How will sensor and sensing technology develop toward the evolution of the coexisting relation between human and machines?
I would like to describe three personal opinions although it is difficult to tell a lot for want of space.
(1) All sensors changing toward image processing
This does not mean that almost all sensors are borne by cameras (imaging sensor). It means that data processing technology that seems as if it processes imaging data will evolve more dramatically not only because the resolution of the sensor improves on spatio-temporal axes but also because the opportunity for collectively handling multiple sensor outputs (that are not necessarily to be the same function) naturally increases. Because of this, the knowledge of image sensing that is also one of core technologies of OMRON will be increasingly utilized multilaterally.
(2) All sensors becoming self-powered
Sensors have the aspect of energy conversion elements that convert physical energy to electric signals. This electric signal can be utilized not only as sensor output but also as its own energy. Furthermore, the evolution of wireless technology will naturally allow the era of wireless power supplies to come in the future. The sensor is considered as the key element of the “T” in the IoT society and will be increasingly required to be self-sufficient for the implementation in society.
(3) Performance of sensor to be further improved in cooperation with AI
Evolution of the sensor so far was just the evolution of hardware and devices. Hereafter the sensor (embodiment called as sensor) should realize performance (high resolution, high speed, cost reduction, etc.) that will be never realized with the evolution of hardware and devices by deepening cooperation with AI (brain called as AI). Although the S/N (signal-to-noise ratio) sensitivity of humans has limitations, machines can react to even feeble S (signal) exceeding the limit of human sensitivity only if the machine itself can view a large amount of data. This will become the new appearance of dramatic improvements in sensor performance.
Sensor and sensing technologies are widely used for products and solutions by OMRON. It can be said that this reflects the close relationship of OMRON with sensor and sensing technologies. In the autonomous and natural society based on the SINIC theory, the era will come where the sensor and sensing technologies are continuously implemented in society everywhere. In such an era, it is exciting to imagine what kind of role OMRON will play.
4. The Future of Sensing
Sensors and sensing technologies appear many times even in the articles in this volume that do not belong to the special issue on Sensing as the Five Senses of a Machine. This shows how intimately connected sensors and sensing are with OMRON’s technologies as a whole. At the start of this preface I referred to an outlook on sensing technology published in OMRON TECHNICS seventeen years ago, and how it may be applied to our present era. In a like manner, how will this preface look like in the context of the outlook on sensing technology seventeen years later, the era when sensors and sensing technologies are continuously implemented everywhere in the autonomous society defined by the SINIC theory?
President and CEOOMRON SINIC X Corporation
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