Unbeknownst to most people, sensor technology is the flesh and organs that encompass the skeletal framework of many wearables, IoT devices, and other electronics we use and interact with on a regular basis. The primary purpose of sensors is to measure specific components of their surroundings like vibrations, temperature, pressure, and voltage—just to mention a few. This data is utilized for both real-time analyses and documented for longer-tenured studies.
Sensors can also help uncover faulty parts in devices ranging from portable handheld to large intricate machinery up to weeks ahead of time. Initially, sensors were developed with the sole intention of being used in complex and costly industrial platforms like electric generation systems and jet engines. Sensors since broadened their overall capabilities, and are currently projected to be connected with analytical platforms in nearly every technological product or device in the near future.
It’s become a widespread belief that technology will improve the overall reliability of machinery and accompanying operational systems. This is becoming a growingly prevalent trend in the case of sensor usage. While sensors can currently identify issues before they get out of hand, it won’t be too soon before we see vendors begin to become alerted on operational or design issues in their products and machinery weeks ahead of time, well before any issues can physically manifest. For companies, this will save valuable time, resources, and money; especially in situations where such mishaps can hinder production or routine operations for days or weeks at a time.
Aside from quality control and maintenance duties, sensors will soon enable businesses to learn what ways customers utilize their products, which in turn will strongly influence how companies manufacture, market, and sell their contents. These analytics will allow businesses to examine patterns of raw sensor data, along with how everyday events and activities are reflected through this information.
These forms of algorithmic analyses are currently in their early developmental stages. The main sensory components that extract this type of data are usually accelerometers that have advanced power-saving features, which make them a prime candidate for ultra-low power applications.
Sensor manufacturing companies are making major pushes on new innovational technology for their product brands. Freescale Semiconductor, for instance, has recently begun focusing on sensor fusion. This process gathers data from multiple sensors and fuses the information to compute analytics that otherwise cannot be determined by a single sensory device.
It’s these innovative approaches that will enable performance improvement in systems or applications that will facilitate this onward push in the sensor industry to propel these technologies into the future age, and give them that significant role in the future of our technological capabilities.
Filed Under: M2M (machine to machine)