Sensors

The pandemic gave people a lot more time with their dogs and cats, but return to the office has disrupted that connection. Pet cameras can help but are needed in every room and don't really tell owners what their furry friend has been up to without reviewing all footage. Now, researchers at the have created a new device that can put pet owners at ease.

Brain Corp is an autonomous solution provider that equips machines with autonomous mobility.

The new IDTechEx report, "Heavy-Duty Autonomous Vehicles 2023-2043: Trucks, Buses & Roboshuttles", has found significant activity in the autonomous heavy-duty and commercial vehicle space.

Some experts predict that our e-waste problem will only get worse over time, because most electronics on the market today are designed for portability, not recyclability. Tablets and readers, for example, are assembled by gluing circuits, chips, and hard drives to thin layers of plastic, which must be melted to extract precious metals like copper and gold. Burning plastic releases toxic gases into the atmosphere, and electronics wasting away in landfill often contain harmful materials like mercury, lead, and beryllium.

Lithium can alleviate the symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression — if taken in just the right amount. Too little won't work, while too much can bring on dangerous side effects. To precisely monitor the amount of this medication in the body, patients must undergo invasive blood tests. But now, scientists report the invention of a tiny sensor that detects lithium levels from sweat on the surface of a fingertip in as little as 30 seconds, without a trip to the clinic.

This premium article will look into the use of strain sensors in wearable electronics, exploring various applications, resistive strain sensors, examples from key market players, and more.

PKVitality are developing a non-invasive continuous glucose monitor using a microneedle-based skin patch and watch. Tess Skyrme, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, interviewed Minh Le, General Manager of the company, to get an update from the company.

Clearpath Robotics is an autonomous mobile platform (autonomous guided vehicles) manufacturer that provides indoor and outdoor unmanned guided vehicles, along with software services for autonomous driving.

Wearable sensors are ubiquitous thanks to wireless technology that enables a person's glucose concentrations, blood pressure, heart rate, and activity levels to be transmitted seamlessly from sensor to smartphone for further analysis. Most wireless sensors today communicate via embedded Bluetooth chips that are themselves powered by small batteries. But these conventional chips and power sources will likely be too bulky for next-generation sensors, which are taking on smaller, thinner, more flexible forms.

Vivalink develop continuous wearable vital sign monitor devices and a platform for remote patient monitoring.

If you have ever had your blood drawn, whether to check your cholesterol, kidney function, hormone levels, blood sugar, or as part of a general checkup, you might have wondered why there is not an easier, less painful way. Now there might be. A team of researchers has unveiled a new wearable sensor that can detect in human sweat even minute levels of many common nutrients and biological compounds that can serve as indicators of human health.

Hebi Robotics is a venture capital-based start-up that specializes in robotic actuation and engineering solutions. The company's technologies include actuators, end-effectors (grippers), camera modules, passive knuckle encoders, and many others.

Kokoon has developed headphones and earbuds which are designed to improve the quality of users' sleep. Tess Skyrme, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, interviewed CTO Richard Hall.

This premium article looks into force and pressure sensors in wearable electronics, including printed pressure sensor applications, the wearable force sensor landscape, a SWOT analysis of flexible pressure sensors for wearable applications, and more.

The automotive industry and many robotics start-ups have been promising that autonomous cars are just a couple of years away for many years now. It feels like this "just a couple of years" has been perpetually kicked down the road, with only incremental gains each time. However, Cruise, the robotaxi arm of General Motors, has recently been given approval to start charging passengers in San Francisco. So, is this an enormous leap forward for robotaxis, or just another incremental gain?

Boeing are developing wireless connected sensors based on flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) for asset tracking/monitoring around their production sites. These will include Bluetooth Low Energy communication, along with temperature, humidity, and motion sensors.

Biobeat Technologies provide wearable devices for vital sign monitoring.

Baidu Inc has secured the first permits in China to offer commercial fully driverless robotaxi services to the public on open roads. Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, is now authorized to collect fares for robotaxi rides - completely without human drivers in the car - in Chongqing and Wuhan, two of China's largest megacities.