| 摘要 |
Apparatus and method to measure the characteristics of the substantially periodic motion of a mechanical system. A non-intrusive technique measures such motion by analyzing images of a movable component of the system without requiring a motion sensor built into the system. If the system includes a motion sensor, the present invention can calibrate it. The present invention applies to an object of any length scale if it can be imaged. The amplitude of a component's motion is obtained from a single, time-exposed image while the system is in periodic motion and a reference image made with the component at rest. The technique, implemented as one component of an automated test-bed apparatus, is significantly faster than the prior art. The present invention is especially efficient in characterizing the mechanical performance of MEMS. Speed facilitates both hands-on testing of prototypes and testing in production environments. Results from the present invention applied to a microfabricated resonator are compared with electrical measurements derived from an integrated comb-drive. Benchmark comparisons demonstrate that the present invention delivers comparable results in shorter times with simpler, less expensive apparatus than the prior art. The present invention removes any upper limit on the frequency of motions that can be analyzed.
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