Barograph uses the new iPhone pressure sensor

The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus each have a pressure sensor that gives readings for barometric pressure. Barograph (free), displays real-time pressure data from that sensor. Weather watchers will know dropping pressure usually means bad weather is coming, rising pressure means good weather.

The app's main interface is a graph that looks for very small changes. Initially it might seem uneven, but you can usually spot a trend pretty easily. The app charts the pressure and your relative altitude.

If you leave the app or lock your phone, the readings stop after 30 seconds so the app is not a battery drain. Pressure readings are in kiloPascals, not a measurement consumers typically use when reading barometers, but what you are looking for is trends. It would be nice if the app gave you the ability to see the data in U.S. non-metric readings.

You can share your barometric readings via Facebook, Twitter and email, if that suits your fancy. You can also save the graph to your image library.

Developer Jackson Myers told me the app is a first try, and it will get more sophisticated, but it does provide an interesting look into some of the new data the iPhone sensors are offering.

The app of course requires iOS 8 or greater, and must run on an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.

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Miniature pressure sensors for medical touch

A new kind of flexible, transparent pressure sensor, developed at the University of California, Davis, for use in medical applications, relies on a drop of liquid.

The droplet goes in a flexible sandwich of the substance polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS. The sensor acts as a variable electrical capacitor. When the sensor is pressed down, the sensing droplet is squeezed over conductive electrodes, increasing its capacitance.

"There's a huge need for flexible sensors in biosensing," said Professor Tingrui Pan, who led the research project.

He and his colleagues used the sensor successfully in measuring the pulse in the human neck. The sensor also could be used in "smart gloves," giving physicians an enhanced ability to measure the firmness of tissues and detect tumors, and in "smart contact lenses," to monitor intraocular pressure without affecting vision.

Pan's research paper — for which graduate students Baoqing Nie and Siyuan Xing and ophthalmology professor James Brandt served as co-authors — appeared in the December issue of the journal Lab on a Chip.

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Global Pressure Sensors Market Worth USD 7.92 Billion by 2020

The Pressure sensors and transmitters market is slated to grow at 7.1% year on year for the next five years. The market is estimated to reach $7.92bn by 2020.

The demand for Pressure sensors services is growing at a steady pace across the globe. Pressure sensors are used in all industries for detecting and differentiating different types of pressures, with the demand increasing mainly due to global investment patterns. Other such factors include developments in automation market, increasing demand from end users and innovation in the technology which impact pressure sensor market.

In the report, the market has been segmented by geography as North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (RoW). Market size and forecast is provided for each of these regions. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining growth of the Pressure sensor market and future opportunities are provided in the report.

Companies Mentioned:

• ABB Ltd
• ALPS
• Ametek Inc
• Amphenol
• AMSECO
• Amsys
• Bosch Sensortec
• Continental AG
• Denso Corp
• Endress+Hauser AG
• Environdata
• Epcos AG
• Freescale Semiconductor
• GE Measurement & Control
• Honeywell International Inc
• Infineon Technologies
• Keyence
• Measurement Specialties Inc
• Murata

Report Structure:

1. Global Pressure Sensors - Market Overview

2. Executive Summary

3. Global Pressure Sensors - Market Landscape

4. Global Pressure Sensors - Market Forces

5. Global Pressure Sensors Market - Strategic Analysis

6. Global Pressure Sensors Market - By Applications

7. Global Pressure Sensors Market - By Product Type

9. Global Pressure Sensors Market - By Verticals

10. Global Pressure Sensors Market-Geographic Analysis

11. Market Entropy

12. Company Profiles (Overview, Financials, SWOT Analysis, Developments, Product Portfolio)

13. Appendix

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United Kingdom Pressure Sensor Market 2016 Analysis and Forecast to 2022

The UK Pressure sensors market is expected to increase to $0.56 billion by 2018 at a CAGR of 8.24% over the period 2014-2020. U.K. dominates the market due to prominence of industrial sector in this country. Increasing demand from the automotive segment that uses pressure sensors to a greater extent for various applications (TPMS, exhaust gas pressure of EGR System). High growth in MEMS and piezoelectric pressure technologies are increasing the demand for pressure sensors, Pressure transmitters are incorporated with added functionality and along with pressure, can also monitor temperature variations, detect leaks and provide feedback to the control system. With end users looking for better asset management, such combination sensing systems will find greater demand in the future making the pressure sensors market to grow lucratively.
Currently, the market is dominated by Piezoresistive and Capacitive sensors as they are heavily used in automotive, medical, petrochemical, Oil and gas industries. Optical and resonant solid-state sensors are expected to exhibit high growth over the forecast period due to their applications in hazardous environments. Technological advancements and nanotechnology applications are the future opportunities for pressure sensor market.
The UK Pressure Sensors Market is segmented on the basis of Technology (Piezoresistive Sensors, Capacitive Sensors, Electromagnetic Sensors, Resonant Solid State Sensors, Optical Sensors and Others) and End User Industry (Medical, Industrial, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Automotive, Consumer Electronics and Others).
This report describes a detailed study of the Porter’s five forces analysis, market segments, and current market trends. All the five major factors in these markets have been quantified using the internal key parameters governing each of them. It also covers the market landscape of these players which includes the key growth strategies and competition analysis.
The report also considers key trends that will impact the industry and profiles over 10 leading suppliers of Pressure Sensors Market. Some of the top companies mentioned in the report are Bosch (Germany), Honeywell International (U.S.), Freescale Semiconductor (U.S.), Infineon Technologies (Germany), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), and among others.
What the report offers
1. Market Definition for UK Pressure Sensors Market along with identification of key drivers and restraints for the market.
2. Market analysis for the UK Pressure Sensors Market, with region specific assessments and competition analysis on a regional scale.
3. Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenarios, rising prospective opportunities and identification of key companies which can influence the market on a regional scale.
4. Extensively researched competitive landscape section with profiles of major companies along with their strategic initiatives and market shares.
5. Identification and analysis of the Macro and Micro factors that affect the UK Pressure Sensors Market on regional scale.
6. A comprehensive list of key market players along with the analysis of their current strategic interests and key financial information.
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Global Pressure Sensor Market to Register 6.2% CAGR from 2014 to 2020

The global pressure sensors market is poised to display a consistent CAGR of 6.2% from 2014 to 2020, according to a recent market study published by Transparency Market Research. The market’s valuation of $6.53 billion in 2013 will reach $9.36 billion by 2020.

The report states that the increasing production of motor vehicles is one of the major factors driving growth of the global pressure sensors market. In addition, the industry has immensely benefitted from the latest regulatory norms for the use of pressure sensors in automobiles to gauge vehicular emissions. The increasing utilization of technologically advanced microelectrochemical systems (MEMS) has played a pivotal role in bolstering demand for pressure sensors. Moreover, rapid urbanization in the Middle East and Asia Pacific is enabling this market to chalk out a strong growth trajectory.

However, the high installation cost of pressure sensors is detrimental to the market’s growth. The report identifies this as a critical constraint that manufacturers need to address for sustainable growth. Nevertheless, technological advances will open new growth opportunities in the pressure sensors market in the forthcoming years.

By technology, the report classifies the global pressure sensors market into piezoresistive, optical, electromagnetic, capacitive, and resonant pressure sensors. Among these, the piezoresistive segment held the largest share of the market in 2014 with a valuation of $1.82 billion. This segment is expected to retain its dominance until the end of the forecast period, adds the report.

On the basis of application, the automotive sector dominated the market in 2014 with a valuation of $1.69 billion. The increasing production of motor vehicles around the world will result in this segment retaining a leading position until the end of the forecast period. However, as per the report, the consumer electronics segment will display the fastest growth at a CAGR of 6.9% from 2014 to 2020.

Geography-wise, in 2014, Asia Pacific dominated the global pressure sensors market and the region is expected to be the most lucrative market for pressures sensors until the end of 2020. The continuous expansion of the automotive industry in China, India, Japan, and South Korea will favor the growth of the pressure sensors market in APAC. The region will be trailed by North America and Europe.


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Pressure Sensor Market growth is estimated to reach at $11 billion by 2022

The global pressure sensor market is segmented on the basis of industry applications, technology and geography. The report on Global Pressure Sensor market Forecast 2015-2022 provides detailed overview and predictive analysis of the market.

The global pressure sensor market is expected to grow exponentially due to huge adoption of its applications such as automotive, oil & gas, consumer electronics, medical, utility, industrial segment and so on. The increasing demand for global pressure sensor market products such as piezo resistive pressure sensor is major driver for the market.

Global pressure sensor market is expected to contribute highest in North America followed by Europe. The global rise in adoption of global pressure sensor market products are expected to create huge scope in emerging economies. The launch of new products is expected to boost the market significantly in the next few years. ABB Ltd., Robert Bosch GmbH, Denso Corporation, The Emerson Electric Company, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc, General Electric, Honeywell International, Inc., Measurement Specialties, Inc, Omron Corporation and STMicroelectronics N.V. are the leading companies in the global pressure sensor market. Product launches, expansion and partnerships are the key winning strategy of the market.


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Asia Pacific Led the Pressure Sensors Market

Global pressure sensors market was valued at USD 6.53 billion in 2014, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2014 to 2020. Pressure sensors are typically used for measuring pressure of gas or liquids. These sensors usually act as a transducer and generate electrical signals as a function of the pressure imposed on them.

Pressure sensors are typically used for measuring pressure of gas or liquids. These sensors usually act as a transducer and generate electrical signals as a function of the pressure imposed on them. Pressure sensors are also indirectly used for measuring other variables such as gas/fluid flow, water level, speed and altitude. With technological advancements in several industry verticals such as automotive, healthcare, and oil and gas, the applications and functionalities of pressure sensors is evolving continuously. Modern day pressure sensors utilize digital technology for providing better sensing performance and efficiency.

The global pressure sensors market is expected to witness a substantial growth during the forecast period. This is due to its increasing demand across various application sectors such as automotive, industrial and medical sector. The increase in automobile production worldwide is stimulating the growth in demand for pressure sensors and associated components. In addition, government regulations around the world related to motor vehicle safety are also influencing the growth of this market. Automotive is the largest revenue generating application segment in this market. Consumer electronics segment is analyzed to be the fastest growing application segment in the pressure sensor market.

Adoption of new technologies such as MEMS and NEMS is also contributing to the growth in demand for pressure sensors globally. However, maturity of end user segment is acting as a restraining factor for the growth of pressure sensors market, especially in North America and Europe. The development of smart city infrastructures in the Middle East and Asia Pacific is also influencing the growth of overall pressure sensors market. Asia Pacific is analyzed to dominate the global pressure sensors market throughout the forecast period. The region's dominance is attributed to increasing production of motor vehicles in countries such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India. Moreover, rapid level of industrialization in this region is also contributing to growth of pressure sensors market.

This market research study analyzes the pressure sensors market on a global level, and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD billion) from 2014 to 2020. It recognizes the drivers and restraints affecting the industry and analyzes their impact over the forecast period. Moreover, it identifies the significant opportunities for market growth in the coming years.

The market in the report is segmented on the basis of geography as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW), and these have been estimated in terms of revenue (USD billion). In addition, the report segments the market based on the sensor technology, which include piezoresistive pressure sensors, electromagnetic pressure sensors, capacitive pressure sensors, resonant solid state pressure sensors, optical pressure sensors and others. It also segments the market on the basis of application as automotive, oil and gas, consumer electronics, medical, industrial and others. All these segments have also been estimated on the basis of geography in terms of revenue (USD billion).

For better understanding of the pressure sensors market, detailed analysis of supply chain was done. A detailed Porter's five forces analysis was done for better understanding of the intensity of the competition present in the market. Furthermore, the study comprises market attractiveness analysis, where the applications are benchmarked based on their market scope, growth rate and general attractiveness.

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Need for Pressure Sensors

Since a long time, pressure sensors have been widely used in fields like automobile, manufacturing, aviation, bio medical measurements, air conditioning, hydraulic measurements etc. A few prominent areas where the use of pressure sensors is inevitable are:

1. Touch Screen Devices: The computer devices and smart phones that have touch screen displays come with pressure sensors. Whenever slight pressure is applied on the touch screen through a finger or the stylus, the sensor determines where it has been applied and accordingly generates an electric signal that informs the processor. Usually, these sensors are located at the corners of the screen. So when the pressure is applied, usually two or more such sensors act to give precise location information of the location.

2. Automotive Industry: In automotive industry, pressure sensors form an integral part of the engine and its safety. In the engine, these sensors monitor the oil and coolant pressure and regulate the power that the engine should deliver to achieve suitable speeds whenever accelerator is pressed or the brakes are applied to the car.

For the purpose of safety, pressure sensors constitute an important part of anti-lock braking system (ABS). This system adapts to the road terrain and makes sure that in case of braking at high speeds, the tires don’t lock and the vehicle doesn’t skid. Pressure sensors in the ABS detail the processor with the conditions of the road as well as the speed with which the vehicle is moving.

Air bag systems also use pressure sensors so that the bags get activated to ensure the safety of the passengers whenever high amount of pressure is experienced by the vehicle.

3. Bio Medical Instrumentation:  In instruments like digital blood pressure monitors and ventilators, pressure sensors are needed to optimize them according to patient’s health and his requirements.

 4. Industrial Uses: Pressure sensors are used to monitor gases and their partial pressures in industrial units so that the large chemical reactions take place in precisely controlled environmental conditions. In oil industry, sensors detail with the depth that the oil rig has reached while exploring.

5. Aviation: In the airplanes, these sensors are needed to maintain a balance between the atmospheric pressure and the control systems of the airplanes. This not only protects the circuitry and various internal components of the airplane but also gives exact data to the system about the external environment. Also, particular levels of air pressure need to be maintained in the cockpit and the passengers lobby to provide nominal ground like breathing conditions.

6. Marine Industry: For ships and submarines, pressure sensors are needed to estimate the depth at which they are operating and for detailing the marine conditions so that the electronic systems can remain safe. Oxygen requirements of under water projects are also regulated by the pressure sensors.

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Elmos Semiconductor AG: SMI: Highly Stable, Highly Accurate Medium Pressure Sensors

SMI (Silicon Microstructures, Inc.), a subsidiary of Elmos, is proud to introduce the SM3041 fully digital, medium pressure MEMS differential and gauge sensor family. The sensor has better than 1% initial accuracy and less than 1% accuracy shift over life (1% shift over 1000hr HTOL at 150C). This makes it one of the most stable medium pressure sensors in the market. Furthermore it is the first SMI sensor with the AccuStable marking. Only products combining an extraordinary accuracy with a long-time stability are allowed to have this high quality label.

The pressure sensor family is developed with special focus on the following markets: Medical (ventilators, oxygenators, wound therapy, fluid evacuation and others), Industrial (gas flow, pneumatic gages, pressure switches) and Consumer (sport equipment, appliances). The manufacturing line is qualified to the highest industry standards (ISO9001 & ISO/TS 16949).
The SM3041 Series is developed and manufactured with state-of-the-art pressure transducer technology and CMOS mixed signal processing technology. It produces a digital, fully signal conditioned output. The integrated temperature compensation ranges from -20 to +85 C. Standard differential parts are offered at +/-5 and +/-15psi, but the device can be fully customized per customer requirements anywhere in the range of +/-2.5psi to +/-15psi. The SM3041 family has an I2C digital communication interface. The device is offered in several JEDEC SOIC16 package configurations, with dual vertical ports, dual horizontal ports or a single vertical port.

Combining the pressure sensor with a signal-conditioning ASIC in a single package simplifies their use. The pressure sensor can be mounted directly on a standard printed circuit board and a calibrated pressure signal can be acquired from the digital interface. This eliminates the need for additional circuitry, such as a compensation network or microcontroller containing a custom correction algorithm.

The SM3041 is shipped in sticks or tape & reel.

SMI is offering proven solutions to a range of industries, based on application-specific ICs, sensors and complete microsystems. SMI is an ISO/TS16949:2009 certified premier developer and manufacturer of MEMS-based pressure sensors for a broad range of markets, with over 25 years of experience. SMI's design, production and quality control processes have enabled it to develop both the most sensitive and smallest MEMS pressure sensors available on the market today.

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Dynamic calibration of pressure sensors for engines

The characterisation of the pressure sensors used to develop the next generation of petrol and diesel engines is crucial to optimising their design, improving efficiency and reducing emissions. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has developed shock tube facilities for the calibration of these sensors under the dynamic pressure conditions that they experience in use.

Manufacturers of petrol and diesel engines are continually seeking to improve the accuracy of the pressure measurements necessary to develop better engines. For petrol engines, intake manifold and in-cylinder pressure measurements are used to determine combustion efficiency. Diesel engine manufacturers aim to improve injector performance by direct measurement of pressures at the injectors. Sensor performance is critical under these demanding applications where the combustion of air/fuel mixtures causes flame fronts that reach temperatures of 2000 °C, and the detection of events such as engine knocking requires sensor response times that are measured in microseconds.

The accuracy of current pressure sensors is limited by not having the means to calibrate them under conditions that match those that will be encountered in use and, in particular, by only calibrating the sensors at static pressures. Parameters such as the resonance frequency of the sensors and associated fittings (e.g. mounts, connectors and pipe work), and damping and rise-times have to be estimated through computer modelling, increasing uncertainty in the sensor output under normal working conditions.

To address this problem, NPL's shock tube facilities are able to calibrate these sensors under the dynamic pressure conditions that they experience in real-world conditions. Dynamic calibration requires a source with known characteristics in both amplitude and frequency. A shock wave generated in a shock tube has a rise time of the order of 1 nanosecond, and the amplitude of the pressure step generated upon reflection of the wave from the end face of the tube can be calculated. This makes it an ideal candidate for a pressure calibration standard if it can be verified that the magnitude of the pressure step can be determined accurately from ideal gas theory using readily measured parameters such as shock wave velocity and static temperatures and pressures.

NPL has manufactured and characterised two shock tubes, of 1.4 MPa and 7 MPa capacity, investigating the effect of diaphragm material, thickness and configuration, and driven section length, on their performance.

The facility is now operational and providing traceable dynamic calibrations for pressure sensors. It has already been used by a major transducer manufacturer to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a range of their pressure sensors and associated instrumentation. In addition to the applications in the development of automotive engines, the facility has the ability to investigate the performance of gas turbines and also for the calibration of instruments used in blast studies.

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New pressure sensor could help detect breast tumors one day

A new transparent, bendable pressure sensor could be incorporated into a pair of latex gloves and one day help doctors check women for breast cancer, without requiring X-rays, researchers say.

Doctors often touch and feel patients' bodies, applying small amounts of pressure with their hands, when assessing patients' health. For instance, any hard spots or lumps may be a sign of abnormalities such as tumors.

In fact, doctors may rely heavily on their "tactile feeling" of a patient's body to figure out whether the person may have cancer, said study senior author Takao Someya, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Tokyo.

Pressure sensors could help doctors analyze their patients' health with greater precision than is possible with their natural sense of touch, the researchers said. "Tumors are normally more rigid than breast tissue, so we can input that data to a sensor-attached glove," Someya told Live Science.

However, because human bodies are generally soft, sensors that touch bodies must be soft too, in order to work well. But so far, pressure sensors that are soft have been vulnerable to bending, and these devices could not distinguish their own bending from the variations in pressure in the object they were supposed to measure, the researchers said.

"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," study lead author Sungwon Lee, also of the University of Tokyo, said in the statement. 

Now, the scientists say they have developed an ultrasensitive transparent pressure sensor that can accurately detect pressure even when the sensor is distorted to an extraordinary degree.

The researchers made the sensor from composite fibers containing graphene, which are sheets of carbon just one atom thick, and carbon nanotubes, which are carbon pipes only nanometers (billionths of a meter) in diameter. They took meshes of these pressure-sensitive, 300-to-700-nanometer-wide fibers and embedded them in thin, light, transparent, elastic plastic sheets.

When this flat sensor is bent, the nanofibers can shift around in the spaces inside the mesh, so their sensor capabilities do not change much even when the sensorsare bent to an extreme degree. However, the sensor can still respond when compressed by pressure.

In experiments, the device successfully measured pressure even when it was placed on the soft, movable 3D surface of a balloon that researchers pressed their fingers into. In addition, when the scientists wrapped their sensor around an artificial blood vessel made of plastic and filled with water, they found that "it could detect small pressure changes," as well as how fast the pressure was changing, Lee said in the statement.

The researchers noted that it was too early to suggest that pressure-sensitive gloves could replace mammography, which uses X-rays to diagnose and locate breast tumors. Still, one day, "the new sensors may offer easy and painless monitoring of tumors without exposure to radiation," Someya said.
This new sensor could also make robots sensitive to pressure, Someya said.

"Imagine that you are shaking hands with a robot that has soft skin," Someya said. "Currently, there is no pressure sensor that accurately works" once it is bent, he said. If the pressure sensor malfunctions, shaking hands with such a robot could be very dangerous, since the robot might end up accidentally crushing a person's hand.

In the future, the researchers want to design a stretchable pressure sensor that can accurately detect pressure even when the device is stretched, Someya said.

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Newly Developed Nanofiber-Type Pressure Sensor Measures Pressure Distribution of Rounded Surfaces

Pressure sensors have sufficient flexibility to fit to soft surfaces like the human skin, despite this, conventional pressure sensors are unable to accurately measure the changes in pressure when they are wrinkled or twisted. This means the pressure sensors are unsuitable for use on moving and complex surfaces. Another disadvantage is that the sensors cannot be easily reduced to below 100 µm thickness due to restrictions in current production methods.

The issues were addressed by an international research team headed by Dr. Sungwon Lee and Professor Takao Someya of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering. The team created a nanofiber-type pressure sensor to measure pressure distribution of rounded surfaces - like an inflated balloon -  and maintain the sensing accuracy, even if the rounded surface is bent over a radius of 80 µm, which is equal to twice the width of human hair. The pressure sensor is capable of simultaneously measuring the pressure in 144 locations, and has a thickness of roughly 8 µm.

This equipment used in this research includes a pressure sensitive nanofiber structure, electronic switches manufactured from oxygen and carbon based organic materials, and organic transistors. Nanofibers with a diameter ranging from 300 to 700 nm were developed by adding graphene and carbon nanotubes to an elastic polymer. The nanofibers were then twisted together to develop a light, thin and transparent 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, 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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Japan, U.S. scientists pursue nano-thin pressure sensors for breast cancer exams

The nanofiber sensors are as thin as 3.4 micrometers — less than half the thickness of kitchen wrap — according to research published in the online version of the British science magazine Nature Nanotechnology.
“Health care practitioners may one day be able to physically screen for breast cancer using pressure-sensitive rubber gloves to detect tumors,” the researchers said in a statement before the publication.
A square sheet 4.8 by 4.8 cm in size has 144 locations that can measure pressure, according to the research teams led by University of Tokyo professor Takao Someya and Harvard University’s Zhigang Suo.
The sheet is so flexible it can detect pressure changes accurately even when twisted like cloth — a development claimed as a global first.
“Sensitive human fingers of a veteran doctor may be able to find a small tumor, but such perceived sensation cannot be measured,” Someya said Monday.
Digitization of the sensations means that they could be shared with other doctors who could theoretically experience the same sensations as the physician who performed the examination, he said.
Many researchers are developing flexible pressure sensors, but they are vulnerable when bent and twisted, which makes it difficult to detect pressure changes accurately, the University of Tokyo and Harvard researchers said.
The nanofiber pressure sensor they have developed can be bent over a radius of as small as 80 micrometers — “equivalent to just twice the width of a human hair.”
When tested on an artificial blood vessel, the sheet successfully detected “small pressure changes and speed of pressure propagation,” Sungwon Lee, a leading researcher in Someya’s team, said in the statement.
Someya stressed that the development will one day enable the equivalent of medical palpation — examining a patient by physical touch — by doctors in different locations from the patient.
“The new sensor would make it possible to measure the human sensation so that findings by palpation could even be shared remotely,” he said. “In the future, we would be able to record and make tangible certain sensations that can only be perceived by an experienced doctor.”

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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.

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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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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.

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Pressure sensor tells you which floor

Altitude-based floor level tracking is possible using barometric pressure sensors, claims sensor-maker Bosch, which is suggesting them for asset tracking, personnel tracking, shopping mall guidance and emergency applications such as E911 and Blue force.

Californian service-provider NextNav is using them as part of a positioning system that allows phones to determine their location in indoor and urban environments where GPS signals are unreliable.

"NextNav has demonstrated the ability to deliver precise floor-level altitude by using a high quality pressure sensor in conjunction with a wide-area 'metropolitan beacon system' network," said the firm. "NextNav has developed additional technologies to facilitate the conversion of altitude to a projected floor number, among other capabilities, and is collaborating with Bosch on the development and commercialisation of these capabilities."

The beacon system in this case is not building-specific, but provides service across a metropolitan area. It is said to remain accurate in the face of shifting weather patterns and micro-climate effects.

Other pressure sensing applications might be weather forecast and calorie consumption calculation in sports devices. "The barometric pressure sensor has become a part of high-end smart phones, and new services are emerging to take advantage of this data," said Bosch.

The latest of its sensors is the 2.5 x 2.0 x 0.95mm high piezo-resistive BMP280, which comes in an 8pin metal-lid LGA. Consumption is 2.7µA and ±0.08hPa accuracygive it the ability to measure ±70cm height, said the firm.

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Characteristics of Pressure Transmitters, Pressure Sensors and Pressure Transducers

Pressure Transmitters
Pressure Transmitters, a sub-group of pressure transducers, feature additional reset and calibration options. With some sensor types it is possible, for example, to re-set the measuring span over large ranges. This calibration option is usually referred to by such terms as “scale down”, “span reset” or “turn down”. For instance, a transmitter with a measuring range of 0 to 400 psi and a range reset 1/10 can be calibrate to a measuring range of 0 - 40 psi while still giving a full output signal (4 - 20 mA, for example).

It is also possible to shift the zero point over a wide range and to calibrate the damping of the output signal between 0 and 32 seconds. Smart transmitters such as Hart®, which also have logging capabilities, can be calibrated, tested and reset via the control desk or hand terminals.

Transmitters are often used in process applications where they can be combined with various chemical seals.

Pressure Sensors

Today many measuring principles are used in electronic pressure measurement instruments. Most methods are based on the measurement of a displacement or force. In other words, the physical variable “pressure” has to be converted into an electrically quantifiable variable. Unlike mechanical pressure measuring methods, this conversion requires an external power source for the pressure sensor.

This pressure sensor is the basis of electronic pressure measurement systems. While mechanical gauge element displacements of between 0.004 and 0.012 inches are standard, the deformations in electronic pressure sensors amount to no more than a few microns.

Thanks to this minimal deformation, electronic pressure measurement instruments have excellent dynamic characteristics and low material strain resulting in high resistance to alternating loads and long-term durability.

Listed below are pressure sensor technologies used by WIKA in its transmitter, transducer and sensor instruments:
• Ceramic Thick Film Sensor
• LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) Sensor
• Piezoresistive (Piezo) Sensor
• Thin Film Sensor

Pressure Transducers

Pressure transducers are an advanced form of the pressure sensor element. The simplest form of an electronic pressure measurement system is the pressure sensor. It is the pressure sensor which changes the physical variable “pressure” into a quantity that can be processed electronically. A pressure transducer is the next level of sophistication. In a pressure transducer, the sensor element and housing are in electrical contact and have a pressure connection.

Typical output signals from pressure transducers [WJ2] are between 10 mV and around 100mV, depending on the sensor type. These signals are not standardized, however, nor are they compensated. With thin-film type pressure transducers it is customary for just the sensor element to be welded to the pressure connection and then bonded electrically. Piezoresistive pressure transducers, on the other hand, require far more production steps since the semiconductor sensor element has to be protected from the effects of various media by a chemical seal.

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Pressure sensor

A pressure sensor measures pressure, typically of gases or liquids. Pressure is an expression of the force required to stop a fluid from expanding, and is usually stated in terms of force per unit area. A pressure sensor usually acts as a transducer; it generates a signal as a function of the pressure imposed. For the purposes of this article, such a signal is electrical.

Pressure sensors are used for control and monitoring in thousands of everyday 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, among other names.
Pressure sensors can vary drastically in technology, design, performance, application suitability and cost. A conservative estimate would be that there may be over 50 technologies and at least 300 companies making pressure sensors worldwide.

There is also a category of pressure sensors that are designed to measure in a dynamic mode for capturing very high speed changes in pressure. Example applications for this type of sensor would be in the measuring of combustion pressure in an engine cylinder or in a gas turbine. These sensors are commonly manufactured out of piezoelectric materials such as quartz.

Some pressure sensors, such as those found in some traffic enforcement cameras, function in a binary (off/on) manner, i.e., when pressure is applied to a pressure sensor, the sensor acts to complete or break an electrical circuit. These types of sensors are also known as a pressure switch.
Types of pressure measurements

silicon piezoresistive pressure sensors
Pressure sensors can be classified in terms of pressure ranges they measure, temperature ranges of operation, and most importantly the type of pressure they measure. Pressure sensors are variously named according to their purpose, but the same technology may be used under different names.
• Absolute pressure sensor
This sensor measures the pressure relative to perfect vacuum.
• Gauge pressure sensor
This sensor measures the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure. A tire pressure gauge is an example of gauge pressure measurement; when it indicates zero, then the pressure it is measuring is the same as the ambient pressure.
• Vacuum pressure sensor
This term can cause confusion. It may be used to describe a sensor that measures pressures below atmospheric pressure, showing the difference between that low pressure and atmospheric pressure (i.e. negative gauge pressure), but it may also be used to describe a sensor that measures low pressure relative to perfect vacuum (i.e. absolute pressure).
• Differential pressure sensor
This sensor measures the difference between two pressures, one connected to each side of the sensor. Differential pressure sensors are used to measure many properties, such as pressure drops across oil filters or air filters, fluid levels (by comparing the pressure above and below the liquid) or flow rates (by measuring the change in pressure across a restriction). Technically speaking, most pressure sensors are really differential pressure sensors; for example a gauge pressure sensor is merely a differential pressure sensor in which one side is open to the ambient atmosphere.
• Sealed pressure sensor
This sensor is similar to a gauge pressure sensor except that it measures pressure relative to some fixed pressure rather than the ambient atmospheric pressure (which varies according to the location and the weather).

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