November 5, 2009 - Hewlett-Packard says it has developed a new inertial sensing technology that can be used for digital MEMS accelerometers that are up to 1000× more sensitive than other high-volume products, leading to more effective sensor networks for applications such as infrastructure/geophysical mapping and monitoring.
MEMS accelerometers are used to measure vibration, shock, or change in velocity. HP says its improved sensor technology (noise density down to a range of sub-100 nano-g/square root Hz, with single or multiple axes per chip), combined with its other offerings in data collection/evaluation/analysis, form the basis for a complete "Central Nervous System for the Earth," encompassing numerous sensor types, networks, storage, computation and software.
"With a trillion sensors embedded in the environment -- all connected by computing systems, software and services -- it will be possible to hear the heartbeat of the Earth, impacting human interaction with the globe as profoundly as the Internet has revolutionized communication," proclaimed Peter Hartwell, senior researcher, HP Labs, in a statement.
