Abstract: A round robin sensor device for processing sensor data is provided herein. The sensor device includes a multiplexer stage configured to sequentially select sensor outputs from one or more sensors continuously. Continuously and sequentially selecting sensor outputs results in a stream of selected sensor outputs. The sensor device also includes a charge-to-voltage converter operatively coupled to the multiplexer stage and configured to convert a charge from a first sensor of the one or more sensors to a voltage. Further, the sensor device includes a resettable integrator operatively coupled to the charge-to-voltage converter and configured to demodulate and integrate the voltage, resulting in an integrated voltage. Also included in the sensor device is an analog-to-digital converter operatively coupled to the resettable integrator and configured to digitize the integrated voltage to a digital code.

Abstract: A method for identifying head-shaking gestures and nodding gestures by using an accelerometer arrangement of a device that is worn on the head, the accelerometer arrangement providing acceleration signals for three linearly independent directions in space. The method includes the following steps: calculation of a norm of total acceleration with the aid of the acceleration signals provided by the accelerometer arrangement; and identification of head-shaking gestures and nodding gestures using the calculated norm of total acceleration; identification of a head-shaking gesture being performed as a function of a comparison between the calculated norm of total acceleration and a predetermined threshold value; and identification of a nodding gesture being performed as a function of identifying an oscillation of the calculated norm of total acceleration about a predetermined acceleration value.

Abstract: A 1D ultrasonic transducer unit for material detection, comprising a housing having securing device for securing to a surface and having at least three discrete ultrasonic transducers designed to decouple sound waves with a consistent operating frequency between 20 kHz and 400 kHz in a gaseous medium, and a control unit designed to control each ultrasonic transducer individually, wherein two ultrasonic transducers, directly adjacent to one another, are spaced apart by a distance, the 1D ultrasonic transducer unit has a sound channel per ultrasonic transducer with an input opening, associated with exactly one respective ultrasonic transducer, and an output opening, the output openings are arranged along a straight line, a distance from the directly adjacent output opening corresponds at most to the full or half the wavelength in the gaseous medium and is smaller than the corresponding distance.

Abstract: A mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a first acceleration sensor, a second acceleration sensor, and a controller. The first acceleration sensor is configured to produce first acceleration signals and the second acceleration sensor is configured to measure accelerations within the mixer drum to produce second acceleration signals. The controller is configured to receive the first acceleration signals from the first acceleration sensor and second acceleration signals from the second acceleration sensor. The controller is further configured to determine a presence of material within the mixer drum based on the first acceleration signals and the second acceleration signals. The controller is further configured to determine one or more properties of the material within the mixer drum based on the first acceleration signals and the second acceleration signals.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor is provided in which a sensitive color plate is provided between two polarizing plates that are in a crossed Nicol disposition, and a silver nanowire dispersion is disposed between the sensitive color plate and one of the polarizing plates.

Abstract: A sensor device that senses proper acceleration. The sensor device includes a substrate, a spacer layer supported over a first surface of the substrate, at least a first tapered cantilever beam element having a base and a tip, the base attached to the spacer layer, and which is supported over and spaced from the substrate by the spacer layer. The at least first tapered cantilever beam element tapers in width from the base portion to the tip portion. The at least first cantilever beam element further including at least a first layer comprised of a piezoelectric material, a pair of electrically conductive layers disposed on opposing surfaces of the first layer, and a mass supported at the tip portion of the at least first tapered cantilever beam element.

Abstract: A sensor device that senses proper acceleration. The sensor device includes a substrate, a spacer layer supported over a first surface of the substrate, at least a first tapered cantilever beam element having a base and a tip, the base attached to the spacer layer, and which is supported over and spaced from the substrate by the spacer layer. The at least first tapered cantilever beam element tapers in width from the base portion to the tip portion. The at least first cantilever beam element further including at least a first layer comprised of a piezoelectric material, a pair of electrically conductive layers disposed on opposing surfaces of the first layer, and a mass supported at the tip portion of the at least first tapered cantilever beam element.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a substrate, a functional element disposed on a principal plane of the substrate, a lid body, the functional element being housed in a space covered by the lid body and the substrate, the lid body including a recess at a side opposed to the functional element, an outer surface at the opposite side of the recess, a first hole section including an inclined surface and a bottom surface on the outer surface, and a second hole section piercing through the lid body between the recess and the bottom surface and having an inner wall surface, a joining section of the inclined surface and the bottom surface in the first hole section being a curved surface, the lid body containing silicon, and a sealing member that seals the first hole section communicating with the space.

Abstract: A MEMS device includes a first MEMS sensor associated with a first spatial plane and a second MEMS sensor is associated with a spatial second plane not co-planar with the first spatial plane, wherein the first MEMS sensor is configured to provide a first interrupt and a first data in response to a physical perturbation, wherein the second MEMS sensor is configured to provide a second interrupt and second data in response to the physical perturbation, and a controller configured to receive the first interrupt at a first time and the second interrupt at a second time different from the first time, wherein the controller is configured to determine a latency between the first time and the second time, and wherein the controller is configured to determine motion data in response to the first data, to the second data, and to the latency.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor, which is installed on a test device, includes a shell, one end is open, the other end is closed surface; a cover sheet, bonded to the open end of the shell; a copper foil, a lower surface of the copper foil is bonded to an inner bottom surface of the closed surface of the shell; a piezoelectric chip, a lower surface of the piezoelectric chip is bonded to a upper surface of the copper foil, and when the test device vibrates, the piezoelectric chip converts a vibration signal into a voltage response signal; a cable, a positive electrode is welded on a upper surface of the piezoelectric chip, and a negative electrode is welded on the upper surface of the copper foil, configured to connect to an external detection device and transmit the voltage response signal to the external detection device.

Abstract: A vibration element includes a base and a vibrating arm extending from the base. The vibrating arm includes an arm positioned between the base and a weight. A weight film is disposed on the weight. The weight has a first principal surface and a second principal surface in a front and back relationship with respect to a center plane of the arm. A center of gravity of the weight is located between the first principal surface and the center plane of the arm. A center of gravity of the weight film is located between the second principal surface and the center plane of the arm.

Abstract: An inertia detection device includes one set of gyro sensors for detecting an angular velocity of a detection target object along a same direction, the gyro sensors arranged in a same physical quantity range, in which sensor movement is detectable as a same physical quantity. When an abnormality affecting an output signal of one of the gyro sensors is caused, based on an observation that a difference of magnitudes of the output signals from normal and abnormal gyro sensors is different from a difference of magnitudes of the output signals from two normal gyro sensors, such an abnormality of one of the gyro sensors is determinable by a comparison between the output signals, without using an estimated value thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides an acceleration sensor, including a sensing unit, a sensing unit includes a ring-shaped outer coupling unit; seesaw structures, including at least two and arranged on an inner side of the outer coupling unit; an inner coupling unit, including an inner coupling elastic beam connecting two adjacent seesaw structures; proof mass blocks fixed on the outer coupling unit or the inner coupling unit or the seesaw structures; an in-plane coupling elastic member elastically connecting the seesaw structures to the outer coupling unit; in-plane displacement detection devices arranged on the proof mass blocks and configured to detect movements of the proof mass blocks along the first direction and/or along the second direction; and out-of-plane displacement detection devices arranged on the outer coupling unit and/or the seesaw structures and/or the inner coupling unit configured to detect movements of the seesaw structures along the third direction.

Abstract: A motion sensor with sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having improved bias instability is presented herein. Differential outputs of a differential amplifier of the sigma-delta ADC are electrically coupled, via respective capacitances, to differential inputs of the differential amplifier. To minimize bias instability corresponding to flicker noise that has been injected into the differential inputs, the differential inputs are electrically coupled, via respective pairs of electronic switches, to feedback resistances based on a pair of switch control signals. In this regard, a first feedback resistance of the feedback resistances is electrically coupled to a first defined voltage, and a second feedback resistance of the feedback resistances is electrically coupled to a second defined reference voltage.

Abstract: A signal processing unit configured to: cause a first ultrasound emitter, when attached to a wall of a vessel, to emit a first ultrasound test signal; receive, from at least one ultrasound receiver, when attached to the wall of the vessel, the first ultrasound test signal; detect a time of flight of the received first ultrasound test signal; and determine that an acoustic coupling of the first ultrasound emitter and a first ultrasound receiver of the at least one ultrasound receiver to the wall of the vessel is intact if the detected time of flight corresponds to a length of a path in the wall of the vessel from the first ultrasound emitter to the at least one ultrasound receiver.

Abstract: The design invention comprises a geometric configuration of an ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) three dimensional deformation and dynamics sensor capable of sensing any complex deformation, twisting rolling and acceleration measurements by using plated electrodes.

Abstract: An acceleration detection device includes a board including first and second surfaces, an acceleration detector on the first surface of the board, first circuit components on the second surface of the board, a seal including a first sealing portion covering the acceleration detector on the first surface of the board and a second sealing portion covering the first circuit components on the second surface of the board, the second sealing portion including an inner surface facing the board and an outer surface on a side opposite to the inner surface, the seal being made of a resin, and a high-rigidity body extending in a direction in which the outer surface and the second surface of the board are connected to each other within the second sealing portion, the high-rigidity body having higher rigidity than the seal.

Abstract: An optomechanical inertial reference mirror combines an optomechanical resonator with a reflector that serves as an inertial reference for an atom interferometer. The optomechanical resonator is optically monitored to obtain a first inertial measurement of the reflector that features high bandwidth and high dynamic range. The atom interferometer generates a second inertial measurement of the reflector that features high accuracy and stability. The second inertial measurement corrects for drift of the first inertial measurement, thereby resulting in a single inertial measurement of the reflector having high bandwidth, high dynamic range, excellent long-term stability, and high accuracy. The reflector may be bonded to the resonator, or formed directly onto a test mass of the resonator. With a volume of less than one cubic centimeter, the optomechanical inertial reference mirror is particularly advantageous for portable atomic-based sensors and systems.

Abstract: A MEMS gyroscope includes a driven mass that moves in response to a drive force. A drive amplitude sense electrode is included as a feature of the drive mass and extends in a direction perpendicular to the drive direction. A change in capacitance is measured based on the relative location of the drive amplitude sense electrode to a known fixed position, which in turn is used to accurately determine a location of the driven mass.

Abstract: A micromechanical structure, including a substrate, a seismic mass movable with respect to the substrate, and first and second detectors. A first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction define a main extension plane of the substrate. The first and second detectors respectively detect a translatory deflection, and a rotatory deflection. The seismic mass is connected to the substrate via an anchoring element and four torsion spring sections. The first detector include an electrode structure, including first electrodes attached at the seismic mass and second electrodes attached at the substrate. The first and second electrodes have a two-dimensional extension in the second direction and in a third direction perpendicular to the main extension plane. The anchoring element includes first and second sections with a gap between them. A connecting element connects two first electrodes and is guided through the gap.