In a busy airport, if you’re making the long trek from where you are to the gate you depart from, a WOW! moment can occur when a digital display informs you of an available restroom stall along the way and removes one source of frustration and anxiety. In a public restroom, sensors provide several automatic […]
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More sensors or AI?
With continually improving artificial intelligence (AI) technology, system designers will face the design tradeoff of adding more sensors to achieve specific design objectives or using AI instead. A good example is a smart elevator. Today’s elevators have several sensors in their design. One of the key features of smart elevators starts with traffic analysis and […]
What standards impact sensors?
Sensors require compliance with many industry standards and government regulations to be acceptable for different applications. One of the more stringent and well-known areas is automotive. However, industry groups in many market segments have sensor and system requirements that may be common or unique to specific applications. Industry-specific standards In automotive applications, government regulations, such […]
How do sensors impact elevators?
Perhaps the most obvious sensing performed in modern elevators is the technology used for elevator doors. Or maybe it is the weight sensing that is indicated by the certification plate that specifies the elevator’s weight limit. In any case, safety is the most critical application of elevator sensors. However, security is right up there, too. […]
How is sensing improved in the newest security screening efforts?
While it may be costly, installing a security screening system can be a valuable investment for many institutions, especially in soft-target environments such as schools. Even if it never confronts or prevents an attack, like any insurance policy, the security system can provide numerous benefits to the insured. As part of the Support Anti-terrorism by […]
How does a portable appliance get even more useful?
Suppose an individual born in the U.S. lives the average life expectancy (78.4 years today). In that case, they can expect numerous iterations of technological innovations and improvements throughout their lifetime, especially for healthcare products and systems. Looking back, an item like the Holter monitor (developed in 1947 and released for commercial production in 1962) […]
A2L refrigerants drive thermal drift concerns in HVAC systems
Much has been made about the shift of many HVAC systems to A2L refrigerants to comply with new environmental regulations, along with the continued expansion of A3-driven heat pumps in Europe and other regions. The area that has received considerable attention is the development of refrigerant leak detection systems that HVAC/R manufacturers are implementing to […]
What new sensing approaches measure blood pressure?
Today’s cuff technique for measuring blood pressure (BP) goes back 100 years or so. While the sensors used to measure pressure have changed considerably, the inflate, deflate, and then-measure approach is quite similar. It has even been automated for home use. However, it is not a continuous measurement. In contrast, researchers are exploring several continuous, […]
What sensor accuracy is required?
While many parameters are used to determine the right sensor choice for a specific application, one of the most commonly required is accuracy. This single, seemingly straightforward term is easily understood but also frequently misunderstood, and is one way to determine whether a sensor technology or design meets the application requirements. Of course, many other […]
How do sensors reveal hidden aspects of the world’s oceans?
Oceans comprise about 96.5% of the water-covered surface (71%) of the Earth. Surprisingly, the salinity of these huge bodies of water varies considerably. Interconnected masses and layers mix together and split apart through currents, eddies, and changes to temperature and salinity, where salinity is measured in practical salinity units or PSUs. The Practical Salinity Scale 1978, […]
