Abstract: A pressure sensor that includes a piezoelectric film having a first main surface and a second main surface, a first electrode on the first main surface of the piezoelectric film, and a second electrode on the second main surface of the piezoelectric film. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is formed of a material having an elastic modulus of 60 GPa or more, and the product of a thickness of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode in a stacking direction of the pressure sensor multiplied by an elastic modulus of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is 4 MPa·m or more.

Abstract: A sensor unit to be incorporated in a skin-like layer of machines such as robots employs a set of sensor electrodes supported in a first deformable sheet and a base electrode supported in a second deformable sheet, each of the sensor electrodes partially overlapping the base electrode so that application of a shear force causes the overlap of the electrodes to differentially change modifying the capacitance of the electrodes and permitting the detection of the shear force.

Abstract: MEMS force sensors for providing temperature coefficient of offset (TCO) compensation are described herein. An example MEMS force sensor can include a TCO compensation layer to minimize the TCO of the force sensor. The bottom side of the force sensor can be electrically and mechanically mounted on a package substrate while the TCO compensation layer is disposed on the top side of the sensor. It is shown the TCO can be reduced to zero with the appropriate combination of Young's modulus, thickness, and/or thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) of the TCO compensation layer.

Abstract: An etching method for forming a vertical structure is provided. The etching method may include: positioning a mask on a substrate, wherein the mask includes an opening pattern and a compensation pattern, and the compensation pattern is disposed at a corner of two adjacent sides of the opening pattern and includes a concave compensation pattern that is indented from one of the two adjacent sides; and forming the vertical structure on the substrate through the opening pattern of the mask by a dry etching process.

Abstract: A sensor includes a sensor electrode layer including a capacitive sensing unit, a first reference electrode layer provided to face a first surface of the sensor electrode layer, and a first elastic layer that is provided between the first reference electrode layer and the sensor electrode layer, and is configured to be elastically deformed by shear force added in an in-plane direction. At least one of the first reference electrode layer or the first elastic layer includes a first probe portion that is displaced in an in-plane direction in accordance with elastic deformation of the first elastic layer, and changes an electrostatic capacitance of the sensing unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vibrating wire sensor (20, 30, 40 and 50) having a vibrating wire (21, 31, 41 and 51), which is tensioned accordingly differently under measurement conditions of a current factor to be detected, and having an exciter arrangement for exciting the vibrating wire (21, 31, 41 and 51) in the range of the respective natural frequency thereof, wherein the exciter arrangement has at least one exciter layer (22, 32, 42 and 52) provided on a longitudinal portion of the vibrating wire (21, 31, 41 and 51), having a piezoelectric activation layer (33, 46 and 54), which has a different length depending on the activation state, and thus creates a correspondingly different vibration position of the vibrating wire (21, 31, 41 and 51). A vibrating wire sensor can thus be designed to be more robust, wherein the power consumption is additionally considerably less. The invention further relates to a vibrating wire having an exciter layer (22, 32, 42 and 52), which has a piezoelectric activation layer.

Abstract: A pressure/force sensor comprises a diaphragm structure including a sensing element and a lead structure extending from the diaphragm structure and including first and second traces electrically coupled to the sensing element. The diaphragm structure and the lead structure include a circuit assembly comprising a common insulating layer and a common conductor layer on the insulating layer. The conductor layer includes at least a portion of the sensing element and at least the first trace.

Abstract: A force measuring sensor is provided. The force measuring sensor includes: a wire; a signal generator having one side fixed to one end of the wire; and a signal processor configured to convert and process an analog signal received from the signal generator into a digital signal, in which the wire is configured to penetrate an internal space formed in the signal generator, and the analog signal is generated by a change in thickness of a component of the signal generator caused by a change in tension of the wire.

Abstract: A torque sensor device for detecting a torque applied to a shaft, includes a magnetic arrangement, a stator arrangement and a magnetic sensor arrangement. The magnetic arrangement is configured for generating at least one magnetic field. A magnetic flux can be generated in the stator arrangement. The magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement are movable relative to each other in the circumferential direction. The magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement are arranged relative to each other so that, by a relative movement between the magnetic arrangement and the stator arrangement in the circumferential direction about a center axis of the torque sensor device, a first magnetic flux with a first magnetic flux direction and a second magnetic flux with a second flux direction opposite to the first flux direction can be generated in the stator arrangement.

Abstract: A six-axis Force Torque Transducer (FTT) including a hub and at least one flexural beam disposed on the hub and extending outwardly from the hub. Each of the at least one flexural beams including a U-beam having a substantially U-shaped cross section and at least one beam plate attached to the U-beam at a portion of the U-beam that is remote from the hub. A first strain gauge carrier, including at least one strain gauge, is mounted on an exterior surface of the at least one U-beam. A second strain gauge carrier, including at least one strain gauge, is mounted on an exterior surface of the at least one beam plate. A connection element electrically connects the strain gauges of the first strain gauge carrier and the strain gauges of the second strain gauge carrier in a bridge configuration.

Abstract: A torque detection device includes a first portion, a second portion disposed inside the first portion, and a connecting portion configured to link the first portion and the second portion. The first portion includes a first convex portion that projects toward the second portion. The second portion includes a second convex portion that projects toward the first portion. An inner surface of the first portion and a surface of the first convex portion link to the connecting portion. An outer surface of the second portion and a surface of the second convex portion link to the connecting portion. When torque is applied, the connecting portion deforms, and the first portion and the second portion are displaced relative to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure sensor, forces after one to three directions, normal to the sensor plane and tangential to the sensor plane, as well as torques, the sensor being based on the variation of reactive or mixed impedances when applying normal forces or pressure and/or tangential forces or torques on the sensor structure. The sensor has a structure that includes a closed and watertight space, so that the behavior of the sensor is little or not affected by varying environmental conditions.

Abstract: A method for determining sensor parameters of an actively-driven sensor system may include performing an initialization operation to establish a baseline estimate of the sensor parameters, obtaining as few as three samples of a measured physical quantity versus frequency for the actively-driven sensor system, performing a refinement operation to provide a refined version of the sensor parameters based on the as few as three samples, iteratively repeating the refinement operation until the difference between successive refined versions of the sensor parameters is below a defined threshold, and outputting the refined sensor parameters as updated sensor parameters for the actively-driven sensor system.

Abstract: A steering device includes a steering transmission housing which provides a sensor recording region, a steering sensor unit arranged in the sensor recording region in an installed state, and plug connector unit arranged, in an installed state, in a contacting recess in the steering transmission housing for electrically contacting the steering sensor unit. The connector unit includes a plug unit for connection to the steering sensor unit and a carrier unit coupled to the plug unit at least in a pre-installed state of the connector unit. The steering device has a decoupling unit which is intended to transmit a force exerted during an installation process of the connector unit onto the plug unit and/or the carrier unit in such a way that the connection between the plug unit and the carrier unit is released during the installation process of the connector unit.

Abstract: To reduce a hysteresis error, the invention provides a load measurement method (12) for measuring a load in a test object (14), comprising: a) generating a magnetic field in the test object (14) by means of at least one magnetic field generating coil (Lg) to which a periodically alternating current is applied; b) detecting a magnetic field parameter which changes on the basis of a load in the test object (14), using at least one magnetic field detecting device, in order to generate a magnetic field parameter signal (51) which changes periodically according to the periodically generated magnetic field, characterized by: c) detecting the hysteresis-to-signal ratio of the magnetic field parameter signal (51) over time within one period; and d) disregarding magnetic field parameter signal values from at least one predetermined timespan within each period in which a maximum hysteresis-to-signal ratio occurs.

Abstract: Described herein is a ruggedized microelectromechanical (“MEMS”) force sensor including both piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensing elements and integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (“CMOS”) circuitry on the same chip. The sensor employs piezoresistive strain gauges for static force and piezoelectric strain gauges for dynamic changes in force. Both piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensing elements are electrically connected to integrated circuits provided on the same substrate as the sensing elements. The integrated circuits can be configured to amplify, digitize, calibrate, store, and/or communicate force values electrical terminals to external circuitry.

Abstract: A sensor housing has a receiving recess at one end portion of the sensor housing located at one end of the sensor housing. The one end portion of the sensor housing faces first and second magnetic circuit portions. A circuit board is received in the receiving recess and has an opening, a front-side region and a rear-side region. The front-side region is located on a side of the opening where the one end of the sensor housing is placed. The rear-side region is located on an opposite side of the opening. A main body of a magnetic sensing device overlaps the opening such that terminals projecting from one of a pair of side walls of the main body are located at the front-side region, and terminals projecting from another one of the pair of side walls is located at the rear-side region.

Abstract: A magnetic shield includes a divided portion divided into a plurality of parts before attachment to a sensor device. The divided portion is integrated by bringing the plurality of parts close to or in contact with each other during the attachment to the sensor device. The divided portion in an integrated state includes a first shield portion that surrounds a body of a magnetic flux collecting ring from an outer side in a radial direction, and a second shield portion that surrounds a magnetic flux collecting portion of the magnetic flux collecting ring together with a magnetic sensor to extend outward in the radial direction from the first shield portion.

Abstract: A testing device for detecting a contact pressure of a vehicle side window contacting a window seal arranged on the bodywork. In order to provide a universally applicable testing device that can be used for different vehicle types and models and that allows for reliable determination of the contact pressures, the testing device is designed having a central processing unit comprising a power supply, an evaluation unit and a display unit for showing the determined contact pressure, and having a pressure measuring film that can be removably arranged on the vehicle side window in the region of the window seal and that is connected to the evaluation unit of the central processing unit.

Abstract: A chuck grip accuracy checking method includes a gripping in which the measurement target is gripped on the claws, a moving step, and a measuring step. In the moving step, a movable member provided with a measurement instrument capable of measuring a run-out of the measurement target is moved by driving a movable-member driver to a position at which the measurement instrument can measure a run-out of the measurement target. In the measuring step, a run-out of the measurement target is measured by the measurement instrument, while the chuck is being rotated by driving a rotation driver.