Cavity-resonant optical position sensor-a new type of optical position sensor

Summary form only given. To date, it has been difficult to produce high resolution, medium-range optical position sensors at low cost. In this paper, we describe a novel sensor, the cavity resonant optical position sensor, which can measure absolute position using an extremely simple optical system not involving interferometric techniques and yet providing micron resolution over a range of between a few centimeters and several meters. The sensor is rugged, extremely stable, requires only one optoelectronic component, and is therefore low cost.