In automobiles, safety functions are increasingly implemented by electronics. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed ISO 26262 to enable the design of vehicle electronic systems that can prevent dangerous failures and control or minimize them if they occur. ISO 26262 is an automotive adaptation of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC’s) IEC 61508, an industrial […]
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
How can touch-free sensing protect public health?
Many communicable diseases, such as viruses and bacterial infections, are transmitted by direct contact with a person who has the disease or with something that person touched. Avoiding contact is an obvious way to prevent spreading diseases. Touch-free sensors allow many frequently accessed functions in restrooms, such as automatic hands-free urinal and toilet flush, hands-free […]
How do you get a temperature sensor from a transistor?
Temperature has a significant effect on electronic products. It impacts both the system performance and the expected life of components. With the increasingly dense circuitry in either the same or often smaller packages, the temperature issues can only increase – even with the offsetting impact of increasingly lower power consumption components. Measuring temperature can allow […]
What types of sensors are used in robots? Part 2 of 2
In addition to the sensors identified in Part 1 of this blog, there are several others required for different types of robots. Chemical, light and color sensors enable the robot to evaluate, adjust and detect problems with its environment. For humanoid robots that can walk, run or even dance (like Dobi, made by Chinese company […]
What types of sensors are used in robots? Part 1 of 2
Fully functional human robots, such as those being developed by Boston Dynamics, need numerous sensors to simulate a variety of human and beyond human capabilities. For the human part, the sensors provide the ability to see, hear, touch and move. In general, industrial robots employ sensors for a variety of activities. Some sensors provide environmental […]
How can you win $100,000 with a sensing technology idea?
If you are a college student or student team with an idea on how to implement sensing and/or electronics technology to provide an innovative product or problem solution, you should enter the 2018 ASU Innovation Open (ASUio). The 2018 ASU Innovation Open (ASUio) is a multi-round competition that supports student ventures from across the United […]
Time of flight sensor from ST Microelectronics measures distance
At Sensor Expo 2017, John from ST Microelectronics explains the FlightSense principle for his company’s time of flight sensor (ToF) to show how it can be used to measure the distance from an object. The time of flight sensor chip emits a tiny beam of laser light from its emitter (a Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) […]
How can you detect seismic waves?
At Sensor Expo 2017, Jacob Hicks, the assistant product manager for Omron Electronic Components’ Sensors unit shows the capabilities of the D7S, a vibration sensor that can detect seismic waves, and Itron’s Riva development board for wireless communications. Partnering with Itron, Omron’s D7S sits on top of Itron’s Riva board. The D7S contains an ASIC, […]
How can you use a three-axis position sensor?
At Sensor Expo 2017, Nick Czarnecki, regional marketing manager from Melexis, demonstrates concepts for position sensing using the company’s MLX90393 Triaxis position sensor in human machine interface (HMI) applications that include rotation, push detection and controlling 3D motion with a joystick. The demo shows how a non-contacting rotating knob can set the absolute axis position […]
When will everyone use augmented reality?
In his keynote address at Sensors Expo 2017, Ori Inbar, co-founder and CEO of AugmentedReality.org predicts that at some point in the near future augmented reality (AR) sales will surpass those of smartphones. (Excerpt from “Superpowers to Change the World: How Augmented Reality Helps Advance Humanity.”) When will everyone use augmented reality to experience reality […]
