Jul 24 2015
The Technical Insights Division of Frost & Sullivan evaluated Sensory Tracking Technologies in Key Consumer Electronics Applications, and identified key technologies that will impact different application sectors in the near, medium, and longer terms.
Sensing technologies are increasingly impacting consumer electronics, driven by the increasing trend toward connectivity among individuals and devices. This phenomenon is contributing to a proliferation of information enabled by less expensive, low-power, smaller, more ubiquitous sensors that can be embedded in a plethora of devices or applications and readily send data to the Internet. Consumer electronics devices are defined as those purchased by consumers for personal use, such as mobile phones, laptops, television remote controls, gaming controls, excluding home appliances.
Applications Sensing technologies are impacting a plethora of consumer electronics applications; for example, touch sensors for mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras; touchless gesture recognition sensors for gaming, mobile devices, computers, toys; motion sensors for mobile devices, game controllers, sports equipment, or heading and direction; pressure sensors for indoor navigation; biometric sensors (such as fingerprint sensors and face recognition sensors) for mobile devices, laptops, or gaming; brain computer interface sensors for game control or toys. As sensor technology becomes even less expensive in high volumes and provides lower power and increased intelligence and communications capabilities, additional consumer electronics devices and applications will be empowered and will emerge, along with more ubiquitous sensors.
Technologies Sensor technologies used in consumer electronics enable key capabilities such as improved, more intuitive user interfaces and interactivity; location, heading, orientation, or navigation; tracking athletic performance; controlling games or computers; more convenient and reliable identity authentication for use of consumer electronic devices, and so on. MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology is enabling smaller, lower power, more networkable sensors for consumer electronics. Key sensor or sensor-related technologies addressed in this report include touch sensors, touchless gesture recognition sensors, motion sensing, pressure sensors, biometric sensors, brain computer interface (BCI) sensors. Sensors, mainly based on established technologies, are also used in consumer electronics such as mobile phones for sensing other parameters such as proximity, ambient light/screen brightness, temperature or humidity.