Smart Sensor Technology as the Foundation of the IoT: Optical Microsystems Enable Interactive Laser Projection

Abstract

Consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables are part of our everyday life—visible everywhere and taken for granted. Less visible however are the small MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) sensors that are an integral part of these devices. Smart sensor technology enables things to be sensed and connected—in all parts of our daily life, in homes, vehicles, cities. With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), more and more devices become connected which results in demanding challenges for MEMS sensor technology providers—in addition to the trends of low cost, small size, low power consumption as well as overall system performance. The exciting developments in the IoT are advancing at an amazing pace. It is not just about how devices communicate or sense their surrounding environments, but increasingly about how technology interacts with human beings. Laser-projected virtual interfaces based on optical MEMS are a new fascinating solution in a world of previously unimaginable opportunities. They give any kind of device a unique personality of its own, enabling technology to interact with people, to make life simpler and more exciting. It is a ground-breaking solution for embedded projectors and augmented reality applications such as games, infotainment as well as in-car head-up displays or intelligent head lamps for automated driving.