Description

This Sensor Tech TOE covers innovations in sensors for monitoring physical or muscle activities, drug delivery, and skin tone. It also provides insights on patents, drivers and challenges, funding, and a futuristic scenario. Innovations profiled include a wearable system to detect lactate in sweat, an electrode for monitoring muscle and nerve cell activity, a microneedle system for therapeutic drug monitoring, and a paper-based sunburn sensor.

Sensor TechVision Opportunity Engine (TOE) captures global sensor-related innovations and developments on a weekly basis. Innovations are directed toward developing smart and intelligent sensors with functionalities beyond sensing. Research focus areas include: low power sensors (energy harvesting), industrial automation sensors (M2M, vision sensor), ubiquitous sensor (WSN, sensor fusion), smart sensors (wearables, quantified self), high sensitivity and smaller size (MEMS, nanosensors), and improved security (CBRNE, terahertz).

The need for low power, smaller, lighter sensors with enhanced performance attributes and minimal false alarms is driving innovations in the sensors space. The Sensors and Control cluster covers innovations pertaining to technologies such as wireless sensors and networks, energy harvesting, haptics and touch, MEMS and nanosensors, Terahertz, ubiquitous/smart sensors, CBRNE, quantified-self, sensor fusion, M2M communications, and drones.

Keywords: Skin patch sensor, drug delivery, skin tone sensor, muscle activity sensor, physical activity sensor