ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

ROBOTICS
Third Generation
ROBOT a sophisticated machine or a set of machines
Two major avenues are developing for advanced
working, that performs certain tasks.
robot technology. These are the autonomous
ANDROID a technical name for humanoid robot.
robot and the insect robot.
An autonomous robot can work on its own but
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
there are some situations in which autonomous
It is a general term that implies the use of a computer
robots dont work well.
to model and/or replicate intelligent behavior.
A good example of this type is the personal
It is the intelligence exhibited by a machine and is
robot about which technophiles dream.
also called electronic brain.
Fourth Generation and Beyond
Fourthgeneration robot is a machine of a sort
ISAAC ASIMOV
yet to be deployed.
A famous author who first mentioned the word
Fifthgeneration robot is something humans
robotics, along with the three fundamental rules
havent yet dreamed of or, if someone has
that all robots ought to obey.
thought up such a thing, he or she has not
published the brainstorm.
ISAAC ASIMOVS THREE LAW OF ROBOTICS
1. A robot must not injure or allow the injury of, any
RODNEY BROOKS
human being.
He is an Australian roboticist and engineer.
2. A robot must obey all orders from humans, except
He is a Panasonic Professor of Robotics at the
orders that will contradict the First Law.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
3. A robot must protect itself, except when to do so
He is well known for his work with insect robots.
would contradict the First or the Second Law.
INSECT ROBOTS
ROBOTS GENERATION
It operates in large numbers under the control of a
First Generation
central AI system.
According to Eiji Nakano, a first generation robot
It has several legs a set of wheels or a track drive.
is a simple mechanical arm without AI.
The first machines of this type looked like beetles.
Such machines have the ability to make precise
They ranged in size from more than a foot to less
motions at high speed, many times, for a long
than a millimeter across.
time.
Autonomous Intelligence
These are the fast-moving systems that install
Its like an Artificial Intelligence (AI).
rivets and screws in assembly lines, that solder
Which observe through sensors and acts upon an
connections on printed circuits, and that, in
environment using actuators and directs its
general, have taken over tedious, mind-numbing
activity towards achieving goals.
chores that used to be done by humans.
Collective Intelligence
First-generation robots can work in groups if
It is shared or group intelligence that emerges
their actions are synchronized.
from the collaboration, collectives efforts and
Second Generation
competition of many individuals and appears in
A second-generation robot has some level of AI.
consensus decision making.
A computer called a robot controller processes
It is also form of networking enabled by the rise
the data from the sensors and adjusts the
of communications technology, which has
operation of the robot accordingly.
enabled interactivity and users generating their
Second-generation robots can stay synchronized
own content.
with each other, without having to be overseen
Applications
constantly by a human operator; 1980
Can clean floors and countertops
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

A robot arm with articulated geometry bears some
resemblance to the arm of a human.
The versatility is defined in terms of the number of
degrees of freedom.

AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS
It is self-contained.
It houses its own computer.
It does not depend on a central computer for its
command.
Its gets around under its own power.

Squares represent robots, and dots represent

controllers. Straight lines represent possible
communication paths. At A, an insect robot fleet; at B, a
set of autonomous robots.
ANDROIDS
It is a robot that takes a more or less like human
form.
It propels itself by rolling on small wheel in its base.
It has a rotatable head equipped with position
sensors.
It has binocular vision.
Its speech recognition and synthesis are common.
ROBOTIC ARMS
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
The term degrees of freedom refer to the number of
different ways in which a robot manipulator can
move.
Up-and-down movement is called pitch.
Movement to the right and left is called yaw.
Rotation around the front-to-back is called roll.
DEGREES OF ROTATION
This refers to the extent to which a robot joint, or a
set of robot joints, can turn clockwise or
counterclockwise about a prescribed axis.
Some reference point is always used, and the angles
are given in degrees with respect to that joint.
ARTICULATED GEOMETRY
The word articulated means broken into sections by
joints.

CARTESIAN COORDINATE GEOMETRY

This term comes from the
Cartesian system often used for
graphing mathematical functions.
The
axes
are
always
perpendicular to each other.
The dimensions are called reach
for the x variable, elevation for the
y variable, and depth for the z variable.
CYLINDRICAL COORDINATE GEOMETRY
A robot arm can be guided by
means of a plane polar coordinate
system with an elevation
dimension added.
In the cylindrical system, a
reference plane is used.
In the reference plane, the
position of any point can be specified in terms of
reach x, elevation y, and rotation z, the angle that the
reach arm subtends relative to the reference axis.
REVOLUTE GEOMETRY

The whole arm can

rotate through a full circle (360
degrees) at the base point, or
shoulder.

A 180-degree-elevation
revolute arm can be designed
that will reach any point within a
fully defined sphere, with the
exception of the small obstructed region around the
base.
ROBOTIC HEARING AND VISION
BINAURAL HEARING
Robots can be equipped with binaural hearing. Two
sound transducers are positioned, one on either side
of the robots head. A microprocessor compares the
relative phase and intensity of signals from the two
transducers. This lets the robot determine, within
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

certain limitations, the direction from which sound is
RESOLUTION AND SENSITIVITY
coming.
Resolution is the extent to which a machine can
If the robot is confused, it can turn until the confusion
differentiate between objects.
is eliminated and a meaningful bearing is obtained. If
The better the resolution, the keener the vision.
the robot can move around and take bearings from
Human eyes have excellent resolution, but machines
more than one position, a more accurate
can be designed with greater resolution. In general,
determination of the source location is possible if the
the better the resolution, the more confined the field
source is not too far away.
of vision must be.
Sensitivity is the ability of a machine to see in dim
HEARING AND AI
light or to detect weak impulses at invisible
It is possible for a robot to determine the nature of a
wavelengths. In some environments, high sensitivity
sound source, as well as where it comes from.
is necessary. In others, it is not needed and might not
A human voice produces one sort of waveform, a
be wanted.
clarinet produces another, a growling bear produces
Sensitivity and resolution are interdependent. If all
another, and shattering glass produces yet another.
other factors remain constant, improved sensitivity
Thousands of different waveforms can be stored by
causes a sacrifice in resolution.
a robot controller and incoming sounds compared
with this repertoire.
INVISIBLE AND PASSIVE VISION
An advanced robot can identify a person by analyzing
Robots have a big advantage over people when it
the waveform of his or her voice.
comes to vision. Machines can see at wavelengths to
The machine can even decipher commonly spoken
which humans are blind.
words. This allows a robot to recognize a voice as
Human eyes are sensitive to electromagnetic waves
yours or that of some unknown person and react
whose length ranges from 390 to 750 nm.
accordingly.
Machines, and even nonhuman living species, often
do not see in this exact same range of wavelengths.
VISIBLELIGTH VISION
A robot might be designed to see IR or UV or both, as
A visible-light robotic vision system must have a
well as (or instead of) visible light. Video cameras can
device for receiving incoming images. This is usually
be sensitive to a range of wavelengths much wider
a charge-coupled device (CCD) video camera, similar
than the range we see.
to the type used in home video cameras.
Robots can be made to see in an environment that
The camera receives an analog video signal. This is
is dark and cold and that radiates too little energy to
processed into digital form by an analog-to-digital
be detected at any electromagnetic wavelength.
converter (ADC). The digital signal is clarified by
In these cases, the robot provides its own
digital signal processing (DSP). The resulting data
illumination. This can be a simple lamp, a laser, an IR
goes to the robot controller. The moving image,
device, or a UV device. Or the robot might emanate
received from the camera and processed by the
radio waves and detect the echoes; this is radar.
circuitry, contains an enormous amount of
Some robots can navigate via ultrasonic echoes, like
information.
bats; this is sonar.
It is important for a police robot or a security robot
to know what constitutes a threat and what does
BINOCULAR VISION
not. In some robot applications, it isnt necessary for
Binocular machine vision is the analog of binocular
the robot to know much about whats happening.
human vision. It is sometimes called stereo vision.
Simple object recognition is good enough. Industrial
In humans, binocular vision allows perception of
robots are programmed to look for certain things,
depth. With only one eye, that is, with monocular
and usually they arent hard to identify.
vision, you can infer depth to a limited extent on the
basis of perspective.
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

COLOR SENSING
Two-dimensional (2-D) range plotting involves
Robot vision systems often function only in gray
mapping the distance to various objects, as a
scale, like old-fashioned 1950s television. But color
function of their direction.
sensing can be added, in a manner similar to the way
Three-dimensional (3-D) range plotting is done in
it is added to television systems.
spherical coordinates: azimuth (compass bearing),
Color sensing can help a robot with AI tell what an
elevation (degrees above the horizontal), and range
object is. Sometimes, objects have regions of
(distance). The distance must be measured for a
different colors that have identical brightness as
large number of directions preferably at least
seen by a gray-scale system; these objects,
several thousandat all orientations.
obviously, can be seen in more detail with a colorEpipolar Navigation is a means by which a machine
sensing system than with a vision system that sees
can locate objects in three-dimensional space. It can also
only shades of gray.
navigate, and figure out its own position and path.
In a typical color-sensing vision system, three grayscale cameras are used. Each camera has a color
TELEPRESENCE
filter in its lens. One filter is red, another is green, and
Telepresence is a refined, advanced form of robot
another is blue.
remote control.
These are primary colors. All possible hues, levels of
The robot operator gets a sense of being on
brightness, and levels of saturation are made up of
location, even if the remotely controlled machine,
these three colors in various ratios. The signals from
or telechir, and the operator are miles apart. Control
the three cameras are processed by a
and feedback are done by means of telemetry sent
microcomputer, and the result is fed to the robot
over wires, optical fibers, or radio.
controller.
Telepresence combines remote monitoring and
control, giving the operator the feeling of being
ROBOTIC NAVIGATION
onsite at a distant location.
A clinometer is a device for measuring the steepness
Applications
of a sloping surface.
Working in extreme heat or cold
The term edge detection refers to the ability of a
Working under high pressure, such as on the sea
robotic vision system to locate boundaries. It also refers
floor
to the robots knowledge of what to do with respect to
Working in a vacuum, such as in space
those boundaries. In edge detection, a robot uses visual
Working where there is dangerous radiation
boundaries to facilitate navigation. This is what the
Disarming bombs
controller might see in a robot car driving down the
Handling toxic substances
center line of a highway.
Police robotics
An embedded path is a means of guiding a robot
Robot soldier
along a specific route. This scheme is commonly used by
Neurosurgery
a mobile robot called an Automated Guided Vehicle
(AGV).
Range Sensing is the measurement of distances to
objects in a robots environment in a single dimension.
Range Plotting is the creation of a graph of the
distance (range) to objects, as a function of the direction
in two or three dimensions.
For one-dimensional (1-D) range sensing, a signal is
sent out, and the robot measures the time it takes
for the echo to come back. One-dimensional range
sensing is known as proximity sensing.
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

SENSORS
OUTPUT is generally a signal that is converted to
human-readable display at the sensor location or
Sensor a device that measures a physical quantity and
transmitted electronically over a network for reading
converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer
or further processing.
or by an instrument.
ANATOMY OF SENSOR ELEMENT
HISTORY OF SENSORS
1883 first thermostat (first modern man made sensor.
1940 infrared sensors
QUALITY OF SENSORS
Sensors should be sensitive to the measured
property.
Sensors should be insensitive to any other property
likely to be encountered while measurement.
Sensors should not influence the measured property.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SENSORS
ACTIVE vs PASSIVE
Active Sensor: It requires an external power for their
operation, which is called an excitation signal. That
signal is modified by the sensor into the output
signal.
Passive Sensor: It does not need any additional
energy source and directly generates an electric
signal in response to an external stimulus. That is, the
input stimulus energy is converted by a sensor into
the output signal.
ANALOG vs DIGITAL
Analog: The signal produced by the sensor is
continuous.
Digital: The signal produced or reflected by the
sensor is binary.
NULL and DEFLECTIVE METHODS
Null: The signal produced by the sensor is
counteracted to minimize the deflection. That
opposing effect necessary to maintain a zero
deflection should be proportional to the signal of the
measured variable.
Deflective: The signal produces some physical
(deflection) effect closely related to the measured
quantity and transduced to be observable.
INPUT OUTPUT CONFIGURATION
INPUT could be light, heat, motion, moisture,
pressure, or any one of a great number of other
environmental phenomena.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF SENSORS

Sensor Element
The fundamental transduction mechanism (e.g.,
a material) that converts one form of energy into
another. Some sensors may incorporate more than
one sensor element (e.g., a compound sensor).
Sensor
A sensor element including its physical packaging
and external connections (e.g., electrical or optical).
Sensor System
A sensor and its assorted signal processing
hardware (analog or digital) with the processing
either in or on the same package or discrete from the
sensor itself.
TYPES OF SENSORS
ACOUSTIC SOUND, VIBRATION
Geophone
It is a device that converts ground movement
(velocity) into voltage, which may be recorded at a
recording station.
The deviation of this measured voltage from the
base line is called the seismic response and is
analyzed for structure of the earth.
Hydrophone
It is a microphone designed to be used
underwater for recording or listening to underwater
sound. Most hydrophones are based on a
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

piezoelectric transducer that generates electricity
Commercial security devices issue a signal to a
when subjected to a pressure change.
fire alarm control panel as part of a fire alarm
Lace Sensor
system, while household smoke detectors, also
It is a guitar pickup designed by Don Lace and
known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local
manufactured by AGI (Actodyne General
audible or visual alarm from the detector itself.
International) since 1985. Lace Sensors are true
Breath Analyzer
single-coil pickups; however, internally, they are
It is a device for estimating blood alcohol content
different from classic single coils.
(BAC) from a breath sample.
Microphone (mic or mike)
When the user exhales into a breath analyzer,
It is a transducer that converts sound into an
any ethanol present in their breath is oxidized to
electrical signal.
acetic acid at the anode and reduced atmospheric
APPLICATIONS: Telephone, Hearing Aids, Public
oxygen at the cathode.
Address Systems, Two way Radios, Megaphones,
Carbon Dioxide Sensor
Radio and TV Broadcasting, Speech Recognition,
It is an instrument for the measurement of
VoIP
carbon dioxide gas. The most common principles for
CO2 sensors are infrared gas sensors (NDIR) and
Automation, Transportation
chemical gas sensors.
Speedometer
Carbon Monoxide Sensor
A speedometer or a speed meter is a gauge that
It is a device that detects the presence of the
measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a
carbon monoxide (CO) gas in order to prevent carbon
vehicle.
monoxide poisoning. In the late 1990s Underwriters
Parking Sensors
Laboratories (UL) changed their definition of a single
These are proximity sensors for road vehicles
station carbon monoxide detector with a sound
designed to alert the driver to obstacles while
device in it to a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm.
parking.
Torque Sensor
ELECTRIC
CURRENT,
ELECTRICAL
POTENTIAL,
It is a device for measuring and recording the
MAGNETIC RADIO
torque on a rotating system, such as an engine,
Current Sensor
crankshaft, gearbox, transmission, rotor, a bicycle
A current sensor is a device that detects electric
crank or cap torque tester.
current (AC or DC) in a wire, and generates a signal
Water in Fuel Sensor
proportional to it.
It indicates the presence of water in the fuel. It is
Metal Detector
installed in the fuel filter and when the water level in
A metal detector is an electronic instrument
the water separator reaches the warning level, it
which detects the presence of metal nearby.
sends an electrical signal to the ECU or to dashboard
Metal detectors are useful for finding metal
(lamp).
inclusions hidden within objects, or metal objects
Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
buried underground.
It is an electronic system designed to monitor
the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on various
FLOW AND FLUID VELOCITY
types of vehicles.
Gas Meter
A gas meter is a specialized flow meter, used to
CHEMICAL
measure the volume of the fuel gases, such as
Smoke Detector
natural gas and propane.
It is a device that senses smoke, typically as an
Water Meter
indicator of fire.
Water meters are used to measure the volume
of water used by residential and commercial
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

building that are supplied with water by a public
A device that measures the absorbance of
water supply system.
particular wavelengths of light by a specific solution.
The essential parts of a colorimeter are:
IONIZING RADIATION, SUBATOMIC PARTICLES
a light source (often an ordinary low-voltage
Cloud Chamber
filament lamp)
Charles Thomson Rees Wilson
an adjustable aperture
The cloud chamber, also known as the Wilson
a set of colored filters
chamber, is a particle detector used for detecting
a cuvette to hold the working solution
ionizing radiation.
a detector (usually a photoresistor) to measure
When a charged particle (for example, an alpha
the transmitted light
or beta particle) interacts with the mixture, the fluid
a meter to display the output from the detector
is ionized.
In addition, there may be:
Scintillation Counter
a voltage regulator, to protect the instrument
A scintillation counter is an instrument for
from fluctuations in mains voltage.
detecting and measuring ionizing radiation by using
a second light path, cuvette and detector. This
the excitation effect of incident radiation on a
enables comparison between the working
scintillator material, resultant light and detecting the
solution and a "blank", consisting of pure
pulses.
solvent, to improve accuracy.
Thermopile Sensors
NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS
Thermopile sensors measure the radiation
Gyroscope
power of a laser beam.
A gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disc in which
The usability of thermopile sensors strongly
the axis of rotation is free to assume any orientation
depends on these two characteristics:
by itself.
Absorption Coating
When rotating, the orientation of this axis is
Arrangement of Thermocouples
unaffected by tilting or rotation of the mounting,
Scintillometer
according to the conservation of angular
A scintillometer is a scientific device used to
momentum.
measure small fluctuations of the refractive index of
Yaw-Rate Sensor
air caused by variations in temperature, humidity,
A yaw-rate sensor is a gyroscopic device that
and pressure.
measures a vehicles angular velocity around its
Shack-Hartman
vertical axis.
It is an optical instrument used for characterizing
an imaging system.
POSITION, ANGLE, DISPLACEMENT, DISTANCE, SPEED,
AND ACCELERATION
PRESSURE
Odometer
McLeod Gauge
An odometer or odograph is an instrument that
It is a scientific instrument used to measure very
indicates distance travelled by a vehicle, such as a
low pressures, down to 106 Torr. It was invented in
bicycle or automobile.
1874 by Herbert McLeod (18411923).
Inclinometer
Pirani Gauge
A clinometer or inclinometer is an instrument for
It is a robust thermal conductivity gauge used for
measuring angles of slope (or tilt), elevation or
the measurement of the pressures in vacuum
depression of an object with respect to gravity.
systems. It was invented in 1906 by Marcello Pirani.
Vacuum measurement is usually taken in three
OPTICAL, LIGHT, IMAGING, PHOTON
ways:
Colorimeter
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

It is a device for measuring relatively high
When the pressure changes, there will be a
temperatures, such as are encountered in furnaces.
change in current. For this, the voltage V has to
TYPES:
Optical
Pyrometers,
Resistance
be kept constant.
Pyrometers, and Thermocouple Pyrometers
The resistance R2 of the gauge is measured, by
PROXIMITY, PRESENCE
keeping the gauge current constant.
Doppler Radar
The null balance of the bridge circuit is
It is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler
maintained by adjusting the voltage or current.
effect to produce velocity data about objects at a
This change is made with the help of a
distance.
potentiometer and the change brought will be a
Stud Finder
measure of the pressure produced.
It is a handheld device used to locate framing
Tactile Pressure Sensor
studs located behind the final walling surface, usually
It is a device that is used to detect the pressure
drywall,
distribution between a sensor and a target.
A wall stud is a vertical framing member in a
building's wall of smaller cross section than a post.
FORCE, DENSITY
They are a fundamental element in building framing.
Hydrometer

It is an instrument that measures the specific

gravity (relative density) of liquidsthe ratio of the
density of the liquid to the density of water.
Operation of the hydrometer is based on
Archimedes' principle that a solid suspended in a
fluid is buoyed by a force equal to the weight of the
fluid displaced by the submerged part of the
suspended solid. Thus, the lower the density of the
substance, the farther the hydrometer sinks. Thus, it
is based on the principle of floatation.
Torque Sensors
It is a device for measuring and recording the
torque on a rotating system, such as an engine,
crankshaft, gearbox, transmission, rotor, a bicycle
crank or cap torque tester.
Commonly, torque sensors or torque
transducers use strain gauges applied to a rotating
shaft or axle.

Thermal, Heat, Temperature

Bolometer
It is a highly sensitive instrument used for
detecting heat or electromagnetic radiation.
Golay Cell
It is a type of opto-acoustic detector mainly used
for infrared spectroscopy.
Pyrometer
It is a type of remote-sensing thermometer used
to measure the temperature of a surface.

TRANSDUCERS AND SENSORS

Transducers converts one form of energy to another
form of energy.
WAVE TRANSDUCERS
Dynamic Transducers
A dynamic transducer is a coil-and-magnet
device that translates mechanical vibration into
varying electrical current, and can also do the
reverse. (microphone, speaker)
OPERATION: Sound waves cause the diaphragm
to move; this moves the coil, which causes
fluctuations in the magnetic field within the coil. The
result is AC output from the coil, having the same
waveform as the sound waves that strike the
diaphragm.
Electrostatic Transducers
An electrostatic transducer takes advantage of
the forces produced by electric fields. Two metal
plates, one flexible and the other rigid, are placed
parallel to each other and close together.
It has two modes of operation:
electrostatic pickup and
electrostatic emitter
Piezoelectric Transducer
OPERATION: When sound waves strike one or
both of the plates, the metal vibrates. This vibration
is transferred to the crystal. The crystal generates

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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

weak electric currents. Therefore, an ac voltage
OPERATION: The user places an index finger on the
develops.
plate and moves the finger around. This results in
Transducer for Radio Frequency
intuitive movement of the display cursor.
The term radio-frequency (RF) transducer is a
Electric Motor
fancy name for an antenna.
OPERATION: An electric motor converts electrical
TWO BASIC TYPES OF ANTENNAL: receiving
energy into angular and in some cases linear
antenna and transmitting antenna
mechanical energy.
Antenna
Stepper Motor
An antenna is a metallic conductor system
OPERATION: A stepper motor turns in small
capable of radiating and capturing electromagnetic
increments, rather than continuously.
energy.
SELSYN
Infrared Emitting Diode
OPERATION: As the shaft of the transmitting unit
OPERATION: When a fluctuating DC is applied to
rotates, the shaft of the receiving unit follows along
the device, causing it to emit IR rays.
exactly. Each interruption causes the frequency to
change by a specific increment.
DISPLACEMENT TRANSDUCERS
As the shaft of the transmitting unit rotates, the
A displacement transducer measures a distance or
shaft of the receiving unit follows along exactly. Each
angle traversed, or the distance or angle separating two
interruption causes the frequency to change by a
points. Conversely, it can convert a signal into movement
specific increment.
over a certain distance or angle.
Electric Generator
Two Types of Displacement Transducers:
OPERATION: A typical generator produces electrical
energy from the mechanical energy.
the linear displacement transducer
Optical Encoder
the angular displacement transducer
OPERATION: As the tuning knob is rotated, the light
Joystick
beams are interrupted causing frequency to change
OPERATION: The lever can be moved by hand up and
by a specific increment.
down and to the right and left. In some joysticks, the
As the tuning knob is rotated, the light beams are
lever can be rotated, allowing control in a third
interrupted causing frequency to change by a
dimension.
specific increment. Optical Encoder by GURLEY
Mouse

OPERATION: By sliding the mouse around on a flat

surface, a cursor or arrow is positioned on the
display. Pushbutton switches on the top of the unit
actuate the computer to perform whatever function
the cursor or arrow shows.
Trackball
OPERATION: The user moves a ball bearing, causing
the display cursor to move vertically and
horizontally.
Eraser Head Pointer
OPERATION: The user moves the cursor on the
display by pushing against the button. Clicking and
double clicking are done with button switches on the
keyboard.
Touch Pad

DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT

A sensor employs one or more transducers to detect
and/or measure phenomena such as temperature,
humidity, barometric pressure, texture, proximity, and
the presence of certain substances.
Capacitive Pressure Sensor
OPERATION: When force is applied, the spacing
between the plates decreases, causing the
capacitance to increase and the oscillator frequency
to go down.
Ceramic Capacitive Pressure Sensor
High resistance to corrosion and abrasions
High sensitivity at very low pressure
High burst pressure
High immunity to disturbances
Elastomers
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ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

OPERATION: An elastomer pressure sensor detects
Skin Patch: Temperature Sensor
applied force without unwanted capacitive effects.
Blood Monitoring Sensor
Thermoplastic Elastomers
Heartbeat Sensor
Back Pressure Sensor
Safety & Security: Crash Sensor
OPERATION: A back-pressure sensor detects and
Flame Sensor
measures the torque that the motor is applying at
Motion Sensor
any given time.
Manufacturing Industry
AEM Exhaust Back Pressure Sensor
Temperature Sensor
Capacitive Proximity Sensor
Temperature is one of the most important
A capacitive proximity sensor can detect nearby
parameters to be controlled in almost all industrial
conducting or semiconducting objects.
plants since it directly affects material properties and
Photoelectric Proximity Sensor
thus product quality.
Modulation of the light beam allows the device
APPLICATIONS:
to distinguish between sensor generated light and
1. Fire/heat detectors
background illumination.
2. Water temperature control systems
Integrated Ambient Light and Proximity Sensor
3. Etching
FEATURES:
4. Ion implantation
5. Chemical Vapor Deposition
Reliable detection of objects regardless of color
Fluid Sensor
or surface qualities
APPLICATIONS:
Background suppression provides a high level of
1. detection of gas plugs in production wells in
precision and repeatability
the oil industry
Highly visible light spot simplifies alignment
2. detection of fermenters and distillers in the
M3 mounting holes ensure quick installation
blood-processing
and
pharmaceutical
Texture Sensor
industries
3. monitoring storage tanks in a petroleum
plant
4. on-line measuring and monitoring of toxic
chemicals
Displacement Sensor
APPLICATIONS:
1. Stacking Height Measurement
OPERATION: In texture sensing, lasers (L) and
2. Jam Detection
sensors (S) analyze a shiny surface (at A) and a matte
3. Batch Counting
surface (at B). Solid lines represent incident light;
Pressure Sensor
dashed lines represent reflected light.
APPLICATIONS:
1. Equipment leak detection
SENSOR APPLICATIONS
2. Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems
Education: Pressure Sensor
3. air blades
Proximity Sensor
4. compressed air pressure monitoring
Temperature Sensor
5. industrial flow monitoring
Health
6. filter pressure monitoring
Prosthetics: Joint Temperature Sensor
7. duct air flow, gas detection
Contact Sensor
8. pneumatic control
Torque Sensor
9. industrial degassers
Accelerometer
10. pick and place applications in PCB
Position Sensor
Engr. Mitzi Rose M. Villegas <3

ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

ADVANTAGES OF USING SENSOR
A Sensor Network may require a lot of additional
Data Gathering
wiring to be installed around to allow sensors to
Gathering data is the common feature of
work - unless the sensors used are wireless.
practical work in a school science laboratory. Sensor
Using wireless makes sensor devices much more
technology can enhance this process in many ways.
expensive. Retrofitting an existing home rather than
The data gathered is converted to a digital form and
a new build could cause a lot of upheaval for the
is processed at high speed. The data is and however
period of the installation.
subsequently retrieved processed whenever and we
want.
WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS (WSN)
Data-Logging
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)
This technology can offer greater speed and
It is a large number of sensor nodes that is spread
endurance. Therefore, there is great potential for its
over a large field
use in science experiments. By automating the
process of taking measurements, it can reduce the
Nodes
amount of tedious repetitive tasks and increase
Each sensor network nodes had typically several
efficiency.
parts including:
Alternatively, sensor technology can display
Radio Transceiver w/ Internal/External Antenna
graphs of data in "real time", the graph is
Microcontroller
constructed as the data is being collected, and the
An Electronic Circuit w/ the Sensor
graph is then modified on the screen as the data is
Energy Source
processed.
It enables a shift of emphasis from the gathering
The Gateway Sensor Node provides wireless
of data to the analysis and interpretation of the data.
connectivity back to the wired world and distributed
It enables students to repeat experiments
nodes. It will be the last receiver of the signal sent from
several times due to the speed at which data is
the sensors and it is wired to the main computer for the
collected.
representation of data.
It allows data to be collected over lengthy
periods or to capture events that happen too quickly
Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN):
to be easily measured using conventional
Area monitoring
equipment.
Health care monitoring
It promotes collaborative learning.
Environmental/Earth sensing
It allows to measure more accurately and display
Air pollution monitoring
results in a more "professional" manner, whether as
Forest fire detection
charts, graphs or tables.
Landslide detection
Price and Availability
Water quality monitoring
The price and availability of sensors in common
Natural disaster prevention
electronic shops depends on its use and availability.
Industrial monitoring
The cheapest kind of sensor available in the
Water/waste water monitoring
market is the photo-resistor starting at the prize of
Structural health monitoring
10PhP.
DISADVANTAGES OF USING SENSOR
In terms of security systems, users need to decide
carefully if they wish to be monitored 24 hours a day
by a computer system.

Advantages of Wireless Sensor Networks:

1. It avoids a lot of wiring.
2. It can accommodate new devices at any time.
3. Its flexible to go through physical partitions.
4. It can be accessed through a centralized monitor.
5. It helps in monitoring area that is difficult to access.
Engr. Mitzi Rose M. Villegas <3

ELECTIVE 5 ROBOTICS and SENSORS

6. It covers larger space, distance, height, or in depth.
Sensor Swarms
coordinate their activities, deciding what to measure
Disadvantages of Wireless Sensor Networks:
and where through a self-learning system directing
1. It has complexity of logistics involving selective
their movements and data collection
replacement of sensors that have ran out of energy.
2. Wireless sensors have lower speed compared to wired
Smart Dust
network.
monitor situations ranging from:
3. It is less secured because a hacker's computer can act
battlefield activities
as an Access Point.
structural strength of buildings
4. It is more complex to configure than wired network.
clogged arteries
5. It is easily affected by surrounding.
6. It gets distracted by various elements like Blue-tooth.
7. It is costly.
8. It does not make sensing quantities in buildings easier.
9. It does not reduce costs for installation of sensors.
10. It is comparatively low speed of communication.

FUTURE SENSORS
The 'Unobservable' Sensing
Biohazards
Smells
Material stresses
Pathogens
Level of corrosion
Chemicals in material
Micro-Sensor
track the healing process for internal injuries
enable health care professionals to take remedial
action based on continual data from the system.
Biodegradable Sensors
Measures chemical/moisture content of soil
Biodegradable sensors decompose over time
Sensors are passive
Small, similar in size to the seed
Information is read wirelessly in real-time
Self-powered Sensors
powered using the heat difference between the
patients body and surrounding air
Self-healing Sensors
repair themselves
Live Cell-based Sensing
Allow the scientist to study the biological effect of:
medicines
environment
biohazards

Engr. Mitzi Rose M. Villegas <3