We have entered the age of “smart” technology. The application of new technologies is enhancing people’s lives in almost every field. Sensors and sensor engineering are fundamental to these smart developments.
Sensor engineering is the science of putting together an ensemble to mitigate situations, draw a response, and act. In general, it has a wide range of applications in safety, security, surveillance, monitoring, and general awareness. It is the telecom industry’s innovation boom that can be held accountable for giving other sectors and industries the push to innovate smartly. It has come a long way from mobile phones and tablets to industrial equipment, toys, medical electronics, wearables, and even safety in vehicles.
An in-depth look at sensor technology: What you need to know
Sensors have been one of the driving factors in wearables, implantables, smart fabrics or smart pills, and improvements in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The use of sensors is expanding across countless applications as we move to an increasingly connected world, but what are some of the key trends in the field of sensor development and production that are changing the way we interact with the world around us. Over the years, sensor technology has evolved and the following trends are seen in the sensors today.
- Miniaturization is the first key trend. In many of these applications, multiple sensors are required in a compact form without compromising performance – and often at exceptionally low power consumption.
- The second is the need for intelligent sensors that not only capture the sensing data but also interpret that data for decision-making in a variety of applications. With an increasing number of applications playing in the IoT space, the shift to digital is required for them to be successful.
- Multi-sensor integration is intricately connected to IoT growth. Sensor fusion is the essence of creating tailored solutions for specific difficulties faced by a business. The necessity to record numerous forms of measurement in exceedingly compact packaging gives rise to multi-sensing components.
What is next for sensor applications
Sensor engineering is becoming increasingly relevant because of the requirement to design sensors with improved performance at reduced costs. The following markets are available for expansion:
- Sensing pressure: Pressure perception and assessment are becoming increasingly important in most sectors. Wearables and medical devices, drones, home appliances, industrial applications, and transportation are all possible applications. Condition monitoring for industrial and automotive equipment, as well as high-power batteries, are key growth markets for temperature and vibration sensors. Another major area is temperature sensing in healthcare wearables.
- Force sensors: These are also used in aerospace, medical instruments, appliances, elevators, and high-power electric motors.
- Position sensing: There is also a growing need for applications such as money-handling machines, industrial equipment, automotive systems, and medical devices.
Sensors are critical for gathering basic diagnostic information from industrial machinery and equipment. Smart sensors provide enhanced functionalities that make machinery and equipment setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting considerably more efficient. The success of sensor engineering in delivering solutions and systems that are relevant and customizable to specific industrial concerns will determine the future of sensor engineering.
