IoT Sensors
- [IoT Sensor Types - Postscapes]
- Overview
The Internet of Things (IoT) describes physical objects embedded with sensors and actuators that communicate with computing systems through wired or wireless networks, allowing digital monitoring and even control of the physical world.
IoT sensors are hardware that detect changes in an environment and collect data. They bridge the digital world to the physical world. There are many types of IoT sensors, including:
- Sensors that detect and measure physical phenomena such as heat and pressure
- Sensors that detect the five human senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell
An IoT sensor is any type of mechanism or tool integrated into a device, such as a camera or air quality monitor. These sensors collect information about the environment in which they are deployed (such as water levels, temperature, and traffic patterns) and transmit it to the cloud via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 5G, or other mobile networks.
There are many different types of IoT sensors, the main categories are;
- Accelerometers
- Air quality sensors
- Biomedical sensors
- Cameras
- Chemical sensors
- Electric current sensors
- Flow sensors
- Gyroscopes
- Humidity sensors
- Level sensors
- Motion sensors
- Pressure sensors
- Proximity sensors
- Temperature sensors
- Some Types of Sensors Used in IoT
IoT sensors collect information so that devices can be used remotely and share data instantly. The data collected by IoT sensors and sent to the cloud is analyzed by software that can understand the information and then sent to the user.
The data is used to track trends and gather insights on everything from factory efficiency and energy usage to athletic performance and user health.
When choosing IoT sensors, you can consider things like: Accuracy, Resolution, Range, Sensitivity, Response time, Calibration, Conversion methods.
Some common kinds of chemical sensors in use include:
- Pressure sensors: Sense pressure changes and can send alerts when there is a leak. They are used in medical devices such as blood pressure cuffs and respiratory masks.
- Proximity sensors: Detect the presence of nearby objects without making any physical contact. They do so by emitting an electromagnetic field radiation.
- Temperature sensors: Monitor the temperature of the air or a physical item and convert it to an electrical signal. They might be used to track the temperature of a crucial piece of equipment.
- Gyroscopes: Measure the angular velocity to assess how an object is oriented. They are common in video game controllers, smartphones, navigation systems, and drones.
- Humidity sensors: Detect the relative humidity of the air or other gas, which is a measure of the amount of water vapor contained in that gas.
- Level sensors: Detect the level of various substances, including powder, granular material, and liquids. They are used in industries such as water treatment, food and beverage manufacturing, oil manufacturing, and waste management.
- Infrared sensors: Used in a variety of different IoT projects including: healthcare to simplify the monitoring of blood flow and blood pressure; televisions to interpret the signals sent from a remote control; art historians.
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- Applications of IoT Sensors
IoT sensors are electronic modules or chipsets that can detect and measure physical conditions and send that information to the internet through a gateway. They are the foundation of IoT (Internet of Things) products and applications.
Sensors in IoT devices collect data from various sources and send it to cloud-based platforms for analysis. The data collected by sensors can be used to monitor and control various systems, including: Environmental conditions, Traffic patterns, Equipment performance.
Sensors can function through physical contact, radiation, or magnetic fields. They can detect and measure various physical phenomena such as:
- Heat
- Pressure
- Light intensity
- Humidity
- The five human senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell
Some applications of IoT sensors include:
- Automated sinks and toilet flushers
- Automatic door controls
- Energy management systems
- Automated parking systems
[More to come ...]
