Tagged actuation
2 pieces
- · 10 min read
The Shape Of A Heartbeat Is A Firmware Decision
A convincing mechanical heartbeat is asymmetric and punctuated: a fast contraction over roughly one third of the cycle, a brief hold, a slower release, then a real pause taking roughly two thirds. A motor turning at constant speed produces a smooth sinusoid that reads as a machine running. The shape cannot come from the mechanism, so it has to come from the controller, and that makes the perceptual requirement a firmware problem. There is no machine learning anywhere in this system.
- · 10 min read
Stopping The Signal Is Not Switching It Off
Detaching or stopping the control signal to a servo does not remove power from it. The internal controller keeps running off the supply rail, and under mechanical load the servo can still draw current and hum audibly. Real silence requires cutting the supply rail with a transistor. In a battery wearable, the average current is set by what stays powered between events, which is why duty-cycled power gating buys hours and part selection does not.