SRI International Receives Honors For Novel Magnetic Levitation Technology.Business Editors/High Tech Writers MENLO PARK Menlo Park. 1 Residential city (1990 pop. 28,040), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. Electronic equipment and aerospace products are manufactured in the city. Menlo College and a Stanford Univ. research institute are there. 2 Uninc. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2000 Silicon Valley-based SRI International received both "Best of Show" awards at the Sensors and Motion Control Expositions (May 9 to 11, 2000) for its passive diamagnetic di·a·mag·net·ic adj. Of or relating to a substance that is repelled by a magnet. di  a·mag levitation levitation (lĕvĭtā`shən), the raising of a human or other body in the air without mechanical aid. The idea is ancient; holy men, both pagan and Christian, were reputed to have had the power of becoming light at will and of moving system. SRI's entry won against dozens of other entries for top honors at the events, reaffirming the organization's role as a leading technology innovator. The passive diamagnetic levitation system makes non-contact suspension and transportation possible without the use of electromagnets, control systems or power. The Sensors and Motion Control Expositions are the only events dedicated to the utilization of sensor and motion technologies and their related applications. This year's expositions, held concurrently at the Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities. in Anaheim, California, and sponsored by Sensors Magazine and the American Institute of Motion Engineers respectively, brought together over 325 companies displaying a full range of related technologies. Diamagnetism diamagnetism: see magnetism. diamagnetism Kind of magnetism characteristic of materials that line up at right angles to a nonuniform magnetic field and that partly expel from their interior the magnetic field in which they are placed. is a property of some materials such as graphite that causes them to levitate lev·i·tate intr. & tr.v. lev·i·tat·ed, lev·i·tat·ing, lev·i·tates To rise or cause to rise into the air and float in apparent defiance of gravity. in a stable manner in a magnetic field without power. SRI has studied this phenomenon and has recently developed passive diamagnetic levitation system technologies for several useful devices. Passive diamagnetic levitation system technology has a broad range of applications, from precise seismic sensors to frictionless micromotors, and is particularly valuable for use in clean room transport to eliminate particulate contaminants. SRI's passive diamagnetic levitation system has created groundbreaking advances that have resulted in several patents and inventions. SRI holds the world's record for the largest diamagnetically Di`a`mag`net´ic`al`ly adv. 1. In the manner of, or according to, diamagnetism. levitated mass--30 pounds (13.6 kilograms), which formed the basis of a revolutionary ultra-clean, low-friction transport system. This technology has proven itself ideal for combinatorial chemistry, suspending and manipulating multiple bead-sized objects to produce chemical reactions. It can also be used to create inertial, gas flow, and chemical sensors, and in the suspension of micro-robots to test semiconductors. Further information on the passive diamagnetic levitation system can be found at http://www.erg.sri.com/automation/diamagnetic.html. About SRI International Silicon Valley-based SRI International (http://www.sri.com) is one of the world's largest independent research, technology development and consulting organizations. Founded in 1946 as the Stanford Research Institute Stanford Research Institute - Former name of SRI International. , SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of global markets for more than 50 years. As part of its strategy to bring its technologies to the marketplace, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships and creates spin-off companies. |
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