A state visualizer according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an optical member including a fixed part that has a fixed relative positional relationship with an object to be measured and a movable part that is movably supported by the fixed part and keeps a constant angle with respect to a gravity direction, the optical member retroreflecting a light or an electromagnetic wave in a case where the fixed part and the movable part are in a predetermined positional relationship. The optical member changes an intensity of the light or the electromagnetic wave reflected in a retroreflection direction in accordance with a change of a relative positional relationship between the fixed part and the movable part.

A pick-and-place machine and method includes use of a passive component feeder cartridge including a feeder gear. Rotation of the feeder gear causes a component-bearing tape to be fed through the feeder cartridge. A pickup head includes a vacuum nozzle to pick up the components from the tape and a rack gear to engage and drive the feeder gear of the feeder cartridge via translational motion of the pickup head when operatively disposed with respect to a selected feeder cartridge.

A pick-and-place machine and method includes use of a passive component feeder cartridge including a feeder gear. Rotation of the feeder gear causes a component-bearing tape to be fed through the feeder cartridge. A pickup head includes a vacuum nozzle to pick up the components from the tape and a rack gear to engage and drive the feeder gear of the feeder cartridge via translational motion of the pickup head when operatively disposed with respect to a selected feeder cartridge.

The invention relates to a position sensing device (10) for determining a rotational position of a rotating shaft (12) of a remotely operated vehicle of a system (1) for storing and retrieving goods holders, said rotating shaft (12) being a wheel axle of the remotely operated vehicle. The device comprises a reflector (14) attached to the rotating shaft so as to rotate simultaneously with said shaft (12), a distance measuring unit (16) arranged to emit a beam (18) of radiation towards a portion of the reflector (14), wherein the emitted beam is parallel to the rotating shaft, as the shaft (12) and the reflector (14) are rotated with respect to the distance measuring unit (16), and to receive a return beam (20) generated when the emitted beam (18) is reflected by the portion of the reflector (14). The distance measuring unit (16) is configured to output a signal based on a distance of said beam to said portion of the reflector (14), wherein a rotational position of the rotating shaft (12) is determined based on the output signal of measured distance from said distance measuring unit (16). The invention further relates to a method for determining rotational position of a rotating shaft (12).

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.

This application discloses a method for detecting a touch event using a tactile sensor including a photo detector disposed on a base of the tactile sensor and evenly disposed around the photo detector on the base, and a reflector disposed above the photo detector and belongs to the field of sensor design. The method includes: acquiring light intensity measured by the photo detector for light generated by each of the at least eight light sources and then reflected the reflector separately; and measuring at least one of magnitude and direction of force exerted on the tactile sensor in six degrees of freedom based on changes in the light intensity. 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.

A method for determining a position of a mirror of an optical system comprises: a) providing at least one parameter from a mechanical model of the mirror; b) interferometrically detecting a temporal change in a distance of a point of a curved mirror effective surface; and c) ascertaining an amplitude and a phase of N eigenmodes from the temporal change in the distance and the at least one parameter to determine the position of the mirror.