Evaluation Engineering - 32

TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTS

SENSORS OPEN NEW
VISTAS IN ELECTRONICS

The
miniature DTS
ARS PRO sensor
delivers reliable
angular velocity
data in high shock
and vibration test
environments.

By Ken Cormier, Managing Editor
Whether they are analog or digital, sensors are playing increasingly important
roles in electronics. Some of the more commonly used sensors include touch, proximity, temperature, infrared, ultrasonic, pressure, level, and smoke. As technology
progresses, sensors are taking on new attributes, such as the ability to "see" firefighters in burning buildings, "smell" and "taste,"
and much more. And if you want to learn
about the latest cutting-edge sensor technology, stop by the Sensors Expo during
June in San Jose, where Evaluation
Engineering will be in attendance.

Groundbreaking smart sensor
"tastes" and "sniffs"

Technion

Researchers from the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel,
have developed an innovative sensing
system capable of identifying and distinguishing different stimuli. The system is
based on origami (the art of paper folding)
combined with ink developed at Technion.
The research was led by Professor Hossam
Haick of the Technion's Wolfson Faculty
of Chemical Engineering and the Russell
Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, and Dr.
Min Zhang, an associate professor at East
China Normal University. The challenge
facing the researchers was to develop a
single system sensitive enough to identify
and distinguish among different stimuli.
They say they developed a solution inspired by nature. The system developed
by Haick and Zhang, called "origami hierarchical sensor array," is an integrated

Dr. Min Zhang and Prof. Hossam Haick,
American Technion Society

EVALUATION ENGINEERING JUNE 2019

array of grouped sensors written on
the target object in conductive ink
that the two scientists developed.1

Sensor 'sees' firefighters
in burning buildings
McMaster University researchers, in partnership with other universities, have created a motion-powered, fireproof sensor
that can track the locations of firefighters, steelworkers, miners, and others who
work in high-risk environments where
they are not always visible. The low-cost
sensor is about the size of a coin and can
easily be inserted into the sole of a boot
or under the arm of a jacket-wherever
motion creates a pattern of constant contact and release to generate the power the
sensor needs to operate. The key material in the sensor-a new carbon aerogel
nanocomposite-is fireproof, and the device never needs charging from a power
source.2

High-performance angular rate sensor
The miniature ARS PRO angular rate
sensor by DTS is designed to capture
precision angular rate data, even in highenergy environments including blast
protection and crash testing. The siliconbased MEMS resonating gyro is packaged
in a rugged aluminum enclosure, weighs
only 2.2 grams and can be positioned near
the point of interest without altering test
dynamics. Featuring DC response, shunt
check capabilities and high output voltage, the single-axis sensor delivers reliability and repeatability with every test.
DTS offers full-scale ranges from ±300 to
±50000 deg/sec and bandwidths up to
2000 Hz, fully supporting CFC 180 and
1000 testing requirements. The ARS HG
is shock-rated to 10000 G, and features
reinforced mounting points for applications like high-rate ballistics testing. DTS
also offers a triaxial model (ARS3 PRO) as
well as a compact six degrees of freedom

package (6DX PRO) for measuring highrate acceleration and angular velocity.

Sensors Expo set for June
25-27 in San Jose
Sensors Expo & Conference is the industry's largest event dedicated to sensors, connectivity, and systems. More
than 7,000 engineers and engineering
professionals are expected June 25-27 at
the McEnery Convention Center in San
Jose, CA, and discover the latest products
and technologies from suppliers that are
continuously transforming the industry
through demand and innovation.

Report: Wearable materials
market $2.9B by 2023
The wearable materials market size is
projected to grow from $1.5 billion in
2018 to $2.9 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of
15.0% between 2018 and 2023, according
to a recent research report published by
MarketsandMarkets. Consumer demand
for sophisticated devices, the growing
popularity of connected devices, and increasing disposable income are considered
driving forces in the market. Volatility in
raw material prices and lack of durable,
supple materials restrain the growth of the
wearable materials market.3
REFERENCES

1. American Technion Society, "Super Sensitive,
Groundbreaking Smart Sensors "Tastes" and
"Sniffs", March 2019.
2. McMaster University, "McMaster engineers
create a fireproof sensor to track firefighters,
miners, oil workers in high-risk situations,"
March 2019.
3. MarketsandMarkets, "Wearable Materials
Market by Application (Consumer Electronics,
Medical, Industrial), Type (Silicones,
Polyurethanes, Fluoroelastomers), Region
(APAC, North America, Europe, South
America,and Middle East & Africa)-Global
Forecast to 2023," January 2019.

Evaluation Engineering

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Evaluation Engineering