The significance of mobile phone sensors: Future life will be completely changed

    Smartphone technology is developing at an incredibly fast pace on many levels, including sensor technology. Although seemingly insignificant, the sensors in mobile phones have the ability to bring about major changes in our lifestyles. The technology website TechRadar recently reviewed, predicted and looked forward to the development of sensor technology. The following is the content of the article:

    Your phone already knows where you are, how you’re holding it, what you’re saying to it, and how fast you’re moving.

    And compared to the major revolutions that are coming to mobile sensor technology, this is just the beginning of an era of self-aware devices and continuous data logging. We will see a lot more in the future.

    We are used to flipping our phones or tablets to switch the display between landscape and portrait, but this technology is a relatively new innovation, having only become common in the past 3-4 years.

    The first device to use these sensors was not even a smartphone, but Nintendo's Wii game console.

The significance of sensors

    At present, the sensors that we are very familiar with and are equipped with almost all products on the market include accelerometers, which are used to measure movement and orientation; and gyroscopes, which are used to measure the angular rotation of the phone on three axes and make the accelerometer readings more accurate.

    In terms of location services, we have a magnetometer for detecting magnetic north, and some form of GPS chip.

    In addition to this, there are also proximity sensors for recognizing that you are holding the phone close to your face when making a call, and ambient light sensors for adjusting the screen brightness based on the surrounding light.

    Like all electronic components, these sensors are getting smaller, more powerful, and cheaper. In a new smartphone, all of these sensors might cost less than $10, but like any hardware, there are cheap and high-end options.

    For example, the accelerometer in the iPhone 5s alone costs $1. Whatever the cost, sensors have become an integral part of the mobile experience: it is hard to imagine a tablet that doesn’t change the orientation of its display when you rotate it, or a smartphone that can’t navigate.

Cutting-edge technology

    In the past 2013, we have also seen the debut of more new sensors. Apple's iPhone 5s and iPad Air are equipped with M7 tracking chips, which bring motion sensing capabilities to these two devices. In actual use, it can distinguish the difference between walking and driving, and if you do not move for a period of time, it will take specific actions (such as turning off Wi-Fi).

    If you're on a train, the M7 chip can tell your iPhone not to try to connect to a public network you're passing by, while fitness apps can get precise data about your movements without the need for a wristband.

    Samsung is also accustomed to adding as many features as possible to its products, and this is no exception for its two flagship phones, the Galaxy S4 and S5.

    Both phones are equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, and users can access this data through the S Health app, allowing their devices to pay attention to the environmental conditions around them.

    They're also equipped with a barometer to measure atmospheric pressure, and gesture sensors that use infrared to monitor hand movements.

    That’s where sensor technology stands today. What will the field see in the coming months and years? In short, more sensors and higher precision.

    We talked with Emiliano Miluzzo, a senior technician at the US telecommunications giant AT&T, to learn about the future development trends of sensor technology. In AT&T's research laboratory, Miluzzo is responsible for mobile sensor systems and big data analysis. "The trend of adding more sensors to mobile devices will continue." He said.

    “It would be great to have air and water quality sensors, some form of medical sensors, 3D/stereo cameras, even radar and sonar… If we know how quickly sensors are miniaturizing, this wish list will get longer and longer.”

Too many sensors

    Would you like a phone that could track your heart rate and emotional state, so that, for example, when you start to feel anxious, your phone would automatically start playing some soothing music?

    According to Freescale director Kai van Karimi, using low-cost sensors can make this possible.

    "Your device will be able to read your emotions," Karimi told the media in October last year. "This means that you can track people's emotions remotely... Your device will know you much better than you know yourself."

    The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in our cell phones are made of silicon, but scientists are now experimenting with MEMS that run on organic polymers, which are more suitable for implantation in the human body.

    Once the cost and time to make these components come down, we will be able to monitor health and activity from within our own bodies. They could even be used to control bionic prosthetic limbs.

    UV sensors are also in early testing stages at manufacturers, including ROHM. It would be possible to figure out how much sunscreen you need to apply, how clean your hands are, or how much water you need to drink with just a phone.

    Just imagine if you could provide two months of health record data when you see a doctor, rather than relying solely on your own memory and oral description, this would undoubtedly be of great help to the doctor's diagnosis and treatment.

    At a broader level, disease and health patterns can be tracked more accurately across countries and continents.

    Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a prototype pollution sensor small enough to fit inside a cellphone, allowing environmental and health agencies to detect smog and dangerous chemicals over large areas, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also developing a mobile air monitoring sensor.

    Antonio D'Alessandro and Giuseppe D'Anna, two seismologists at Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, have run some tests on an iPhone 4 and 5 to show how the phones could be used to detect earthquakes.

    The sensors in our phones need an upgrade, but at the end of the day, they can be an early warning system, allowing those in need to get help faster.

    The next generation of sensors will make a difference, both locally and globally. AT&T's Emiliano Miluzzo added: "By turning a smartphone into something like a Swiss Army knife, we can transform the lives of people in both developed and developing countries, because they will have everything they need in the palm of their hands."

    “Not only can users get their questions answered immediately, but governments can also run their infrastructure more efficiently.”

    “Medical data can be continuously transmitted back to the cloud. If there is discordant information, this can trigger an alert for medical intervention.”

    "Governments will be able to rely on uninterrupted measurements of pollution levels, citizens in developing countries will be able to quickly monitor water quality, EEG helmets will allow people to control devices using their thoughts, and radar and sonar will give people a better understanding of their surroundings."

A smarter home

    As sensors get smarter, so too will other devices and gadgets in our homes. In the future, sensor-equipped smartphones won’t work alone, but as part of a larger network of devices, whether it’s the thermostat in your home or the Wi-Fi streetlight on the street, each with its own micro-monitoring component.

    One of the technology companies currently leading the development of sensors is STMicroelectronics, which is developing a technology that can combine readings from accelerometers, magnetometers, pressure sensors and Wi-Fi scanners to get more accurate indoor positioning.

    This means that whether you're trying to find a bookstore in a shopping mall or a restaurant in a hotel, the technology can make the process easier.

   Meanwhile, Samsung is currently showcasing a so-called "Home Innovation Space" at Harrods department store in London, which includes smart, connected washing machines, refrigerators and other home appliances.

    Once your phone has the ability to figure out which floor of a building you are on, you may never need to flick a light switch again, at home or in a hotel. Or your connected refrigerator could offer suggestions for your next meal based on the nutritional value of food you’ve eaten.

    If you're a regular gym-goer, Somaxis' MyoLink muscle sensor can detect your workouts, while the Cardiio app can measure your heart rate using your iPhone's camera.

   This technology is already in the early stages of development, and it won’t be long before gym equipment automatically adapts to your fitness level without any input from you.

    Let's not forget games - the Galaxy S4 can already tell if you're looking at the screen, and once your phone's camera is smart enough to detect your mood, games running on your phone will be able to adjust their difficulty accordingly.

Bravely facing the new world

    Miluzzo concluded his vision by saying, “It’s exciting to see smartphones and tablets become our personal assistants, ready to sense our surroundings and take actions on our behalf.”

    “To achieve this, we will continue to need new and more advanced sensing capabilities – a process that can be accelerated by hardware miniaturization. It’s amazing what researchers and developers are able to achieve today with their creativity.”

    The portability of mobile phone sensors is backed by computing and reporting capabilities. Whether it’s monitoring your blood sugar levels or warning you of an impending avalanche, future technological innovations will make this possible.

    Smartphones have revolutionized many aspects of our lives, and we’re only just getting started.