A Robot That Ties Knots — Society Member Creates Display for the Franklin Institute (2/10/05)

An ASME member and retired engineer who once designed biomedical instruments is busy in his basement building a machine that can automatically tie a knot in a necktie.

Seth Goldstein, who has worked as a mechanical engineer for 40 years, will complete the robotic device this summer for display at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

There, the job of "Why Knot" will be to inspire the analytical and creative abilities of young men and women and raise awareness of mechanical engineering as a career choice.

"As a kid, I took the tour of the factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and was astonished with the automated process of wrapping the paper around the chocolate bars," explained Goldstein, who attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a founder of the Bioengineering Division at ASME. "I believe "Why Knot" can inspire people in the same way and instill in them the desire to conceive and create."

Visitors who walk past "Why Knot" will activate a sensor that automatically starts the machine. "Why Knot" is a kinetic sculpture machine that consists of electric motors that send power to pulleys, levers, and other mechanical components, which grasp, pull, and manipulate the necktie to secure a standard four-in-hand knot. The device also unties the knot. Goldstein and a friend wrote a computer program that provides the automated and sequential control of the DC motors. All the electrical and mechanical components of "Why Knot" are contained in a 2' by 3' footprint.

The machine that Goldstein is readying for exhibition at the Franklin Institute is a more robust model of an earlier version that took the inventor 2 ½ years to build in his spare time at night and on weekends. Goldstein is designing increased intelligence as well as a self-correcting function into the second-generation "Why Knot."

This year, ASME is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The founding of ASME in 1880 is intertwined with the early history of the Franklin Institute, which during the middle and late 19th century was a prime vehicle for disseminating information about mechanical engineering.

ASME continues to sponsor educational and public awareness programs aimed to inspire young people towards careers in mechanical engineering and technology.

"Why Knot" will be a permanent exhibit in the newly renovated Mechanics Hall at Franklin. "I hope it's a real attention-getter," said Goldstein. The ASME Foundation has provided $30,000 for the project.

Goldstein holds 12 patents for inventions in the areas of pneumatics, instrumentation, medical devices, and microscopy. He is the former head of the mechanical engineering section at the National Institute of Health. He is a Fellow of ASME.

---

ASME to Offer New B18 Fastener Standard and Digital Fastener Library

The new ASME B18.24 Part Identifying Number (PIN) Code System Standard for B18 Fasteners and the ASME B18 Digital Fastener Library will be available in April 2005, in both print and digital (CAD-enabled) versions.

This ASME B18 standard provides users and customers with the ability to specify and identify all ASME B18 fastener products using a single 18-digit PIN code system. The standard, together with the interrelated cross referenced ASTM F16 fastener product standards, provide complete dimensional, physical, mechanical, and performance specifications for inch and metric B18 fasteners and includes quality assurance and packaging requirements for government, commercial and industrial fastener usage.

Approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense, the ASME B18.24 PIN system is a self-contained code, which covers 788 unique B18 fastener types from 72 ASME B18 source documents. The PIN code system is fully parametric, uniform across all fastener types, and is intended as a digital alternative to the traditional plain text fastener product callout prescribed in the "Designation" or "Ordering" section of the applicable source document.

In addition to the new standard, ASME will offer the ASME B18 Digital Fastener Library. Developed utilizing technology from PARTsolutions, LLC in a team effort between ASME, ParaCAD Technology Co. and PARTsolutions, the library provides a parametric, graphical interface for design engineers to create and retrieve ASME B18 PINs.

The new ASME B18.24 standard supersedes ASME B18.24.1 (1996), ASME B18.24.2 (1998) and ASME B18.24.3 (1998).




go to the Late-Breaking News archive