Panasonic demonstrated its robotic exoskeleton – which it calls power assist devices or suits – and its latest solutions for industrial power electronics applications at PCIM Europe 2016
Panasonic Automotive & Industrial Systems Europe has showcased its technology lineup, highlighting innovations such as passive components, semiconductors and thermal management solutions, as well as its robotic exoskeletons.
The company says its products provide “increased efficiency and reliability for a wide range of applications”.
As GaN moves from an innovative technology to mainstream production, Panasonic exhibited applications that it says harness the power of their gallium nitride power transistors.
Panasonic says its newly released X-GaN gate driver is optimized for high frequency switching and “unlocks the full performance of the X-GaN transistor while keeping design efforts to a minimum”.
The company says “a fine control is possible (0.5% – 99.5% @ 50kHz)” as it benefits from built-in precise current source optimized for GiT transistors and built-in negative voltage source.
The company also showed some GaN application examples: GaN-based compact power supply units and a GaN-based inverter for motors. Also a GaN evaluation environment, GaN power devices, power modules (GaN and SiC based), as well as a bidirectional AC/DC converter for power storage systems (SiC application example) features on the stand.
In addition, Panasonic presented its prototype of assist robots that applies X-GaN technologies at PCIM for the first time in Europe, to showcase one of its applications.
Power assist suits for industrial use have been developed by Activelink, one of Panasonic’s in-house venture companies. Panasonic has applied inverter technologies of X-GaN to ActiveLink’s assist suit equipped with motors that assist human body mechanics.
