Patents Assigned to Sarcos Incorporated
  • Patent number: 4767973
    Abstract: Sensor systems and methods for detecting the position and/or movement of an object in multiple degrees of freedom. The sensor system of the present invention comprises at least one field-effect transistor (FET), the geometrical configuration of the FET being selected so as to provide the desired sensitivity. The FET is preferably provided with a conductive gate adjacent to but insulated from the channel region of the FET. An object whose position and/or movement is to be detected is prepared such that an electric field emanates from the object.The FET is brought into the vicinity of the object, and the electric field emanating from the object interacts with the gate and/or channel region of the FET so as to modify the magnitude of the electrical current flowing through the channel region. The current through the channel region is detected and is used to obtain information about the position and movement of the object relative to the channel region of the FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1988
    Assignee: Sarcos Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, Richard P. Phillips, John E. Wood