ABSTRACT
Transducers are the interface elements between the physical world and the electronic measurement and/or control system [1-4]. Input transducers convert physical quantities into electrical signals. Conversely, output transducers produce a physical action in response to an electrical driving stimulus. Typical examples of input and output transducers in the vibration field are accelerometers and electromagnetic shakers, respectively. Input transducers, or simply transducers, are also called sensors, even if, historically, this term was preferred for indicating the primary sensing element, whereas the term transducer was used for a composite measuring device incorporating one or more sensors. Output transducers are also named actuators.
