Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a three-dimensional (3D) non-contact position sensor. A system includes a magnetic target coupled to and/or integrated with a target object and a position sensor comprising a plurality of magnetometers configured to provide a set of magnetic flux values corresponding to a magnetic field generated by the magnetic target. A logic device receives the set of magnetic flux values provided by the plurality of magnetometers of the position sensor and determines a position and/or orientation of the target object based, at least in part, on the received set of magnetic flux values. The position and/or orientation of the target object may be used as feedback to help position and/or orient the target object according to a desired position and/or orientation or to track its position accurately in real-time.

A lever operation device includes a lever main body on which a first rotation operation about a first shaft is performed, a bracket portion that includes an insertion opening for insertion of the lever main body and a through-hole in communication with the insertion opening, a housing which rotatably holds the bracket portion and on which a detent wall including a detent surface is arranged, and a detent portion that is inserted into the through-hole and includes a detent tip end portion in contact with the detent surface, a detent base end portion in contact with the lever main body inserted into the insertion opening of the bracket portion, and an elastic portion applying an elastic force, which is generated by being sandwiched and compressed by the detent surface and the lever main body, to the detent surface and the lever main body.

An eddy current sensor for a rotary shaft and a rotary shaft apparatus. The eddy current sensor includes: a housing; one or more position detecting probes provided on the housing; and a rotating speed detecting probe provided on the housing. The eddy current sensor integrates the position detecting probe and the rotary speed detecting probe, such that while the eddy current sensor is detecting position displacement of the rotary shaft, the eddy current sensor may also simultaneously detect the rotating speed of the rotary shaft, which facilitates detecting and monitoring the rotary shaft more comprehensively. The detected position data and rotating speed data of the rotary shaft correspond to each other at any time, such that the working state of the rotary shaft may be analyzed more intensively.

A scanning element includes a multi-layer circuit board and electronic components, and the circuit board includes a first detector unit having a first receiver track. Moreover, the circuit board includes a second detector unit having a second receiver track. The circuit board has a geometrical center plane located between the detector units. The receiver tracks include first and second receiver conductor traces, each having a periodic characteristic, and the first receiver track has a first gap along its extension, which is restricted by the first receiver conductor traces. The second receiver track has a second gap, which is restricted by the second receiver conductor traces. The circuit board has a plated through-hole arranged both within the first gap and within the second gap.

Disclosed is a movement sensing device adapted to sense an amount of movement of an object. The movement sensing device includes a first magnetic sensor, a second magnetic sensor, a special-shaped magnetic element, and a controller. The special-shaped magnetic element has a magnetization direction, is connected with the object, and is adapted to be moved along a direction parallel to a connection line between the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor. The special-shaped magnetic element, the first magnetic sensor, and the second magnetic sensor are disposed on a plane. The magnetization direction is perpendicular to the plane. The controller is electrically connected to the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor. The controller calculates the amount of movement according to a difference between magnetic forces sensed by the first magnetic sensor and the second magnetic sensor from the special-shaped magnetic element.

Provided is a measuring instrument for measuring an electrostatic capacity. The measuring instrument includes a base substrate having a disk shape, a plurality of first sensors arranged along an edge of the base substrate and respectively provide a plurality of side electrodes, one or more second sensors each of which has a bottom electrode provided along a bottom surface of the base substrate, and a circuit board. The circuit board is configured to apply a high frequency signal to the plurality of side electrodes and the bottom electrode, to generate a plurality of first measurement values respectively indicating electrostatic capacities based on voltage amplitudes in the plurality of side electrodes, and to generate a second measurement value indicating an electrostatic capacity based on a voltage amplitude in the bottom electrode.

A transmitting element for generating a magnetic field for tracking of an object includes a first spiral trace that extends from a first outer origin inward to a central origin in a first direction. A second spiral trace can extend from the central origin outward to a second outer origin in the first direction. The second spiral trace can extend from the central origin to the second outer origin in the first direction. The first spiral trace and the second spiral trace can be physically connected at the central origin to form the fluorolucent magnetic transmitting element and at least a portion of the first spiral trace overlaps at least a portion of the second spiral trace.

A method for monitoring position of and controlling a second nanosatellite (NS) relative to a position of a first NS. Each of the first and second NSs has a rectangular or cubical configuration of independently activatable, current-carrying solenoids, each solenoid having an independent magnetic dipole moment vector, μ1 and μ2. A vector force F and a vector torque are expressed as linear or bilinear combinations of the first set and second set of magnetic moments, and a distance vector extending between the first and second NSs is estimated. Control equations are applied to estimate vectors, μ1 and μ2, required to move the NSs toward a desired NS configuration. This extends to control of N nanosatellites.

A device for inductive position determination comprises a coil, a positional element, a scanning device for determining an inductance of the coil and an evaluation device for determining a position of the positional element in relation to the coil, based on the inductance determined. In certain embodiments, the positional element comprises a ferromagnetic and electrically insulated material.

A measuring arrangement for distance or angle measurement and a corresponding measuring method are described. In accordance with one example, the measuring arrangement comprises a scale having magnetization which varies along a measuring direction and which brings about a correspondingly varying magnetic field. The measuring device furthermore comprises at least one scanning head which is permeated by the varying magnetic field depending on the relative position with respect to the scale in the measuring direction. The scanning head comprises the following: at least one ferromagnetic film having, on account of the magneto impedance effect, a local electrical impedance that is dependent on the magnetic field and varies along the measuring direction, and at least one sensor unit configured to generate at least two phase-shifted sensor signals which are dependent on the local electrical impedance of the film.