Sensors in the Spotlight

The Next Decade of Embedded Sensor Systems

- By Curtis Franklin,

Sensors, in all their types and functions, are the means by which the real world is introduced to an embedded system. No matter what data the system needs about the physical environment, sensors are how that data is collected and provided to the processor.

Perhaps because sensors are so common and necessary, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that they are not frozen in technological time.

While different types of sensors evolve at varying rates, it's rare to find a modern sensor that hasn't developed from its predecessors of even a few years ago.

Embedded sensors have rapidly transitioned from simple transducers to deeply intelligent, networked participants in the modern cyber-physical world. For engineers on the frontline of systems design, understanding not just the immediate landscape—but the forces rapidly shaping its future—is paramount. By 2030, embedded sensor networks will form the bedrock of automation, intelligence at the edge, sustainability, security, and new digital services.

A single article on the broad topic of “sensors” can be somewhat daunting, as the topic encompasses a wide range of functions and technologies. However, that same breadth makes the topic one that’s both vital and exciting—sensors are, in many ways, the foundation on which embedded systems are built, as they provide the data on which critical control decisions are made.

In most cases, sensors are built to deliver a single type of data to the system. That conceptual simplicity doesn’t mean they're exempt from the influence of AI, which has been a prime driver of much of the computing world in this decade.