An actuator device (2) for actuating at least one foot pedal (P) of a motor vehicle has at least one actuating element (8), whereby, for applying force to the foot pedal (P), said actuating element is shifted by means of a positioning mechanism (10) between an application position and a released position. It is provided that the positioning mechanism (10) is drivable with a positioning force (SF), by means of inertial means (such as an inertial mass).

According to one embodiment, an electric-vehicle testing apparatus includes processing circuitry. The circuitry generates a first signal corresponding to accelerator operation amount and a second signal corresponding to brake operation amount in accordance with test conditions. The circuitry controls torque of a test motor included in a test object. The circuitry computes running resistance to be assumed using a rotation speed of the test motor. The circuitry computes braking force using the second signal and an actual vehicle speed obtained from the rotation speed of the test motor. The circuitry controls torque of a load motor coupled to the test motor, based on a second command value corresponding to the running resistance and the braking force.

A sensor arrangement for an actuation device of a motor vehicle is disclosed which has a force transfer element and which can be assigned or is assigned in particular to an actuating surface of the actuation device for transferring an actuating force applied to the actuation device, in particular on the actuating surface. The sensor arrangement further has a measuring head arranged in a printed circuit board. The measuring head has a measuring membrane. The measuring membrane has a force sensor element at one end and is assigned to the force transfer element at the other end, in particular abutting the force transfer element.

A load detection apparatus includes an input member for receiving input of a load, a tubular body having a strain element configured to generate a strain due to the load inputted to the input member, a strain detection element fixed to a face of the strain element opposite its face that comes into contact with the input member, the strain detection element being configured to detect the strain generated in the strain element, a circuit board mounted to oppose the strain detection element in a tube axis direction of the tubular body, the circuit board being configured to input detection information of the strain detection element, and a connection member having a first connection portion to be electrically connected to the strain detection element and a second connection portion to be electrically connected to the circuit board.

Highly expressive and flexibly programmable foot-operated controllers are described. Specific implementations are intended for musical applications and allow musicians an unprecedented degree of control of a wide variety of musical components and subsystems for recording and/or performance.

An accelerator device includes a pedal pad and a strain gauge. When a driver of a vehicle having the accelerator device depresses the pedal pad, the pedal pad is deformed in a direction of a blank arrow. The strain gauge senses the displacement amount of the pedal pad in the direction of the blank arrow and outputs an electric signal, which corresponds to the displacement amount, to an outside as the depression amount of the accelerator device. When the driver removes a foot from the pedal pad, the pedal pad returns to a state of the pedal pad that is not depressed by the driver. Therefore, it is possible to limit occurrence of that the depression amount of the pedal pad becomes an unintended value due to, for example, catching of the pedal pad by a floor mat. As a result, the accelerator device can reliably sense the depression amount.

A load detection apparatus includes a load input portion having a input surface, and an output surface; a flexure element including on annular portion including a contacting portion configured to make contact with at least a part of the output surface, and a support portion; a set of sensors disposed on a reverse surface opposite to a surface provided with the contacting portion in the annular portion, each of the set of sensors being configured to detect distortion corresponding to an input load; a set of calculation portions configured to calculate a set of magnitudes of the load by use of respective detection results obtained by the set of sensors; and an abnormality determination portion configured to determine whether the set of sensors and the set of calculation portions have no abnormality, by comparing the set of magnitudes of the load with each other.

An electric weight sensing skateboard using one or more strain gauge systems to detect rider-induced strain on one or both trucks, an inertial sensor to detect accelerations and balance position, and wheel speed sensors. Throttle is controlled by rider position, for example, lean forward to increase speed, lean back to slow down. Several drive methods include a rider position detection velocity setpoint control, torque setpoint control, and direct velocity/torque control. A throttle remote is not required. Rider weight activates the motors.

A crank apparatus includes a crank arm having at least one cavity on one of the surfaces of the crank arm, at least one thin material layer embedded within the at least one cavity and having an exposed outer surface, and at least one sensing element attached to the outer surface of the thin material layer. The crank arm is manufactured of a material with non-uniform strain characteristics, the thin material layer is manufactured of a material with uniform strain characteristics, the crank arm is adapted to be deformed by a force, the thin material layer is adapted to be deformed correspondingly with the deformation of the crank arm, the at least one sensing element is adapted to measure the corresponding strain of the thin material layer to measure the force applied on the crank arm. A bicycle and a stationary exercise bicycle equipped with the crank apparatus are further provided.

A brake element is sensorized by at least one piezoceramic sensor arranged between a metallic support element and a block of friction material of a brake element, the sensor being completely embedded within the block. An electrical voltage signal generated by at least one piezoceramic sensor, without the need for a power supply, is picked up by an electrical circuit integrated into the metallic support element. The electrical voltage signal is processed in the form of equal length of samples per unit of time of the detected signal by successively processing in real time each sample of equal length of time sample of the signal by applying an algorithm. The algorithm is selected from at least one of a sequence of integrations of voltage values in the sample carried out in an interval of time in the order of milliseconds; FFT voltage data sample; and integral of the voltage data sample.