Shawn presents: MEMS Sensors

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling. Our human sensory organs enable us to perceive our environment. Following the example of nature, Bosch has been manufacturing and perfecting micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS for short, since 1996. On his visit to Reutlingen, Shawn discovers that these microscopically small sensors — up to 80 of which can fit on one fingernail — are the basis for almost all of today’s and tomorrow’s high-tech processes. MEMS have silicon structures that are sometimes far thinner than a human hair, enabling them to detect the tiniest movements and convert them into electrical signals. The fact that MEMS can share this information makes them the sensory organs of the technical world. For example, they can detect and process acceleration, air pressure, humidity and even air quality. This information enables airbags to open at just the right moment, fitness trackers to show us our precise calorie consumption, and smartphones to take even sharper pictures.

MEMS sensors have so far been mainly used in automobiles and consumer electronics – but today, thanks to constant development, they’re the key to the Internet of Things. Their sophisticated sensor technology provides essential information for the control of smart devices — in fact, it’s MEMS sensors that make devices smart in the first place. The Bosch products in Shawn’s music video show how crucially important these sensors are. For instance, the vacuum robot Roxxter goes straight to work the moment Shawn drops eggshells on the floor,. It’s kept on course by orientation sensor. Today’s Smart Homes automatically ensure that indoor climates remain ideal, and that alarms go off if there’s a break-in. Just two of the countless ways in which our lives are being made simpler by the Internet of Things.