Sensors used in the Internet of Things provide a mechanism to connect required observations and applications, and can also be used for other forms of measurement. Purely from the physical field, sensors can be divided into: illuminance sensor, noise sensor, temperature and humidity sensor, liquid level sensor, rain sensor, etc.
Since the birth of sensor technology, it has had a great impact on manufacturers and also changed the development of manufacturing. With the continuous advancement of the Internet of Things technology, the combination of sensors and the integration of artificial intelligence technology, its influence continues to expand, and the scope of application is wider. It realizes the real-time collection, transmission, and networking of data, which brings benefits to the manufacturing process. It has unprecedented connectivity and analysis capabilities. Such as smart factories, smart cities, smart buildings, etc. So, what kind of sparks will the combination of sensors and the Internet of Things produce in the future?
what is a smart sensor? #
Sensors can obtain data from the environment. The calculation of the microprocessor is output by the programmed sensor. The communication function that enables the sensor to communicate the output of the microprocessor to take action. These three parts are the main components of the smart sensor. Smart sensors can include various sensors, transceivers, amplifiers, analog filters and power supplies, and other components. Experts believe that it should also include wireless communication, intelligent remote calculation of data, and new functions that can be programmed to adapt to the needs of the Internet of Things sensor.
Types of IoT sensors #
Sensors used in the Internet of Things provide a mechanism to connect required observations and applications, and can also be used for other forms of measurement. In the field of physics, sensors can be divided into optical and electromagnetic sensors, thermal sensors, vibration and sound sensors, matter and material sensors, and time and space sensors.
IoT sensor use cases #
First of all, with regard to existing processes and workflows, smart sensors provide greater visibility, identify items, and determine environmental conditions.
Secondly, as far as the product is concerned, IoT sensors can improve the process and the product itself. As far as manufacturing is concerned, IoT sensors can monitor, control, and improve operations. They can be added to logistics to simplify product delivery. In terms of equipment, smart sensors can create new revenue.
Finally, the low cost and more advanced functions of the sensor enable a wider range of more effective use cases. The cost of physical sensors and RFID tags has dropped significantly, and the cost of smart sensor software applications, connectivity options and deployment has also dropped significantly.
the benefits of smart sensors #
First of all, IoT sensors provide higher visibility in existing workflows and processes, enabling companies to use real-time data to see where the problem lies. For example, a logistics company can equip its fleet with sensors to detect the location of each truck.
Under the impetus of big data technology, internal and external data information can be collected and aggregated to realize market forecasts. In the manufacturing industry, historical machine data is collected through sensors to build models to predict when machine components may fail, and suspicious parts can be actively replaced within a planned time.
it is related to income generation. Due to the widespread application of the Internet of Things, a new business model has been created. Manufacturers analyze data collected by smart sensors to provide customers with the required services.
The future of smart sensors #
Many sensors are built into the product during manufacturing. For example, industrial equipment, trains, automobiles, buildings, etc. are connected to hundreds of sensors. However, IoT sensors are not limited to new products.
The machine has been used for a long time, placing low-cost sensors on old equipment, establishing a healthy environment, supporting the growing popularity of IoT infrastructure and data flow will lead to the company deploying a large number of sensors. Coupled with the widespread application of 5G, it has boosted sensor expansion. The fusion of edge computing enables sensors to respond faster and provide effective decision-making under the Internet of Things.
In the future, the miniaturization of sensors will be an inevitable development trend, and the computing power will become stronger and stronger. Sensors will also provide more functions on the same platform and provide different sensing categories for the same device.
People’s living environment will also change because of sensors, from wearable devices to professional sensors, all can be connected to computers. Experts predict that in the next six years, the total number of IoT devices and the number of possible sensors will triple. There are currently about 25 billion devices, and by 2025 it will grow to 75 billion devices.
