TC-09 Subcommittee: Capacitive Sensors

Capacitive sensing is a versatile sensor technology and has proven itself in many different measurement and detection tasks [1]. The measurement principle is based on the capacitive coupling between objects (electrodes) [2]. The coupling can be influenced by objects and/or the geometry between the objects, making capacitive technology suitable for a wide range of measurement applications in science and technology. Sensing examples are given by proximity, pressure, position and displacement, force, humidity [3], fluid level, environmental sensing [4], [5], safety applications [4], [6], [7]-, process measurements including tomographic sensing [8], [9], etc. In Fig. 1, the principle of a capacitive sensing system is shown [1], [10]. A capacitive sensor is designed for the specific measurand x. After the capacitance value has been acquired by a measurement circuit, the measurement result x is evaluated. This involves signal models and models for the elements of the measurement systems as well as calibration measurements.