Part 1 provided background on the evolution of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and the increased use of sensors and Part 2 elaborated on sensing in more advanced HVAC systems. In this third and final part, government and industry organization’s effort to change HVAC systems and the impact on sensing will be explored. In […]
What sensors are used in today’s and tomorrow’s HVAC systems? Part 2
Part 1 provided background on the evolution of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and the increased use of sensors in these systems. Today, sensors are used both to monitor the indoor environment as well as to monitor and control the equipment that is used to cool or heat, humidify or dehumidify as well as […]
What sensors are used in today’s and tomorrow’s HVAC systems? Part 1
When Willis Carrier designed a system of fans, ducts and perforated pipes, which became the first modern electric air conditioner (AC) in 1902 (120 years ago), sensing was not part of the bill of materials. Devon Brock, Manager of Product Knowledge and Training, Sensors Group at TE Connectivity provides some insight into subsequent AC systems. […]
How do time-of-flight sensors work?
Using the time-of-flight (ToF) principle, a ToF sensor measures the distance between the sensor and an object. The sensor emits a signal that is reflected off an object and then detects the time for a round trip to occur. Typically, either light or sound waves can provide the transmitted signal. In either case, the distance […]
What sensor measurements are made using buoys?
Buoys were historically employed as simple mechanical structures to identify a safe navigation route or mark hazards such as reefs and below the surface rocks. The addition of battery and lights brought an electrical aspect to them and increased their visibility at night. These days a buoy can be part of the Internet of Things […]
How is biomarker sensing expanding?
Pathogens, infectious agents that cause disease, can include microscopic viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Both biomarkers and biosensors can detect and identify pathogenic agents. After using biomarkers to measure and detect pathogenic factors and assess biological conditions., drugs can be delivered to the target tissue so that other tissues are not damaged. Biomarkers are widely […]
How can a MEMS microphone be used in harsh environments?
The answer depends on how harsh of an environment and how much protection is required. For a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone, one of the most-harsh environments is the human body, since sweat and dirt can cause failures in traditional MEMS microphone architectures. Regarding the protection, the International Electrochemical Commission’s (IEC’s) IEC 60529 rating system defines different […]
What sensors are in a smart cane? Pt 2
Inspired by self-driving vehicles and robotics, the Augmented Cane developed by Stanford University researchers uses a LiDAR sensor to measure distance to nearby obstacles and then provide directions so users can navigate around those areas. Additional sensors in the research prototype include GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes to monitor the user’s position, speed, direction and […]
What sensors are in a smart cane? Pt 1
Blind or visually impaired individuals have to rely on other senses and typically have heightened capability – especially for hearing and touch. Using a white cane provides feedback in both of these areas. World Health Organization (WHO) data says that there are more than 253 million visually impaired people worldwide. Many of these individuals rely […]
How has sensing in industrial automation changed? (Part 3)
In Industry 4.0, another sensor-specific aspect that customers are asking for is packaging that can survive in different harsh factory environments. “When you’re putting them on an oil platform or in a factory or on a motor or in a steel mill or in a paper mill, in those really harsh environments, they need to […]
