Rockland Scientific is a oceanographic instrumentation manufacturer located in Victoria BC. They are world experts in marine turbulence measurement and analysis. Their technology is centered around a piezoceramic sensor which measures the force that is applied as the sensor falls through a column of water. The sensors are exceptionally sensitive and each one has a slightly different electrical response to a given force. Each sensor must be carefully calibrated before it is sent to a customer.
The original calibration machine was made in the 1970’s and was used in research laboratories and universities around the world. Although effective, the calibration procedure was tedious and required a skilled technician.
I was tasked with redesigning the calibration machine and automating much of the process. My design greatly reduced the size of the machine and incorporated robotics to automate the positioning the sensor so measurements can be taken at various angles. The machine is also able to communicate with Rockland’s custom software which automatically records sensitivity measurements so the technician can simply push a button and walk away.
