Capacitive Proximity Research Articles

A flexible capacitive proximity-tactile dual-mode sensor based on the biomimetic petal-like electrode

Flexible capacitive proximity-tactile dual-mode sensors not only have good stability, non-contact detection distance and sensitivity, but also can get rid of the limitation of single contact sensing performance. It integrates other functions such as extensibility, tactile perception, etc., forming dual-mode flexible wearable electronic skins with strong adaptability to application scenarios. However, under the premise of fully balancing the manufacturing process and cost, how to effectively and significantly improve the non-contact and contact performance of capacitive flexible proximity sensors remains an important issue. By utilizing the edge effect and biomimetic concept, we propose a flexible capacitive dual-mode sensor based on petal-like electrode, which has a relative variation of capacitance to -32.4% and can detect objects within 5cm. With the further assistance of the porous microstructure dielectric layer, the tactile performance of the sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 0.132 kPa-1, low pressure resolution of 6.9Pa, and good stability after thousands of pressure test cycles. In addition, an object detection system based on a flexible capacitive dual-mode sensor array has been developed. The experimental results show that the shape and position of the approaching object are detected in proximity mode, and the size and position distribution of pressure are detected in tactile mode. The ideal performance of sensor has broad application prospects in fields such as spatial recognition, human-computer interaction, and intelligent electronic skin.

Control and monitor bottle filling, capping and labelling machine using a programmable logic controller and human machine interface

Bottle filling, closing, and labellingmachine control and monitoring tool using Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI). This tool is designed to optimize the production process in the bottled beverage industry,with dimensions of 200 cm × 70 cm × 100 cm. The conveyor transports bottles through the filling, capping, and labeling units. In each unit, sensors are installed to detect the presence of bottles. Bottle liquid volume is determined through time settings inputted through the HMI,and the filling is performed by a water pump. After filling, bottles are capped and tightened mechanically using an air impact system. Labeling is handled by two DC motors which unroll the label and rotate the bottle, ensuringthe label adheres evenlyto all sides of the bottle. The number of bottles produced is calculated using a capacitive proximity sensor and displayed on the HMI. Testing results show that the system effectivelycontrols and monitors the bottle filling, capping, and labeling process viaPLC and HMI. Based on the test results on the bottle filling unit, the system can fill water into the bottle with a maximum percentage error of 0.5% on a 1000 ml volume bottle. In the capping unit, the success rate achieved is 70%, while the success rate in the bottle labeling unit is 80%.

Fringing‐Effect‐Based Capacitive Proximity Sensors

AbstractProximity sensing technology, which can obtain information without physical contact, has become an ideal choice in scenarios where physical contact is not feasible. Despite substantial advancements in tactile sensing, proximity sensing technology still holds great potential and has yet to be fully developed. Among numerous proximity sensing technologies, the fringing‐effect‐based capacitive proximity sensor (FE‐CPS) has garnered considerable attention due to its low cost, low power consumption, wide sensing range, and flexible and versatile structural design. However, research on FE‐CPS has not yet formed a complete system, and its development and intellectualization are still in their infancy, urgently requiring a systematic review to advance its development. This paper systematically summarizes the recent advances in FE‐CPS, from basic theory to practical applications. The working principle and typical structure of FE‐CPS are first introduced, followed by a discussion of methods for optimizing device performance. Furthermore, the application scenarios of FE‐CPS in intelligent pre‐alarm systems, intelligent control systems, and intelligent material perception systems are reviewed. Finally, the future development and challenges faced by FE‐CPS are prospected.

Performance Analysis on the Safety and Automation System of a Modified Cutting Machine: Repurposing Initiatives

A circular economy is an alternative to the traditional linear economy. The concept reduces waste by recovering resources at the end of a product’s life cycle and repurposing them to reduce environmental impact. The repurposing of machines is a model of production and consumption that involves re-pairing, refurbishing, and recycling to reduce waste. This project aims to improvise and repurpose existing mangosteen peeling machines into another suitable manufacturing process. The designed potato-cutting machine uses the existing conveyor system of a customised mangosteen peeling machine. The cutting mechanism incorporates safety and automation systems using through-beam infrared and capacitive proximity sensors. For the safety system, detecting objects within a range of 2.0 cm to the conveyor region indicates that the machine is unsafe to operate. The system will stop the machine and send audio and visual warnings to notify the users. Based on the trial runs the machine cuts the potato with approximately 1-tenth of the time needed in manual labour. The most significant benefit, however, is the overall savings in production costs, which are more than 85%. This is achieved as the machine re-purposes more than 50% of the components from the existing mangosteen peeling machine, such as sensors, control panel boxes, and PLC system. Consequently, this has helped minimise the overall cost of new equipment while encouraging a circular economy approach to engineering practices.

Building an Educational Automated Mechatronics-Based Sorting System

This paper discusses the development of an automated sorting machine designed as a comprehensive mechatronics educational project. The project integrates mechanical and electrical design, incorporating a robot arm, a microcontroller, sensors, and actuators. The sorting machine uses color identification to sort wooden blocks of three different colors. The blocks are stacked and dropped onto a conveyor belt by a hopper system that employs a solenoid actuator and a servo to release one block at a time at specific intervals. As the belt runs continuously, each block passes under a color sensor, which monitors the color and signals one of three servo-powered mechanical arms to guide the block into the appropriate chute. Each chute is equipped with a capacitive proximity sensor that sends a voltage signal to the robot controller, queuing commands for the robot to pick up the blocks from the bottom of each chute and return them to the hopper to form a continuously running sorting system. This paper details the design and integration of the system’s various elements and the development of the control software. The designed system can drop blocks every 8.05 s, sort each block within 5 s of being sensed, and return them to the sorting system every 12 s. It has a color-sensing accuracy of 97%, with a failure rate of around 7%. The system achieved quick and reliable sorting using various low-cost, accessible, and open-source parts. The project exemplifies a cost-effective solution suitable for mechatronics education, demonstrating the numerous challenges involved in developing automated sorting systems.

Array capacitive proximity sensors-based liquid level measurement under various cup postures

An array capacitive proximity sensors-based liquid level measurement under various cup postures is proposed in this study. Firstly, a total of 6 rectangular electrodes are arranged around the cup for parasitic capacitance measurement. The relationship between parasitic capacitance and liquid level is calibrated by preliminary experiments. Then, the liquid level under different parasitic capacitance can be obtained. At the same time, an IMU is fixed on the claw. By fusing the parasitic capacitance measured on multiple electrodes with the IMU data, the liquid level under different cup postures is calculated. Experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. Specifically, The measurement accuracy can be guaranteed within 91% in the upright state of the cup. An accuracy of 85% can be guaranteed when the cup inclined angle reaches 30°.

Geometry Optimization to Enhance the Range of Detection of Fringing Field-Based Capacitive Proximity Sensors

Geometry Optimization to Enhance the Range of Detection of Fringing Field-Based Capacitive Proximity Sensors

76‐3: Invited Paper: Integration of Sensing Technologies into MicroLED Displays

MicroIC enables display attributes unattainable from polycrystalline thin‐film transistors, and the complimentary metal‐oxide semiconductor (CMOS) microICs support a wide range of applications beyond driving pixels. Integrating sensors within displays can add value to products, reduce costs and improve performance versus conventional solutions. As evidenced by touch and display integration in mobile displays via TDDI ICs, in‐cell sensing can reduce cost and improve performance to levels that are not available with all display types. Capacitive touch, optical touch, 3D scanning, and proximity sensing can also benefit from the inherent coordination between sensors and display. We present multiple sensing architectures and demonstrations of integration within microLED displays and describe CMOS microIC circuits for touch sensing applications. With diverse heterogenous semiconductor technology tightly woven into displays, the potential for intuitive gesture controls, adaptive interfaces, and enhanced sensory feedback paves the way for more natural and effortless interactions between humans and machines.

AUTOMATIC WASTE SEGREGATION AND MONITORING SYSTEM

The process of collecting, sorting, moving, and discarding trash to the proper sites is known as waste management. The most crucial problem to address in the design of a waste segregation and monitoring system is the separation of various waste kinds. This means that the garbage must still be separated by hand, which is detrimental to the segregator itself. An automated segregator and monitoring system is reported in this project. Recycling plastic is one way to address this. The practice of recovering plastic that has been thrown away as garbage and repurposing it is known as plastic recycling. The primary controller of the segregating portion is an Arduino UNO. To detect the kind of waste, it has three sensors: a moisture sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, and an inductive proximity sensor. Trash is categorized as plastic, dry, moist, and metallic. The monitoring portion keeps an eye on the garbage collecting procedure. An economical waste management solution for separating plastic, dry, moist, and metallic trash without requiring constant human attention is the automated waste segregator and monitoring system. Key Words: Waste Management, Segregator, Monitoring, Garbage.

Interactive driving of electrostatic film actuator by proximity motion of human body

AbstractA built-in capacitive proximity sensing method for a charge-induction electrostatic film actuator is proposed. This actuator consists of two thin sheets that function as a stator and a slider. A stator is an insulating sheet with many strips of electrodes in it, whereas a slider is a dielectric sheet that has slight conductivity on its surface. By applying actuation voltage on stator electrodes, the slider that is placed on the stator is driven by electrostatic force. This research realized the simultaneous actuation and proximity sensing using the same electrodes by integrating a resonance-based capacitance measurement circuit into a driving circuit. The study investigated the impact of having a slider on sensing performance, confirming the feasibility of simultaneous sensing and driving. The implemented system achieved an interactive actuation that changed driving velocity according to the proximity distance of the human hand.

Study of the frequency characteristics of a tremor analysis system based on a capacitive proximity sensor

The technique of tremor control using a capacitive sensor to ensure high sensitivity and stability of measurement results requires the correct selection of operating parameters of the system. Study of the influence of operating parameters, selection of the optimal antenna design and frequency-setting elements in a system for analyzing tremor of the upper limbs based on a capacitive proximity sensor. The tremor sensor being developed is based on a rectangular pulse generator, the generation frequency of which depends on the capacitance. The dependence of the generation frequency on the distance between the antenna and the limb was studied for various values of capacitance and resistance of the resistor in the generator circuit. It is proposed to use a circuit without a capacitor in the frequency-setting RC circuit, which allows for the largest frequency increment and clearly detects tremor with both large and small amplitude. An experimental study of various antenna designs was carried out. It has been shown that when using a helical antenna, the maximum sensitivity of the sensor is observed with the smallest diameter, however, the use of a small diameter reduces the area of interaction between the electric field and the tissues of the human limb. The electromagnetic method is a promising method for digitizing tremor, allowing for rapid non-contact diagnostics. The experimental results obtained make it possible to justify the choice of optimal parameters for the tremor analysis system.

A new planar capacitive sensor with high sensitivity for proximity sensing of an approaching conductor

PurposeWith the development of artificial intelligence, proximity sensors show their great potential in intelligent perception. This paper aims to propose a new planar capacitive sensor for the proximity sensing of a conductor.Design/methodology/approachDifferent from traditional structures, the proposed sensor is characterized by sawtooth-structured electrodes. A series of numerical simulations have been carried out to study the impact of different geometrical parameters such as the width of the main trunk, the width of the sawtooth and the number of sawtooths. In addition, the impact of the lateral offset of the approaching graphite block is investigated.FindingsIt is found that sensitivity is improved with the increase of the main trunk with, sawtooth width and sawtooth number while a larger lateral offset leads to a decrease in sensitivity. The performance of the proposed planar capacitive proximity sensor is also compared with two conventional planar capacitive sensors. The results show that the proposed planar capacitive sensor is obviously more sensitive than the two conventional planar capacitive sensors.Originality/valueIn this paper, a new planar capacitive sensor is proposed for the proximity sensing of a conductor. The results show that the capacitive sensor with the novel structure is obviously more sensitive than the traditional structures in the detection of the proximity conductor.

Multimodal capacitive proximity sensing array with programmable spatial resolution and dynamic detection range

Capacitive proximity sensing arrays (CPSAs) have diverse applications in industrial and service fields. However, the trade-off between spatial resolution and detection range poses challenges for such sensors in flexible interactive environments. This paper presents a physical combination approach to address this key barrier by modulating the effective sensing area of electrodes. Using an 8-element CPSA, we demonstrate 800% adjustability in spatial resolution and 300% in detection range. Finally, implemented on a robotic hand, it realizes large-scale distance estimation and high-precision (>95%) feature classification in real grasping scenarios. The distinctive feature of this method is that the physically effective contact avoids a large number of parasitic capacitance and noise interference, and has a highly stable signal acquisition capability in different perception modes. This method paves a new way to enhance and flexibly tune existing CPSA performance.

SCADA for waste sorting system as an environmental conservation effort

Improperly managed household waste has led to environmental pollution. The methods of reducing, reusing, and recycling are effective in reducing waste volume. Therefore, waste needs to be sorted by type. Automated waste sorting using the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system consists of Capacitive Proximity Sensors, Inductive Proximity Sensors, and Infrared Proximity Sensors to detect the types of waste, a PLC TM221CE40R as the controller, and an Android-based HMI (Human Machine Interface) to monitor real-time waste bin fill levels. The types of waste to be sorted are organic, inorganic, and metal. The system comprises 1 main bin for users to deposit waste and 3 waste bins for the sorted materials. When users deposit a certain type of waste, the sensors detect the type of waste. This information triggers the motors of the 3 waste bins to rotate and stop right beneath the main bin, matching the waste type. The bottom of the main bin opens, allowing the waste to enter the appropriate container. Test results have shown that the system is capable of correctly sorting all types of organic and metal waste. However, for inorganic waste, the system correctly sorts only when the waste is clear in color.

Dual-Polarized Patch Antenna Array Integrated With Capacitive Proximity Sensor for 5G Millimeter-Wave Smartphones

Dual-Polarized Patch Antenna Array Integrated With Capacitive Proximity Sensor for 5G Millimeter-Wave Smartphones

Towards Utilization of Explainable Hand Motion Recognition in 3D Capacitive Proximity Sensing

Towards Utilization of Explainable Hand Motion Recognition in 3D Capacitive Proximity Sensing

Test Control of Inclusive Physical Education: Assessment Using the Newest Electronics

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a device developed based on the latest electronics to control the coordination of movements of the lower limbs of students with disabilities. Materials and methods. 34 students with disabilities were involved in the study. At the time of the experiment, they had functional disorders of the lower limbs as a result of injuries and received a doctor’s permission to participate in the experiment. The research was conducted at the theoretical and empirical levels, using the following methods: analysis, synthesis, systematization, generalization, technical modeling, pedagogical testing, and mathematical statistics. Results. In the research process, a device was used, which was developed as part of the conducted research. The device consists of two rubber mats in which capacitive proximity sensors are placed. The test task involves recording the number of touches of rubber mats in 20 seconds. The information received from the sensors during the student’s performance of the test task, namely the alternate touching of the rubber mat with the big toe, is sent to the microcontroller via an infrared communication line. The development uses a high-performance microcontroller ATMega 328P, which can support a wide range of sensors and generate information about the time and frequency of leg movements. The signals of the student’s toes touching the rubber mats, received by capacitive sensors, are processed by a microcontroller and displayed on a PC through a serial connection and using the Arduino software, which allows reading the received information about the execution of movements. Under the conditions of the pedagogical experiment, we tried to determine the quality of the measurement results. According to the obtained numerical indicators, the numerical values of the test authenticity obtained by the traditional method of fixing the results by a specialist correspond to the value “low”. The results of the validity calculations showed that the correlation between the test measurement results and the evaluation results using the developed device was optimal with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.6. Conclusions. The importance of a high level of development of the coordination of movements of the lower limbs of students with disabilities is determined by the need to develop this quality to ensure the effectiveness of their rehabilitation in the process of inclusive PE. The analysis of the obtained material allows us to state that the practical application of the inclusive PE device developed based on the latest electronics will allow scientifically based optimization of this process to ensure its effectiveness.

RANCANG BANGUN TEMPAT SAMPAH OTOMATIS DENGAN PEMILAH SAMPAH ORGANIK DAN ANORGANIK DISERTAI NOTIFIKASI SMS BERBASIS ARDUINO

Garbage is a material left over from human activities which is an environmental issue and causes environmental pollution. Humans themselves are lazy to throw garbage in its place or are accustomed to littering, causing garbage to be scattered everywhere which in turn can cause garbage pollution, unpleasant odors and in the end can cause flooding. In this study, we will make a tool to sort organic and inorganic waste along with an Arduino-based SMS notification, namely by making a tool to sort out the types of organic waste and inorganic waste types which will later be classified separately and collected in their own place so that the waste is not mixed. To distinguish organic and inorganic waste using a capacitive proximity sensor as a separator of organic waste, an inductive proximity sensor as a separator of inorganic waste, arduino nano as a microcontroller to run all the work of the tool system. Servo motor as a sorting drive. GSM SIM 800l module as a sender of SMS notification of garbage that has been successfully sorted.

Capacitive proximity skin for non-contact liquid state measurement of robot grippers with different structures

Handling liquid-filled containers is a frequently encountered yet challenging task for robotics. In this paper, a novel capacitive proximity skin was developed to measure liquid levels before grasping, improving the performance of robotics in application areas like domestic service, manufacturing, healthcare, and food processing. This capacitive proximity skin features a flexible structure that is readily adaptable to a variety of grippers, and it seamlessly integrates with Robot Operating System (ROS)-based control systems. Experiments were performed to compare this proximity skin against non-flexible capacitive proximity sensors, focusing on detection frequency and working distance. The results showed that the capacitive proximity skin achieved data-lossless detection in 0.08 s (12.5 Hz) and contactless measurement of liquid level within 0.7 cm, making it highly suitable for grasping operations. This capacitive proximity skin offers as a versatile solution for robotic applications that involve unsealed liquid-filled containers, and it has the potential for application across a wide range of industries.

A parallel ring-ring capacitive proximity sensor for detection of approaching conductor

PurposeTo solve the problem of low sensitivity of traditional capacitive proximity sensor, this paper aims to propose a novel capacitive sensor for detection of an approaching conductor.Design/methodology/approachFive capacitive proximity sensors with different structures are designed and the performance is compared with the traditional capacitive sensor. The impacts of geometrical parameters on the performance of the proposed capacitive sensor are studied. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the proposed capacitive sensor to an approaching conductor with different sizes is discussed. Also, how the designed capacitive sensor is sensitive to the lateral placement of the approaching object is analyzed.FindingsSeveral capacitive proximity sensor structures have been designed and analyzed. It is found that the capacitive sensor with the top small ring-bottom large ring structure shows stronger electric field distribution around the top electrode and higher sensitivity to the approaching conductor than other sensors. Through further analysis of the proposed sensor, the results demonstrate that proposed capacitive sensor is effective for proximity object detection.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a novel capacitive proximity sensor with top small ring-bottom large ring structure. Compared with the traditional capacitive sensor, the proposed capacitive sensor is more sensitive to the approaching object. This would be helpful for the accurate detection of the approaching object. Also, the top and bottom electrodes are much smaller.