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‘sensor’ Stories

Faunhofer shows off farmer-friendly sensors for field regulation galore

Chris Burns, Jan 31st 2012 Discuss [0]

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications HHI in Berlin have presented a working model set of soil sensors that will in the near future be able to feed a farmer results on moisture content, humidity, temperature, and leakage. These sensors have been shown at the Embedded World trade fair in Nuremberg Germany and showcased as a futuristic wireless solution for farmers to keep their crops healthy and safe through the growing months of summer and fall. Though these sensors are currently wired to one another physically, they'll soon be able to work entirely independent of one another, transmitting signals back to a base station which then communicates with the farmer's mobile phone. Read The Full Story

Twine racks up over $500,000 in Kickstarter funding [Updated]

Shane McGlaun, Jan 3rd 2012 Discuss [3]

We talked about Twine and the fact that it was on Kickstarter looking for funding back in November. The company behind Twine is called Supermechanical and they were only seeking $35,000 to be funded tomorrow. They got that $35,000 many, many times over in what has turned out to be one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history. Read The Full Story

Sharp unveils thinnest CMOS camera module for smartphones

Shane McGlaun, Dec 1st 2011 Discuss [1]

As the smartphones that we all know and love get thinner, the components inside the device must get thinner too. Super thin smartphones like the Droid Razr for instance can benefit from things like even thinner camera sensors. Sharp has a new camera sensor for the smartphone market that it hails as the thinnest CMOS camera sensor launched. Read The Full Story

Fraunhofer unveils wireless window sensors for home automation that get power from radio waves

Shane McGlaun, Sep 5th 2011 Discuss [1]

I have always wanted to automate my entire home by installing sensors for various things along with controls for the lights and more. Two things make adding home automation a big issue for existing construction though. The first thing is the cost, home automation sensors and controllers are very expensive. The second thing is the actual installation. Depending on how the walls in your home are made it could well be impossible to add all the sensors and wiring to a home. Read The Full Story

New sensor tech uses vibrations to charge its battery

Shane McGlaun, Aug 26th 2011 Discuss [1]

I have long said that one of the technologies with the most promise to change our world is battery tech. The batteries that last longer and charge faster are key elements to improve everything from smartphones to cars. A company called MicroGen Systems has been developing cool battery tech for small, low power sensors that generates power for its on-board battery by harnessing vibrations. These batteries are ideal for low power sensors like the ones in late model cars that power the TMPS system that monitors tire pressures. Read The Full Story

Cornell and MicroGen car sensors and instruments harvest power from road vibrations

Shane McGlaun, Aug 9th 2011 Discuss [0]

On a normal vehicle with a combustion engine, the power needed to operate the various instruments inside the car is not that big of a deal since you have power as long as the fuel holds out. On an EV or hybrid the less drain on the battery, the longer the driving distance so in these vehicles shedding all the power drain possible from the batteries is a big deal. Read The Full Story

iPad 2 May Feature a Proximity Sensor

Evan Selleck, Jan 19th 2011 Discuss [0]

Thanks to BlogDoiPhone, another little detail about the second generation iPad may have just been discovered. While it's not as breathtaking as some other leaks, or rumors, this new snippet is a sure sign that Apple is continuing their focus on the details. Surely, adding a proximity sensor to the iPad 2 can't be seen as revolutionary or futuristic, but if it helps with battery life in a case, we can't argue with its implementation. Read The Full Story

Sony Doubling Image Sensor Output in 2011, Invests $1.2 Billion to Make it Happen

Evan Selleck, Dec 27th 2010 Discuss [0]

Taking photos with your cell phone has become more and more popular, and Sony is banking on the fact that that popularity is going to steadily increase in 2011. The company is ready to invest quite a mighty sum to making sure that they are ready for the new year, and that their image sensors get installed not only in phones, but also camcorders and digital cameras. Read The Full Story

OmniVision 8MP CMOS Sensor Rumored to be Heading to the iPhone

Evan Selleck, Nov 9th 2010 Discuss [0]

Early this morning, OmniVision came forward and revealed a brand new camera sensor. The new design is specifically created to improve the overall image quality found in smartphones. Primarily, though, it's believed that the new sensor could find a perfect home within the next generation iPhone. The new sensor, model number OV8820, is a significant upgrade from previous iterations. Read The Full Story

Ricoh G700SE Digital Camera Available in 2011, Features GPS Functions

Evan Selleck, Sep 23rd 2010 Discuss [3]

When Ricoh makes a camera, they take their efforts seriously. Instead of just releasing a digital camera that takes photos, with all those other features that people expect, they go all out in the GPS functions, as well as barcode reading areas. While some individuals out there may enjoy a camera of this nature, it seems that Ricoh has positioned the G700SE as a photo-taker for specific markets, like governments and police departments. Read The Full Story

University of California Berkeley Researchers Create Portable Laser Backpack, Used to Map 3D Interiors

Evan Selleck, Sep 9th 2010 Discuss [0]

While Google is busy mapping out the exterior world, where all our streets and buildings are, there hasn't been much work on the interior part of the whole thing. But, considering the amount of security issues that may be red flagged in any kind of effort, it will probably be a few years before something like this portable laser backpack, which is used to create 3D maps of internal spaces, sees the light of day in the private market. But, that doesn't mean the Air Force can't get their hands on it. Read The Full Story

HP’s accelerometer is 1,000 times more sensitive than those on current mass-produced devices

Paul Fang, Feb 16th 2010 Discuss [0]

HP Labs does some incredible research and development work now and then, and this time, they haven’t disappointed at all. They’ve managed to create an inertial accelerometer so sensitive that that it is approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than “today’s mass-produced devices”. Read The Full Story