Sensors Expo: brain power, green power, and monitoring power

Sensors Expo: brain power, green power, and monitoring power

Later this month, engineers in Rosemont, IL, will be able to gain insight into the creative processes of MIT’s James McLurkin — recognized by Time Magazine as one of five leading robotics engineers — when he delivers the Sensors Expo & Conference keynote, “Engineering Creativity”: Exercises for the Right Brain, on Tuesday morning, June 10, at 9 a.m. The inventor of SwarmBots, which work collectively to accomplish tasks, McLurkin will discuss the logistics of creativity, his sources of inspiration, and how you can structure your environment to enhance creative thought.

The conference’s program directors have exercised their creativity by developing three tracks dealing with topics that are new to the show. For instance, on Tuesday there is a track on transportation infrastructure and structural health monitoring. Sessions include “Monitoring Health of Structures Using Fiber Optic Sensors” (IM1), “Battery-Powered Wireless System for Bridges and Transportation Infrastructure Inspection” (IM2), “The Concrete Structure as a Sensing Element: Combining Instrumen-tation and Concrete” (IM4), and “Structural Health Monitoring of Critical Assets” (IM5).

Green networks

Four sessions on Wednesday, June 11, will deal with the latest “green” sensing technologies and their recent applications: “Wireless Networks Go Green” (GR1), “Save Kilowatts with Just a Few Milliwatts: Energy Management Solutions Based on Wireless Sensor Networks” (GR2), “Robust Design Enables Pressure Sensor for Greener Technologies” (GR3), and “Capitalizing on 802.11 for Wireless Sensor Networks” (GR4).

Another new track on Wednesday will examine the power of monitoring for machine health and predictive maintenance. Sessions include “Prognostics and Condition-Based Maintenance: Sensing Needs and Industry Status” (MH1), “High-Bandwidth Customizable Miniature Independent Sensor Nodes and Networks for HUMS/CBM, Safety and Security Monitoring” (MH2), “Practical Energy Harvesting for In-Plant Health and Process Monitoring” (MH3), and “Bringing Vibration Data to Your Control Room and Maintenance Shop to Improve Reliability” (MH4).

Attendees will be able to see the latest sensors for implementing these approaches on the exhibit floor, where about 200 exhibitors will have their latest offerings on display. The exhibit hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Those who wish to get an even deeper view of the latest technologies and trends will want to attend the three symposia which run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, June 9. They will cover digital data acquisition and analysis, energy harvesting for powering sensor applications, and nanotechnology and MEMS/MST/micromachines.

Richard Comerford

The Sensors Expo & Conference runs from June 9 to 11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. For information on attending, contact Questex Media Group by phone (U.S., 877-232-0132; outside U.S., 972-620-3036) or visit http://www.sensorsexpo.com.