Sophisticated Bosch Sensors Under the Christmas Tree

This year, many of the Christmas gifts waiting under the tree to be unwrapped will be modern electronic devices. Roughly one in four Germans (26%) is planning to purchase a smartphone or give one away as a gift, and just as many people would like to do the same with tablet PCs, according to a representative survey conducted by BITKOM, the major association of the digital industry in Germany.

Some of the world’s most sensitive gauges are installed in such devices, thus finding their way into consumers’ homes. Tiny sensors are responsible for determining the position of cell phones and tablets, which then turn the image on screen in the corresponding direction.

The sophisticated detection elements in the sensors (MEMS sensors, microelectromechanical systems), which measure just a few millimeters in length, are manufactured out of silicon. The moving structures created within them are no bigger than a few thousandths of a millimeter. Whenever a sensor is moved, a very small electric current is generated that provides information on position, geomagnetic field, and acceleration – all details that make it possible to control and operate cell phones and tablets. The intuitive operation of these devices accounts for a large part of the fascination they have for users.

The finest movements measured in the sensors occur within a space no larger than the diameter of an atom. Bosch is the global market leader in the field of sensors. Approximately three million sensors are manufactured every day and installed in roughly every second smartphone worldwide.

Fitness trackers are new on the list of the most popular high-tech devices, according to the BITKOM survey. The survey reveals that 16% of people in Germany would like to purchase a fitness wristband or give one away as a gift. For the first time, these fitness trackers are among the most popular high-tech gifts. MEMS sensors are also used in these devices, for example, to turn the jolts and vibrations measured while the wearer is jogging into a motion profile.

Bosch has set a world record, creating the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient sensor unit – the BMI160 – to ensure that all these devices have as long a service life as possible. Other devices that benefit from sensors are remote controls, game controls, smart glasses, and head-mounted displays. The latter are worn like ski goggles, and give their wearers the sense of being in a virtual space. When they move their head, the virtual image changes accordingly.

Conventional sensors often consume a lot of power. But even when the BMI160’s acceleration sensor and gyroscope are in full operational mode, typical power consumption amounts to a mere 950 microamperes, which is less than half the market standard – a world record.

“That is why our chip can now run the entire day. It no longer needs to be switched off from time to time to conserve the smartphone’s battery,” said Torsten Ohms, project manager for the development of the chip at Bosch Sensortec.

This means that the cell phone can now use the sensors to record all the user’s activity throughout the day. At the end of the day, it can then show them how much energy they used up going to work, at the office, and walking up and down stairs.