A touch sensitive input system for an electronic device includes a deflection sensor configured to generate a deflection signal based on deflection of a control or sensing surface, and a processor in signal communication with the deflection sensor. The processor is operable to generate a deflection or displacement map characterizing displacement of the surface based on the deflection signal, and a force map characterizing force on the surface based on a transformation of the displacement map. The transformation may be based on a generalized inverse of a compliance operator, where the compliance operator relates the displacement map to the force map. The compliance operator is not necessarily square, and does not necessarily have a traditional inverse.

A housing cladding module for a medical device is provided for collision identification. The module includes resistor elements, which are arranged in and/or on the surface and which are designed such that the resistor elements change their electrical resistance on expansion. The resistor elements are arranged in such a way that the resistor elements are expanded in the event of a collision with an object. The collision is identified easily, and the effective collision force may be ascertained.

Provided are an electrode structural body for a highly sensitive protrusion type pressure sensor and a method for manufacturing the same. According to the electrode structural body of the present invention, an electrode is formed along a protruding structure, so that deformation of the protruding structure may be sufficiently sensed to achieve high sensitivity even in a low pressure range and a polymer layer may be further introduced to the outside of the electrode to achieve excellent stability.

A sensor and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The sensor includes a substrate, a projecting portion including a plurality of projections that protrude upwardly from an upper portion of the substrate, and an electrode portion covering the projections and the upper portion of the substrate between the projections. The projecting portion of the sensor has micro projections to enable the sensor to sense pressure and a sliding movement.

An optically transparent force sensor element compares a force reading from a first strain-sensitive film element with a second strain-sensitive film element, having a compliant and thermally conductive intermediate layer positioned therebetween to compensate for temperature changes. While in the idle state, the optically transparent force sensor can be periodically calibrated to account for additional changes in temperature.

A structure to be monitored for damage and a method of monitoring the structure for damage are provided. The structure has a coating thereon, the coating defining a surface having characteristics which vary in a predetermined manner with damage to the structure. The surface has a series of conductive tracks applied thereto and in intimate contact therewith such that the said predetermined variation of the surface characteristics will vary the resistance of the series of conductive tracks in a predetermined manner in order to determine both location and extent of damage.

A pressure sensing device that may include a first and second sensing elements that comprise one or more piezoresistive materials; wherein the first sensing element has a first gradient; wherein the second sensing element has a second gradient; wherein the second gradient differs from the first gradient; wherein the first and second gradients facilitate a determination of a load of and a location of an event that involves applying pressure on the first and second sensing element.

An article of footwear includes a motorized tensioning system, sensors, and a gesture control system. Based on information received from one or more sensors the gesture control system may detect a prompting gesture and enters an armed mode for receiving further instructions. In the armed mode the system may detect a variety of different control gestures that correspond to different tensioning commands.

A force sensing device comprises a sensing array comprising a first conductive layer having a plurality of conductive rows and a second conductive layer having a plurality of conductive columns. The plurality of conductive rows and plurality of conductive columns are arranged to define a plurality of intersections. The force sensing device also comprises an electro-active layer overlaying the first conductive layer and comprising a pressure sensitive element at each intersection. A force concentrating structure is positioned at each intersection on the second conductive layer.

A force sensing device comprises a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer and a pressure sensitive active layer responsive to a mechanical interaction. A force distribution structure is positioned between the first and second conductive layers and extends between a first end and a second end of the first conductive layer. The force distribution structure is configured to expand the contact area between the pressure sensitive active layer and the first conductive layer in response to a force being applied to the force sensing device.