1. What Is LUXACT Technology?
The name LUXACT is an acronym, lux & act stands for active processing of light intensity (lux). This name stands for contactless optical sensors family, which measures relative speed & distance of a ground vehicle over the ground.
The core technology of any LUXACT sensor is its optical system, optical signal conversion and digital signal processing of measured data. Many of LUXACT models are enhanced by an inertial system as well. |
2. Optical Technology Basics
LUXACT sensors are based on a new, in-house developed, optical measuring principle.
Historically, saying “optical speed-over-ground (SoG) sensor” people mean a traditional time-series correlation sensor with it well-known weak sides. It is sensitivity to sensor-surface distance fluctuations, caused by vehicle's pitch and surface unevenness or surface properties changes, only to mention some of them.
Historically, saying “optical speed-over-ground (SoG) sensor” people mean a traditional time-series correlation sensor with it well-known weak sides. It is sensitivity to sensor-surface distance fluctuations, caused by vehicle's pitch and surface unevenness or surface properties changes, only to mention some of them.
LUXACT writes a new page in the book of high-precision motion measurement by offering an optical sensor, which isn’t a correlation type sensor at all in conventional understanding.
LUXACT is dealing with macrostructures of the surface. The flux from integrated emitters is reflected by a random scattering surface into the optical system, where fluctuations of modulated intensity are processed. Due to movement of the sensor over scattering surface, the frequency of reflected & intensity-modulated flux is proportional to the relative velocity. An innovative optical design enables a true independence of absolute reading from ride height of the vehicle. Further, an aperture-free optical system provides sufficient light to sensors matrix at any light and surface conditions, which ensures significant signal-to-noise ratio and measurement robustness even under heavy-duty conditions.
LUXACT is dealing with macrostructures of the surface. The flux from integrated emitters is reflected by a random scattering surface into the optical system, where fluctuations of modulated intensity are processed. Due to movement of the sensor over scattering surface, the frequency of reflected & intensity-modulated flux is proportional to the relative velocity. An innovative optical design enables a true independence of absolute reading from ride height of the vehicle. Further, an aperture-free optical system provides sufficient light to sensors matrix at any light and surface conditions, which ensures significant signal-to-noise ratio and measurement robustness even under heavy-duty conditions.
3. Sensors synergy: robust & precise data. always.
One of our main goals in product design is to generate added-value for our customers offering state-of-the-art equipment, which performs at real-world conditions as well as at laboratory test. Therefore LUXACT comprises two independent measurement principles: optical and inertial, which run simultaneously in most of LUXACT sensors. This approach, called sensors synergy creates an informational redundancy, which allows correcting both the optical data and measured accelerations. Our proprietary, sophisticated algorithms in combination with a high performance digital signal processors and FPGAs calculate the real speed and distance with outstanding accuracy and in real-time.
This approach allows eliminating signal drop-outs, caused by optical disturbances (e.g. stones, snow, splashes) and maintaining a responsive any dynamic measurement system performing from 0-25 Hz speed bandwidth with a real-world uncertainty of typ. <0,1% FS RMS.
This approach allows eliminating signal drop-outs, caused by optical disturbances (e.g. stones, snow, splashes) and maintaining a responsive any dynamic measurement system performing from 0-25 Hz speed bandwidth with a real-world uncertainty of typ. <0,1% FS RMS.
4. Integral form factor
LUXACT Sensors follow our philosophy of building versatile, integral & microcontroller based systems. The idea is simple: keep the most sensitive analog circuits & lines very short and carefully shielded and use digital & EM-stable signal interfaces like CAN bus or RS485. An additional advantage of such design is the capability to build easily reliable networks of sensors or simply establish a long point-to-point connection. These products are designed to fit the environment, where they have to perform being a reliable und useful tool for our customers.
5. Summary
LUXACT offers T&M engineers and OEM product designer a powerful tool for contactless motion sensing of different kinds of ground vehicles.
Its unique features are:
LUXACT sensors are successfully tested at:
Its unique features are:
- Independance of dynamic changes of surface properties while driving, caused by surface material changes, as well as resistance to rain, snow, ice, dust etc.
- Independance of continuous fluctuations of distance between the sensor and the ground caused by vehicle's pitch and surface unevenness. Sensor-to-surface height fluctuations may vary from several centimeters up to ±20cm, without affecting the accuracy
- Regardless surface type the sensor looks at, the absolute reading of speed remains within the specification (typ. <0,1% FS RMS).
LUXACT sensors are successfully tested at:
- Automotive asphalt concrete in wet, dry, iced or snowy condition. With or without water spray, snow drifting, road markings, duct covers, gaps, etc.
- Railroad ballast bed with wood/concrete sleeps, balises, metal parts, rails & points and under any even extreme weather conditions.
- Agricultural raw fields