2016年1月31日星期日

Sensuron spins out of 4DSP and launches fiber optic sensors

Sensuron, a developer of compact fiber optic sensing systems, has launched its RTS 125 and RTS 150 sensors, after spinning off from sister company, 4DSP. Now its own entity, Sensuron’s launch statement says its “mission is to solve problems on a global scale and enable industry innovation by utilizing light-based technologies that ensure equipment in the aerospace, medical and energy fields is functional, reliable and safe.”

Michael Heflin, CEO at Sensuron, commented, “By investing in compact fiber optic sensing solutions, businesses can consolidate several disparate technologies into a single platform to continuously test, control and monitor the health of systems. Sensuron’s FOS platform enables innovations that change industries.”

Allen Parker, an engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, said, “We have been collaborating with 4DSP, now Sensuron, to develop the next generation of fiber optic sensing systems for the past 10 years. We have been able to build an exponentially smaller system than was previously used in these markets, with exceptional accuracy. Driven by NASA’s ultra-efficient algorithms, this compact FOS system represents a major breakthrough in high-speed operational monitoring and sensing.”

Market opportunity

Across aerospace, medical and energy fields, equipment deterioration and the continuous monitoring of materials can be expensive to maintain and costly to an organization’s operations. Defective equipment can pose risks for civilians and consumers. For example, without careful monitoring, strain during flight can lead to airplane structural problems. Additionally, in launch vehicles, liquid levels in fuel tanks may be higher than needed reducing payload capacity. In the energy field, unreported collisions with rigs can cause long-term structural risks.

Sensuron states that by using existing techniques for monitoring equipment, “engineers are struggling to keep up with industry developments”, adding, “however solutions that not only solve problems, but also help engineers to approach challenges with new thinking, will increase competitive advantages.”

Heflin added, “Sensuron’s compact FOS technology measures miniscule changes in temperature, volume, liquids and stress over a variety of surface areas. The platform can also provide 2D and 3D shape sensing. The fiber optic sensors reflect light readings back to a converter, which provides users with real-time measurements.”

Sensuron was recently recognized as a 2015 R&D 100 Finalist for its work with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Centre. The global consumption value of fiber optic sensing expected to increase to $2.2bn by 2018, up from $1.8bn in 2013.


New study: Global humidity sensor market forecast to 2021

The Humidity Sensor market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions’ development status. Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.
The Global Humidity Sensor Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Humidity Sensor industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.

This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.
Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out.

What’s more, the Humidity Sensor industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.

Companies like Continental, Delphi, Bosch, Honeywell, Analog Devices, Epcos, Sensata Technologies, Measurement Specialities, On Semiconductor, Stmicroelectronics, Sensirion and more are profiled in the terms of product picture, specification, capacity, production, price, cost, gross, revenue, and contact information.

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Apple reimagines the mouse with force sensors, haptic feedback

An Apple patent filing uncovered on Thursday describes an advanced mouse that employs sensors to measure the level and location of force exerted on its main button, as well as haptics systems for providing feedback.

As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's application for a "Force Sensing Mouse" details a mouse peripheral that not only varies its output based on how hard a user presses, but returns confirmation feedback in the way of haptic vibrations.

The invention is largely built around a strain gauge operatively coupled to a cantilever arm or beam. Employing the familiar Apple mouse design, with a single large top portion acting as a button or buttons, the accessory is able to easily and accurately transfer force through the arm, onto the sensor.

For example, when a user presses down on the mouse, the cantilever beam may bend, flex or twist, thus deforming the strain gauge that in turn outputs a certain voltage to be translated into an input signal. By processing voltage output, the mouse can estimate the amount of force being applied by the user and generate a control signal accordingly.

As for haptic feedback, an electromagnet is disposed in the mouse's body such that it hits the top button portion when activated. Alternatively, embedded vibration motors or other haptic systems are placed in one or more positions so as to provide adequate levels of feedback.

In practice, a user moves a UI cursor over an icon an exerts a first force (button press) to select the asset, which triggers a preset feedback force. A second, harder level of pressure induces the execution of a command, like opening an app or folder, while the mouse responds in kind with a more intense vibration. In this way, the user is able to navigate, select and activate graphical assets with one button press, getting feedback along the way.

Apple notes the pivot-style orientation of its mouse design might cause distortion in readings as less force is transferred through to the cantilever beam when a user presses down farther away from the pivot point, while more force is transferred when closer to the mouse's mechanical elements. To resolve this issue, and pinpoint finger location, the invention proposes deploying a touch sensor like the one found in Apple's Magic Mouse.

Alternatively, different types of sensors — piezoelectric force sensors, force transducers, pressure sensor arrays, torque sensors and others — can be used instead of the cantilever beam/strain gauge setup. The use of multiple sensors or location tracking via multitouch provides even more flexibility and introduces what are perhaps the patent's most interesting embodiments.

For example, with location tracking activated, the mouse's top portion can correspond to different locations on an operating system's UI.

In another embodiment, a button press is divided into "left force," "right force" and "middle force" depending on where the user presses or where their fingers are when force a first force is exerted. Apple offers the example of a flight simulator that maps right, left or middle forces to a plane's directional controls (pitch, yaw and roll), while applied force corresponds to speed or amplitude of movement.

Illustration of force sensing mouse with multiple cantilever arms (405).

It is unknown if Apple is working on a new mouse device, though the existing Magic Mouse is nearly five years old. Apple's peripheral releases are difficult to predict, though the Magic Mouse replaced the preceding Mighty Mouse after the old multi-button version spent four years on the market.

Apple's force sensing mouse patent application was first filed in 2013 and credits James E. Wright and Keith J. Hendren as its inventors.

 iSweek(http://www.isweek.com/)- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products


Analysis of the Global Gas Sensors, Detectors, and Analyzers Market

Analysis of the Global Gas Sensors, Detectors, and Analyzers Market

The Wireless Gas Detectors Market Will Record Significant Growth over the Next 3-5 Years

Gas detection is an essential component across various end verticals, such as oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, water treatment, mining, power generation, and environmental monitoring. The latest trend is to integrate gas sensors with smartphones and other wearable and wireless devices, which provide a wide range of functionalities, from air quality and safety and environmental monitoring to the diagnosis of health conditions through breath analysis. Recent shale gas and tight oil explorations have also boosted the demand for robust gas detectors. In addition, rising end-user awareness about safety has led to greater demand for gas sensors and detectors. The increasing enforcement of occupational health and safety regulations by government bodies is also an important driver for the sale of gas sensors, detectors, and analyzers.
Key Questions this Study will Answer

Is the global gas sensors, detectors, and analyzers market growing? How long will it continue to grow and at what rate? What is the market size for gas sensors, detectors, and analyzers by applications, technologies, and regions?
What is the structure of the gas sensors, detectors, and analyzers market and how is it expected to take shape in future?
What are the product, technology, and regulatory trends observed in the marketplace?
What are the key factors that will drive market growth?
What are the restraints faced by market participants? What is their likely impact?
What are the important geographical regions for the market? What is the growth forecast for these regions?

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2016年1月28日星期四

3D printed fingers and fiber optical sensors could make robotic hands more dexterous

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a three-fingered soft robotic hand with multiple 3D-printed fiber optic sensors, together with a new type of stretchable optical sensor. The robotic hand, supported by NASA, is able to detect forces of less than a tenth of a newton.

Using fiber optics, the team of researchers placed 14 strain sensors into each of the robot’s fingers, which are closely modelled on the skeletal structure of a human finger. Each finger has a 3D-printed plastic fingertip, middle node and base node connected by joints and covered in a silicon rubber skin. This technology provides the robotic hand with the ability to determine where its fingertips are in contact and to detect even minuscule forces. Although the new stretchable optical sensing material has not been incorporated in the current version of the hand, researchers are hopeful that it could be used in a future soft robotic skin to provide greater feedback.

The use of conventional pressure or force sensors can be problematic. This is because wiring can get complicated, the sensors are prone to breaking, and they are extremely susceptible to interference from electric motors and other electromagnetic devices. A single optical fiber can, on the other hand, contain several sensors. All of the sensors in each of the fingers of the partially 3D-printed robotic hand are connected with four fibers, and are completely resistant to electromagnetic interference.

The researchers say that the technology is intended to increase robot autonomy. “If you want robots to work autonomously and to react safely to unexpected forces in everyday environments, you need robotic hands that have more sensors than is typical today,” explained Yong-Lae Park, assistant professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon. “Human skin contains thousands of tactile sensory units only in the fingertip and a spider has hundreds of mechanoreceptors on each leg, but even a state-of-the-art humanoid such as NASA’s Robonaut has only 42 sensors in its hand and wrist.”

Park developed the robotic hand with the help of mechanical engineering students Leo Jiang and Kevin Low. The device incorporates commercially available fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which detect strain by measuring shifts in the wavelength of light reflected by the optical fibre. The finger is bent by a single active tendon, while a passive elastic tendon provides opposing force to straighten the finger.But what of the aforementioned new type of stretchable optical sensor? The team hope that the sensor could be used on future versions of the hand. Since conventional optical sensors lack flexibility—glass fibers barely stretch and even polymer fibers stretch typically only 20-25 percent—their use value in moving structures is limited. However, using a combination of silicon rubbers lined with reflective gold, researchers are able to escaping light when pressure is placed on the sensor, which allows them to measure force. Park believes that this type of sensor could both detect contact and measure force.

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Wearable UV sensors to help prevent cancer

In a sun-heavy country like Australia, over-exposure to ultraviolet light and skin cancer is a common problem, making the case for technology and science to help address this issue and go beyond slapping on sunscreen.

Researchers at RMIT University, who have recently published their work in micro/nano-science journal Small, have created electronic wearable ultraviolet light sensors that outperform other sensors. The stretchable, transparent sensors can be worn as skin patches.

The researchers found nanopatterned zinc oxide (ZnO) on an elastomeric substrate is what makes better sensing performance over “rigid” ZnO counterparts.

“This thin zinc oxide layer is engineered with a plate-like structure that we call micro-tectonics, these plates can slide across each other bit like geological plates that form the earth’s crust allowing for high sensitivity and the ability to bend and flex the devices,” explained the lead author of the research paper and PhD researcher, Philipp Gutruf.
According to the researchers, the thin UV sensor patch – which is 100 times thinner than a sheet of paper – is unbreakable and cheap to make.

The sensors can also detect toxic gases such as hydrogen and nitrogen dioxide. When testing and comparing the flexible ZnO/PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) and rigid ZnO/silicon sensors on hydrogen, the ZnO/PDMS far outperformed the other in sensing speed, recovery and sensitivity.

“Hydrogen leaks can lead to explosions as happened with the Hindenburg disaster and nitrogen dioxide is a major contributor to smog,” said Dr Madhu Bhaskaran, project leader and co-leader of the RMIT Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group.

“The ability to monitor such gases in production facilities and coal-fired power stations gives vital early warning of explosions, while the ability to sense nitrogen dioxide allows for a constant monitoring of pollution levels in crowded cities.”





UC Berkeley installing first CO2 sensor network in Oakland

The City of Oakland will be ground zero for the first urban sensor network to provide real-time, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood measurements of carbon dioxide – a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming – and other air pollutants.
The prototype network, being installed by chemists at the University of California, Berkeley, will employ 40 sensors spread over a 27 square-mile grid, most of them mounted atop local schools to engage students in the project. The information the network will provide could be used to monitor local carbon dioxide emissions to check on the effectiveness of carbon-reduction strategies now mandated by the state, but hard to verify.
ABC7 (KGO-TV) reporter Carolyn Johnson interviewed Ron Cohen and Jill Teige about the carbon dioxide sensor network they are installing atop schools in Oakland.
“Today, we monitor air quality in the entire East Bay from only about a dozen stations, but that gives you an average that may not be representative of what’s happening where you live,” said project leader Ron Cohen, UC Berkeley professor of chemistry. “The advantage of many, many sensors is that the network captures the whole range of pollutant sources, from freeways to homes. This could inspire communities to think about local actions to change the CO2 sensor they emit.”
The state has committed to a cap and trade strategy as an attempt to lower carbon emissions, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District instituted a carbon fee on regional businesses in 2008. But carbon taxes rely on reports by local agencies and businesses that estimate their emissions based on assumptions that may be wrong, such as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted when pouring concrete.
UC Berkeley graduate student Virginia (Jill) Teige, who designed the sensors, said “no one is actually measuring CO2 at a fine enough resolution to confirm whether the reports are right or not. The idea of putting up a network to monitor emissions is like measuring how fast everyone is driving in order to confirm that people are abiding by the speed limit.”
Built and installed by Cohen, Teige and their lab colleagues, the shoebox-size sensors will continuously measure carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels as well as temperature, pressure and humidity.
“One of my fantasies is that the local news will show a video of the day’s changing CO2 levels, just as it shows the movement of weather fronts,” Cohen said.

UC Berkeley chemists plan to install sensors at schools on a grid stretching between the bay and the hills, and from San Leandro north to El Cerrito.
Network stretches from hills to bay
The sensor network, dubbed BEACON (Berkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observing Network), stretches from the East Bay Regional Parks on the east to Interstate 880 on the west, and from El Cerrito on the north nearly to the San Leandro border, encompassing open space as well as heavily trafficked areas.
Most of the sensors are being mounted on the roofs of local schools, Cohen said, in order to get students interested in the connection between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. The UC Berkeley researchers work with Oakland’s Chabot Space & Science Center to create middle school and high school activities using live sensor data streamed through the Web as part of the students’ energy and climate science curriculum.
“As soon as we heard about the sensor project, we thought it was so timely, clever and relevant to our mission – to inspire young people to take responsibility for Planet Earth, and to learn about climate science,” said Etta Heber, director of education at Chabot. “We are thrilled to be working with Ron and his team to engage the K-12 community in cutting-edge science.”
Tracy Ostrom, a teacher in the Green Energy Academy at Skyline High School who participated in Chabot’s training, is eager to incorporate the sensor data in her classroom work, as well as host UC Berkeley graduate students who can show her students “what field science is all about, which can help the students define their interests in pursuing a career in this type of field.”
“As students are instructed on greenhouse gases and global climate change, they will also see how the BEACON project can potentially influence national and global policy making,” she wrote in an email.

Science teacher Tracy Ostrom flanked by UC Berkeley post-doc Katja Weichsel (left) and graduate student Virginia Teige installing a sensor box atop Skyline High School in Oakland. ( Michael Barnes photo)
Nine of the sensors are now in place at Chabot, the Oakland Zoo, two high schools and five elementary schools. Others are ready to install, pending approval by school officials.
Two are reserved for the new Exploratorium in San Francisco, which is scheduled to open next year on Pier 15 and includes an exhibit on CO2 and climate change. The sensors could detect the fumes from a passing ship or the effects of a “Spare the Air” day, Cohen said.
Off-the-shelf parts make monitoring cheaper
Cohen and his UC Berkeley colleagues have built refrigerator-sized monitoring equipment for years, each package costing up to $250,000, but providing exquisitely precise and detailed data. The new sensor packages cost one-twentieth as much because they make use of off-the-shelf devices, such as a nitrogen dioxide sensor identical to that found in industrial toxic gas alerts.
The BEACON network is a pilot program funded by the National Science Foundation to determine what information can be learned from a densely spaced network. Lower cost means less sensitive instruments, but the precision should be offset by sheer numbers, Cohen said.
“A massive number of inexpensive sensors as common as cell phone towers will fundamentally change our knowledge,” said Cohen, who directs the Berkeley Atmospheric Science Center. “Real time observations will enable rapid verification of the effectiveness of policy and compliance with treaties and other agreements and commitments.”

Carbon dioxide levels during a typical week as measured at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland. Levels peak at midday and midweek, and are lower on weekends.
Teige noted that the current sensors will be placed about two kilometers apart. “How closely spaced these sensors need to be in an optimal network is still an open question that we intend to address with this pilot, before expanding the network to other cities and the entire Bay area,” she said.
Each sensor is connected to the Internet, many of them wirelessly, so they can send measurements every five seconds to a computer in Hildebrand Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. Cohen and Teige hope to have all 40 sensors in place by the end of the summer, just in time for the opening of classes in local schools.
“I’m anxious to see the data that will come out,” said Chabot’s Ben Burress, who developed the teaching guides and is training teachers how to use data visualization software to display sensor data. “I think it’s fantastic that Ron wants to complement his research with real-time science in the classroom.”

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Flexible and transparent pressure sensor

 Healthcare practitioners may one day be able to physically screen for breast cancer using pressure-sensitive rubber gloves to detect tumors, owing to a transparent, bendable and sensitive pressure sensor newly developed by Japanese and American teams.

Conventional pressure sensors are flexible enough to fit to soft surfaces such as human skin, but they cannot measure pressure changes accurately once they are twisted or wrinkled, making them unsuitable for use on complex and moving surfaces. Additionally, it is difficult to reduce them below 100 micrometers thickness because of limitations in current production methods.

To address these issues, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Sungwon Lee and Professor Takao Someya of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering has developed a nanofiber-type pressure sensor that can measure pressure distribution of rounded surfaces such as an inflated balloon and maintain its sensing accuracy even when bent over a radius of 80 micrometers, equivalent to just twice the width of a human hair. The sensor is roughly 8 micrometers thick and can measure the pressure in 144 locations at once.

The device demonstrated in this study consists of organic transistors, electronic switches made from carbon and oxygen based organic materials, and a pressure sensitive nanofiber structure. Carbon nanotubes and graphene were added to an elastic polymer to create nanofibers with a diameter of 300 to 700 nanometers, which were then entangled with each other to form a transparent, thin and light porous structure.

"We've also tested the performance of our pressure sensor with an artificial blood vessel and found that it could detect small pressure changes and speed of pressure propagation," says Lee. He continues, "Flexible electronics have great potential for implantable and wearable devices. I realized that many groups are developing flexible sensors that can measure pressure but none of them are suitable for measuring real objects since they are sensitive to distortion. That was my main motivation and I think we have proposed an effective solution to this problem."

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Fiber Optic Sensors for Soft Robotic Hands

Scientists at the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (US), have designed a three-fingered soft robotic hand with multiple embedded fiber optic sensors. Additionally, they have developed a new type of stretchable optical sensing material.

The new type of stretchable optical sensing material was not embedded in the robotic hand in this study but could be used in soft robotic skin provide even more feedback in future bionic devices.

For this time, the CMU team embedded existing fiber optic sensors in robotic hands. “Fiber Bragg grating — or FBG — sensors have been widely used in civil engineering for structural health monitoring, but not much in robotics,” says Yong-Lae Park, assistant professor of robotics at CMU. His team found a way to use this existing sensor technology in robotics to get force and tactile information that is useful for dexterous manipulation. 

What is more, the University also introduced highly stretchable optical skin sensors. “Our new optical sensor uses a soft waveguide made of hyperelastic, clear silicone rubber, which is encapsulated by a very thin reflective metal layer, such as gold,” explains Park. “At rest, the gold layer reflects the light from one end to the other end without loss, using internal reflection. However, if the material is stretched or deformed, the gold layer makes many very small micro-cracks and allows part of the light to escape through. Then, you have an optical power loss that can be detected by a photo-detector in the other end.”

Traditionally, force sensing in robots is accomplished with external sensors attached to an existing structure, resulting in limited sensing capabilities. “However, if you look at biology — humans, animals, insects — they are covered in hundreds to even hundreds of thousands of mechanoreceptors that make them really responsive to external world,” Park says. “This responsiveness is one of the key factors to a real autonomous system. By embedding fiber optics sensors, we can make the entire robot structure sensorized like human skin.”

Furthermore, Park elaborates that fiber optic sensors eliminate the problem of electromagnetic interference (EMI), one of the most serious problems of conventional electric sensors, since fiber optic sensors use only optical signals and electrically passive. Also, since they are very tiny and flexible, it is easy to embed many sensors in a small structure, allowing small and complicated designs of robots or robotic parts. “All these advantages expand your material selections to a variety of plastics, including 3D printing materials while traditional robots mostly use only metals in their structures.”

Robot fingers protect, prevent optical power loss

Since the fiber optic sensors the team used in this current set of experimental robotic hands are an already existing, commercially available technology, their biggest challenge was figuring out how to design a robot structure that allows them to easily embed optical fibers and efficiently detects the contact forces. “We had to design our robot fingers that cannot only physically protect the fibers but also prevent any potential optical power loss,” Park says.

Easily sterilizable, such fiber optic sensors could one day be used in other biomedical or surgical devices. Adds Park: “We also plan to use our optical soft skin senosors for robot skin that can cover existing robots to provide better sensing capability.” This approach has the advantage of “not having to redesign or remake all the existing robots.”

Another area of application Park and his colleagues are currently exploring is a wearable skin suit for humans, using the optical soft skin they have developed. “When you wear this skin suit,” Park says, “it cannot only monitor your body motions but also detect any external contacts to your body.” Such functionalities, for example, could be useful for monitoring oneself during athletic activity or rehabilitation exercises for improvements. Park adds that the optical soft skin could even detect any risk of injuries during physical activity.”

Continuing with the research project, Park plans to embed more sensors for increased sensitivity of the robotic hand.  “We also plan to do more experiments for controlling our hands using the fiber optic sensors for demonstration of dexterous manipulation,” he adds. “For optical skin sensors, we are currently working on further miniaturizing the sensors thickness combining with optical fibers while still maintaining the same high stretchability and physical compliance.” 

Finally, the the CMU team will put both their innovations together and integrate this sensitive skin with the robotic fingers that contain the fiber optic sensors (FBGs).  




Portable microwave sensors for measuring vital signs

 Current medical techniques for monitoring the heart rate and other vital signs use electrodes attached to the body, which are impractical for patients who want to move around. Plasma physicist Atsushi Mase, a scientist at Kyushu University in Japan, and colleague Daisuke Nagae have developed a new technique to disconnect people from their electrodes by using microwaves.

The work, which could lead to the development of non-invasive, real-time stress sensing in a variety of environments, is described in a recent issue of the journal Review of Scientific Instruments, which is published by the American Institute of Physics.

The system uses very weak microwaves to irradiate -- and scatter off -- the human body. A sensitive microwave sensor monitors the reflected waves, which change in phase in response to motions of the body, including the regular displacement of the chest during breathing or, the slight movement of the chest caused by the beating heart.

"The skin surface moves slightly," Mase says, "synchronizing to respiration and heart beat."
Using signal processing algorithms and techniques to filter out the effects of random body motions, Mase and Nagae were able to detect changes in heart rate in near real-time, which allows an evaluation of autonomic nervous system activity.

"We plan to apply the system to various conditions, including for clinical use -- such as for the overnight monitoring of human vital signs -- and as a daily health monitor, including detecting signs of sleepiness in drivers and preventing stress-related illnesses," he says. In the future, the system could even be used as a security monitor to distinguish the subtle signs of stress in potential terrorists.

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2016年1月27日星期三

Apple invention uses spherically curved photosensor for smaller, better iPhone camera

In its quest for high-performing, flexible and — most importantly — small imaging systems, Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent for a spherical photosensor and lens array that provides high-resolution capture in an incredibly compact package.

As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's U.S. Patent No. 9,244,253 for a "Small form factor high-resolution camera" marries cutting edge sensor technology with similarly complex optics to create a compact, high-performance digital shooter suitable for deployment in iPhone and iPad.

In some embodiments Apple describes a photosensor that is spherically curved to receive incoming light, refracted through specially crafted lenses, onto a concave surface. An apt analogy would be a bowl filled with water; the bowl represents a spherically curved image sensor and the water a fitted lens system.

To correct for diffraction and visual aberrations that propagate within miniature cameras, the proposed lens system includes three lenses, two of which are convex or substantially convex. A third meniscus lens, or a lens with opposing convex and concave surfaces, is situated between the first two lens elements and the spherical photosensor. The meniscus lens' concave surface faces the first two lens elements, and thus incoming light rays, while the convex surface interfaces with the sensor, focusing light onto the sensing surface.

This unique arrangement provides a comparatively small ray fan spot size for all field heights at the image plane, allowing for sharp, low-distortion images. Apple says that employing a curved array limits diffraction across the image field (it scores high in point spread function and modulation transfer function metrics), thereby allowing for a smaller photosensor with equally tiny pixels. Further, with an axial length of two millimeters or less, the total camera package is incredibly compact.

The setup does come with a few drawbacks, however, the most prominent being native barrel distortion, or a bubble-like warping. Apple proposes a software solution for correcting such unwanted effects, which can appear in varying degrees of severity depending on focal length, aperture and other system settings.

It is unclear if Apple intends to apply its curved photosensor patent in future iPhones, as the company has long relied on Sony's stellar backside-illuminated modules for its imaging needs. The technology could, however, delay the inevitable as Apple races to cram more components into an ever-shrinking device lineup.

Apple's curved spherical photosensor patent was first filed for in 2013 and credits Xi Chen, David S. Gere and Matthew C. Waldon as its inventors.

 iSweek(http://www.isweek.com/)- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products


2016年1月26日星期二

Mars Orbiter Mission sends fresh pictures, methane sensors are working fine


The Mars Colour Camera (MCC) aboard India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has sent in new images of the Red Planet, showing a volcano, and a canyon on the surface and one of Mars' natural satellite Phobos.

The new set of images were released late Tuesday by Isro, which has also said that the methane senors on the spacecraft have begun studying the albedo of the Red Planet — fraction of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected from Mars back into space. It is a measure of the reflectivity of the surface and will help study methane.

The study of methane is a crucial objective of the Rs 450-crore mission, as methane is an indicator of life on the red planet. While the findings from the methane sensor released by Isro is completely technical, a senior scientist said the team is working on simplifying the same and releasing it for better comprehension by Wednesday evening.


Spectacular 3D view of Arsia Mons, a huge volcano on Mars. (Photo credit: Isro)





Close-up view of a portion of the gigantic Valles Marineris Canyon of Mars. (Photo credit: Isro)





In-Line Mass Flow Sensor offers 1-3% accuracy

Based on Microwave Doppler Effect technology, Quanti Mass Flow Sensor provides reproducible, non-contact, in-line mass flow measurement of quantities in pneumatic conveying and free-falling processes without use of weigh scales. Unit features sturdy, non-intrusive design that minimizes maintenance. Available with DIN-rail transmitter or local interface controller, sensor is suitable for powders, dust, pellets, and granular up to 0.75 in.

In-Line Mass Flow Measurement Sensor
Monitor Technologies introduces the QuantiMass solids / mass flow sensor that measures the flow of quantities in pneumatic conveying & free-falling processes.

The sensor is based on the latest Microwave doppler effect technology to provide fast, accurate (typically 1 to 3%) and reproducible in-line measuring without the use of weight scales. The QuantiMass is ideal for monitoring material flow rates to verify blending mixture ratios. The sensor can also be used to monitor for variable flow quantities due disturbances like different densities. The sturdy, non-intrusive design of the sensor minimizes maintenance. In addition, the compact size of the sensor makes for easy installation into existing processes. Provides non-contact, in-line mass flow measurements for most bulk solids and many dusts (like coal dust and saw dust). Suitable for powders, dust, pellets, and granular up to 0.75 inch (2cm). Available with DIN-rail transmitter or local interface controller.

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Gas detectors air flow sensors sealed against dust and moisture to IP65

The STX3241 and STX3261 toxic and flammable gas detectors and TX5920 Vortex Air Flow Sensors from Trolex have been used to monitor CH4, CO and air flow at the Svea Nord mine in Norway.

The sensors have a high strength moulded housing sealed against dust and moisture to IP65 standard and EMC protection, making the systems resilient in the extreme, arduous conditions in the mine.

All the sensors have ATEX M1 approval, a legal requirement which identifies equipment that continues to operate when a potentially explosive atmosphere is present.

The STX3261 flammable gas sensor  is a robust, dust and waterproof pre-calibrated gas detector which utilises a poison resistant catalytic combustion sensor to monitor flammable gases present in the atmosphere such as methane and propane. The large mass of the sensing element assures a long and reliable operating life with exceptional stability even in conditions of high vibration.

The sensor has a life expectancy of approximately five years depending on the monitoring conditions and can be rapidly serviced or replaced at the end of its operating life. It is also available with a remote mounted gas-sensing module for installations where space or access is restricted.

The STX3241 toxic gas sensor is designed for ease of installation and maintenance in arduous, exposed locations providing economical safety protection from toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and sulphur dioxide in mining and tunnelling applications.

The sensor features high accuracy electrochemical cell gas sensing elements, convenient and secure zero and span calibration and a choice of output signals of 4–20mA or 0.4–2V.

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Apple iPhone 6 Features Could Include A Barometer Sensors To Measure Altitude And Weather

Barometer sensor in the iPhone 6 could be helpful for hikers, mountain climbers and bike riders, who need accurate details about their current altitude.

Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming smartphone iteration, presumably dubbed the “iPhone 6,” is expected to be a major upgrade from the current model not only by virtue of a larger display, but also because of new sensors that will allow the phone to spit out atmospheric measurements.

The iPhone 6, which is expected to be released sometime in mid-September, could feature a barometer and other sensors that will help the phone measure altitude and atmospheric pressure, and provide accurate weather-related information, 9to5Mac reported, adding that the iPhone 6 could be handy for outdoor enthusiasts.

A barometer sensor, which is already present in Android devices such as the Galaxy Nexus, can also use air pressure data to measure other weather-related information like temperature and humidity, according to the 9to5Mac report, which was based on FutureTap developer Ortwin Gentz’s findings of a framework related to “altitude tracking” inside a version of Xcode 6, the latest iPhone software development kit, for iOS 8.

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Force sensor integrated into surgical forceps

Samsung's Device and System Research Center present a force sensor integrated into surgical forceps to provide surgeons with a sense of touch in robotically-assisted procedures. 

Sensory isolation
When performing open surgery, surgeons intuitively use their senses in combination to capture the information they need to complete the procedure. Their sense of touch plays a very large part in this, providing information on the body tissues that they are interacting with, the materials they are using as part of the procedure and their interaction with both, including the amount of force they are applying.

In order to reduce the trauma associated with surgery, more and more procedures are now routinely performed not as open surgery, but using minimally invasive techniques such as 'keyhole' surgery. Increasingly then, the surgeon has to rely on imaging technologies to mediate their vision, and their sense of touch is entirely mediated by surgical implements, such as forceps. This can lead to insufficient control of pinch and pull forces, leading to use of too little or too much force, both of which can result in tissue damage, through slipping or crushing.

This difficulty is particularly present in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery where there is no direct mechanical link between the surgeon's hand controls and the parts of the tools in contact with the tissue and surgical implements. In this context, accurate haptic feedback would be a significant boon to the surgeon. Such feedback first requires high fidelity measurement of the forces being generated at the tool tip.

Unfortunately, attaching force and pressure sensors to surgical tools, including forceps, is far from straightforward. The application environments make packaging difficult. Tools designed to be minimally invasive are, perforce, small. They also have to be sterilised, so the sensors need to be robust to warm gas sterilisation. They will also be used in close proximity to EMI sources including electrocautery tools. The requirements have proved difficult to satisfy with force sensing resistors and capacitance type tactile sensors.

Sensory fibres
In their current Letter, the team from Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology's Device and System Research Center present a design of force sensing forceps for surgical robot teleoperation that are robust to sterilisation and EMI with very compactly packaged sensors.

The Samsung team's design incorporates a pair of dual grating optic fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors that are sensitive to both tensile strain and thermal variations. By placing one FBG in the region of greatest strain of the forceps and one in an un-strained region, the grip force applied can be measured through the differences in the wavelength variation between the FBGs, removing the influence of temperature.

The team also believe this kind of FBG-based sensor could be used in other surgical applications such as in MRI-compatible biopsy needles to sense interaction forces at the tip of the needle's inner stylet and in radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Sensory fusion
"We are working on using the forceps for haptic feedback with a teleoperated surgical robot," explained team member Dr Soo-Chul Lim, but the team have plans far beyond this one dimensional haptic feedback. "We plan to develop three axis force sensible forceps. We expect that such force sensing forceps will enhance robot-assisted surgery by providing more stable feedback of interaction forces between the surgical tool and the tissue."

Over the next decade, the team believe it will be possible to incorporate grip and three-axis force sensing into same surgical tools using FBG sensors. It will also be necessary to combine this technology with advances from the wider world of robotics to create a truly intuitive haptic experience for the operator. "To use the developed haptic feedback system for performing real surgery, it will have to be implemented in a surgical robot that has a free motion generator at the robot wrist," said Lim.


2016年1月25日星期一

Gas Sensors Market Size Worth $2.5 Billion By 2020

Global Gas Sensors Market is expected to reach USD 2,512.4 million by 2020, as per a new research report by Radiant Insights, Inc. High adoption rate of wireless and smart gas sensor technology coupled with escalating demand from end-use industries such as automotive is likely to drive global demand.

CO2 sensors was the highest revenue generator product segment and was valued USD 479.3 million in 2013. It is expected to witness significant gains, with estimate of USD 696.2 million at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2014 to 2020. Increasing demand from industrial and bulk food storage sectors is spurring the demand growth during the forecast period. Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) was valued at USD 148.3 million in 2013, and is expected to reach USD 225.3 million by 2020, growing at an estimated CAGR of 6.2% over the next few years.

Wireless sensors detect concentration of the target gas, and transmit a proportional signal. Since they can be used in remote or hard-to-reach locations, the demand is expected to remain strong in the coming years. Other benefits include ease of installation, cost effectiveness, and the ability to create a network of sensors. Smart gas sensors can be integrated into portable electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, which helps enhance overall performance under harsh external conditions. Use of shale gas in electricity production is likely to pose challenge to industry participants.

Key report insights suggest:

• Global gas sensors market was valued USD 1,782.1 million in 2013 and is forecast to grow at over 5% from 2014 to 2020.
• Global demand in industrial sector was USD 354.9 million in 2013 which is expected to reach USD 493.2 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% over the next few years. Government norms to ensure occupational health and safety of workers are predictable to spur the industry growth. Environmental sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% over the forecast period.
• Electrochemical was the leading technological segment and expected to reach USD 485.6 million by2020 at a CAGR of 5.1% over the forecast period. They are able to detecting several gases and cost effective in nature. Infrared was valued USD 272.6 million in 2013 and expected to be the fastest growing segment.
• Europe dominated global demand with an market share estimated over 30% in 2013. Asia Pacific gas sensors market is expected to be the fastest growing region, growing at a CAGR of 6% up to 2020. The region is expected to grow at a higher rate owing to technological advancement and innovation in this region.
• Fairly competitive industry consists of top five manufacturers accounting for more than 60% of the industry share. Major participants include City Technology, Alphasesnse, Membrapor AG, Dynament Ltd. and Figaro Engineering among others.

Global Gas Sensors Technology Overview (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020)
• Electrochemical
• Semiconductor
• Solid State
• PID
• Catalytic
• Infrared

Global Gas Sensors Product Overview (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020)
• Oxygen
• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• NOx

Global Gas Sensors End-Use Overview (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020)
• Medical
• Building Automation & Domestic Appliances
• Environmental
• Petrochemical
• Automotive
• Industrial

Global Gas Sensors Regional Overview (Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2020)
• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• RoW


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Gas sensors sound the smoldering fire alarm

Smoke detectors are everywhere, but still thousands of people die in fires annually. Fire gas detectors, which detect carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, identify fires at an early stage. Thanks to a new measurement principle developed by Fraunhofer researchers, these costly sensors will soon be inexpensive and ready for the mass market.

As the stars twinkle in the sky high above the house, people lie sleeping in their beds. It's just an ordinary night – and yet, on this night, the slumberers' lives are at stake: A cable is smoldering away and poisonous carbon monoxide spreads unnoticed through the room. The smoke detector doesn't sound the alarm because it responds only to smoke, which is not always produced in a smoldering fire. In short, the room's occupants are in great danger.

Reliably detects carbon monoxide

Gas sensors could wake people in time and save their lives. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg have developed just such a sensor. It recognizes a fire not by its smoke but by the carbon monoxide it emits. Nitrogen dioxide, which is produced a little later in the course of the fire, also triggers the alarm. Even the tiniest amounts of these gases suffice. "The sensors are extremely sensitive, so they respond very early in the fire's development. After all, every second counts," explains Dr. Carolin Pannek, a researcher at the IPM.

Life-saving carbon-monoxide sensors of this kind are already available today, but they are too expensive for the mass market. Furthermore, they require maintenance and use a lot of electricity. Commercially available semiconductor gas sensors are cheaper, but can't distinguish between different gases. That's not the case with the new sensor type created by the IPM researchers. "Ours responds only to carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide – it ignores other gases. By using roll-to-roll processing, we can produce the sensors very inexpensively, making it affordable for consumers," confirms Pannek.

This is primarily thanks to the dyes at the core of the sensor. Just as a lock opens only with a specific key, each dye responds only to a specific gas. Thus the sensor contains one dye for carbon monoxide and another for nitrogen dioxide. It works by having a small LED shine blue light into a waveguide coated with a polymer into which the dyes have been mixed. The light travels in a zigzag path to the other end of the waveguide, where it meets up with a detector. If the air in the room is normal, the coating glows purple – which means it absorbs only a small amount of blue light and lets most of the blue light reach the detector. If however there is carbon monoxide in the air, the dye glows yellow. The yellow dye absorbs more blue light – so the overall amount of light reaching the detector is lower. Below a given threshold value this trips the alarm. To detect nitrogen oxide, the researchers include a second waveguide coated with another dye.

Costs slightly more than a smoke detector
The researchers were careful to ensure that the sensor could be manufactured cost-effectively in bulk – after all, no one wants to dig much deeper in their pocket than they would for a conventional smoke detector, even though gas sensors offer significantly more protection. "When mass produced, the sensors will cost about the same as smoke detectors – and significantly less than the fire gas detectors currently available," Panneck believes.

To make their fire gas sensors, the researchers use the same components found in smoke detectors and supplement them with the optical waveguides. The electronics determine the threshold at which the sensor should sound the alarm. To manufacture these components, the researchers have worked together with an industry partner to develop a roll-to-roll process similar to newspaper printing that is capable of printing 15,000 measurement systems on a continuous roll. The process is both suitable for mass production and cost effective. But it will certainly take a few years for the gas sensors to become as ubiquitous in living and bedrooms as smoke detectors are now.

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Humidity Sensors Can Help Counter Proliferation Of Bacteria

Engineers developed biocompatible humidity sensors to prevent bacteria proliferation in highly humid environments. The new humidity sensors can prevent biological fueling, improve performance and service lifetime.

Spanish engineers developed new humidity sensors to fight bacteria production in highly humid environments. Across various industries, humidity is one of the most monitored and controlled operations aspects.

But there are still many problems that threaten the monitoring and controlling processes, especially in environments with very high levels of humidity. Bacteria multiply in environments where with the humidity levels are very high. This results in the "biofilm" formations, which are ecosystems of microorganisms that are typically attached to a surface.

Biofilm formations on surfaces lead to material deteriorations, which often affect the devices, including its performance and service lifetime. The deterioration process due to biofilm formation is known as biological fouling or "biofouling," which refers to the buildup of microorganism on wet surfaces.

"Right now, the costs arising out of biofouling are very high mainly because of the maintenance work or replacement of equipment," said engineer Aitor Urrutia from Spain's Universidad Pablica de Navarra (UPNA).

Urrutia and team developed novel humidity sensors with antibacterial properties for devices that work in high humidity environments. These new humidity sensors prevent biofilm creation and help solve biofouling.

Using a combination of nanotechnology and latest developments in fiber optic, the new humidity sensors have improved performance and longer service lifetimes. The humidity sensor has an optical structure that is coated with silver nanoparticles. The coating is less than one micron thick.
The humidity sensors are biocompatible and immune to electromagnetic interference. They are also inexpensive, compact and lightweight.

The new humidity sensors can be utilized in various industries, including food processing, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, home automation, health clinics and hospital. It could help in monitoring human respiration among others. Since the sensors are compact and lightweight, they can be used to monitor humidity levels in areas that have limited access.

"Thanks to the embedded silver nanoparticles included, these coatings provide the sensors with two additional functionalities: antibacterial properties and increased sensitivity," said Urrutia.

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North American Pressure Sensor Market Estimated to Reach by $1,933.1 Million by 2019

According to the new Market Research Report "North America Pressure Sensor Market by Type (Piezoresistive, Capacitive, Electromagnetic, Others), by Application (Automotive, Petrochemical and Oil & Gas, Consumer Electronics, Medical, Others), by Geography - Analysis and Forecast to 2019", the North American pressure sensor market report defines and segments the pressure sensor market in North America with analysis and forecast of revenue. This market was valued at $1,467.1 million in 2014, which is expected to reach $1,933.1 million by 2019, at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2014 and 2019.

Browse through the TOC of North American Pressure Sensor Market for an in-depth analysis of the industry trends and segments, with help of various tables and figures.
Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. 

A pressure sensor measures pressure, typically of gases or liquids. Pressure sensors are used for controlling and monitoring purposes in several applications. Pressure sensors can also be used to indirectly measure other variables, such as fluid/gas flow, speed, water level, and altitude. Pressure sensors can alternatively be called pressure transducers, pressure transmitters, pressure senders, pressure indicators, piezometers and manometers, to name a few. Extensive technological developments in the past decade have led to a considerable reduction in the size of pressure sensors, which has played a major role in their market growth.

North America is one of the most technologically advanced application markets for pressure sensors owing to the presence of prominent system suppliers, large semiconductor companies, and sensor manufacturers in the region. The size of the region, affluence of its consumers, and the competitiveness of automotive and medical original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) makes it a thriving market for pressure sensor manufacturers. The major countries contributing to the pressure sensor market in North America include the U.S. and Canada.

The North American pressure sensor market is segmented and forecast based on types and application. With respect to type, the market is segmented into capacitive pressure sensors, electromagnetic pressure sensors, optical pressure sensors, piezoresistive pressure sensors, resonant solid state pressure sensors, and others. On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into automotive, consumer electronics, manufacturing, medical devices, utilities, and other applications.

Key Players of the North American Pressure Sensor Market include:  
The Emerson Electric Company (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S), Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan), among others and so on.

This report on the North American pressure sensor market includes market share and value chain analyses, along with market metrics such as drivers and restraints. In addition, it presents a competitive landscape and company profiles of the key market players.
Report Subscription: 

MicroMarket Monitor produces exclusive market research reports, based on real-time data to provide better understanding of the dynamic market conditions of the Semiconductor & Electronics industry. The reports offer in-depth and complete analysis of the regional and country level marketplaces. The research reports for Semiconductor & Electronics industry are updated on quarterly basis and are easily available for purchase through annual subscriptions.





Pressure Sensor Market by Technology, Application, & Geography - Global Forecast to 2020

A pressure sensor, also known as pressure transducer, pressure transmitter, pressure sender, pressure indicator, piezometer, or manometer, converts changes in the pressure of a gas or a liquid into an electrical signal by means of a pressure sensing device. It then generates an analog output proportional to the pressure or a switching output, which operates at a particular pressure level. Pressure sensors are used for controlling and monitoring thousands of applications, such as consumer electronics, automotive, and healthcare, among others.

The global pressure sensor market was valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 9.48 billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 5.9% between 2015 and 2020.

The global pressure sensor market is primarily driven by increased demand for pressure sensors from the automotive industry. The automotive industry across the globe, is witnessing a period of relatively increased growth and profitability. Global production levels for automotive industry have increased along with growing sales, which have resulted in the growth of the industry as a whole. This growth of automotive industry drives the global pressure sensor market, as the pressure sensors have great applicability in this industry. Advancements in micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technologies have resulted in the reduction of package size, cost, and weight of pressure sensors. Thus, this is also expected to boost the overall growth of the global pressure sensor market.

The report includes company profiles of the key players, recent activities in the market, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, and collaborations and partnerships, along with SWOT analysis. Some of the companies profiled in this report are Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), Measurement Specialties, Inc. (U.S.), Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (U.S.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), The Emerson Electric Company (U.S.), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Denso Corporation (Japan), General Electric (U.S.), OMRON Corporation (Japan), and STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland).

Customization Options:
With the market data, you can also customize MNM assessments that are in accordance to your company's specific needs. Customize to get comprehensive industry standards along with deep dive analysis of the following parameters:

Product Analysis
- Usage pattern (in-depth trend analysis) of products (segment-wise)
- Product matrix, which gives a detailed comparison of product portfolio of each company mapped at country and subsegment level
- End user adoption rate analysis of the products (segment-wise and country-wise)
- Comprehensive coverage of product approvals, pipeline products, and product recalls

Technology Data
- Country specific data of technology, such as piezoresistive, capacitive, electromagnetic, resonant solid state, and optical
- Premium insights of pressure sensor technology

Comparative Analysis
- Market data of top companies
- Key developments of top companies




New Low Power NDIR CO2 Sensor

SenseAir (Sweden) presents a new miniature low power NDIR CO2 sensor module, SenseAir S8 4B. The sensor can be integrated in a wide range of different alarm applications where you want to detect CO2, such as leakage detection.

SenseAir S8 4B main application area is to serve as a CO2 safety switch when built into equipment such as kerosene heaters and other equipment generating potentially hazardous levels of CO2 gas. Because of low current consumption the sensor is suitable for battery applications and has an average current consumption of 2 mA.

SenseAir S8 4B measures 400 to 32000 ppm and alarm when the CO2 level is higher than 8000 ppm and stay in alarm mode until CO2 levels are below 6500 ppm.

The sensor is designed for high volume production with full traceability by sensor serial number on all manufacturing processes and key components. All sensors are individually calibrated.

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2016年1月24日星期日

Low Power ATEX & IECEx Certified NDIR Sensor for CO2 or HC Detection

The IR series of infrared gas detection sensors, from N.E.T. Srl (Italy) use the technique of NDIR Co2 Sensor (Non Dispersive Infrared) to monitor the presence of hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide.

This technique is based on the fact that the gas has an unique and well defined light absorption curve in the infrared spectrum that can be used to identify the specific gas. The gas concentration can be determined by using a suitable infrared source and analysing the quantity of energy absorbed from the gas inside the optical path.

The IRNEX-P Low Power sensor is equipped with electronics and firmware in order to provide an output that is linearized and temperature compensated. The output is analogue voltage type [0.4 V—2 V] dc (other voltages are available on request).

The IRNEX-P Low Power sensor has been tested and certified according to the ATEX directive and IECEx.

IRNEX-P is now SIL2 approved

The main features are: Explosion proof Ex d IR sensor for surface (II 2G) and underground (I M2) classified areas, Analogue voltage standard output, Incorporated signal linearisation and temperature compensation suited for manufacturers without any specialist knowledge in IR technology, Standard sensor size 20 mm, Fast response, Solid, rugged construction, Wide operating temperature and humidity range (-40°C / + 60°C), Low power consumption (45mA), and New optics “Nautilus”.

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2016年1月21日星期四

Global MEMS Pressure Sensor Market to Exceed USD 4 Billion by 2020

The global MEMS pressure sensor market was valued at USD 2 billion in 2015 and is expected to exceed nearly USD 4 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 14%.

In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global MEMS pressure sensor market for 2016-2020. Based on end user platforms, the market is divided into the following segments: Automotive, industrial, healthcare, others.

The MEMS pressure sensor market is also segmented into the following regions:
North America
Europe
APAC
ROW
APAC: largest MEMS pressure sensor market

APAC accounted for over half the market share in 2015 and its domination will continue through 2020 where the region is expected to hold nearly 55% of the market. China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea are some of the leading consumer markets in this region, propelling the market to a very impressive CAGR of 15% during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the regions dominance of the automotive production sector, a sector which creates huge demand for MEMS sensors.

“The automotive segment in Japan is a manufacturing hub for many prominent car manufacturers, such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi, while the automotive market in China is the largest in terms of automobile unit production,” said Technavio semiconductor research analyst Navin Rajendra. “In addition, China is also one of the largest manufacturers of automotive products that employ various types of sensors including MEMS pressure sensors,” added Navin.

Apart from the automotive industry, APAC is host to a large number of players in the consumer electronics and mobile devices industry where MEMS sensor technology integration is extremely prevalent. Companies like Samsung, LG, HTC, ZTE, Huawei Technologies, Lenovo, and Sony are all based in either China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
In the industrial segment, governments of countries like Taiwan and India are providing incentives and platforms to improve the manufacturing sector.

“The Government of India is attracting FDI in its manufacturing sector through its ‘Make in India’ initiative. Due to the availability of cheap labor, global manufacturers are planning to open new manufacturing plants or increase their production capacity,” said Navin. “These manufacturing plants employ several systems, such as hydraulic systems, gas analyzers, and gas meters, which employ MEMS pressure sensors for monitoring and measurement.”
Bosch, Denso, Freescale Semiconductors are major vendors headquartered in APAC. Texas Instruments, Schneider Electric, Delphi, Infineon Technologies, and GE Sensing Philips Healthcare and GE Healthcare are also major vendors but headquartered in Europe or the Americas.

Eurozone crisis and high cost of labor hindering Europe’s market share
Spending on MEMS pressure sensors in Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period. Just like the APAC, Europe is a significant contributor to the total market revenue because of a significant presence of the automotive industry, with prominent automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Renault, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo in Germany, France, and Italy.

Despite Europe’s high market growth rate during the forecast period, their market share is dwindling because of the Eurozone crisis, high cost of labor and raw materials, and excessive supply costs. These factors are compelling manufacturers to shift their manufacturing facilities to more economically favorable countries in APAC. This is ultimately hindering the growth of the overall MEMS sensor market in the region.



Switzerland firm unveils first methane sensor for UAVs

Switzerland-based Pergam Technical Services Inc. has released the first sensor for unmanned aircraft vehicles designed to detect and measure methane gas sensor. The methane sensor is based on a handheld detector commonly used in the industry. The system has been altered with an eye-safe laser and a filter in the bandwidth where methane has a high absorptions along with an algorithm that measures the gas emissions in parts per million, according to Pergam. Along with the sensor, an onboard data grabber records the flight path and the gas concentrations levels. Data from the flight is available immediately upon landing.

The system can be used for line, tank and asset inspections along with landfill emission monitoring and surveys in difficult to access areas that typically require scaffolding. “The booming LNG and the shale gas industries are other markets with huge opportunities for leak detection services with the sensor,” the company said.

The sensor weighs 600 grams and the battery on the company’s predesigned drone allows for flight times of five hours. The sensor can be installed on independent operating systems as well.
International research institutes have tested the system, the company added. The first orders will be delivered at the end of this month, and, a limited number of loaner units are available for test and integration purposes.

Pergam has U.S. offices in Seattle.

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Applied Optoelectronics launches methane sensor

Applied Optoelectronics, Sugar Land, TX, USA, a developer of fiber-optic access network products for the cable broadband, internet data center, and FTTH markets, has launched what it is calling “a revolutionary laser” for methane gas (CH4) sensing applications.

The DFB laser is designed for use in high-precision and low-concentration measurements of methane gas sensor (or methane sensor) in the atmosphere. Such measurements are increasingly important in the oil and gas industries, coal mining safety, chemical manufacturing, and for greenhouse gas and pipeline monitoring.

The DFB-1XXX-BF-XX-CW-Fx-Hx-N127 laser series has been designed specifically for gas sensing application; besides methane other variants can detect ammonia, hydrogen fluoride and moisture (water vapor). The devices all feature high output power and wide operating temperature range.
Industrial applications

David Chen, AOI’s Director of Product Management, commented ,“Every day we see new applications for fiber-optic based sensor technologies. By offering the laser devices that enable these new sensors, AOI is helping to expand the variety of applications for such sensors and to improve the safety and efficiency of industrial, scientific, and environmental monitors.”

The laser emits at a wavelength of 1653.7nm, which is tuned to correspond to a peak in the near-infrared absorption spectrum of methane gas. By appropriately tuning the wavelength of the laser over this absorption peak, instrument manufacturers can selectively detect the presence and concentration of methane gas, even combined with other chemicals.

Featuring internal temperature stabilization and optical output powers up to 12mW, the new lasers are “building blocks” for instrument manufacturers seeking to build highly sensitive methane detectors. Since the lasers fall within the transmission spectrum of standard optical fibers, it is feasible to locate the laser and its associated electronics remotely from the environment being measured.

AOI's products are typically installed broadband fiber access networks, where they are used in the CATV broadband, internet datacenter, and FTTH markets. The range includes optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers . Besides its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Texas, the company has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China.

‘1 million laser sales’
Earlier in August, the company reported “record revenues” as part of its second quarter 2014 financial results. Highlights included: revenue of $32.7m (up 67% year-on-year, 31% sequentially) and product sales to the key markets of data centers ( $17.9m), CATV ($10.6m), and FTTH ($3.1 m) all significantly improved on 2Q 2013.

Dr. Thompson Lin, Founder and CEO, commented, “We reached a significant milestone in July and shipped over one million lasers year to date, whereas historically, we sold just under one million lasers for the full year. Given the foreseeable growth in laser components in the markets AO serves, we are planning to expand our facility in Texas and add R&D and laser fabrication capacity. We will continue to prudently invest capital to expand manufacturing capacity.”

AO’s non-GAAP net income was $2.4m or $0.15 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $0.1m in the same quarter last year and net income of $0.8m in the previous quarter. On June 30, 2014, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $43.0m. For Q3 2014, the company said it expects: revenue in the range of $35.2m to 36.6m and for the full year, 2014, revenue in the range of $131m to $135m.

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