What trends will the future development of sensors face in the face of new opportunities in the era?

As is well known, the main channel for humans to obtain external information is through sensory organs, among which the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and limbs play a front-end role. However, with the development of technology and advances in science, in the new state of production and life, human senses are no longer able to meet their needs. In this situation, the birth and application of sensors present enormous value.
People view sensors as an extension of human facial features, known as a bridge connecting the physical world and the digital world. In fact, the basic function of sensors is to make objects “come to life”. In the context of rapid evolution of automation and informatization, in order to effectively acquire and utilize information and achieve the goal of automation, it is necessary to collect various types of information in the production and life fields through sensors.
Whether in the production process or in product application, sensors can effectively “sense” relevant data parameters, thereby controlling the normal and efficient operation of equipment, or providing reference for management, maintenance personnel, and users’ operations and decisions. Therefore, in modern industrial and social conditions, the importance of sensors is self-evident. Without sensors, automation and informatization lose their key foundation.
With the promotion of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the rapid development of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, 5G, etc., the acceleration of the landing of robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous vehicle, etc., and the in-depth construction of smart cities have brought immeasurable opportunities for the sensor industry. Based on the current situation and changes in the sensor industry, there will be four major trends in the future development of sensors.
Intelligentization
Driven by artificial intelligence, countries and fields around the world have sparked a wave of intelligence, with concepts such as intelligent healthcare, intelligent transportation, intelligent finance, intelligent education, and intelligent security being implemented. Core products such as robots and drones are also becoming increasingly intelligent. Therefore, as an important component of the modern production and living system, the intelligence of sensors is the trend.
At present, the intelligent sensor product system is becoming increasingly mature, and its capabilities in autonomous perception, autonomous decision-making, and other aspects are constantly improving. The further intelligent upgrade of sensors is conducive to integrating with the artificial intelligence industry ecosystem, providing solid support for the intelligence of various industries and products. Driven by intelligence and networking, it is expected that the development of intelligent sensors will continue to accelerate in the future.
Internet connectivity
Since its inception, sensors have been closely linked to data and information. It can be said that collecting and transmitting data information is the main mission of sensors. Today, the world has entered the information society era, and the circulation of data has further expanded. Whether it is the development of the digital economy, the popularization of the Internet, or the application of information technology, there is a more urgent demand for sensors, which also makes sensors must benefit from networking.
Especially with the official commercialization and accelerated deployment of 5G networks, the networking of sensors will usher in significant benefits. With the support of 5G network, sensors will be able to better utilize communication technology to achieve smoother and faster data connectivity and transmission, comprehensively improve their performance level, and provide assistance for the upgrading of intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent robots and other products.
miniaturization
In the field of technology, as precision components or parts, miniaturization is the main development direction, and sensors are no exception. Traditional sensors have a large body size and are difficult to meet current needs. The development of miniaturization is conducive to enhancing the adaptability of products, reducing the weight and size of finished products, improving application performance, and expanding application scope.
Therefore, in recent years, sensors have achieved good results in miniaturization. Based on the continuous upgrading of design, process, and processing technology, the internal sensitive components and conversion components of sensors have entered the micrometer and nanometer levels, which enables sensor products to be widely used in many new technology products such as intelligent hardware.
Integration
In the past, sensors generally only had a single function, but with the development trend of intelligence, networking, and miniaturization, the upgrading of sensor technology has a solid foundation, and the market’s demand for diversified sensor functions is becoming increasingly strong. Therefore, the trend of sensor integration is becoming increasingly prominent, and sensor products that integrate multiple different functions are widely welcomed in the market.
These integrated sensors can simultaneously perceive different environmental information, allowing users to achieve real-time and synchronized control of various data without significant cost pressure. Especially with the development of miniaturization of sensors, an important foundation has been laid for integration. We believe that sensor technology will make more significant progress under the guidance of these trends.
Information source: Intelligent Manufacturing Network.