The next wave in sensors for IoT

Sensors Expo 2016 began yesterday in San Jose, CA. While the exhibit hall was devoid of visitors, waiting for its doors to officially open today, the meeting rooms were full — in several cases, it was standing room only.

I was drawn into the jam-packed Symposium 5, the session on technologies and applications of printed, flexible, and stretchable sensors for IoT and wearables. The session was put together and moderated by Roger Grace, president of marketing advisory Roger Grace Associates and a frequent contributor to Electronic Products. In fact, Grace had first explored the topic in this publication last year (“P/F Sensors: their future and challenges”).

Since then, the development of sensors that can be printed on flexible substrates, and even stretched, has been progressing rapidly, headed toward what is estimated to be a $6 billion market in 15 years. The work is being spearheaded by researchers from top labs throughout the world, like Janos Veres from the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC); Tingrui Pan, PhD, a professor at the University of California, Davis; Max Shtein of the University of Michigan; Giovanni Nisato from Switzerland’s CSEM; Sywert Brongersma from the Netherland’s Holst Centre-IMEC; and others who presented their latest work at the symposium. Also highlighted were the latest offerings from TE Connectivity (piezoelectric PVDF sensors), Parker Hannifin (dielectric electroactive polymer sensor technology), Spec-Sensors (sensors capable of measuring low levels of CO, NO₂ , SO₂ , Ozone, and more), and PST Sensors (printed NTC temperature sensors).

During the session, many different types of sensors and their applications were discussed, but a strong underlying theme was the “sensorizing” of human beings. Presenters discussed such things as wearable sensors detecting respiration, heart rate, blood pH and glucose level, perspiration chemistry, muscle tremor, muscle response to electrical stimulation, and gross body/limb movement. 

All of the sensors were discussed under the banner of the Internet of Things, but those dealing with human physical condition point to a possible new type of network: an Internet of Me. In the IoM, a lifetime of data collection about the physical state of a person, as well as the environments in which they lived and worked, could enable a healthier and longer life. The advancements presented at today’s session indicate that this is a strong possibility for our future.

Check out Electronic Products’ complete new product coverage of Sensors Expo 2016