Smart MEMS and Sensor Systems

Citation

White, N. (2007), "Smart MEMS and Sensor Systems", Sensor Review, Vol. 27 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2007.08727aae.001

Smart MEMS and Sensor Systems

Elena Gaura and Robert NewmanPublisher Imperial College Presswww.icpress.co.uk/books/nanosci/p355.htmlISBN 1-86094-493-0US$118/£68August 2006

Keywords: Electrically operated devices, Sensors

The field of sensor technology has changed quite dramatically over the past 20 years or so. The advent of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) together with the massive increase in localised computational power has allowed the development of smart (or intelligent) sensors that are capable of tasks such as self-test and auto-calibration. Gaura and Newman acknowledge the fact that this is a truly multidisciplinary area and researchers starting out in this field are often faced with a mammoth task when trying to adopt a top-down design strategy. The intended readership of the book is, therefore, aimed at graduate level students and professional engineers/ scientists who are new to the area.

This is quite a substantial book, totalling almost 540 pages and comprising 11 chapters. The vast majority is written by the two main authors, but there are three specialist chapters written by contributors from the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge and Minas Gerais in Brazil. The first chapter provides a review of the markets and applications. The authors also note some of the early hype about MEMS from visionaries and futurologists who were (and perhaps still are) inclined to concentrate on the science fiction aspects of the subject and ignore the serious, evolutionary engineering potential.

Chapter 2 covers the area of MEMS design and fabrication techniques. Readers without a background in electronics technologies will find this chapter particularly useful for enhancing their knowledge of some of the main aspects of microfabrication, in terms of both the potential offered and the constraints. Chapters 3 and 4 look at issues surrounding sensor signals and conditioning. In particular, these sections of the book deal with some of the important matters surrounding the integration of electronic circuitry with sensor systems.

Chapters 5-7 present some case studies that explore various issues associated with the integration of electronics systems and MEMS. In particular, examples are given as to how advanced control techniques can be used to improve the performance of accelerometers and how adaptive optical systems can be combined with silicon-based systems. Chapter 7 discusses how artificial intelligence techniques, such as neural networks, can be used to improve the performance of sensor systems.

Chapters 8-10 deal with matters surrounding the wider systems level issues associated with building large systems from autonomous, intelligent sensors. It is in these later chapters that the authors discuss in detail what they refer to as the “cogent” sensor and how it differs from other smart (intelligent) devices. There is also coverage of topics such as wireless sensor networks and network arrays.

The final chapter takes the opportunity to look forward into some of the future possibilities for smart MEMS and sensor systems. The authors present a scenario where an array of intelligent sensor nodes are deployed on the surface of Mars and are capable of measuring parameters such as ambient pressure, temperature, magnetic field strength seismic activity and so on.

Overall, this is a well-written and informative book that meets the needs of the target audience. Each chapter covers a specific area at an advanced level, but there is also a broad description of each sup-topic that will appease the uninitiated reader. It covers all the main elements that comprise the new and emerging field of pervasive sensor systems.

Neil WhiteSchool of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, S017 1BJ