Environmentally compensated capacitive sensor

A movable capacitive sensing component and plural stationary capacitive sensing components are similarly constructed and are located together. The movable capacitive sensing component includes two interdigitated electrode elements at least one of which moves in accordance with displacement of an object. The stationary capacitive sensing components includes two interdigitated electrode elements that do not move, and differ from each other in terms of relative displacement between the fixed electrode elements. The movable capacitive sensing component measures a capacitance value. Another capacitance value is estimated, from the capacitance values measured by the stationary capacitive sensing components, for the displacement indicated by the movable capacitive sensing component's measured capacitance value. The actual displacement of the object is found by subtracting the respective capacitance values and converting this result to displacement, or by converting the respective capacitance values to displacement and subtracting the respective displacement values.