13 IoT Sensors to Watch

Data is the new oil. Currently, we are entering a new era of modern information technology innovation, with explosive growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) and increasing importance of information data. Who will be the game changers behind the IoT ecosystem connecting the digital and physical worlds in the future? This is the pillar of IoT solutions – IoT sensors.

IoT Sensors: The Pillar of IoT Solutions

IoT sensors are hardware that detects environmental changes and collects data. They are used to collect data, communicate, and share with connected devices across the network. All this collected data enables devices to operate autonomously, making the entire ecosystem “smarter” every day.

As the foundation of the IoT ecosystem, sensors provide devices with the ability to collect data and achieve their goals. Without sensors to detect external information, IoT could become a pile of useless technology. Given the wide variety of IoT sensors, almost all physical properties around us can be measured. Currently, common sensors are widely used in various fields including healthcare, logistics, industry, agriculture, transportation, tourism, disaster prevention, and education.

Different Types of IoT Sensors

Sensor types vary based on the objects they measure. Although smart sensors come in different shapes and sizes, they are important IoT components that convert the actual variables they measure into streamable digital data that can be transmitted to gateways. Below are some of the most widely used sensors in the IoT world.

Temperature and Humidity Sensors: As the name suggests, temperature and humidity sensors measure the heat and humidity produced in a certain area or object. They detect temperature and humidity changes, allowing us to perform various tasks from manufacturing to agriculture to healthcare.

Proximity Sensors: Proximity sensors are widely used in proximity marketing, sending promotional notifications to smartphones when a person approaches a target object.

Accelerometer Sensors: These sensors are crucial for fleet management, allowing for remote monitoring and control of speed. Additionally, 3-axis accelerometers can monitor whether a person or object has fallen and trigger alerts via an integrated emergency button.

PIR Sensors: PIR sensors monitor the movement of people and objects, allowing us to know if someone is in the home or other important spaces. This helps avoid significant property loss due to intrusion and maximizes space management.

Location Sensors: Almost every industry has positioning needs. Location sensors are commonly used in warehouse management, smart attendance management, asset tracking, and personnel tracking.

Hall Sensors: Hall sensors are used for automatic switches, motion direction, and speed, commonly found in vehicles and various appliances for automation management.

IoT Vibration Sensors: Vibration sensors on vehicles can trigger alarms during abnormal vibrations to prevent vehicle abandonment or allow administrators to take timely action.

Optical Sensors: Optical sensors can measure physical quantities of light and convert them into electrical signals that can be easily read by users or electronic instruments/devices. They are suitable for environmental monitoring, healthcare, aerospace, energy, and other industries. Major applications include ambient light detection, fiber optic communication, and digital light switching.

Water Quality Sensors: Just like air, water is crucial for life, so water quality sensors are widely used to detect water quality. They can measure different values such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and clarity to ensure that water is pure enough for daily drinking. There are various types of water sensors, including free chlorine sensors, turbidity sensors, pH sensors, and total organic carbon sensors.

Image Sensors: Image sensors convert optical data into electronic signals for electronic display or file storage. They are deployed in digital cameras, medical imaging systems, media companies, smart vehicles, night vision devices, thermal imaging devices, sonar, radar, and security systems. Image sensors can be found whenever smart devices need to “see” their surrounding environment.

Pressure Sensors: The task of pressure sensors is to detect changes in gas and liquid pressure. If there is any deviation from the standard pressure range, notifications can be sent to monitoring administrators regarding issues that need fixing. An application example is in medical devices like blood pressure cuffs to ensure that a patient’s blood pressure corresponds to the displayed number.

Gyroscope Sensors: Gyroscope sensors can detect rotation and measure angular velocity, making them ideal for navigation systems, robotic control, consumer electronics, cellular and camera devices, as well as manufacturing processes involving rotation. Due to their ability to detect rotation or distortion, they can be found in sports activities to help athletes measure their movements and improve their performance after analysis.

IoT Motion Sensors: Motion sensors help detect physical movement in a given area. Besides their primary application in security monitoring, motion sensors have expanded to automatic door control, automatic faucets, toilet flushers, hand dryers, automatic parking systems, and energy management systems. As technology advances, the opportunities for motion sensors will continue to grow.