Rapid MEMS growth driven by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, autonomous cars, fitness and healthcare wearables, and military applications

The emerging billions of  Internet of Things will need to connect billions of devices deployed in the physical world (the so-called “edge” of IoT) to the cloud, bringing real-world data and analytics to operations. …a challenge with current solutions.  Much of the Internet of Things (IoT) is mobile, and sensors play a key role in delivering status information for these connected devices. Sensors ideally need to be small, smart, zero-power and cost-effective. They range from tiny microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) accelerometers to high-resolution cameras to time-of-flight (ToF) 3D imaging (see “Time-Of-Flight 3D Coming To A Device Near You”). These devices are common fare on smartphones and tablets. MEMS devices are designed to work in concert to sense and report on the physical properties of their immediate or local environment, or, when signaled to do so, to perform some kind of controlled physical interaction or actuation with their immediate or local environment.