Since its release in 2011, the ISO26262 functional safety standard for automotive safety has lead to even higher expectations for future automotive quality. The specification defines Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) of A, B, C or D, with D being the most critical. Each level demands a maximum failure rate and a minimum percentage of […]
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Optical vs. Ultrasonic vs. Capacitive Sensors: The Winner is…
For clear label sensing, Lion Precision has designed and built a machine to compare optical sensors, ultrasonic sensors and two types of capacitive sensors. The company uses all of these technologies in products it offers. With this evaluation tool, sensors that employed each of the four technologies were tested and compared using web speeds of […]
Sensors Embedded in the Driver’s Seat Could Monitor Driver Fatigue
Among the many problems that carmakers and their suppliers are investigating that new sensor technology might help solve is driver fatigue. An effective solution that is implementable in a vehicle and not just under laboratory conditions would have to be transparent to the driver. Plessey engineers think they have a solution. Using their EPIC sensor […]
Thin Film Thermoelectric Energy Harvesters for Powering Wireless Sensors and More
The addition of new supplier to an emerging product family usually is a good sign that significant growth could occur. This appears to be the case for thermal energy harvesting. With the release of its eTEG Series Thin Film Thermoelectric Module Product Line, Laird Technologies provides three new product alternatives that take advantage of the […]
Coordinating the Sensing in Portable Tablets/Smartphones
Portable tablets and smartphones contain several sensors that detect motion, including an accelerometer, RGB light, digital compass or magnetometer, proximity, gyroscope and barometer. Many of these sensors make multi-axis measurements. The data are used for a wide range of applications including gaming, navigation and virtual reality. For its recently launched Galaxy Note II, Samsung selected […]
MEMS Sensors, a Ball and Augmented Reality
At the MEMS Industry Group’s MEMS Executive Congress 2012 held Nov 7-9 in Scottsdale, AZ, six MEMS Technology Showcase finalists demonstrated end products using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors. The winning product, based on attendees’ votes, was Sphero from Orbotix. A ball with an integrated MEMS-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) and augmented reality provides several intriguing […]
Posture Sensor Prevents Back Pain
At the MEMS Industry Group’s MEMS Executive Congress 2012 held Nov 7-9 in Scottsdale, AZ, six MEMS Technology Showcase finalists demonstrated end products using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors. Speaking from personal experience, Andrew Chang, co-founder of LUMOback, demonstrates how a combination of MEMS sensors and a vibration motor can help people improve their posture – […]
Three-Axis Accelerometer in Disposable Body Monitor
At the MEMS Industry Group’s MEMS Executive Congress 2012 held Nov 7-9 in Scottsdale, AZ, I had the chance to talk to Ivo Stivoric, CTO & VP of New Products at BodyMedia about the MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors in his company’s newest product. To expose its wearable technology to a broader market, BodyMedia worked with […]
Reducing Cost at the Wafer Level for MEMS Sensors
At the MEMS Industry Group’s MEMS Executive Congress 2012 held Nov 7-9 in Scottsdale, AZ, I had the chance to talk to several attendees about issues impacting MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors. Perhaps one of the most important areas for increased sensor proliferation, especially for consumer applications, is reduced cost. Eric Pabo, business development manager for […]
New Long Stroke Position Sensor for Harsh Environments uses LVDTs
Control Products Inc.’s long stroke linear position sensors are built for use in harsh environments including hydraulics, power plants, automation, oil and gas, deep sea applications, and more. To avoid problems that can occur with rod-type designs that use magnetostrictive sensors, the SL Series Sensors take advantage of Macro Sensors Series CD LVDTs. The SL […]