Reflections on Sensors Converge 2024: Innovations and Insights

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Sensors Converge conference from June 24-26, 2024, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara. This event was a fantastic convergence of technology enthusiasts, industry experts, and innovators, all gathered to explore the future of sensors, processing, and connectivity.

Why Sensors Matter

Some might ask why the interest in sensors. Here are two compelling reasons:

1. Data for AI: Sensors are the foundation of the next generation of data for AI. They allow us to "see" our physical environment, merge it with the digital world, and work on it intelligently.
2. Beyond Sensing: The conference delved into much more than just sensing. It covered processing, connectivity, and other technologies that are integral to our digital future.

Keynote Highlights

I gave a keynote titled "The Future of Connectivity is Now: How Open RAN Empowers IoT Deployment and Enablement." This presentation focused on digital transformation and how key catalysts can synergistically revolutionize industries. Open RAN is crucial in integrating the communications layer with the computation layer, which is essential for unlocking IoT's full potential. The synergy with AI and edge computing is driving unprecedented innovation and growth in the digital landscape.

Panel Discussions

I also participated in a panel discussion on "Re-Defining LoRa IoT Connectivity in The Evolving IoT Technology Ecosystem" alongside Y.-P. Eric Wang of Ericsson, with insightful questions from Shivakumar Mathapathi of Xtrans Solutions . We explored the latest #IoT technologies (LoRa plus many more), connectivity options, their pros and cons, and real-world use cases.

Track Chair Experience

As the track chair for IoT and Connectivity Integration, I learned a lot from other speakers. Here are some standout presentations:

• Key Considerations for Designing Connected Products by Daniel Kouba of Particle .

• The Future of Connected Wearables panel, moderated by Prakash Sangam of Tantra Analyst , with insights from Francesco Doddo of 意法半导体 , Dhruv Seshadri, PhD of Lehigh University , Angela McIntyre of 美国斯坦福大学 eWEAR, and Catherine Liao of Cardiex .

The evolution of wearable technology has been remarkable, progressing from basic fitness trackers to sophisticated devices integrated into our daily lives. This panel discussed market expansion, new trends, and ways to enhance user experience.

• Senseable Cities by Simone Mora of 美国麻省理工学院 Senseable City Lab. This talk highlighted how AI and IoT can transform city design, creating sustainable and intelligent urban environments.

• IoT and Security - What You Need to Know by Steve Kapp Steve Kapp of nFocal Inc., covering the landscape of security for IoT systems, threats, mitigating strategies, and future expectations.
• Voice Unleashed: Transforming IoT with Autonomous, Battery-Powered Recognition by Christopher B. Rogers from SensiML Corp , focusing on democratizing AI/ML for IoT edge sensing applications.

I also attended a very informative keynote by Vijay Sankaran of 江森自控 on the latest developments on smart buildings.

There was a super interesting panel session on battery-free sensors and energy harvesting, adding another layer of innovation to the already rich conference content. Imagine having sensors in agriculture or industrial setting where you don't ever need to change the device batteries!

Acknowledgments

A big shout-out and thanks to Questex and the dedicated team, including Oliver Ward , Charlene Soucy , Jasmine Lathon-Gordon , and others, who made this event possible. It was a pleasure to collaborate in sessions and as a member of the Advisory Board.