Release date: 2014-05-06
On many levels, smartphone technology is growing at an incredibly fast rate, including sensor technology. Although seemingly inconspicuous, the sensors in the phone have the ability to make a major shift in our lifestyle. The technology website TechRadar has reviewed, predicted and forecasted the development of sensor technology. The following is the content of the article:
Your phone already knows where you are, what position you are holding it, what you said to it, and how fast you are moving.
And the major innovations that are coming soon with mobile sensor technology are now just the beginning of the era of self-aware devices and continuous data logging. In the future, we will see more things.
We're used to flipping a phone or tablet to switch display content between landscape and portrait, but this technology is a relatively new innovation that has only become popular in the past 3-4 years.
The earliest devices that used these sensors were not even smartphones, but Nintendo's game console Wii.
Sensor meaning
Currently, sensors that we are already familiar with and that are also equipped with almost all products on the market include accelerometers for measuring motion and orientation; and gyroscopes for measuring the angular rotation of the phone on three axes, and Make accelerometer readings more accurate.
In terms of location services, we have magnetometers for detecting magnetic north, as well as some form of GPS chip.
In addition to this, there are distance sensors that identify the phone you are close to your face when you make a call, and an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the screen based on ambient light.
Like all electronic components, these sensors are getting smaller and smaller, performance is getting stronger, and the cost is getting lower and lower. In a brand new smartphone, the cost of all these sensors may not be more than a dozen, but like any other hardware, sensors have cheap and high-end options.
For example, the accelerometer cost of an iPhone 5s alone reaches $1. But no matter what the cost is, the sensor has become an integral part of the mobile experience: I believe that you can't imagine a tablet that doesn't change the orientation of the display according to the rotation of the body, or a smartphone that cannot be navigated exists. .
Cutting-edge technology
In 2013, we have seen more new sensor debuts. Apple's iPhone 5s and iPadAir are equipped with the M7 tracking chip, which brings motion sensing capabilities to both devices. In actual use, it can distinguish the difference between walking and driving. If you don't move for a while, it will take certain actions (such as turning off Wi-Fi).
If you are on the train, the M7 chip can tell the iPhone not to try to connect to the public network that passes through. At the same time, fitness apps don't require a wristband to get accurate data about user actions.
Samsung is also accustomed to adding as many features as possible to its products, which is no exception in the Galaxy S4 and S5 flagship phones.
Both phones are equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, which can be accessed by the S Health app to allow their devices to focus on the environment around them.
At the same time, they are equipped with a barometer for measuring atmospheric pressure and a gesture sensor that uses infrared to monitor hand movements.
The above is the current development of sensor technology. So what progress will the field make in the coming months or even years? In short, more sensor types and higher accuracy.
We talked with Emiliano Miluzzo, a senior technician at AT&T, a US telecommunications giant, to understand the future of sensor technology. In AT&T's research lab, Miluzzo is responsible for mobile sensing systems and big data analytics. "The trend of adding more sensors to mobile devices will continue," he said.
“If you have air and water quality sensors, some form of medical sensor, 3D/stereo camera, even radar and sonar... that would be great. If we know how fast the sensor is miniaturized, This wish list will get longer and longer."
Too many sensors
Do you want a cell phone that tracks heart rate and emotional state? For example, when you start to feel anxious, the phone will automatically start playing some soothing music.
According to Freescale's director Kaivan Karimi, the use of low-cost sensors can make this a reality.
“Your device will be able to read your emotions,†Karimi told the media in October last year. “This means that you can track people’s emotions remotely... your device will have a much higher understanding of you. For yourself."
The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in our mobile phones are made of silicon, but scientists are now experimenting with a MEMS that runs on organic polymers, which is more suitable for implantation into the human body.
Once the cost and time to make these components are reduced, we can monitor health and activity from our bodies. They can even be used to control bionic prostheses.
UV sensors are currently in the early stages of testing by manufacturers, including ROHM. Want to figure out how much sunscreen you need to apply, how clean your hands are, or how much water you need to drink, just a mobile phone at a glance.
Imagine if you were able to provide two months of health record data while you were visiting a doctor, rather than relying on your own memory and dictation, which would definitely help the doctor's treatment.
At a broader level, disease and health patterns can be tracked more accurately across countries and continents.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have developed a prototype of a pollution sensor that is small enough to be placed in a cell phone, allowing environmental and health agencies to detect smoke and dangerous chemicals on a large scale. At the same time, the US Environmental Protection Agency is also developing a mobile air monitoring sensor.
Two seismologists at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy, Antonio D'Alessandro and Giuseppe D'Anna, have run tests on iPhones 4 and 5 to show how mobile phones can be used to detect earthquakes.
The sensors in our phones need to be upgraded, but in the end, they can be an early warning system that allows people in need to get help faster.
At the local and global levels, the next generation of sensors will make things different. AT&T's Emiliano Miluzzo added: "By turning a smartphone into something similar to a Swiss army knife, we can change the lives of residents in both developed and developing countries, because they need everything in their hands."
“Not only can users' questions be answered immediately, but the government can also run its own infrastructure more efficiently.â€
“Medical data can be continuously transmitted back to the cloud. This can trigger an alert for medical intervention if there is uncoordinated information.â€
“The government will be able to rely on uninterrupted pollution level measurements. Residents in developing countries can quickly monitor water quality. EEG helmets allow people to use their minds to control equipment. Radar and sonar can make people better understand Your own surroundings."
Smarter home
As sensors become more intelligent, so will other devices and equipment in our home. In the future, smartphones equipped with sensors will not work alone, but as part of a larger network of devices, whether they are thermostats in the home or Wi-Fi street lights on the street, they will have their own micro-monitoring components.
STMicroelectronics is currently one of the leading technology companies in sensor development. They are developing a technology that combines readings from accelerometers, magnetometers, pressure sensors, and Wi-Fi scanners for more accurate indoor positioning.
This means that whether you want to find a bookstore in a shopping mall or a restaurant in the hotel, this technology can make the process easier.
At the same time, Samsung is currently presenting a so-called “HomeInnovationSpace†in Harrods, London, which includes smart connected washing machines, refrigerators and other household appliances.
Once your phone has the ability to figure out where you are in the building, you may never need to press the light switch, either at home or at the hotel. In addition, your internet-connected refrigerator can provide advice on the next meal based on the nutritional value of the food you have eaten.
If you go to the gym often, Somaxis's MyoLink muscle sensor can detect your workout, and the Cardiio app can measure your heart rate with the iPhone's camera.
This technology is now in the early stages of development, and it won't take long for the gym equipment to automatically adapt to your fitness level without any input.
Let's not forget the game too - the Galaxy S4 can tell if you are watching the screen, and once the phone camera is smart enough to detect your emotions, the game running on the phone can adjust the difficulty accordingly.
Bravely facing the new world
At the end of the day, Miluzzo said: "The exciting thing is that smartphones and tablets will become our personal assistants, ready to sense the environment we are in and take action on our behalf."
"In order to achieve this, we will always need to update more advanced sensing capabilities - and this process can be accelerated by hardware miniaturization. The results achieved by researchers and developers through their own ideas are also amazing."
Cell phone sensors bring portability, which in turn is backed by computing and reporting capabilities. Whether it's monitoring your blood sugar levels or warning you about an impending avalanche, these are no longer out of reach in the face of future technological innovations.
Smartphones have revolutionized on many levels of our lives, and that's just the beginning.
Source: Sohu Digital
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