Sensors are allowing electromechanical devices to analyze and interact with environmental conditions, as they detect, touch, smell, and taste with quantifiable results. Here are some recent news items within the industry:
Sensor is gout watchdog
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology, led by Wei Gao, assistant professor of medical engineering, have created a highly sensitive wearable human sweat sensor that they say is able to detect low concentrations of metabolites and nutrients that herald a possible oncoming gout attack. Gout results from high levels of uric acid crystallizing in human joints, which causes inflammation and pain.
The sensor was engineered to measure respiratory rate, heart rate, and levels of uric acid and tyrosine in test subjects. Data accuracy was confirmed through blood tests.
The mass-producible, graphene-based sensors could be useful in closely monitoring cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or kidney disease, according to Gao.
"Such wearable sweat sensors have the potential to rapidly, continuously, and noninvasively capture changes in health at molecular levels," Gao says. "They could enable personalized monitoring, early diagnosis, and timely intervention."1
Robot sensor market expected to double by 2025
The robot sensor market, valued at $1.98 billion in 2018, is predicted to reach $4.16 billion by 2025, according to a report by Brandessence Market Research. The market’s CAGR is expected to be 10.8% during the intervening time period. There are an estimated 1.8 million industrial robots in production globally, making up a market near $35 billion.2
Flexible graphene photodetectors for wearable fitness monitoring
New flexible and transparent wearables combine graphene and semiconducting quantum dots that are able to noninvasively scan health vitals, such as heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate, using heterogeneous integration of a flexible UV photodetector with a near-field communication, according to an article in Science Advances. The optical vital sign monitoring is done with conformable sensors which are transparent and flexible. Benefits include broadband wavelength sensitivity (300 to 2,000 nm) and high responsivity resulting from a built-in photoconductive gain, which “allows a design freedom that the nontransparent and bulky readout electronics can be placed away from the sensor, and therefore, transparency and form factor of the active sensing area can be preserved,” according to the article.3
2020 Sensors Expo & Conference
If you want an up-close look at the latest innovations in sensors, mark the Sensors Expo & Conference on your 2020 calendar. The event, in its 35th year, will take place June 22-24 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, CA. There are 350 sensor industry leaders planned to exhibit on the expo floor, and a comprehensive conference program will cover today’s applications and future trends. Go to www.sensorsexpo.com for more complete information.
MEMS system market to expand to $122.83 billion by 2026
According to an October 2019 report by Allied Market Research, the global microelectromechanical system market size, valued at $48.74 billion in 2018, is predicted to reach $122,83 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 11.30% during the intervening time period. The report further states, “Impending need of device miniaturization in various electronic devices such as smartphones, wearable devices, medical instruments, and other electronic devices fuel the growth of the MEMS market. The demand for these devices is on a continuous rise with the decline in average selling prices (ASPs) and increase in benefits of MEMS devices, such as low cost, less space consumption, and high accuracy.”4
3D-printed biosensors
Researchers at Georgia Tech have created highly flexible biocompatible battery free wireless sensors using “aerosol jet” 3D printing, which uses a mist of droplets that is blown onto a substrate through a small nozzle. Two layers of ink are deposited: one that dries to a polyimide insulator, and one of silver nanoparticles. “The beauty of our sensor is that it can be seamlessly integrated onto existing medical stents or flow diverters that clinicians are already using to treat aneurysms,” said Georgia Tech researcher Woon-Hong Yeo. “We could use it to measure an incoming blood flow to the aneurysm sac to determine how well the aneurysm is healing, and to alert doctors if blood flow changes.”5
References
1. California Institute of Technology, “Wearable Sweat Sensor Detects Gout-Causing Compounds,” November 2019
https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/wearable-sweat-sensor-detects-gout-causing-compounds
2. Market Watch, “Robot Sensor Market is Expected to Reach USD 4.16 Billion by 2025,” July 2019
3. Science Advances, “Flexible graphene photodetectors for wearable fitness monitoring,” September 2019 https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/9/eaaw7846
4. Allied Market Research, “Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) Market by Type (Sensors, & Actuators), and Application (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Industrial, Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare, and Telecommunication, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019–2026,” October 2019
https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/micro-electromechanical-systems-MEMS-market
5. Toon, John, “Stretchable Wireless Sensor Could Monitor Healing of Cerebral Aneurysms,” Georgia Tech News Center, August 28, 2019. https://www.news.gatech.edu/2019/08/28/stretchable-wireless-sensor-could-monitor-healing-cerebral-aneurysms[RN1]