A system for detecting motion and proximity by determining capacitance between
a sensor and an object. The sensor includes sensing surfaces made of a thin film
of electrically conductive material mounted on a non-conductive surface. In another
embodiment, the sensor is a human body. The sensor senses the capacitance between
a sensor's surface and an object in its vicinity and provides the capacitance to
a control system that directs machine movement. Because the sensor does not require
direct contact or line-of-sight with the object, a machine can be controlled before
harm occurs to the object.
