Acoustic leak detection sensor technologies rely on the fact that liquid and gas leaks are noisy. However, it’s not necessarily a noise that the human ear can detect, it can be in the ultrasonic region. Leaky water pipes are a significant environmental challenge — UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 states that clean (drinking) water […]
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
How can sensors help cleanup waterways?
Twenty years after its first-generation design was introduced (2002), iRobot’s Roomba has spawned many competitors for indoor cleanup and made several advancements to its initial capabilities. Interactive Autonomous Dynamic Systems (IADYS) has applied the autonomous robot concept to address cleaner and safer water in rivers, canals, lakes, ponds, shipyards and more. IADYS’ Jellyfishbot autonomously collects […]
How do sensors improve wind turbine performance?
Wind turbines are very complex machines. It takes a lot of sensors to ensure their continuous operation generating green energy. This FAQ reviews some of the sensors used to monitor wind turbine operations, such as: Eddy current sensors monitor the lubricating gap of the shaft, how the turbine shaft rotates both axially and radially inside […]
How are sensors involved in the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge?
Released earlier this year, the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan addresses several areas to safely get Americans back to their more normal routines. One of the key points of the Preparedness Plan is the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge (CAiBC). The CAiBC calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations of […]
How can a machine recognize hand gestures?
Gesture recognition is a user interface that allows computers to capture and interpret non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, head movements, body positioning, and hand motions as commands. Hand gestures are an increasingly common mode of computer control, and the types of sensors used to recognize hand gestures is growing. This FAQ briefly reviews how hand […]
Want to feel better?
With its 1-mm thick RoboSkin smart fabric sensor technology, BeBop Sensors, Inc. can provide tactile awareness for humanoid robots and prosthetics so they can feel interactions similar to humans. The skin-like coverings enable a true nervous system and human-like touch sensing of objects for any part of a robot including limbs, fingers, feet, head and […]
How many types of radar are there?
Radio detection and ranging (radar) uses reflected radio waves to detect and determine the distance, angle, and velocity of objects relative to the radar system. A basic radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave spectrum (these can be pulsed or continuous), a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna (often […]
Where is Wear this year?
In 2022, the Wear 2022 Conference will be held in Scottsdale, AZ, June 7-9, 2022, at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley, and available online as well. The annual conference examines the significant breakthroughs and new opportunities made possible through the integration of textiles and technology through wearables. Among the driving forces for wearables […]
Where is my stuff?
In today’s supply chain situation, this has to be among the most frequently asked questions . However, even under what may have been considered normal times prior to COVID-19, it still is a legitimate question. Tracking shipments that are critical or essential may allow more expensive tracking solutions but if the cost is reasonable, many […]
How can opioid metabolites be detected in wastewater?
Researchers at Boston College, Giner Labs and Boston University say the answer is a graphene electronic multiplexed sensor (GEMS) platform that enables the simultaneous sensing of four different target opioid-derived molecules in wastewater samples. The graphene-based field effect transistors detect four different synthetic and natural opioids, while shielding them from wastewater’s harsh elements. The ability […]