An optical sensing system is provided, including a sensing module, a light emitter, and a light receiver. The sensing module has a substrate, an optical waveguide disposed on the substrate, and a sensing membrane disposed on the optical waveguide for carrying a specimen. The light emitter emits a sensing light to the optical waveguide, and the light receiver receives the sensing light that propagates through the optical waveguide.

Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a transport device in the form of a planar motor. In one example embodiment, the transport device includes at least one transport segment that forms a transport plane, at least one first transport unit that moves at least two-dimensionally on the transport plane, and a plurality of drive coils arranged on the at least one segment. The transport device further includes at least one first and at least one second magnet group arranged on the at least one first transport unit. Each magnet group has a plurality of drive magnets with a different direction of magnetization arranged one behind the other in a specific arrangement direction with a specific pole pitch. The transport device further includes a first coil group having a first plurality of drive coils, and a second coil group having a second plurality of drive coils.

A substrate transfer device, includes: a first planar motor installed in a first chamber and having an array of coils; a second planar motor installed in a second chamber connected to the first chamber and having an array of coils; a pair of transfer units configured to move on at least one of the first planar motor and the second planar motor and configured to transfer a substrate; and a controller configured to control supply of electric current to the coils of the first planar motor and the second planar motor.

The present disclosure provides a substrate transfer apparatus. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the substrate transfer apparatus includes: a planar motor provided in a transfer chamber and having coils arranged therein; a transfer unit movable on the planar motor; and a control unit configured to control an energization of the coils. The transfer unit includes two bases having magnets arranged thereon and configured to be movable on the planar motor, a substrate support member configured to support a substrate, and a link mechanism configured to connect the two bases and the substrate support member to each other.

A thin-plate-typed rotating module includes a rotating element, a driving unit and a base board. The rotating element is rotatable about a first axial direction and a second axial direction in a limited degree. The driving unit connects the rotating element for driving the rotating element to rotate about the first and second axial directions. The base board is furnished with a control module which is connected with the driving unit for controlling the driving unit to operate.

For efficient presentation of pseudo force sense, a pseudo force sense generation apparatus includes: a base mechanism; and a contact mechanism that performs periodical asymmetric motion relative to the base mechanism and gives force based on the asymmetric motion to skin or mucous membrane with which the contact mechanism is in direct or indirect contact. A mass of the contact mechanism is smaller than a mass of the base mechanism, or the mass of the contact mechanism is smaller than a sum of the mass of the base mechanism and a mass of a mechanism that is attached to the base mechanism.

An actuation unit for a capping head for the application of caps on containers or bottles, as well as to a capping head using such a unit, are provided. The actuation unit for a capping head for the application of caps on containers or bottles comprises at least two actuators, of which a first actuator is adapted to impart a translational displacement along a closing axis and a second actuator is adapted to impart a rotational movement about the closing axis, each actuator of the at least two actuators causing the rotation of a first shaft and a second shaft, respectively, both arranged coaxial to the closing axis, and is characterized in that the shafts of the at least two actuators are placed side by side along the axis and are mutually connected by means of at least one rotation decoupling joint.

A planar drive system comprises a stator and a rotor. The stator comprises a plurality of stator conductors. The rotor comprises a magnet device comprising at least one rotor magnet. The stator is configured to energize the stator conductors. A magnetic interaction can be produced between energized stator conductors of the stator and the magnet device of the rotor in order to drive the rotor. The stator is configured to carry out the energizing of the stator conductors by a current control based on a pulse-width modulation. Due to the current control, a ripple current in energized stator conductors of the stator and thereby an alternating magnetic field can be generated. The rotor comprises at least one rotor coil in which an alternating voltage can be induced due to the alternating magnetic field.

A stator module for two-dimensionally driving a rotor having first and second magnet units includes a stator assembly with first and second stator segments configured for interacting with drive magnets of the first and second magnet units. The individual stator segments can each be energized independently from the remaining stator segments. The stator assembly includes first, second, third and fourth stator sectors. The first stator segments of the individual stator sectors each extend in a second direction over all second stator segments of the relevant stator sector, arranged side by side, and the second stator segments of the individual stator sectors each extend in a first direction over all first stator segments of the relevant stator sector arranged side by side. Extensions of the stator sectors in the first and second directions are respectively smaller than extensions of a magnet arrangement including the first and second magnet units.

A method for controlling a planar drive system includes identifying a preferred stator module direction with a preferred magnetic field or sensor direction, and identifying a preferred mover direction with a respective other of the preferred magnetic field or sensor direction; setting a magnetic orientation field with a magnet device; recording at least a measurement value of the magnetic orientation field with a magnetic field sensor device; determining an alignment of the preferred mover direction relative to the preferred stator module direction based on the measurement value of the component of the magnetic orientation field parallel to the preferred sensor direction; and determining a first orientation of the mover on the stator module, on the basis of the alignment of the preferred mover direction relative to the preferred stator module direction. The application also relates to a planar drive system.