and electromagnetism in engineering projects. It only became a recognised field of study and employment in the nineteenth century with the introduction of the electric telegraph and power supply.

Electrical engineers typically use a whole range of things in their work from resistors and transistors to printed circuit boards and DC motors.

D is for DC Motors

D is for DC MOTORS








DC motors are a type of motor that runs on direct current (DC) electricity. They were responsible for replacing combustion and steam engines in many types of machinery. They are most commonly found in powered electrical devices and can run off batteries which is why they have been used for the first generation of electric vehicles.

Brushed DC motors create torque by using stationary magnets surrounded by spinning electro magnets. Brushless DC motors have a spinning electro magnet in the centre with stationary magnets on the outside as part of the casing.

C is for CANON

C is for CANON








Canon are probably best known for their cameras and photographic equipment but also are trusted manufacturers of engineering products such as Canon motors.

The company has been around since 1934, originally under the name Kwannon and produced Japan's very first 35mm camera before changing their name to Canon in 1937.

How Bespoke Engineering Is Important In Electrical Engineering

Any form of electrical device from power stations and electronic circuits would have been researched, developed and then mass produced with the technology that was tested and built. One of the main stages of research and development involves building and testing circuits and motors to check for efficiency and this is where bespoke engineering plays a key part.

A specific element can be researched and tested before mass production using parts and motors, like DC motors that can be built together, using unique parts that are created for smaller, one-off projects.

Electronic engineering is a form of electrical engineering. The main difference between the two forms of engineering is that electronic deals with small-scale electronic systems like computers and integrated circuits. Electrical engineering deals with large scale systems like power transmissions.

Another difference is that electrical engineers will focus on transmitting energy using electricity, whereas electronic engineers look at using electricity to process information. Both forms of engineering would have used elements of bespoke engineering as the various projects developed, and continue to do so.

Civil Engineering and Bespoke Engineering Processes

If you ever looked at a building and wondered how it was constructed? One thing is for certain is that civil engineering would have been involved during the building being built as it is the application of physical and scientific principles.

The area of civil engineering, that would also involve elements of bespoke engineering, is vast as it includes elements of structural, environmental, transportation and construction engineering. Bespoke engineering is useful in all forms of engineering, not just civil, when it comes to testing ideas or creating one-off projects.  Engineers can test specific elements and new ideas without having to mass produce circuit boards or dc motors. This is also a great time saving exercise.

 We will be looking at other types of civil engineering over the next few posts...so keep coming back and taking a look.

More Rumble Enabled Gaming Controllers

It was the Nintendo 64’s ‘Rumble Pak’ add-on that brought vibrations to gamers for the first time in 1997 but now vibrating controllers are common on all major systems. It’s no longer done via an add-on accessory though and force feedback has become such a standard that its inside the controller itself now. So as well as the circuit boards there are DC motors inside the plastic casing of your favourite video game controller.

More on the N64 Rumble Pak

If you enjoyed the post from the other day about the Nintendo 64 'Rumble Pak' which used DC motors to create a force feedback in the hands of gamers, then you might enjoy the following links.

Video Game Rumbling Controllers

Have you ever been playing a video game when the controller starts vibrating and shaking in your hands to correspond to the on screen action? Whether it’s from the kickback of your gun in a shooting game, the slow rumble as a bigger spaceship rattles your small craft in a space game, a bone crunching sliding tackle in a football game or the bumps and shakes as you veer off track in a racing game, physical feedback via the controller has been prominent in gaming since 1997.

What are Canon Motors used for?

If you don't know what DC motors and in particular Canon motors are used for, here's a quick little look:

What are brushless DC motors?

Our last blog post was a look at brushed DC motors and we briefly mentioned in that post about the other kind; brushless motors. This blog takes a look at brushless DC motors so that you will know the differences between the two.

What are brushed DC motors?

DC motors are electric motors that run on a direct current and are used in hundreds of everyday electronic items. There are two main types of DC motors; brushed and brushless. In this blog post we take a look at brushed motors.

Making Your Own DC Motor

Very common types of electric motor are DC motors and they are used in many types of electronic devices and for many uses. Electric motors operate because of a constantly changing magnetic field between stationary and rotating magnets and brushed DC motors are made up of a rotating electromagnetic made out of copper coil that is surrounded by permanent electromagnets.