| 摘要 |
A sensor 12 measures the position of one object 11 relative to another 15 using the position of a bend 10 in a flexible element 1 linking the two. The element has an electrical characteristic, which may be resistance or capacitance, which varies according to the bend position. The flexible strip may have a resistivity that varies along is length, for example by varying the cross section of the strip; or a capacitance that varies along its length, for example by varying the thickness of a dielectric. The bend is detected via resistance using a material which increases its resistance when bent, or via capacitance using a pair of conductors which are brought closer by the compression of a dielectric between them. The device may be deployed with the flexible element bent through 180 degrees, or passing over a roller or in a rotatable shaft to measure angular displacement. |
