AuthorLi Ying(WeChat ID: ilovekm2008), Deputy Editor of Smart Product Circle
Are sensors the “invisible wings” of IoT development? With the rapid advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is expected that by 2020, over 26 billion devices will be connected to the IoT, covering various fields such as industry, transportation, automotive, smart homes, and healthcare. As the “vanguard” of the perception layer, which is one of the three structural levels of IoT, sensors are the foundation and prerequisite for the realization of IoT, and they are also showing a rapid development trend. Data shows that the global sensor market will reach hundreds of billions of dollars.
These figures all indicate the brilliance of the sensor industry, but in this market environment full of opportunities, China’s sensor industry is being hindered in its pursuit of the “fast-moving IoT train” by low technical levels, a lack of variety, and poor R&D capabilities. To thrive alongside the once-in-a-lifetime wave of IoT, breakthroughs in the high-end sensor field are imperative.
The Path to Integration as Modules
“A certain foreign sensor requires a diaphragm, mold, and gold wire. The diaphragm can be mass-produced, but some domestic companies that make their own molds have failed four or five times. In the end, although the mold was made, due to poor placement of the gold wire, the data’s portability was poor, and they had to give up. After weighing the options, considering the process, funding, and time, we chose to purchase core sensors from abroad.” This statement perhaps reveals the helplessness of domestic sensor manufacturers.
According to IC Insights, half of the sensors sold globally are based on MEMS technology. China’s sensor industry has formed a complete industrial system from technology R&D, design, production to application, with GoerTek, AAC Technologies, and Meixin entering the top 50 global MEMS sensor suppliers. However, in terms of overall level, domestic sensor products are still mainly mid-to-low-end, with relatively backward technology. In the Chinese market, the import ratio of mid-to-high-end sensors reaches 80%, and there is a serious lack of digital, intelligent, and miniaturized products.
“In the high-end sensor field, domestic products rely mainly on imports, purchasing core components from abroad for downstream integration. Currently, it is still quite challenging for domestic high-end sensors to match or exceed the performance of similar foreign products, and foreign counterparts have accumulated experience in technology and processes, giving them a cost advantage.” said Xue Songsheng, Chairman and CEO of Jiangsu Duowei Technology Co., Ltd.
As a result, some domestic sensor manufacturers purchase core sensors from abroad, write optimization algorithms in the MCU, add protection circuits, and integrate the sensors into modules to explore the market. This is currently a viable strategy.
Integrating sensors into modules is not simply a matter of “practice”; it can also help extract one’s core competitiveness. “Sensor technology involves electrochemistry, optics, and semiconductor materials, requiring interdisciplinary integration. The techniques used, the exploration paths, how to modularize, how to provide complete solutions in conjunction with applications, and how to connect and analyze sensor data with user data are all know-how. IoT sensors need customization, and production is also small-batch and customized. There are many opportunities in this area,” said Wang Yongtao, Founder and CEO of Beijing Maxense Technology Co., Ltd.
Embracing Life in the Cloud
As the demand for interaction between sensors and the cloud increases, integrating wireless connection chips into sensor modules to transmit data to the cloud for interaction has also become a path for sensor manufacturers to expand their value chain.
“On one hand, if sensor data cannot exist in the cloud and become big data, the individual value will be very small. Moving towards cloud sensors allows data to be stored and analyzed, which can reveal value. On the other hand, sensors need to achieve accurate data through both local calibration and cloud calibration.” Wang Yongtao stated.
Embracing the cloud brings data to life, allowing insights into how to improve future products, enhancing the value of sensors and creating a better resonance effect in the market.
“We can help traditional manufacturers quickly transition from non-intelligent solutions to intelligent solutions. Starting from scratch requires hiring a team of about ten software and hardware engineers and spending eight months to complete, as sensor calibration, algorithms, and calibration are very complex. Maxense provides a complete IoT perception architecture, with corresponding interfaces and source code open, and offers an SDK for users, allowing data to be read in any scenario on mobile or PC. They just need to embed the Maxense module into their hardware products, so only one or two engineers can develop smart hardware,” mentioned Zhang Kaiyang from Beijing Maxense Technology Co., Ltd. “As a result, customers can significantly shorten the smart hardware development process and reduce development costs, saving several months of development time and nearly 90% of costs. “
Breakthroughs Require Patience
Whether transforming into modules or connecting to the cloud, the ultimate “source” remains the core sensors. Without breakthroughs in this area, one cannot avoid the lament of “being a bride for others.” In the wave of IoT, domestic sensor manufacturers must face foreign competitors with decades or even a century of history, whose investments, technologies, products, and market experiences have built a high barrier. How can China’s sensor industry overcome this?
This is the current proposition and is also tied to the future direction, as achieving self-control and reliable security of sensors is an essential part of China’s IoT development and information security. Xue Songsheng stated that while high-end sensors are a blue ocean market, the technical barriers are high. This path is not easy, but it must be persevered.
“First, we must focus on performance. The key to core sensors is accuracy; for example, for temperature sensors, can they achieve 0.05 degrees? Making the sensors well is the way to go. Second, we need to do vertical integration, from sensors to modules to system solutions, and cultivate system capabilities. Third, we need to be IDM, as the process is our own, and the response will be very quick. If we solely rely on foundries, the future path will be difficult. Fifth, we must endure time, as the verification cycle for sensors is generally six months to a year.” Xue Songsheng stated, “Although foreign sensor manufacturers are strong, when it comes to each specific product, the input and output may not be very strong, as sensors are only part of some departments. Domestic companies can focus on a specific niche product to strengthen themselves before diversifying. We should get rid of the mentality of seeking quick success and instead focus on accumulating from R&D, design, manufacturing, and application.“
At the same time, the application environments domestically and abroad are different. “Abroad, due to high levels of automation in equipment, loading sensors can bring efficiency and benefits, and they started laying out this aspect ten years ago. In contrast, domestic industrialization has not yet reached this level, and the concept of Industry 4.0 requires time to advance; this is a natural evolutionary process,” Xue Songsheng mentioned. “As the industry grows together, I believe that in 3-5 years, there will be promising and strong domestic sensor companies.“
In the future, sensors will see a large number of technological innovations, such as those based on new principles and mechanisms, using new materials, and introducing micro-nano processing techniques, developing towards application-oriented, intelligent, open architecture, and systematic directions. Furthermore, on the path of systematic evolution, sensor manufacturers will see a lot of cooperation or mergers with software, system integration, and downstream application manufacturers. How the alliances will unfold and whether sensor manufacturers can be reborn in the new “realm” all depend on current judgments and layouts.
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