What is a sensor? 

A sensor is a device, machine, or gadget that analyses changes in the environment and sends signals of information to connected electronics. Sensors were invented by American physicist, Eric R. Fossum in 1957.

Sensors capture information from their surroundings in the form of heat, light, sound and motion. These signals are then passed to an interface, where they are converted from physical input into a binary code for a computer to process or a human to interpret.

Uses of sensors 

Most gadgets use sensors and they are used in everything from household to industry applications. These devices can be used to detect smoke, regulate pressure, measure temperatures, determine distances, as well as scan barcodes and dispense the correct quantity of given products.

Sensors are used in aeroplanes, coffee machines, fans, barcode scanners, ventilators and every other smart device in the market. 

Types of sensors

The two most common types of electronic sensors include analogue and digital. Whereas analogue sensors convert physical data into an analogue signal, digital sensors are limited to a finite set of possible values such as ones and zeros.

Some other types of sensors include: 

• Optical Sensors
• Edge Protection Sensors
• Fibre Optic Sensors
• Level Sensors
• Magnetic Sensors
• Motion Control Sensors
• Proximity Sensors
• Vision Sensors
• Vibration Sensors
• Pressure Sensors
• Temperature sensors
• Humidity sensors
• Contact and non-contact sensors

Common industrial uses of sensors

Due to their versatility, sensors are used across numerous industrial applications, including:

• Transportation – e.g. security checks
• Manufacturing - e.g. quantity measurement tools
• FMCG – e.g. barcode scanners, etc.
• Hospitality– e.g. occupancy sensors
• Construction– e.g. Material Tracking