Abstract

(NosmoTech) Pressure, temperature, strain, vibration- these physical sensors are accurate, stable, low cost. Biosensors, gas sensors, water quality sensors- they struggle to meet those three user requirements. This is an exciting time for sensors- microprocessors are cheap and powerful, cloud analysis is ubiquitous, wearables can be manufactured easily, wireless comms is improving rapidly. The industrial and consumer markets are waiting, expecting us to deliver winner chemical sensors for health and wellbeing, keeping safe, saving energy, and rescuing our climate. We will first consider technology options for sensing and analysis, then review a technology/ market matrix for gas sensors. Following this overview, technology families will be discussed: optical, solid state, electrochemical, resonance. New materials are exciting, what is this year’s favourite? Which technologies are capable, which are improving, which continue to let us down? We take a snapshot of this turbulent, fast-growing industry.