ABSTRACT
Sensors and actuators are forms of transducers, which are devices that transform energy from one form to another. Table 8.1 lists a number of transduction schemes, mostly centered about mechanical and electrical transduction methods. A sensor is an input transducer that senses an input form of energy (i.e., mechanical, thermal, chemical, etc.) and, in most cases, transforms it to electrical energy, which facilitates integration into systems. Alternatively, an actuator is an output transducer that, in most cases, transforms one form of energy into a mechanical output.
