A Full-Range Space Angular Position Sensor Based on Multifunctional Method

A sphere-type angular position sensor for testing inclination angle and inclined direction based on multifunctional sensing technique is proposed. The choice of sphere shape permits a full range and continuous measurement of two angular parameters. The iron ball as the movement part of sensor gives the robust character comparing to the common liquid works. Several coils are wound on the surface of hollow ball and compose three inductances as outputs to obtain the relative position of two parts. We herein discuss the sensor structure and estimate the required parameters of the prototype sensor using the output characteristic and the equations obtained by geometrical analysis.