Necessity is the mother of invention. – Plato
At RHK Technology, we once gathered some of the industry’s leading researchers and technical minds and posed a fundamental question: imagine stripping away all your knowledge of current controller equipment. With a completely blank slate, we asked, “What if you could design and build the ultimate controller…one that meets your needs today and in the future? What would it need to accomplish, and what would you want it to do?”
Reflecting on innovation, consider the evolution of the automobile. In its earliest days, if you had asked people what they wanted, most would have responded, “faster horses.” True innovation often requires us to think differently—to go beyond the obvious, to imagine what’s currently considered impossible, and to ask why limitations exist in the first place.
Only by challenging these boundaries can we transform impossibility into possibility.
To break through the “impossibility bubble,” we must first step back and see the bigger picture, rather than immediately focusing on individual hurdles. Every challenge can be broken down into manageable pieces. Each person brings their own unique perspective to the table, making collaboration essential. One simple idea can inspire others, sparking deeper insight, and before long, those “eureka” moments emerge—bringing us a step closer to overcoming what once seemed impossible.
It was from this brainstorming session at RHK that our breakthrough R9 Controller was conceived and developed. We designed the R9 to be financially accessible as an entry-level controller, yet also highly configurable. This approach enabled the R9 to adapt to every researcher’s evolving requirements and grow alongside their ambitions. With upgradeable software, firmware, and hardware, the R9 offered nearly limitless expandability. But because technology never stands still, neither did we. Building on the successes of the R9 Controller and customers’ needs, we continued to evolve and refine the R9, which then led us to release its upgrade, the R9plus Controller. Now, we have evolved even further forward with our latest RHK Controller model, the R10.
The R10 makes scaling capabilities even easier and more cost-effective, empowering researchers to expand as needed and as budgets permit—rendering obsolescence a thing of the past—or, as we like to say, making obsolescence obsolete. It is future-, feature-, and application-proof. The R10’s design is elegantly simple, yet simply elegant, and is available as a one-box or two-box solution. Our R10 users appreciate these qualities for all the reasons mentioned above.
And it all started with a simple question among passionate innovators: “What if?”
Whenever RHK customers face challenges that their current equipment, configuration, or setup cannot solve, we collaborate to find solutions. This is our purpose, and we are always excited to assist. Since 1981, RHK has advanced the vision of nanoscience through technical innovation, exceptional problem-solving, and outstanding customer service—helping users make new discoveries and exceed their expectations.