CONTAINS:1. HISTORY OF SENSOR 2. INTRODUCTION 3. USE 4. HOW ENGINEERS USE SENSORS TO MEASURE OBJECT PROPERTIES AND BEHAVIORS 5.

NASA DEVELOPS NEW SENSOR TECHNOLOGY 6. TYPES OF SENSOR AND THERE DEFINATION 7. CLASSIFICATION OF MEASUREMENT ERRORS 8. COLOR SENSOR 9. REFRENCES

HISTORY
Sensor Developments Inc. (SDI) was formed in 1976 as an engineering consulting firm specializing in the science of force measurement and sensor design. Since then, we have expanded by adding highly skilled people with diverse backgrounds and manufacturing facilities for specialized force and torque sensors. We have engineered force measurement solutions for many industries and applications, including: automotive, aerospace, OEM, medical, nuclear, and textile. SDI enjoys worldwide recognition for our expertise in designing specialized strain gage based sensors for force and torque applications.

SENSOR
1. A sensor is a device that measures a particular characteristic of an object or system. Some sensors are purely mechanical, but most sensors are electronic, returning a voltage signal that can be converted into a useful engineering unit. Sensors take advantage of the mechanical or electrical response of its components to relate the response to a relevant quantity. Engineers use sensors in test and monitoring applications, but homeowners interact with sensors every day. Automobiles are filled with sensors, from the engine to the airbag

HOW ENGINEERS USE SENSORS TO MEASURE

OBJECT PROPERTIES AND BEHAVIORS
Sensors are electrical or mechanical components that are used to measure a property or behavior of an object or system. Some sensors measure properties directly, other sensors measure properties indirectly, using conversions or calculations to determine results. Sensors are used by scientists and engineers during research and testing activities, but they can also be found in many household objects, such as temperature sensors in an oven to accelerometers in an automobile airbag system. Sensors are generally categorized by the type of phenomenon that they measure, rather than the functionality of the sensor itself.

ELECTRICAL SENSOR

MECHANICAL SENSOR

NASA DEVELOPS NEW SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

NASA scientists say they have developed a wireless sensor technology that can give operators of cars, planes, boats and trains more accurate fuel readings. "This fundamental technology could be used to design an unlimited number of sensors for a variety of measurements," Woodard said. "Just think about anything that you would want to measure. Don't be surprised when you see this technology commercially available in your home or cars." Originally developed by NASA to retrofit aging aircraft with safety equipment, researchers said the technology is a spinoff for designing and using sensors without the shortcomings of many commonly used liquid storage measurement systems. NASA said it has approved a partially exclusive license for wireless sensor technologies with Caplan Taylor Enterprises LLC of Newport News, Va, doing business as Tidewater Sensors.

TYPES OF SENSOR
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Mechanical Sensors Electrical SENSOR Thermal SENSOR Chemical SENSOR Optical SENSOR Temperature Sensors

MECHANICAL SENSORS
Mechanical sensors measure a property through mechanical means, although the measurement itself may be collected electronically. An example of a mechanical sensor is a strain gauge. The strain gauge measures the physical deformation of a component by experiencing the same strain as the component, yet the change in resistance of the strain gauge is measured electrically. Other types of mechanical sensors include: Pressure sensors Accelerometers

ELECTRICAL SENSORS
Electrical sensors measure electric and magnetic properties. An example of an electrical sensor is an ohmmeter, which is used to measure electrical resistance between two points in a circuit. An ohmmeter sends a fixed voltage through one probe, and measures the returning voltage through a second probe. The drop in voltage is proportional to the resistance, as dictated by Ohm's Law. Other electrical sensors include: Voltmeter/Ammeter Metal detector

THERMAL SENSORS
Although all thermal sensors measure changes in temperature, there are a variety of types of thermal sensors, each with specific uses, temperature ranges, and accuracies. Some types of thermal sensors include: Thermometers, Thermocouples

CHEMICAL SENSORS
Chemical sensors generally detect the concentration of a substance in the air or in a liquid. Some chemical sensors, such as pH glass electrodes are designed to be sensitive to a certain ion. Some other types of chemical sensors include:

Oxygen sensors, Carbon monoxide detectors

OPTICAL SENSORS
Optical sensors detect the presence of light waves. This could include light in the visible spectrum, or outside the visible spectrum, in the case of infrared sensors. Some types of optical sensors include: Photo detectors Infrared sensors Fiber optic sensors Interferometers

T EMPERATURE SENSORS
Temperature sensors simply report the temperature of a part or environment. The most common type of temperature sensor is the thermocouple, which relies on voltage changes based on dissimilar metal junctions. Thermocouples are available for a wide range of temperatures, from ambient environmental temperatures through high temperature environments, such as jet engines.

COLOR SENSOR
1. The color sensor circuit can sense eight colours, i.e. blue, green and red (primary colours); magenta, yellow and cyan (secondary colours); and black and white. 2. The circuit is based on the fundamentals of optics and digital electronics. The object whose colour is required to be detected should be placed in front of the system.

USE
1. Sensors are used in everyday objects such as touch-sensitive elevator buttons (tactile sensor) and lamps which dim or brighten by touching the base. There are also innumerable applications for sensors of which most people are never aware. Applications include cars, machines, aerospace, medicine, manufacturing and robotics. 2. A sensor is a device which receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. 3. Sensor converts the received signal into electrical signal. 4. A sensor's sensitivity indicates how much the sensor's output changes when the measured quantity changes. 5. Sensors need to be designed to have a small effect.A micro sensor reaches a significantly higher speed and sensitivity compared with macroscopic approaches.

REFRENCES
1. http://www.sendev.com/history.html 2. http://engineering.suite101.com/article.cfm/an_introduction_to_se nsors 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensor 4. http://electricalsensor.com/tech/715541.jpg