Part 1 of this blog discussed sensors in the laundry room in washing machines and dryers. In the kitchen, similar to the laundry room, basic functions can be designed in using established sensing techniques. In the typical home, the refrigerator is the second-largest consumer of electricity (13.7%), with the air conditioner being number one. So, […]

Today’s home appliances are increasingly connected for remote monitoring and control and smarter due, in part, to numerous sensors. The sensors help even lower end appliances implement their basic functions and, more importantly, enable smarter, top end appliances. While sensors provide these capabilities for several home appliances, this two-part series will describe sensing functions for […]

The International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC’s) standard IEC 60529 (and International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 20653) identifies the ability of an electronic device (sensor) to withstand water or dust intrusion with IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings. An IP68 product should prevent or withstand water ingression for a depth exceeding 1 meter as specified by the manufacturer […]

The main difference between passive and active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags is the absence (passive) or presence (active) of an internal power source. Because of these primary differences, there are several secondary differences. Understanding these differences is the key to properly selecting the most appropriate RFID system for a specific application. Passive RFID Since they […]

In Belgium’s’ Antwerp Diamond District, eighty percent of the world’s rough diamonds passed through a three-square-block area.  The Diamond Squad, the world’s only specialized diamond police, provided 24-hour police surveillance and 63 video cameras monitored the district. In this area, the Antwerp Diamond Center vault was thought to be impenetrable. In addition to having a […]

In a battery-powered, wireless sensing node, the biggest energy consumer typically is the RF transmitter. The transceiver should have extremely low power in active, wait and even sleep modes. A one-second snapshot of the current consumption in the various portions of the transmission cycle shows the current draw of 15 mA for the 7.5-ms receive […]

It’s well known that automobiles and smartphones have several sensors to improve today’s capabilities over those of previous generations. However, they are not the only products that impact consumers’ lives to do so. For example, automated teller machines (ATMs) have a surprising number and different types of sensors to perform a variety of functions. Even […]

Measuring instruments for determining skin color have a variety of classifications. Telespectroradiometers (TSRs) and spectrophotometers (SPs) are two classifications for instruments that are widely used for measuring skin color. For example, in the cosmetic industry, TSRs are used for measuring color appearance for developing skin color charts and evaluating skin products. In contrast, SPs are […]

While discrimination based on skin color is against the law in the U.S., changes in skin color provide important information in healthcare regarding disease progression or treatment response, so accurately measuring and distinguishing skin color is essential. Skin color is also a predictor of skin cancer risk. Also, accurately measuring and matching skin color is […]

To determine blood oxygen (arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2)) and pulse rate, many biosensors use the reflectance of red and infrared (and sometimes green) light. Based on photoplethysmography (PPG), an optical technique that measures blood volume variations, dual-wavelength PPG pulse oximeters noninvasively measure/calculate the arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2). An oximeter transmits radiation at a known […]

Electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs) provide one of the newest forms of dosimetry. In real time, EPDs provide users feedback on their exposure to radiation. For example, the MBD-2 Tactical/Occupational Personal Dosimeter from Mirion Technologies is a real-time, self-indicating device that operates without user intervention. Intended for field use in military and homeland security applications, the […]

In the broadest sense, dosimetry is done to measure and prevent or at least identify problems from significant or long-term exposure to harmful situations. More specifically, dosimetry refers to the study, measurement, method of measurement or instrument of measurement of radiation dose. Dosimetry often involves wearing a personnel badge, a dosimeter, that measures and monitors […]

Part 1 of this blog explored research into localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors. This part discusses a surface plasmon resonance/surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SPR/SERS) dual-mode plasmonic biosensor and two other sensing techniques. The SPR/SERS biosensor based on catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA)-induced Au nanoparticle (AuNP) network was proposed for highly sensitive and reliable detection of a […]

With the ease that people can travel around the world, viruses spread through droplet transmission are one of the most dangerous causes of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic made this point quite clear. One of the obvious responses to prevent a reoccurrence of this type of situation is effective virus detection technology to prevent the […]

Advancements in color sensing technology and its increased use in industrial automation are increasing the adoption of color sensing technology across several industries. Color sensing devices are extensively used to detect the color of the surface and to monitor the color consistency in packaging, textile production and automotive applications. For example, in the packaging industry, […]

The current emphasis on providing products and materials with fewer environmental effects will have a direct impact on the chemical industry and chemical sensors. Obviously, this starts with, but is certainly not restricted to, reduced CO2 emissions. Chemical sensors have a wide range of applications, including healthcare, industrial, biotechnology, and household sensing requirements such as […]

Think carefully before you answer, especially if the answer is no. This could lead to a variety of medical tests to measure different parameters to determine the nature of your out of sorts health situation. Of course, you could be among the many people who can not only say I’m feeling good or even great, […]

Unlike the analog stethoscope used by doctors for over 100 years, the digital stethoscope appeared in 1960. According to DataM Intelligence, a market research and business intelligence firm, the Electronic Stethoscope Market size was valued at USD 342.1 million in 2021 and is estimated to reach at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.20% […]

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule enabling access to over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids going into effect on Oct. 17, 2022, many people will want to know the answer to this FAQ [1]. The ruling allows individuals to buy a hearing aid without a medical exam, prescription or professional fitting. Intended to help […]

Key driving forces for new or next generation products include (1) critical need, (2) broad, global usage and (3) sufficient volume requirements to justify R&D expenditures. Glucose sensing/monitoring meets these criteria and more. In the United States alone, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) says over 133 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes [1]. According to […]

While sensorization, the increased use of sensors to improve products and specific market segments as described in part 1, is achieving its desired goal, there are some unforeseen disadvantages. For example, in a recent McKinsey & Company report about software and electronics in the automotive industry, the authors predict that the development of the autonomous […]

The term sensorization may have been used before the introduction of the Apple iPhone but it certainly has been used more frequently since that milestone [1]. The term identifies how a single device, such as a smartphone, or an application area, such as healthcare, improves with embedded sensors and it has the forward-looking potential of […]

According to a recent report from Future Market Insights, the global smart sensor market reached around US$ 37.6 billion in 2022. Based on the growing adoption of smart sensors across vertical markets such as consumer electronics, automotive, security & defense and healthcare, the overall sales of smart sensors are projected to rise at a compound […]

The first edition of Understanding Smart Sensors, published in 1995, began with “just about everything today in the technology area is a candidate for having a smart prefix added to it.”  However, the term “smart sensor” dates to the mid-1980s. The final chapter reiterated that “the much too frequently used smart prefix is used to […]

In contrast to the findings in Part 1, Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group, analysis of the MEMS market was quite different [1]. It found that 2021 was an exceptional year for MEMS companies. Its annual and best-selling MEMS report [2], which was first released in 2004, projects that an almost $22B MEMS market will […]