Whenever a bridge collapses, sensor engineers propose the use of the latest and various technologies to prevent future catastrophes and the loss of human life. For example, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology was proposed for bridge monitoring after the 2007 collapse of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. With more than 617,000 bridges […]
Piezoelectric
What are the types and uses of vibration sensors?
There’s a wide range of vibration sensor technologies, and each technology has unique performance characteristics that make it suited for a specific type of applications ranging from mobile devices to machine condition monitoring and automotive safety testing. This FAQ reviews vibration and accelerometer sensor technologies including charge mode versus voltage mode piezoelectric sensors, MEMS devices, […]
Piezo driver provides integrated sensing on single chip
Boréas Technologies has introduced the BOS1921, a tiny piezo driver that delivers autonomous operation and sensing for piezo haptic trackpads in a single chip—freeing PC OEMs from the dedicated electronics that other piezo drivers require for force sensing. This advancement reduces bill of materials (BOM) costs by up to 2x, keeps piezo haptic trackpads thin, improves responsiveness, […]
How has sensing changed in industrial automation? (Part 1)
The Industrial Revolution or what we might call Industry 1.0 started over 250 years ago. In 1771 Richard Arkwright, today known as Father of the Factory System, used water to power the first fully automated spinning mill. One hundred years later, the automotive assembly line initiated the Second Industrial Revolution or Industry 2.0 with significantly […]
Creating unique devices with haptic touch technology
By Nedko Ivanov, Aito Consumer technology products are becoming increasingly difficult for designers and manufacturers to differentiate. Laptops, in particular, are all of a similar size and shape and offer the same functionality. Clamshell laptops typically combine the same three features – a display, a keyboard, and a touchpad – with few aspects that distinguish […]
Thin film haptic actuators create high-fidelity in a localized way
While piezoelectric haptic solutions are found in many applications, they are often large and heavy, thus shaking the entire device. KEMET’s new piezoelectric polymer film haptic actuators are thin (150 µm), flexible and conformable devices made from a proprietary, patent-protected paper-thin material, an electro-active polymer film, that enables piezoelectric effects to mimic the sense of […]
What is the difference between piezoelectric and piezoresistive pressure sensing?
Piezoelectric is the property of a material to generate a voltage when mechanical force is applied to it. In contrast, the piezoresistive effect is the property of a material’s resistivity to change when subjected to a mechanical force. In either case, the mechanical force or stress can be compression, tension or a bending force. Ceramic […]
What is exponential technology?
In his presentation at the COMSWORLD2020 virtual event, Janusz Bryzek of eXo Imaging, described many details to support his premise of the exponential acceleration of healthcare problems. According to Bryzek, the convergence of exponential technologies or ExTech is accelerating the availability of healthcare to all. Exponential technologies include different types of health sensors, big data, […]
What is a Molecular Property Spectrometer sensor?
To measure and classify a wide range of combustible gases, NevadaNano has integrated multiple, complementary chemical sensors on a single silicon chip called the Molecular Property Spectrometer or MPS sensor. The chip’s patented array of micro-cantilevers with integrated piezoelectric sensing elements provides electrical actuation and sensing of resonance frequency. Monitoring resonance is a highly sensitive […]
PCB Piezotronics launches high temp triaxial charge accelerometer
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. announces the release of a triaxial charge accelerometer designed for use in environments with ambient temperatures up to 900 °F/482 °C. Model EX356A73 is certified as intrinsically safe through the ATEX, CSA and IECEx programs. It is ideal for use in aviation/power generation turbine research & development, nuclear power plant commissioning and […]
