A DC electric motor comprising: a stator mounted to a substrate, the stator comprising a coil assembly having a core of magnetic material and electrical windings, the coil assembly having an outside diameter, an axial proximal extremity facing away from the substrate, and an axial distal extremity facing the substrate; a rotor mounted to the stator, the rotor comprising permanent magnets mounted to a cylindrical skirt, the rotor having an outside diameter, an inside diameter, and a distal edge facing the substrate, wherein an extended edge of each of the permanent magnets extends in an axial direction beyond the distal extremity of the core, wherein the extended edge faces a plurality of sensors in the axial direction, wherein the permanent magnets are arranged in a pattern of alternating opposite polarity of adjacent magnets along the distal edge of the cylindrical skirt; the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) being mounted to the substrate adjacent the permanent magnets, the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) being mounted on a side of the substrate facing toward the permanent magnets with a space between the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) and the permanent magnets, wherein the plurality of sensors are the same in number as phases of the DC electric motor, the plurality of sensors being spaced apart from each other by a consistent circumferential distance between 0 degrees and 90 degrees; wherein an axial clearance between an extended edge of each of the permanent magnets and the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) is defined such that during operation of the motor, passage of the permanent magnets over the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) produces a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage substantially without noise and saturation; and a processor module communicatively coupled with the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) and configured to determine a displacement of the motor from the voltage signal from the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) without requiring use of a hardware encoder or additional position-based sensors and without noise-reduction or filtering of the voltage signal, wherein the processor is further configured to: receive a measured voltage signal from each of the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) during rotation of the rotor, the signal being a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage during rotation of the rotor; and determine a displacement of the motor from only the linear portions of the sinusoidal signals from each of the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c). a stator mounted to a substrate, the stator comprising a coil assembly having a core of magnetic material and electrical windings, the coil assembly having an outside diameter, an axial proximal extremity facing away from the substrate, and an axial distal extremity facing the substrate; a rotor mounted to the stator, the rotor comprising permanent magnets mounted to a cylindrical skirt, the rotor having an outside diameter, an inside diameter, and a distal edge facing the substrate, wherein an extended edge of each of the permanent magnets extends in an axial direction beyond the distal extremity of the core, wherein the extended edge faces a plurality of sensors in the axial direction, wherein the permanent magnets are arranged in a pattern of alternating opposite polarity of adjacent magnets along the distal edge of the cylindrical skirt; the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) being mounted to the substrate adjacent the permanent magnets, the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) being mounted on a side of the substrate facing toward the permanent magnets with a space between the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) and the permanent magnets, wherein the plurality of sensors are the same in number as phases of the DC electric motor, the plurality of sensors being spaced apart from each other by a consistent circumferential distance between 0 degrees and 90 degrees; wherein an axial clearance between an extended edge of each of the permanent magnets and the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) is defined such that during operation of the motor, passage of the permanent magnets over the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) produces a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage substantially without noise and saturation; and a processor module communicatively coupled with the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) and configured to determine a displacement of the motor from the voltage signal from the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) without requiring use of a hardware encoder or additional position-based sensors and without noise-reduction or filtering of the voltage signal, receive a measured voltage signal from each of the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c) during rotation of the rotor, the signal being a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage during rotation of the rotor; and determine a displacement of the motor from only the linear portions of the sinusoidal signals from each of the plurality of sensors (202a,202b,202c).