New Mobile Sensor Technology for Smartphones

[Joshua Tucker]

Many of the features that iDevice users enjoy are made possible by the many different sensors embedded within the hardware. Whether it's the proximity sensor or gyroscope, sensors enhance re-define key components and possibilities to your iDevice. Without them, and devices today would act and behave quite differently. As technology advances, so does the number of mobile sensors and the capabilities of each.

Bits (Business Inovation Technology Society) of the New York Times made contact with Benedetto Vigna, the general manager of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) department of STMicroelectronics, in a recent interview. A company based out of Geneva, Switzerland, STMicroelectronics creates sensors and other similar technologies for smartphone devices. Vigna answered a few questions to Bits about what we should see as upcoming new sensor technologies. A few he mentioned are listed below:

• Altimeter sensor(s)
• Heart monitor(s)
• More microphones
• Temperature/Humidity sensor(s)

On top of these, the concern with smartphone security has driven companies to design security related sensors. Vigna described a particular sensor that watches and analyzes how you use your smartphone. Soon after it begins to lock/unlock phone accordingly based on how you use it. Ultimately Viga says, your socks, shoes, hair, etc. will one day have sensors to enhance your every day living.

With this said, the upcoming release of the new iPhone 5 could house some if not all of the features mentioned above. Or if not any of these yet, it is guaranteed that with the advancement of mobile sensors, upcoming smartphones will begin to sense more and more about the environment that they are in.

Source(s): Bits - New York Times

[coolguy742]

That's cool! your iPhone unlocking based on your heart beat! and it being a mobile weather station!

[RICO_]

This is getting ridiculous with the sensor crap. How many sensors do you need on a phone? Who needs an altimeter on a phone? Do you skydive everyday while talking on your phone? Heart rate monitors.....they have watches for that. More microphones? Why not just make the existing ones better instead of adding more and wasting more space? Temperature/humidity sensor.......there's a freaking Weather app on the phone.

Whatever happened to the traditional way of unlocking the device? How long does that take about 2 seconds?

[sk8ertim]

Temp\humidity sensor???
AWESOME!!!

I have actually been looking into modding an iPhone with all that stuff? because I use an altimeter when going on competitions, and the digital thermometer gets used everyday at work, for analysis of perfect ice temperatures...

If iPhone 5 or 6 or whatever comes out with this - Definite buy from me!
Also, my Mother would get at least 1 of those iPhones as well...

[3xpl05iv3]

That's cool! your iPhone unlocking based on your heart beat! and it being a mobile weather station!

lol unless you're having a heart attack!

[Cucumbijuana]

Man, notice that with all these crazy apps and stuff, the phone part is just a part of it. Adding more stuff to these makes them more universal which means in the future it will just be a device that does everything any device can do. Perhaps iPhones will be owned by everyone. Everyone's wallet, car keys, everything could be stuffed into the iPhone. What if the iPhone comes out with an electronic ID system? Imagine, police officers asking you to plug in your iPhone for license and registration, and if Apple ends up ruling the world, then the police could arrest you for jailbreaking. lol. I wouldn't call it a problem, I think it's pretty cool how the future is being invented as we speak. Maybe in ten years we could finally have those hover cars we've been dreaming of, but the cars will start up, control air conditioning, start cruise control, control the radio, all from a plug-in and touch of the iPhone. Oh yeah, and the cars will be called the iCar, iMobile, or iAuto. Whichever sounds best.

[Sherminator]

An electro-conductivity sensor that was transparent and part of the screen forr the phone would go a long way to making a reliable and unobtrusive proximity sensor.

[Evilsaint]

Would I use them in my day to day life no, but I don't mind having a thermometer on board should I have no Internet, just improve on the present microphones already why would I use a heart monitor when slide to unlock is all it takes.

[Joshua Tucker]

All good points. However these are just a few suggestions in terms of sensors. There could be others in the works that will really re-define how people use their devices. We just don't know yet but the fact that they are in the works is optimistic enough.

[NetMage]

Considering the creative uses being placed on all the existing sensors, far beyond what was originally envisioned, you are thinking too small.

Imagine a game where your heart rate adjusted the games intensity or response time requirements. Imagine a meditation app that knows if you are relaxing. An altimeter is basically a barometer, imagine a storm alert based on pressure changes.

[Cody Overcash]

test

[Cody Overcash]

test

yeah *******

[Orby]

yeah *******

Testing front-page replies to see if they show up there too, not just in the underlying thread--also testing from my iPad out on the veranda--man this is my kind of office...

EDIT: Crap. Cody, can you see this post from the front page (modmyi.com/content instead of modmyi.com/forums)? It's not showing up for me...

[Cody Overcash]

test

[VaderForce]

Would love a temp/humidity sensor.