A smart transducer is an analog or digital

transducer A transducer is a device that converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another. Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, measurement, and contr ...

actuator An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, for example by opening a valve. In simple terms, it is a "mover". An actuator requires a control device (controlled by control signal) a ...

sensor A sensor is a device that produces an output signal for the purpose of sensing a physical phenomenon. In the broadest definition, a sensor is a device, module, machine, or subsystem that detects events or changes in its environment and sends ...

combined with a processing unit and a communication interface. As sensors and actuators become more complex they provide support for various modes of operation and interfacing. Some applications require additionally

fault-tolerance Fault tolerance is the property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of one or more faults within some of its components. If its operating quality decreases at all, the decrease is proportional to the ...

and

distributed computing A distributed system is a system whose components are located on different computer network, networked computers, which communicate and coordinate their actions by message passing, passing messages to one another from any system. Distributed com ...

. Such high-level functionality can be achieved by adding an embedded

microcontroller A microcontroller (MCU for ''microcontroller unit'', often also MC, UC, or μC) is a small computer on a single VLSI integrated circuit (IC) chip. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable i ...

to the classical sensor/actuator, which increases the ability to cope with complexity at a fair price. Typically, these on-board technologies in smart sensors are used for digital processing, either frequency-to-code or analog-to-digital conversations, interfacing functions and calculations. Interfacing functions include decision-making tools like self-adaption, self-diagnostics and self-identification functions, but also to control how long and when the sensor will be fully awake, to minimize power consumption and to decide when to dump and store data. They are often made using

CMOS Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS, pronounced "sea-moss", ) is a type of metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) fabrication process that uses complementary and symmetrical pairs of p-type and n-type MOSFE ...

VLSI Very large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining millions or billions of MOS transistors onto a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when MOS integrated circuit (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) c ...

technology and may contain

MEMS Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also written as micro-electro-mechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems) and the related micromechatronics and microsystems constitute the technology of microscopic devices, ...

devices leading to lower cost. They may provide full digital outputs for easier interface or they may provide quasi-digital outputs like

pulse-width modulation Pulse-width modulation (PWM), or pulse-duration modulation (PDM), is a method of reducing the average power delivered by an electrical signal, by effectively chopping it up into discrete parts. The average value of voltage (and current) fed ...

. In the

machine vision Machine vision (MV) is the technology and methods used to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for such applications as automatic inspection, process control, and robot guidance, usually in industry. Machine vision refers to m ...

field, a single compact unit that combines the imaging functions and the complete image processing functions is often called a smart sensor. Smart sensors are a crucial element in the phenomenon Internet of Things (IoT). Within such a network, multiple physical vehicles and devices are embedded with sensors, software and electronics. Data will be collected and shared for better integration between

digital environments A digital environment is an integrated communications environment where digital devices communicate and manage the content and activities within it. The concept is based on digital electronics systems which are integrated and implemented for a glo ...

and the physical world. The connectivity between sensors is an important requirement for an IoT innovation to perform well.

Interoperability Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...

can therefore be seen as an consequence of connectivity. The sensors work and complement each other.

Improvement over traditional sensors

The key features of smart sensors as part of the IoT that differentiate them from traditional sensors are: * Small size * Self-validation and self-identification * Low power requirements * Self-diagnosis * Self-calibration * Connection to the Internet and other devices The traditional sensor collects information about an object or a situation and translates it into an

electrical signal In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...

. It gives feedback of the physical environment, process or substance in a measurable way and signals or indicates when change in this environment occurs. Traditional sensors in a network of sensors can be divided in three parts; (1) the sensors, (2) a centralized interface where the data is collected and processed, and (3) an infrastructure that connects the network, like plugs, sockets and wires. A network of smart sensors can be divided in two parts; (1) the sensors, and (2) a centralized

interface Interface or interfacing may refer to: Academic journals * ''Interface'' (journal), by the Electrochemical Society * ''Interface, Journal of Applied Linguistics'', now merged with ''ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics'' * '' Inte ...

. The fundamental difference with traditional sensors, is that the

microprocessors A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circu ...

embedded in the smart sensors already process the data. Therefore, less data has to be transmitted and the data can immediately be used and accessed on different devices. The switch to smart sensors entails that the tight coupling between transmission and processing technologies is removed.

Digital traces

Within a digital environment, actions or activities leave a

digital trace Digital footprint or digital shadow refers to one's unique set of traceable digital activities, actions, contributions and communications manifested on the Internet or digital devices. Digital footprints can be classified as either passive or ac ...

. Smart sensors measure these activities in the physical environment and translate this into a digital environment. Therefore, every step within the process becomes digitally traceable. Whenever a mistake is made somewhere in a production process, this can be tracked down using these digital traces. As a result, it will be easier to track down inefficiencies within a production process and simplify process innovations, because one can easier analyze what part of the production process is inefficient. It is clear that the use of smart sensors can be very beneficial. On the other hand, it is important to understand the risks. Due to the fact that all the information is digitized, the company is exposed to cyber attacks. To protect itself from these information breaches, ensuring a secure platform is crucial.

Layered modular architecture of digital sensors

The term layered modular architecture is a combination between the modular architecture of the physical components of a product with the layered architecture of the digital system. There is a contents layer, a service layer, a network layer ((1) logical transmission, (2) physical transport), and a device layer ((1) logical capability, (2) physical machinery). Starting at the device layer, the smart sensor itself is the physical machinery, measuring its physical environment. The logical capacity refers to operating systems, which can be

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

MacOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...

or another

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...

that is used to run the platform on. At the network layer, the logical transmission can consist of various transmission methods;

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...

Zigbee Zigbee is an IEEE 802.15.4-based specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radios, such as for home automation, medical device data collection, and othe ...

and

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...

. For smart sensors, physical transport is not necessary, since smart sensors are usually wireless. Yet charging wires and sockets are still commonly used. The service layer is about the service that is provided by the smart sensor. The sensors are able to process the data themselves. Therefore, there is not one specific service of the sensors because they process multiple things simultaneously. They can for example signal that certain assets need to be repaired. The content layer would be the centralised platforms, that are created and used to gain insights and create value.

Usage across industries

Insurance

Traditionally, insurance companies tried to assess the risk of their clients by looking over their application form, trust their answers and then simply cover it with a monthly premium. However, due to asymmetric information, it was difficult to accurately determine risk of a certain client. The introduction of smart sensors in the insurance industry is disrupting the traditional practice in multiple ways. Smart sensors generate a large amount of (big) data and affects the business models of insurance companies as follows. Smart sensors in client’s homes or in

wearables A wearable computer, also known as a body-borne computer, is a computing device worn on the body. The definition of 'wearable computer' may be narrow or broad, extending to smartphones or even ordinary wristwatches. Wearables may be for general ...

help insurance companies to get much more detailed information. Wearables can for example monitor heart-related metrics, location-based systems like security technologies, or smart thermostats can generate important data of your house. They can use this information to improve risk assessment and risk management, reduce asymmetric information, and ultimately reduce costs. Additionally, if clients agree upon providing this data of sensors in their homes, they can even get a discount on their premium. This approach of trading information in return for special deals is called

bartering In trade, barter (derived from ''baretor'') is a system of exchange in which participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. Economists distingu ...

and it is one form of

data monetization Data monetization, a form of monetization, may refer to the act of generating measurable economic benefits from available data sources (analytics). Less commonly, it may also refer to the act of monetizing data services. In the case of analytics, ...

. Data monetization is the act of exchanging information-based products and services for legal tender or something of perceived equivalent value. In other words, data monetization is exploiting opportunities to generate new revenues. Another form of data monetization, which insurers regularly use nowadays, is selling data to third parties.

Manufacturing

One of the recent trends in manufacturing is the revolution of

Industry 4.0 The Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, or Industry 4.0, conceptualizes rapid change to technology, industries, and societal patterns and processes in the 21st century due to increasing interconnectivity and smart automation. The term has bee ...

, in which data exchanging and automation play a crucial role. Traditionally, machines were already able to automate certain small tasks (e.g. open/close valves). Automation in smart factories go beyond these easy tasks. It increasingly includes complex optimization decisions that humans typically make.Burke, R., Mussomeli, A., Laaper, S., Hartigan, M., and Sniderman, B (2017). The smart factory, Deloitte University Press For machines to be able to make human decisions, it is imperative to get detailed information, and that’s were smart sensors come in. For manufacturing, efficiency is one of the most important aspects. Smart sensors pull data from assets to which they are connected and process the data continuously. They can provide detailed real-time information about the plant and process and reveal performance issues. If this is just a small performance issue, the smart factory can even solve the problem itself. Smart sensors can predict defects as well, so rather than fixing a problem afterwards, maintenance workers can prevent it. This all leads to outstanding asset efficiency and reduces downtime, which is the enemy of every production process. Smart sensors can also be applied beyond the factory. For example sensors on objects like vehicles or shipping containers can give detailed information about delivery status. This affects manufacturing, but also the supply chain as a whole.

Automotive

The last couple of years, the automotive industry has been challenging their ‘old’ ecosystems. Several new technologies like smart sensors play a crucial role in this process. Nowadays, these sensors only enable some small autonomous features like automatic parking services, obstacle detection and emergency braking, which improves security. Although a lot of companies are focused on technologies that improve cars and work towards

automation Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...

, complete disruption of the industry has not yet been reached. Yet, experts expect that autonomous cars without any human interference will dominate the roads in 10 years. Smart sensors generate data of the car and their surroundings, connect them into a car network, and translate this into valuable information which allows the car to see and interpret the world. Basically, the sensor works as follows. It has to pull physical and environmental data, use that information for calculations, analyze the outcomes and translate it into action. Sensors in other cars have to be connected into the car network and communicate with each other. However, smart sensors in the automotive industry can also be used in a more sustaining way. Car manufacturers place smart sensors in different parts of the car, which collects and shares information. Drivers and manufacturers can use this information to transform from scheduled to

predictive maintenance Predictive maintenance techniques are designed to help determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to estimate when maintenance should be performed. This approach promises cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maintenanc ...

. Established firms have a strong focus on these sustaining innovations, but the risk is that they do not see new entrants coming and have difficulties to adapt. Therefore, making a distinction between a disruptive and sustaining innovation is important and brings different implications to managers.

References

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External links

IEEE Spectrum: Smart Sensors
Smart devices Transducers