TheraProx: Capacitive Proximity Sensing

This paper presents the development of a novel contactless omnidirectional capacitive proximity sensor. The presented device has been designed to be energy-efficient (approximate to 5 mW power consumption) by means of duty-cycling the power supply. A comprehensive methodological experiment has been carried out to extensively evaluate the performance within the sensing range (5-10 cm). A simple boot-up self-adjustment mechanism has been implemented using a digital potentiometer. This feature allows for an effortless utilization of the proposed device in a wide variety of potential applications, including mobile robotics and human-machine interaction.