Independent Producer of Electrochemical Gas Sensors

As an independent producer of electrochemical gas sensors, Membrapor (Switzerland) is fully committed to quality, service and innovation. They aim to meet and even exceed specific customer needs, yet in niche applications. The company policy of founder and CEO Dr. Christian Huggenberger is and has always been to concentrate on the development, manufacturing and marketing of premium sensors, i.e. state of the art products of high precision, reliability and longevity. The result are products with a minimum of service requirement and maximised value for money.

Membrapor offers a variety of over 200 sensors, able to detect 20 different gases. Some examples for innovative highlights of the last decade are the unbiased NH3 and HCl sensors with fastest response, a 4-electrodes CO sensor with H2 compensation for flue gas analysis and a highly sensitive Formaldehyde sensor. Expecting the EU regulations to ban lead containing gas sensors in the near future, Membrapor already offers since 2011 a lead free, RoHS compliant, long-living O2 sensor with unique output and baseline. Ahead of legislation, this helps to preserve the environment. The development of the L-type, a novel series of 4-electrode sensors capable to measure gas concentrations in the ppb range with high accuracy, is another innovative milestone.

Since the foundation of the company in 1995 the constantly growing number of satisfied customers is securing Membrapor's steady, healthy and profitable growth. Due to its constant growth, by October 2013 Membrapor will significantly enlarge its production area again. Each one of the entirely committed employees contribute to keep the satisfaction level of their customers high and to grow their number all over the globe.

In order to consolidate and strengthen its leading position, a considerable number of projects for product and process improvements as well as for customised solutions are under development at Membrapor. 

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ALPS launches force sensor

ALPS has developed the “HSFPAR Series” force sensor, for sensing force in input devices and posture control in industrial equipment and robots, using MEMS technology to achieve the industry’s smallest size. Mass production is already under way.

Demand for high-precision pen-shaped input devices (stylus pens) has been growing with the rising popularity of digital drawing and painting. Stylus pens contain force sensors that are used to trace the trajectory of the pen tip, as well as to reproduce different thicknesses in artwork corresponding to the pressure applied. To enable smoother tone transitions, however, styli require sensors with high resolution, leading to pen shafts that are too thick, says ALPS.

The internet of things (IoT) and robotics markets have also driven up demand for compact, sensitive force sensors for applications like load detection on touch or contact, and load balance and grip strength control is expected to rise.

Force sensors today are generally either semiconductor or metallic strain gauge types, and both have their issues, the first being too big and the other sacrificing sensitivity for scale.

The HSFPAR series measure 2.00×1.60×0.66mm and can detect stress as low as 0.01N, enabling sensing of, for example, minor variations in pen pressure and load shift in robots.

It is also available as a unit type with a FPC (flexible printed circuit) included for easy integration into end products.

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Textile pressure sensors can be washed

Flexible mechanical pressure sensors that can be bonded or sewn into woven or knitted fabrics have been developed by German research lab Fraunhofer ISC.

Deformation, force and pressure can be measured, and strains up to 100% (doubling length) can be endured.

It is an elastomer film with flexible electrodes on both sides. Electrode patterning can be used to create an array of sensors. Silicone rubber is the preferred elastomer, with chemical cross-linking allowing hardness to be tuned.

"The textile-integrated sensors are washable, show a high wearing comfort and are reasonable in price," said the lab. "They are applicable in medical devices, for preventing bed sores or for localising the pressure distribution in shoes, for example. They can also support personal training by measuring the posture via the clothes, or as an input device for game and fitness device controlling."

In a technology demonstration aimed at diabetics (see photo), 40 capacitive dielectric elastomer sensors have been attached to the sole, heel, and ankle of a sock to measure 3D compression distribution around a foot.

An asic collects measurement data from the sensors and transmits it wirelessly to a phone or tablet, for example to tell a patient to change position or weight distribution.

Fraunhofer ISC is the Institute for Silicate Research in Würzburg, which focuses mainly on energy, environment and health. It will be showing its technology at the IDTechEX in Santa Clara.

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Global Fiber Optic Sensors Market to Grow Steadily

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Fibre Optics Sensors Market 2016-2020"report to their offering.

The report predicts the global fiber optic sensors market to grow steadily at a CAGR of about 9% during the forecast period.

The fiber optic sensors capability of a higher tolerance for high temperatures is expected to drive the demand for these sensors in applications that has extreme environmental conditions and where electrical sensors fail to function properly, such as the oil and gas, and manufacturing sector.

Fiber optic sensors reduce time for product packaging by efficiently counting and aligning the products moving on conveyor belts. For instance, inadequate tightening and improper alignment of bottle caps can be detected with the effective deployment of fiber optic sensors. Moreover, these sensors help with labeling and bar-code detection of products, which helps in improving packaging and dispatch systems. This is expected to increase the demand for fiber optic sensors in food and packaging industries.

According to the report, the greater tolerance for high temperatures will have a high impact on oil and gas, and manufacturing customers, as the market of these customers is expected to grow during the forecast period. This will increase the demand for monitoring equipment, which are integrated with fiber optic sensors.

Further, the report states that one of the major issues hindering the growth of the global fiber optic sensor market is the high cost of upgrading from conventional sensors.

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Microcurrent humidity sensor offers +/-3% accuracy

HDC1050 is a 1.3µA ±3% accurate digital humidity sensor, that includes a ±0.2C accurate thermometer.

That supply current it at 1sample/s and 11bit resolution, which can be raised to 14-bit, and a sleep mode offers 100nA quiescent. .

Output is over I2C interface and operation is 2.7-5.5V and -40 to 125C for the temperature sensor and -20C to 60Celsius for the humidity sensor.

The humidity sensor comes in a 3x3mm 6pin, and is available now from Mouser, as is the HDC1050EVM evaluation module which uses USB for control and data streaming via a PC.

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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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Microwave Sensors Auto-Detect Bikes At Intersections

In most cities, bike commuters lucky enough to have their own lanes still cannot trigger traffic signals, forcing them either to wait for a car to pull up, or cross the street to push the crosswalk button. A microwave motion sensor can help by determining when bikes are present.

The Bay Area town of Pleasanton, Calif., is the only municipality in the nation to use this system, which cyclists say is already improving efficiency and safety. The Intersector motion and presence sensor can tell the difference between bikes and cars, and alter traffic signal patterns accordingly.

Many cities have embedded road sensors that can detect bikes as well as cars, but they don't work if the bike isn't positioned properly or if the bike is not made of metal. Bike commuters might be tempted to ride through the intersection rather than wait, which is neither legal nor safe.

Video-monitoring systems can also help detect bikes — Pleasanton uses these at all intersections — but they are stymied by wind and fog, according to the Contra Costa Times. Continuous video monitoring can also spark privacy concerns.

The microwave sensors can monitor up to eight detection zones, which the city would specify, and send up to four commands to the traffic signal control box — such as "right turn," "straight through" and so on. It updates 20 times per second and can track both moving and stationary vehicles, according to the manufacturer, MS Sedco. The systems cost between $4,000 and $5,000 apiece, the Contra Costa Times says.

Pleasanton has the systems at seven intersections so far, with plans to add at least one more. It should come in handy when cars are eventually outnumbered by bikes in that part of the country.

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