Sensors

Apptronik, Inc has emerged as a leader in humanoid robotics, combining advanced engineering with strategic partnerships to address industrial and future consumer needs. Founded in 2016 by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, the company now employs over 150 people and collaborates with NASA and Google DeepMind and major manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics.

Innovation map of EU funding for self-healing materials.

Innovation map of shape memory assisted self-healing (SMASH).

Innovation map for the chemistry of intrinsic self-healing materials.

This presentation was delivered virtually by IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Jack Howley at the NextFlex Innovation Days 2025 Conference on 26th March 2025 in Santa Clara, USA.

The medical sector is one of the largest spaces where 3D printing operates, with opportunities for implant customization, educational models, and drug manufacturing.

Quantum sensors get their name from their ability to measure on a quantum scale the smallest known parts of the universe, including atoms and other tiny particles, some of which were unknown before the introduction of this technology. IDTechEx's report, "Quantum Sensors Market 2025-2045: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts" provides an in-depth analysis of the technology by type and application, forecasting the quantum sensor market to reach US$2.2 billion in 2045, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.4%.

Innatera is a startup that develops neuromorphic microprocessors using spiking neural networks (SNN). It is a spin-off from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, created in 2018. Its microprocessor is low-power and always on, so it is used for sensors that require continuous monitoring, such as human detection, audio interfaces, touch-free interfaces, presence detection, activity recognition, and ECG recognition.

It should come as no surprise that PIC transceivers are fast becoming essential tools in the AI revolution, where they speed up connections between nodes in data centers whilst reducing power consumption, allowing larger AI models to be trained and executed. IDTechEx's recent report on the topic, "Silicon Photonics and Photonic Integrated Circuits 2025-2035: Technologies, Market, Forecasts", predicts this application to be the major contributor to its US$54 billion forecast for the PIC market in 2035.

Newly established radar startups worldwide have raised nearly US$1.2 billion over the past 12 years; approximately US$980 million of which is predominantly directed toward the automotive sector. Through more than 40 funding rounds, these companies have driven the implementation and advancement of radar technologies in key areas such as autonomous driving and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Thursday 13 March 2025 - Why Photonic Integrated Circuits are at the Heart of the AI Revolution; What is a PIC?; The role of PICs, including silicon photonics, in data center transceivers; How the growth in AI accelerator demand is shaping the PIC transceiver market; A roadmap for the future of datacom transceivers; An insight into IDTechEx's ten-year forecasts for the PIC market

The rise of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) has reshaped the diabetes management technology market. With the market projected to reach US$44 billion by 2035, CGM technology is transforming diabetes care by replacing painful fingerstick tests and providing real-time glucose insights.

1NCE offers connectivity services for low-bandwidth IoT devices in industrial automation, healthcare, automotive, consumer electronics, and infrastructure applications. IDTechEx spoke with Reika Ina, Sales Manager for 1NCE, at NEPCON Japan 2025 in Tokyo.

Emerging image sensors are being developed with capabilities beyond well-established CMOS detectors, with the possibility of detecting broader parts of the light spectrum that are beyond human vision. IDTechEx's report, "Emerging Image Sensor Technologies 2024-2034: Applications and Markets", covers new technologies including hyperspectral imaging and event-based vision.

Datwyler is a well-established manufacturer of critical elastomer components, developing solutions for both established and emerging markets. This includes a range of dry electrodes suited to the wearable technology market. IDTechEx spoke with Fabrizio Abascia, Business Development Manager, at NEPCON Japan 2025 in Tokyo.

Forecasts taken from IDTechEx report "In-Cabin Sensing 2025-2035: Technologies, Opportunities, and Markets"

Meta-Rosetta (also written as MetaRosetta) is an early-stage spinout of Taiwan's National Central University, focusing on providing software and services for the design of metasurface optics (meta-optics) including metalenses. The startup has an electronic design automation (EDA) tool for meta-optics, although has yet to decide on its final business model for the tool. IDTechEx met Meta-Rosetta's CEO, Dr. Wei-Lun Hsu, at Neo-Functional Materials 2025 in January 2025.

muRata Manufacturing is a Japanese electronics manufacturer. It was established in 1944 and has headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. IDTechEx interviewed muRata at NEPCON Japan 2025 and discussed its humidity sensors and in-cabin radars.

Photron is a manufacturer of high-speed digital imaging systems based in the US, Japan, Germany, and China. Photron supplies high-speed cameras for automotive crash tests and is developing 3D vision cameras for industrial robotics applications. IDTechEx spoke with Mitsuhara Kanda, Business Unit Manager for Photron, at NEPCON Japan 2025 in Tokyo.