Sensors for Drones & Robots

The “More than Moore” market research and strategy consulting company, Yole announces within its new technology & market analysis entitled Sensors for drones and robots: market opportunities and technology revolution, the market are clearly driven by full applications range. According to the report sensors have the lead role in the drones & robots market revolution.

In a webcast on Consumer Robotics 2016 I still argued that the advent of sensor technology in robots is one of the main drivers behind the accelerated uptake in consumers beginning to purchase them. In regards to the accelerated uptake in consumers purchasing robots, there are several driving market forces. These market forces include; a desire to improve the quality of human life (educational and emotional support robots), the elimination of drudgery tasks (iRobot vacuum cleaner), and reducing time and costs associated with mundane jobs (robots connected to internet to search/order items, check/respond to emails, etc.). Sensors are the bedrock for any robot. Sensors allow a robot to move, see, feel, and to ultimately perform human tasks. Without the advancements in sensor technology that we have witnessed in recent years, the consumer robot market would still be non-existent.

I also agreed that the consumer personal and professional service market will have strong growth over the next decade. Safety and security are two key areas in the robot space that we expect will require sensor IC support. And, similar to the automotive market’s safety requirements evolution, via ISO26262, we will do the same in the robot space.

At the root of all sensor technology is a good analog “front-end” sensing element. Behind the sensor element, digital circuitry and some software will be necessary to condition and interpret the sensor data, but the real sensing performance gain for the robot will ultimately come from the analog sensing circuit. This said, a combination of new digital hardware with embedded software will also be critical for managing the robot’s actions and for ensuring it operates safely in a collaborative work environment with humans.

Reduced power consumption in semiconductors will also be critical for ensuring autonomous robots’ long periods of operation without the need for recharging.

Lastly, new interface technology in the sensor semiconductor space will be required to improve transmission speeds within the robot and for ensuring reliable communications. It’s very likely that we will see in the not too distant future wireless sensors or sensors that have adopted LAN protocols, such as fiber Ethernet, to reduce robot weight, and speed up internal communications and message reliability.

Citing Yole there are three industries converging to spur the robotics revolution. (1) Smartphones helped develop advanced microelectronic technologies at low cost. (2) The internet provides a communication/cloud computing infrastructurecoupled with high demand for connected devices. (3) Autonomous vehicle R&D allows for high-priced technology testbeds fueled by car brands’ search for differentiation. However, sensor availability is the enabler for the robotics revolution.

“More and better” robots means “more and better” sensors