Function: The optical shaft encoder is used to measure both relative position of and rotational distance traveled by a shaft. It works by shining light onto the edge of a disk outfitted with evenly spaced slits around the circumference. As the disk spins, light passes through the slits and is blocked by the opaque spaces between the slits. The encoder then detects how many slits have had light shine through, and in which direction the disk is spinning.

Applications: The optical shaft encoder can be used to track distance traveled, direction of motion, or position of any rotary component, such as a gripper arm. The encoder can also be used to detect movement, which could facilitate richer interaction between the robot and its environment (e.g., human-robot interaction). If a human moves a robot arm that is attached to an encoder (e.g., during a handshake), the robot detects the arm movement and the direction(s) and distance(s) traveled, helping the robot classify the interaction as a handshake.