Teaching Humanoid Robots via Socially Guided Learning

A level detector and vibration transducer employing a magnetic fluid sensing element to measure tilt and vibration. The level detector and vibration transducer is used to measure tilt about an axis in a nominally horizontal plane. The device can also be used to monitor vibration along any specified axis. This is accomplished by mounting the transducer along the specified axis and subjecting the transducer to successive vibratory forces for successive displacements of the magnetic fluid in the vial. The moving system (or sensor) consists of a vial partially filled with a magnetic fluid encompassed by a linear variable differential transformer pickoff. When the magnetic fluid is equally distributed in the vial, there is equal coupling between the two magnetic field coils and the output voltage is zero. A slight tilt will displace more of the magnetic fluid to one side and will unbalance the magnetic field causing an A.C. voltage to exist between the two pickoff coils. The amplitude of the A.C. voltage is proportional to the amount of tilt and the phase is proportional to the direction of tilt.