In early 2013 SPINNER launched the development of a fully non-contacting rotary joint system, a compound of a DC power transmission module and a fiber-optic channel. The fiber-optic channel is highly integrated into the DC power module, allowing the most compact form factor with rotation velocities of up to 3,000 rpms. After a short development and production cycle of only four months, SPINNER delivered the first prototype to its development partner ScopusTech in Israel.
The rotary joint has already been integrated and tested in the Rotating Image Generator (RIG™) which comprises a device and software for producing 360° spherical moving pictures in real-time. The core components of the device include one sensor and one lens, which constantly rotate at high speed. The device continuously captures an array of images in a fraction of a second around 360 degrees. The software renders the sequence of images into spherical moving pictures which can be managed, recorded and transferred as standard digital video or other image formats. The rendered spherical movies can be displayed on multiple screens (e.g., LCD) or special displays (e.g., projection fulldomes, goggles) for real-time viewing.
Unlike other systems, which require high data through-put to process communication protocols, the fiber-optical transmission channel provides the highest flexibility in the selection of communication protocols and data channel count, enabled by wavelength multiplexing technologies. As an additional advantage of the new system, SPINNER has implemented FC/PC – adapters instead of flying cables. This allows ease of integration without handling of highly-damageable optical fibers. The nominal output voltage of this system is 12V DC, however the applied technology gives the user flexibility to choose higher voltages.