A sensor assembly for measuring a torsion of a rotor blade of a wind turbine generator system includes a first light source configured to generate light and a first transmitter-side polarizer disposed downstream thereof in a direction of light propagation and configured to generate linearly polarized light as a first transmission light. A second light source is configured to generate unpolarized light as a second transmission light. First and second detector elements are arranged and adapted to receive the first and second transmission light. A first receiver-side polarizer is disposed upstream of the first detector element in the direction of light propagation and a second receiver-side polarizer is disposed upstream of the second detector element in the direction of light propagation. An orientation of a polarization plane of the first receiver-side polarizer and an orientation of a polarization plane of the second receiver-side polarizer are different from one another.

A sensor assembly for measuring a torsion of a rotor blade of a wind turbine generator system includes a first light source configured to generate light and a first transmitter-side polarizer disposed downstream thereof in a direction of light propagation and configured to generate linearly polarized light as a first transmission light. A second light source is configured to generate unpolarized light as a second transmission light. First and second detector elements are arranged and adapted to receive the first and second transmission light. A first receiver-side polarizer is disposed upstream of the first detector element in the direction of light propagation and a second receiver-side polarizer is disposed upstream of the second detector element in the direction of light propagation. An orientation of a polarization plane of the first receiver-side polarizer and an orientation of a polarization plane of the second receiver-side polarizer are different from one another.

A scale includes a diffraction grating configured to condense diffracted light in a periodic direction of the diffraction grating in order to detect a reference position. A light receiving element array is configured to receive light from the diffraction grating. The light receiving element array includes first to fourth light receiving elements configured to output signals having phases different from each other. The first light receiving element and the second light receiving element are adjacent to each other and are arranged between the third light receiving element and the fourth light receiving element. The processing unit generates a signal representing the reference position based on a differential signal between a signal from the first light receiving element and a signal from the third light receiving element and a differential signal between a signal from the second light receiving element and a signal from the fourth light receiving element.

A vibration amplification and detection device may include a coiled diaphragm coupled to a pin that is also coupled to a substrate. The coiled diaphragm may be coupled to the pin via at least one axle and a fulcrum disc, and the vibration detection device may be coupled to a surface via the substrate. Responsive to vibration associated with or proximate the surface, the coiled diaphragm may receive and amplify the received vibration. In addition, a sensor associated with the vibration detection device may capture or detect the received and amplified vibration. Further, the detected vibration may be processed and compared with known vibrations and associated properties. Moreover, one or more actions may be instructed based on the detected vibration and associated properties.

A vibration amplification and detection device may include a coiled diaphragm coupled to a pin that is also coupled to a substrate. The coiled diaphragm may be coupled to the pin via at least one axle and a fulcrum disc, and the vibration detection device may be coupled to a surface via the substrate. Responsive to vibration associated with or proximate the surface, the coiled diaphragm may receive and amplify the received vibration. In addition, a sensor associated with the vibration detection device may capture or detect the received and amplified vibration. Further, the detected vibration may be processed and compared with known vibrations and associated properties. Moreover, one or more actions may be instructed based on the detected vibration and associated properties.

The invention pertains to a contactless measurement method for detecting rotation of an object over an axis coinciding with an optical axis of a probe beam. The probe beam is comprised of two monochromatic wavelengths with circular polarizations of opposite chirality, having a frequency difference for providing a heterodyne probe beam. A neutral beam splitter is provided that directs a reflected beam via a polarizer filter towards a first photodetector and that directs a transmitted beam toward a quarter wave plate attached to a rotatable object. A mirror reflects the probe beam, via the same quarter wave plate, back into the neutral beam splitter, which directs the reflected beam via a polarizer filter toward a second photodetector. The rotation is derived from the relative phase difference between the first and second photodetector signals.

The invention relates, among other things, to a door sensor device (20) for mounting on a door element (10), more particularly a swing door, which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (D), having at least one transmission device (21) for generating at least one monitoring beam (S) in the direction of the floor, said beam being oriented at an angle to the door leaf plane (E) of the door element (10), at least one receiving device (22) for receiving reflected or back-scattered radiation, and an evaluation device (23) for evaluating the radiation received by the receiving device (22) and generating an object detection signal. According to the invention, the evaluation device (23) is designed such that it checks whether a predefined exclusion condition is met, wherein the exclusion condition is dependent on at least three values, specifically an angle value specifying the rotational angle of the door element (10), a maximum value predefined for the evaluation device (23), said maximum value specifying a fixed, maximum permitted rotational angle of the door element (10), and a measuring-point-specific advance angle value, which specifies the angle between a section which is bounded by the measuring point (M1-Mn) formed by the monitoring beam (S) on the floor and the axis of rotation (D) of the door element (10), and the door leaf plane (E).

The range of operating angles of a position transducer is widened, and its signal-to-noise ratio is improved. The position transducer includes a light source and a detector including at least one pair of photodiodes (PDs) disposed on a predetermined circle. The detector receives light emitted from the light source to output a signal varying depending on the areas of regions where the light is received on two PDs forming a pair. The PDs are formed on separate chips, respectively, and the chips are disposed on a substrate so that one or more pairs of PDs surround the entirety of a predetermined region and have an annular shape as a whole.

New platform technologies to actuate and sense force propagation in real-time for large sheets of cells are provided. In certain embodiments the platform comprises a device for the measurement of mechanical properties of cells or other moieties, where device comprises a transparent elastic or viscoelastic polymer substrate disposed on a rigid transparent surface; and a plurality of micromirrors disposed on or in said polymer substrate, wherein the reflective surfaces of the micromirrors are oriented substantially parallel to the surface of said polymer substrate. In certain embodiments the device comprises more than about 1,000,000, or more than about 10,000,000 micromirrors. In certain embodiments the micromirrors comprise a magnetic layer and/or a diffraction grating.

This application discloses a tactile sensor, a detection method for a touch event, a sensing device and a robot, and belongs to the field of sensor design. The tactile sensor includes: a sensing unit, an elastomer support housing and a base; the sensing unit is disposed in an inner cavity enclosed by the elastomer support housing and the base; and the sensing unit includes at least two light sources, a photo detector and a reflector, where the photo detector is disposed on base, the at least two light sources are disposed around the periphery of the photo detector on the base, and the reflector is disposed at the top of an inner cavity of the elastomer support housing. By adopting the combination of a plurality of light sources and one photo detector, the number of photo detectors for use is reduced, so that the volume of the tactile sensor is reduced.