The future is here. Cars are driving themselves, rooms are talking to each other, and I have a fridge that knows when I’m running low on milk. What’s next?
Technology is fast-moving, and today, we see the introduction of various gadgets that appear to us as magical devices. They seem to be developed on unseen magic that is hidden behind all the new technological gadgets.
BCC research shows the expected global market of sensors should reach $240 billion near the end of 2021 with compound annual growth of 15.9 percent.
This blog on the sensor revolution is meant to shed light on the sensors placed behind the curtains of all the technological gadgets used in our daily lives.
What Is a Sensor?
Sensors are part of our daily lives that we can control almost everything in our home or at work. Sensors are devices that “sense” something in a physical, electric, biological and chemical aspect and send the signal to be read by an observer or an instrument. Then, it responds to the change. We are now living in a world where sensors handle almost every electronic appliance.
The response of the sensor is generally in a humanly understandable way. Sensors detect level, temperature, light, force, acceleration, pressure, speed, sound, vibration and position. Sensors are required to interact with the environment changing, and their signals can be digital or analogue. It is mostly used in the industries of automobiles, IT, telecommunication, and manufacturing. They are used in most aspects of safety, security, monitoring, and awareness.
History Of The Sensors
The beginning of the sensor industry started in the 18th century. Warren s. Johnson invented the thermostat, and it was introduced in the market in 1883. The thermostat’s work was to keep the temperature within a degree of accuracy.
During the end of the 18th century, there were significant inventions about radio waves and radio sensors that caused a revolution in the transmission of information. This played a major role in developing satellites, and the satellites equipped with specific sensors made telecommunications, GIS, weather forecasting, and many other sectors possible.
Besides this, in World War 1 & 2, there was a significant role of remote sensors and automated photo camera systems to know the position of enemy troops.
The impact of sensors was huge in history, but the real revolution began with the Era of Computers. Advancements in computers and electronics gave birth to Automation and IoT. The Internet-connected us to the World, while wireless network sensors made the Internet Of Things possible.
How is the Sensor Revolution affecting the Automation Industry?
The sensor revolution is here, and day-by-day it’s growing and helping in transforming the automation industry. The revolution in the automation industry has been from a long time ago, and it has shifted from mechanical sensors to sensor-based devices.
Sensors are the essential parts to adapt to smart manufacturing. With the help of smart sensors, the automation industry has increased flexibility and quality in the manufacturing process. Because of the development in sensor technology, there has been an increase in productivity and output quality in industrial automation.
Human errors are non-negotiable when it comes to the automation industry as the manufacturing is in bulk. Sensors have a huge impact when it applies to large and expensive machinery. Research shows that there have been changes in sensors and IoT devices every five years that have changed the manufacturing industry. Studies have shown that there will be an increase in applications of sensor technology in the future.
Benefits of using sensors in Industrial Automation are:-
- High Reliability
- Increased Productivity
- Quality Enhancement
- Low Labor Expenses
- High Flexibility
- High Information Accuracy
Lubi Sensor Products
Lubi Electronics is a leading company in automation, control panel and solar technologies. With 20+ years of experience in Industrial Automation, we are dedicated to serving our customer’s demands.
Lubi Electronics has a range of products in automation, and one of them is sensors. We have three partners in sensor Panasonic, Baumer and COGNEX.
Let’s see some of the sensors:-
- The photoelectric sensor uses a light transmitter and receiver to detect an object’s distance, presence, or absence.
- The microsensors are miniature devices that detect information about a specific variable.
- The mark sensor is a combined LED contrast and colour sensor that can be used as a high-speed contrast sensor to quickly and reliably detect printer marks.
- The laser sensor emits light in a straight line and senses minute objects and precise positions.
- The area sensor is used to detect the presence anywhere within the controlled height of the sensor array.
These sensors mentioned above are used in various industries like:-
- Photoelectric sensors are used in:-
- Pharmaceutical
- Food processing
- Wood processing
- Material handling
- Micro-sensors are used in:-
- Electronic products
- Automatic assembly
- Mark sensors are used in:-
- Pharmaceutical
- Food processing
- Packaging
- Laser sensors are used:-
- Pharmaceutical
- Food processing
- Automatic assembly
- Area sensors are used in:-
- Pharmaceutical
- Food processing
- Material handling
Conclusion
The sensor revolution is bringing comfort by managing and maintaining our electronic appliances. The sensor provides high security and also gives a high standard of living to every individual. With almost every industry needing automation and networking, it is important to have innovative sensor technology to increase in the future. It allows for more accurate and precise sensors to be developed and more sophisticated systems to be built. We hope that you learned about how the sensor revolution happened and how it contributed to industrial automation with this blog.