The invention relates to an insulation part for supporting an electrically conductive nozzle in an insulated manner, and a laser machining head with a housing (10), through which a working laser beam path (11) is guided, which exits on the machining side through an electrically conductive nozzle (17), which is supported on an insulation part (18), which is supported on the housing (10), and which, for the capacitive distance measurement, is electrically connected to an oscillating circuit (24) of a distance measuring circuit (22). To be able to monitor the presence of an inexpensive insulation part (18) in a user-friendly manner, it is provided according to the invention that the insulation part (18) comprises a ferromagnetic body (26) and that a sensor (27) for detecting the ferromagnetic body (26) is provided on the housing (10), said sensor being connected to a monitoring circuit (29), which, in the absence of an insulation part (18), outputs a warning signal.

The invention relates to a shift operating element, specifically for a motor vehicle, having an actuation surface which can be moved by the manual application of force by means of an element, wherein the element is specifically the finger of a human hand. The shift operating element comprises a sensor which interacts with the actuation surface such that the sensor, upon the movement of the actuation surface by means of the element, generates a signal. The signal is specifically employed to shift and/or trigger a function, in the manner of a shift signal. A mechanical damping and/or restoring element is provided which interacts with the actuation surface upon the movement thereof. The mechanical damping and/or restoring element is a constituent of the sensor, specifically the mechanical damping and/or restoring element is integrated into the sensor.

A capacitive detection system including an upper electrode printed on an upper film layer and a lower electrode printed on a lower film layer. The system includes a plurality of nodes of dielectric material printed in a spaced apart pattern on the lower film layer. The upper film layer is positioned over the lower film layer so that when a downward force is applied to the upper film layer the distance between at least a portion of the upper conductor and the lower conductor decreases. The system includes a controller operatively connected to the upper and lower electrodes. The controller includes a sensing circuit or processor configured to detect the presence of the occupant using a measure of the capacitance between the upper and lower electrode.

A MEMS system includes a proof mass, an anchor, an amplifier, first and second sense elements and their corresponding feedback elements. The proof mass moves responsive to a stimulus. The anchor coupled to the proof mass via a spring. The amplifier receives a proof mass signal from the proof mass and amplifies the signal to generate an output signal. The first sense element is connected between the proof mass and a first input signal and the second sense element is connected between the proof mass and a second input signal. The second input signal has a polarity opposite to the first input signal. The first feedback element is connected between the proof mass and the output signal and its charges change responsive to proof mass displacement. The second feedback element is connected between the proof mass and the output signal and its charges change in response to proof mass displacement.

Example systems and methods for a driver detection steering wheel are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes a steering wheel, a driver, a detector, and an enabling module. The example steering wheel includes a plurality of capacitive sensors. The example driver is to change voltage levels on the plurality of capacitive sensors. The example detector is to measure time delays corresponding to the plurality of capacitive sensors, and determine a number of hands on the steering wheel based on the time delays. The example enabling module is to, in response to the detector detecting two hands on the steering wheel, grant access to an infotainment system.

The invention concerns pipette tips for connecting to a pipette tube of a pipetting device are used for taking up and discharging fluids. The pipette tip is in the shape of an elongated tube forming a pipette body that has an opening at one end and is designed for connecting to the pipette tube at the other end. The pipette tip has a first electrode as a volume measuring electrode of a measuring capacitor and a second electrode as an immersion detector electrode. The first electrode is located on an outer surface of the pipette body or is embedded in the pipette body, and the second electrode is located at least partially on an inner surface of the pipette body.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the position of a robotic arm in an automatic liquid handling system in which a measurement probe with a first electrode is arranged on the robotic arm and, together with a second electrode formed by at least part of a working area or at least part of a container or container carrier forms a measurement capacitor that is operatively connected to a measurement unit for measuring an impedance, in particular a capacitance of the measurement capacitor. The method involves moving the measurement probe along a first path, detecting a first change in the impedance, in particular in the capacitance of the measurement capacitor at a first point on the first path, and defining at least one first reference spatial coordinate for a control unit of the robotic arm on the basis of the first point on the first path.

Disclosed herein is a device including a MEMS sensor configured to generate a first differential capacitance representing a change in capacitance from a first original sensing capacitance value and a second differential capacitance representing a change in capacitance from a second original sensing capacitance value, with the first and second original sensing capacitance values being mismatched. A compensation circuit is configured to generate outputs for compensating the first and second differential capacitances for the mismatch. A capacitance to voltage converter receives the first and second differential capacitances and the outputs of the compensation circuit as input and generates an output voltage as a function thereof.

A device has two machine parts that are movable relative to one another and are connected to each other by a supply line along which a sensor line is mounted for measuring torsion of the supply line. The sensor line is connected to a measurement unit which is configured in such a way that an electrical parameter of the sensor line is measured, the torsion being ascertained using the parameter.

An occupant detection apparatus includes: a sensor electrode; a conductor portion facing the sensor electrode; a moving object that moves by input of a seat load loaded on a seat and changes an electrostatic capacitance between the sensor electrode and the conductor portion; and a signal output unit that outputs a sensor signal based on the electrostatic capacitance.