In this paper, for the first time, the modeling of Capacitance and sensitivity for MEMS capacitive pressure Sensor with clamped square diaphragm is presented. In capacitive Sensor the sensitivity is proportional to deflection and Capacitance changes with pressure. Therefore, first the diaphragm displacement, Capacitance and sensitivity of Sensor with square diaphragm have been modeled and then simulated using finite element method (FEM). It can be seen that the analytical results agree with simulation. The results also show that the high sensitivity can be achieved by decreasing the diaphragm thickness and increasing its size.

In this study, a two-ring capacitive Sensor mountable on multiple-tip horizontal penetrometers has been developed. The size and shape of the electric field around the Sensor was estimated to ensure that the Sensor fields are not interfered with the adjacent probes of the multiple-tip penetrometer using finite element. The Sensor function was then evaluated at different levels of volumetric moisture. The maximum radius of the soil located in the Sensor’ s electric field is 30 mm in the wetted soil. So the usage of the Sensor in combination with the penetrometers at distance of 10 cm from each other would not cause the interference of the electric fields of the Sensors. Increasing volumetric moisture reduces the output voltage of Sensor (R2=0. 91). The developed capacitive Sensor is a suitable devise for measuring soil moisture in the range of 0-PL which can be used to measure simultaneously resistance and soil moisture in several depths independently in combination with multiple-tip horizontal penetrometers.

Soil compaction and moisture content are two of the factors that greatly influence variations in crop yield. Capacitance-based Sensor is a sensitive device for estimating soil water content. In this method of soil moisture content measurement, soil acts as the dielectric of the capacitor. Throughout this research work, a Capacitance-based moisture Sensor that can measure the soil moisture content in a continuous manner, was developed and tested. The developed moisture Sensor consisted of two parts namely: three electrodes and an electronic circuit. The electrodes are heat treated metallic terminals which with the needed heat treatment have become tough and their surfaces abrasion-resistant. These terminals are embedded in pieces of fiberglass. The excitation voltage of the electronic circuit was 12V with its output response being the frequency factor. The Sensor was tested under static laboratory conditions, employing a silt clay loam type soil. The developed Sensor was evaluated in filed conditions. An analysis of the results showed that the relationship between the soil water content and the output frequency could be presented through a quadratic. The error of the Sensor was estimated as 1.55%. There was a significant correlation (R2=0.70) between the soil water content measured through the Sensor, and that estimated through the gravimetric method. The results indicated that, the Sensor output data, in addition to being influenced by soil moisture content, they were also affected by soil temperature.

Measuring the seed and fertilizer mass flow rate in drill delivery tubes is an essential tool for real-time monitoring of the application rates. In the present study, a non-contact Capacitance measuring system was implemented to monitor the granular discharge rate in seed and fertilizer applicators. The set-up consisted of a fluted-roller feeding mechanism and the Capacitance measuring system incorporated in the discharge tube. The set-up was mounted on a custom-built vibratory stand to simulate the field condition during the measurement. Then, triple super phosphate, wheat, and alfalfa granular discharge rates were measured over 30 s intervals in both static and dynamic conditions from 3.42±1.22 to 19.3±0.95 g/s in 5 rates, from 2.55±0.23 to 19.02±0.86 g/s in 8 rates, and from 0.42±0.02 to 1.6±0.08 g/s in 7 rates, respectively. The results revealed that the mass flow was effectively correlated with Sensor signals for all examined materials. However, the Capacitance Sensor failed to measure the sudden change in mass flow rate synchronously with the digital scale. This phenomenon was predictable because it is attributed to the feature of a digital balance, which is always accompanied by an initial lag. Also, the results revealed that the vibrating stand had no effect on the Sensor accuracy.

Grading of agricultural products has always been a subject of research by scientists. One of the criteria to be chosen for grading of fruits is the fruit's level of ripeness. Different methods have been employed to assess the status of fruit ripeness some of which are destructive and others are not so. In this research, a noninvasive capacitive method was used to estimate the ripeness level in banana fruit. The relationship between levels of ripeness and dielectric constant were studied over the frequency range of 1 kHz to 10 MHz. Results revealed that the dielectric constant is severely influenced by the dimension and weight of the fruit. To eliminate the interfering effects of these parameters, a second model was proposed to predict the dielectric constant of banana fruit. This model is a function of equivalent dielectric constant, volume, effective length as well as width of the fruit. The dielectric constant showed a decrease with increase in the ripeness of the banana fruit. Since the decrease was more distinct at the 1 MHz, this frequency was employed to calibrate the system. The firmness was assessed also as a quality index and the relationship between dielectric constant and firmness also studied. The results of prediction were somehow acceptable with the correlation coefficient between the predicted vs. the real ripeness obtained as 0.853.

In this study, electromechanical behavior of the micro scaled capacitive pressure Sensors is investigated and the effect of electrostatic actuation on the performance of the device is analyzed. The Sensor is considered as a circular microplate with an initial distance from a fixed substrate. Due to electrostatic load and external pressure, the plate deflects and the Capacitance of the device changes. The external pressure can be estimated by measuring this change of Capacitance. Hence, in this research, the relation between the Capacitance and external pressure is studied. To this goal, the equation governing static deflection of the microplate is derived in polar coordinates. This equation is converted to an algebraic equation using Galerkin approach and then solved utilizing an iterative method. Finally, the effects of external pressure and applied voltage on the Capacitance and sensitivity of the device are investigated and the convergence of the proposed iterative algorithm is analyzed.

The personalized local mobile search aims at finding the right on the spot information that is most relevant to the user's requests. It is implemented as a mobile application where the user can access nearby places based on his/ her current location. In Today's technology driven world user profiles are the virtual representation of each user and they include a variety of user information such as personal, interest and preference data. These profiles are the outcome of the user profiling process and they are essential to service personalization. The user profile based personalization approach can be applied to enhance the power of mobile local search for local spots and contributes to a significant convenience in location-based mobile searching. The system takes the user information such as personal, health, entertainment and choice of preference and these parameters are passed to Google Maps API key for personalized query processing. As a result, the user will get prominent services rather than closing one.

Many robots were installed in the manufacturing industry in the last decade. This shows the importance and value of the robot system in production. But many robots are not collaborative with humans. Collision detection is a fundamental issue for the safety of a robotic cell. All existing collision detection Sensors are worked by opposing force (contact between robot and human) and it is injurious to humans due to the high collision force response of the robot at maximum speed. This research work demonstrates the use of the capacitive Sensor for collision detection and the experiment shows the collision avoiding by non – contact manner. The Sensors are mounted on the links of the robot. If the robot comes closer to humans, the capacitive Sensor will detect the human presence and send the signal to the robot controller before the robot touches the human. The controller will turn off or hold the robot in position immediately based on the Sensor signal. So this technique will ensure human safety more and more when compared to the current robot system. This Sensor can be installed on a new robot and retrofitted to the old robot.

Polyaniline was synthesized chemically. The purified form of polyaniline was swollen with THF before dispersing in N-methyl pyrrolidone for film making. The thickness of the films were 80 and 100 micrometers. Polyaniline films were doped with hydrochloric acid at two different concentrations for varied periods of time. The doped films with areas of 1 cm2 were used as conducting plates, and papers were soaked with paraffin as dielectric of conducting polyaniline capacitor. In the present work design, construction of capacitor based on conducting polyaniline films has been investigated experimentally. The results of measurement and calculation of Capacitance of the designed capacitor, assuming that diffusion of dopant in polyaniline is plate-like, arc reported. Stability under both atmospheric and vacuum conditions were investigated. Experimental results and theoretical studies show that by increasing the doping time, Capacitance is increased. Also, the thinner insulating form of polyaniline film, the faster the two conducting fronts meet and the capacitor reaches a maximum. The value of this maximum in the present work was 42PF.