Moreno Herrero Lab

As the result of a previously funded ERC Starting Grant, and subsequent development by the Gomez-Herrero (UAM, Madrid) and Moreno-Herrero (CNB-CSIC, Madrid) laboratories, a board capable to control devices with a smart and high-speed reaction to external stimuli was developed. Funded by an ERC Proof of Concept 2014 grant, the potential commercialization of the device has been evaluated.

Currently, in every sector, a lot of complex processes are performed automatically by a number of different kinds of devices, which are able to react, in a smart way, to different situations. In many cases, the speed of this reaction is a critical factor for the optimal result of the process itself or for the security either for the device, the user, or the environment.

Servotec is an electronic board that combines a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to manipulate data and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to increase data processing by parallelization. It also integrates two lock-in amplifiers, for its application to Atomic Force Microscopy. The most interesting Servotec feature is its capability to control devices, which need a complex and high-speed reaction to external stimuli; besides, Servotec allows data acquisition.

Servotec board is particularly interesting because (1) it is fast, it shows an instant response, (2) acquires and reacts simultaneously to several stimuli (multichannel), while it is (3) very versatile, in the sense that it allows the high-speed performance of a number of different processes by the controlled display and (4) it is very flexible, since it is possible to implement new functionalities for the final device in a simple way and short-time. Servotec board has an optional module for signal detection at very specific frequencies, giving a high quality to the acquired signals and therefore allowing a very high accuracy both to the measurements and to the response based on those acquired signals. (6) This set of differential points of Servotec, result of a complex and high-level technical development an, is unique as a whole solution in the market.

Servotec board main components (left) and picture of the Servotec board during operational tests (right).

The direct application for the new board is at the research instrument sector, in particular integrated into Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) which are key tools for Nanotechnology. AFM sector represents around 14% of the global microscopies market which in 2013 was of US$5.75 billion and for which market studies forecast a growth of around 7% from 2014 to 2020. An AFM controlled by this board has successfully been demonstrated in operational environment showing improved capabilities in terms of high speed and complex decisions. This will lead to a new generation of instruments allowing new kind of studies at the nano-scale ranging from the dynamics of biological systems to fast routine surface analysis with high impact in sectors such as coating or electronics industries.

The ServoTec PoC project has served to carry out a study of the potential market of the technology, to identify its potential market entry and to define an IP strategy. The possible routes to market have been evaluated and different business models have been proposed.

More about ServoTec

Dr. Fernando Moreno-Herrero