An automated device, in particular a robot, comprises: a movable structure; actuator means, for causing displacements of the movable structure; a control system, which includes a control unit and is able to control the actuator means; and a sensorized covering, which covers at least part of the movable structure and integrates sensor means that include at least one of contact sensor means and proximity sensor means.

The sensorized covering comprises a plurality of covering modules, each having a respective load-bearing structure of a predefined shape associated to which is at least one layer of elastically yielding material. The plurality of covering modules comprises one or more sensorized covering modules, which include respective sensor means. The load-bearing structure of at least some of the covering modules has electrical connector means associated thereto, for enabling separable electrical connection of at least two different covering modules that are adjacent to one another.

A devise that will increase an inductive proximity sensor's detection distance and detection position. The devise uses a housing in combination with a sensor and axially magnetized magnet and a target magnet to achieve the increased detection distance and position. The devise can be defined as universal because it allows different manufacturers and sizes of sensors to be used and calibrated. A treaded end section of the devise allows connection of standard conduit fittings.

A patient immersion sensor includes a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) apparatus to determine a time of flight (TOF) of a RADAR pulse and a reflected signal that is reflected by a patient or by a portion of a patient support surface supporting the patient. The TOF is indicative of an immersion depth or a distance toward bottoming out of a patient supported on the patient support surface, such as a mattress or a pad. The RADAR apparatus emits pulses of very short duration so as to be able to detect objects, such as a patient or a portion of a mattress or pad, at very close distances. The RADAR apparatus may use time-of-flight (TOF) between transmission of the pulse and receipt of a reflected signal to determine a distance toward bottoming out by the patient, thereby to determine if the patient is properly immersed into the patient support surface. Adjustments to inflation or deflation of one or more bladders are made to achieve a desired immersion amount within a tolerance range between upper and lower TOF thresholds.

An inductive position detector with a first and second body, at least one of said bodies being displaceable relative to the other along a measurement path wherein said first body comprises one or more antenna windings forming a first arrangement of windings and said second body comprises a passive resonant circuit incorporating one or more target windings in series with a capacitor; said circuit covering at least in part said first arrangement; characterized in that said first body comprises an additional winding arrangement disposed along at least part of said measurement path; said additional winding arrangement being spaced from said first arrangement of windings; and said second body comprises an additional winding arrangement covering at least in part said additional winding arrangement of said first body.

Embodiments related to a capacitive proximity sensor with a variable spacing electrode structure, which is suited to a non-destructive testing operation, such as the detection of dielectric properties of the polymer materials with a thickness decreases gradually structure. The designed sensor includes a driving electrode, a sensing electrode, a substrate, a guarding electrode and a lead connector. The driving and sensing electrodes include several interdigitated fingers, which are arranged alternately in sequence, based on the characteristic of the thickness decreases gradually structure of the MUT, the width of the electrodes and spacing between two adjacent electrodes in each unit are optimized individually. Namely, under the condition of ensuring penetration depth, the electrode width is made as large as possible to achieve maximum signal strength and detection sensitivity. Compared with the traditional ES-IDE structure capacitive proximity sensor, the newly designed VS-IDE capacitive sensor increases the effective electrode area, which increases the signal strength and measurement sensitivity directly. Besides, the electric field lines of the designed sensor are confined within the thickness gradually changed materials under test mostly as expected simultaneously.

A system and method are provided in which a radio-frequency channel is used in combination with a second validation channel to verify the proximity of two devices to each other. An RF channel is used to detect whether two devices are within a first, larger distance from one another and to enable communication between the two devices, whilst a second, validation channel is used to accurately verify that the two devices are within second, smaller distance from one another. In some embodiments, the second verification channel is a magnetic channel.

There is provided an inductive sensing circuit, comprising a signal generator, configured to generate a drive signal; one or more sensing arrangements, each of the one or more sensing arrangements comprising: two sets of one or more inductive sensing elements, configured in a half bridge arrangement, the two sets of one or more inductive sensing elements driven by the drive signal; a correction signal circuit, configured to generate a correction signal, wherein the correction signal is an adjustably scaled version of the drive signal; and a summing circuit, configured to sum an output signal of the two sets of one or more inductive sensing elements with the correction signal; and a demodulation circuit, configured to demodulate an output of the summing circuit of each of the one or more sensing arrangements.

A capacitance measuring circuit measures an electrostatic capacitance formed between a first conductor that receive an AC signal and a second conductor. The capacitance measuring circuit includes an amplifier including an input and an output; signal detection means including a negative feedback unit that has a feedback capacitance and applies a negative feedback from an output of the amplifier to an input of the amplifier, wherein an input of the amplifier is connected to the second conductor and is virtually grounded by the negative feedback unit and an AC signal of an amplitude in a functional relation with the electrostatic capacitance is output; and measuring means that is connected to an output of the signal detection means and has a function of measuring at least an amplitude of an AC signal output of the signal detection means.

Provided is an electrostatic capacitance sensor which can remove an influence of a noise occurring from a static eliminator or a driving source and accurately perform measurement even on electrostatic capacitance detected by a thin-type detection unit which can be passed to a finger surface of a wafer transfer robot. The present invention is provided with an AC supply source which supplies an AC voltage to a detection unit, a parasitic capacitance compensation circuit, an operational amplifier, a differential amplifier, a phase detection means, and a low pass filter. An operational amplification output terminal is connected to an inversion input terminal of the differential amplifier through a first band pass filter, the AC supply source is connected to a non-inversion input terminal of the differential amplifier through a second band pass filter, an output terminal of the differential amplifier is connected to an input terminal of the phase detection means, and the phase detection means takes, as a reference signal, an AC signal output from the AC supply source.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining abnormal information associated with a vehicle. The systems may perform the methods to obtain real-time information associated with a bicycle and obtain reference information associated with the bicycle. The systems may also perform the methods to determine, based on the real-time information and the reference information, abnormal information associated with the bicycle, and transmit the abnormal information associated with the bicycle.