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28 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2019 results to be correlated, calculated, and visu- alized will become even more essential in the smart factory. Freeing up the Front Office Understanding the increasing importance of networked intelligent systems in the smart fac- tory, Koh Young has been continuously test- ing its modular platforms with its KSMART partners. Thus, Koh Young designed the mod- ular platform for future growth and expan- sion. When Koh Young releases new software modules, a manufacturer can implement the upgrades as needed. Harnessing the power of the Koh Young Intelligent Platform (IP), KSMART extends beyond automated adjust- ment towards a comprehensive infrastructure for autonomous process optimization. Indeed, a smart factory is within reach of any manu- facturer. Back at Suntronic, the question is posed to Janet Tomor, as to what their priorities are for further streamlining their process and work flow. Tomor responds, "working with the cus- tomer to produce a manufacturable board with well supported components." With inspection systems optimized, and with a path toward the real-time adjustments that CFX, M2M com- munication, and advancements in AI and knowledge modeling from companies like Koh Young, Tomor's attention isn't focused on the data from the shop floor; it's focused on the customer's supplied data. SMT007 Jenny Yuh is marketing assistant at Koh Young Technology. Brent Fischthal is senior marketing manager at Koh Young America. A research team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) have used a new class of ultrasonic transducers to reliably detect distance changes, move- ment patterns, and gestures in ranges of up to half a meter. For this development, researchers are implementing electrostatic microelectromechanical bending actuators that have been continuously advanced for generating sound in micro-loudspeakers and micropumps since 2016. The Fraunhofer IPMS proprietary nano-e-drive (NED) prin - ciple utilizes the high forces of electrostatic fields in nano- meter-sized electrode gaps to allow for mechanical move- ments with displacements in ranges of several microns. The chip surface, as well as the complete component volume, is used for sound generation. Group leader Sandro Koch explains, "Using the entire chip volume for sound generation enables us to produce very small components. Because hundreds of such devices can fit on a sin - gle wafer—and multiple wafers can be simultaneously processed in single process steps—the cost of manufacturing large volumes is poten- tially low." Fraunhofer researchers expect that high air volume flows that have been converted into high sound pressure will support further development to provide an increased signal-to-noise ratio for low-frequency ultrasonic trans - ducers. The resonance frequency and thus the detection range and spatial resolution can then be defined by the geometry of the NED bending actuators. The tiny components are inexpensive to produce, allow for high sound pressure, and provide a flexible frequency design for an optimal balance of distance and sensitivity. Possi- ble fields of applications include uses in automation, safety, and medical technology as well as the automotive, entertain- ment, and household electronics industries. (Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems) Gesture Recognition Using Ultrasound