C h a p t e r 3
As electronic systems continue to
shrink, and the demand for real-time
data continues to increase, the range
of applications that benefit from
miniaturized distributed sensing has
expanded dramatically. Today's engineers
are deploying smaller, more capable
sensor nodes at the physical edge of
systems, where data is generated and
action must occur quickly. In these
environments, low-latency communication
and autonomous operation rely on
compact electronics that can both sense
and process at the point of use.
Robotic systems, for example, rely on
local sensors embedded throughout their
structure to gather data on position,
force, and environmental variables.
As these systems evolve, they must
look and move more like the humans
or objects they emulate, which entails
tight mechanical integration and space
efficiency. Here, miniaturized electronics
enable intelligent sensor nodes to be
placed directly into joints or contact
surfaces, such that real-time feedback
can be achieved without centralizing
all processing. With reduced data
congestion and latency, distributed
EMERGING APPLICATIONS
OF MINIATURIZED
DISTRIBUTED SENSING AND
DATA ACQUISITION
In a robotic hand, numerous
sensors generate data that must
be processed simultaneously.
Distributed computing can
be crucial for reducing data
congestion and alleviating the load
on centralized architectures."
Joe Vyvijal
Lead Engineer, Product Marketing, Analog Devices
18
11 Experts on Miniaturized Electronics Design and Applications
