The current invention is a system and application that provides key insight into the technological processes that encompass a welding calculator apparatus consisting of a calculator casing, an optical rotary encoder in the calculator casing for providing weld length data, a time counter in the calculator casing for providing weld time data and a microcontroller device in the calculator casing for processing weld length data and weld time data, weld travel speed data and heat input data.

An article of footwear and related method includes a midsole, an upper secured with respect to the midsole, and a lace extending through the upper. A motorized lacing system positioned within the midsole, configured to engage with the lace to increase and decrease tension on the lace. The motorized lacing system includes a motor, including a motor shaft, a spool, coupled to the motor shaft, configured to spool and unspool the lace based on the turning of the motor shaft, a processor circuit, and an optical encoder. The optical encoder comprises a three-dimensional encoder defining a major axis and having a surface having a first plurality of segments positioned between a second plurality of segments, and an optical sensor, positioned within optical range of the cylindrical encoder, configured to output a signal to the processor circuit indicative of a detected one of a first and second plurality of segments.

A sensor configured to detect displacement of a rotation angle of a shaft due to a rotation or a turn of the shaft, the sensor includes: a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft; and a housing including a bearing hole to which the bearing is fixed. The shaft and an inner circumferential surface of the bearing are fixed to each other by an adhesive agent, and an outer circumferential surface of the bearing and an inner circumferential surface of the bearing hole of the housing are fixed to each other by an adhesive agent.

Systems and methods determine an angle of an articulated trailer relative to a tractor that the trailer is hitched to. An encoder is positioned beneath a fifth-wheel of a tractor to couples with a kingpin of the trailer when the trailer is hitched to the tractor. The coupler has a rotating shaft that may include pins that physically interact with the kingpin and/or may include a magnet that magnetically attaches to the kingpin. A clearance and cleaning block may be positioned on the spring plate to interact with a bottom surface of a kingpin of the trailer during hitching of the trailer to the tractor. A LIDAR attached to the tractor may detect a front end of the trailer to determine the trailer angle relative to the tractor.

There is provided an optical encoding system including a photodiode array and a code disk opposite to each other. The code disk is arranged with multiple code slits at a ring area corresponding to the photodiode array. A length direction of each photodiode of the photodiode array has at least one deviation angle with respect to a length direction of the multiple code slits to reduce the total harmonic distortion in photocurrents.

For a light receiving element, signal distortion is suppressed, and an unnecessary space is reduced. The light receiving element includes a plurality of light receiver groups (21g) arranged in an arrangement direction at a predetermined arrangement interval. Light receiver groups (21g) include first light receiver (211) and second light receiver (212). First light receiver (211) has a first main phase portion and a first sub-phase portion having a width of ? of the arrangement interval. First light receiver (211) is separated into first main body portion (211a) and first separation portion (211b) each having a width in the arrangement direction of less than ? of the arrangement interval. Second light receiver (212) is separated into second main body portion (212a) and second separation portion (212b) each having a width in the arrangement direction of less than ? of the arrangement interval. First main body portion (211a) and second main body portion (212a) are arranged in the arrangement direction, and first separation portion (211b) and second separation portion (212b) are arranged in the arrangement direction.

A vibration sensing optical fiber cable is provided. The cable includes at least one optical fiber embedded in the cable jacket such that vibrations from the environment are transmitted into the cable jacket to the optical fiber. The cable is configured in a variety of ways, including through spatial arrangement of the sensing fibers, through acoustic impedance matched materials, through internal vibration reflecting structures, and/or through acoustic lens features to enhance sensitivity of the cable for vibration detection/monitoring.

Disclosed herein is a cable sensor comprising an optical fiber; where the optical fiber comprises an optical core upon which is disposed a cladding; and a primary coating; a deformable material surrounding the optical fiber; and an outer tube surrounding the deformable material; where the optical fiber is longer than the outer tube by an amount of 0.1 to 2%. Disclosed herein too is a method for producing a cable sensor comprising mounting an optical fiber on a spool; where the optical fiber comprises a core; a cladding and a primary coating; charging the optical fiber from the spool to an extruder; extruding an outer tube onto the optical fiber such that a region between the optical fiber and the outer tube comprises a deformable material; elongating the optical fiber and the outer tube together to a desired amount; and relaxing the optical fiber and the outer tube; where the optical fiber retains a larger portion of the elongation than the outer tube.

A shaft may be rotated, where the shaft includes an encoder with a first, second, and third logical track, where the first and second logical tracks include bit patterns that are readable to be 90 degrees out of phase with one another, and where the third logical track includes a sequence of n numbers, each number being represented by m bits, where n is greater than 1. While moving the shaft, a number of the sequence from the third logical track and an extent of bits from the first or second logical track may be read. An orientation of the shaft may then be determined based on the number and the extent of bits. The orientation may be a linear position of a linear encoder or an angular position of a rotary encoder.

An optical sensor includes a tube-shaped base formed from a metal, an optical fiber member received inside the base, and a sensor head formed from monocrystalline alumina and bonded to the base to be optically connected with the optical fiber member. The sensor head is provided with a first cavity including a first reflection surface configured to reflect a part of light introduced through the optical fiber member and a second reflection surface provided facing the first reflection surface and configured to reflect a part of the light reflected by the first reflection surface. A first interference light produced by an interference between the light reflected by the first reflection surface and the light reflected by the second reflection surface is output from the first cavity.