A method of fabricating a polymer wire according to the present embodiment includes preparing an electrode platform having a micro gap, forming a plurality of single polymer wires on the electrode platform, and a heat treatment operation of aggregating the plurality of single polymer wires to form an aggregated polymer wire.

An impact sensor for a vehicle. The impact sensor includes at least one strain-sensitive sensor element which comprises a sensor material, and at least two terminals, between which the sensor material is electrically connected. The sensor material is a metal-containing carbon material.

A transducer structure for converting a deformation along an axis into a corresponding deformation on a plane orthogonal to the axis itself, including: two end plates facing each other and aligned along a common reference axis (X); connection members projecting radially from each end plate according to respective different directions; lateral bars connecting the end plates to one another through two connection members. The connection members are deformable within respective deformation planes to allow relative movements between the end plates and the lateral bars such as to convert an axial movement of mutual approach between the two end plates into a corresponding radial movement of the lateral bars away from the reference axis (X), and vice-versa.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a welding system that is configured to execute opposed, step, and parallel gap resistance spot welds (RSW) and associated methods. The system may be configured to switch bases to switch between an opposed weld configuration, a step weld configuration, and a parallel gap configuration. The system may include an accelerometer that is secured to the weld head adjacent one of the electrodes. The system may use the accelerometer to determine whether or not an RSW was defective. Acceleration data may indicate a defective weld when it includes acceleration data that is outside of a threshold range of acceptable acceleration data.

A load cell transducer including one or more strain gauges configured to generate a first signal indicative of a force applied to the load cell transducer and a sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of an acceleration and an orientation of the load cell transducer. The load cell transducer further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more strain gauges and the sensor. The controller is configured to determine a weight of an object based on the first signal, determine at least one of a static inclination or an acceleration of the load cell transducer based on the second signal, and output a message indicating an issue of the load cell transducer based on at least one of the static inclination and the acceleration.

A method of fabricating a polymer wire according to the present embodiment includes preparing an electrode platform having a micro gap, forming a plurality of single polymer wires on the electrode platform, and a heat treatment operation of aggregating the plurality of single polymer wires to form an aggregated polymer wire.

A transducer structure for converting a deformation along an axis into a corresponding deformation on a plane orthogonal to the axis itself, including: two end plates facing each other and aligned along a common reference axis (X); connection members projecting radially from each end plate according to respective different directions; lateral bars connecting the end plates to one another through two connection members. The connection members are deformable within respective deformation planes to allow relative movements between the end plates and the lateral bars such as to convert an axial movement of mutual approach between the two end plates into a corresponding radial movement of the lateral bars away from the reference axis (X), and vice-versa.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a welding system that is configured to execute opposed, step, and parallel gap resistance spot welds (RSW) and associated methods. The system may be configured to switch bases to switch between an opposed weld configuration, a step weld configuration, and a parallel gap configuration. The system may include an accelerometer that is secured to the weld head adjacent one of the electrodes. The system may use the accelerometer to determine whether or not an RSW was defective. Acceleration data may indicate a defective weld when it includes acceleration data that is outside of a threshold range of acceptable acceleration data.

An impact sensor for a vehicle. The impact sensor includes at least one strain-sensitive sensor element which comprises a sensor material, and at least two terminals, between which the sensor material is electrically connected. The sensor material is a metal-containing carbon material.

A composite sensor includes an angular-velocity detection element that outputs a sense signal according to an angular velocity applied thereto, a sense circuit that outputs, based on the sense signal, an angular velocity signal indicating the angular velocity, an acceleration detection element that outputs an signal according to acceleration applied thereto, an acceleration detection circuit that outputs, based on the signal output from the acceleration detection element, an acceleration signal indicating the acceleration, a bandpass filter to which the acceleration signal is input, an amplitude determination circuit that determines, based on an amplitude of a first signal output from the bandpass filter, whether or not the angular velocity signal is invalid, and a timing control circuit that outputs a sensor output signal including the angular velocity signal and the acceleration signal.