Abstract: A motion sensing means including a sensor head having a pair of magnetoresistive elements spaced apart less than one-half and preferably one-quarter of the wavelength of a cyclically varying characteristic of a body which is to have its motion sensed, processing means for deriving a sum signal and a difference signal from the sensing elements, and output means which receives the sum and difference signals and produces signals indicative of the direction of motion, velocity and relative position of the sensed body.