– Global positioning system tag – communicates with GPS satellites to establish position with high accuracy, but only when the tag or animal is on land or at the water surface – Fastloc Global positioning system tag – GPS tag for aquatic animals that surface or haul out, when the tag locks onto the GPS satellite network to establish position with high accuracy – Pop-up satellite archival tag – after some period of time recording sensor data, the tag detaches itself from the animal and floats to the surface where it uses satellite connectivity to uplink the data stored on the tag – Acoustic tag – attached to the animals being tracked emit acoustic signals (typically ultrasound) which travel through water much better than RF signals. These signals are then received by buoys, which can then use satellite communications to backhaul the data to where it’s needed.
* Temperature & humidity sensors * Volumetric airflow & fluid sensors * Mold sensors * Occupancy detecting sensors * CO2 demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) sensors – work with sensors that detect a building’s occupancy and adjust ventilation accordingly * Light Sensors tied to motorized window treatments can pick up on sunlight and adjust window shading during the course of a day
Animals are fitted with sensor-equipped collars that collect information regarding their location, direction, and average speed (geolocation, acceleration, gyro sensors)
Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) beacons Typical uses: Warehouses: Automatic inventory of assets Indoor positioning: Tracking assets’ location automatically
Camera types used on agrobots: – RGB cameras – extensively used in agricultural machine vision applications for fruit/plant detection, yield prediction, segmentation tasks, disease detection, ripeness detection, weed detection and insects detection – Hyperspectral, thermal, or ultrasonic cameras – typically provide better results than conventional RGB color images – Stereoscopic cameras – provides 3D plant structure information (dimension of crops (depth information, crop height, leaf shape, leaf area etc.)) Critical factor is the camera’s resolution, which should be high enough to capture the details of the scene especially in the cases of insect and disease detection.
Cameras for mines and tunnels are an essential element of security and safety monitoring. The mining sector presents a number of challenges, from low lighting to connectivity issues in remote areas. These surveillance cameras observe the many processes within the mine and are mostly installed in a permanent, overt manner, with portable covert cameras being used on a temporary basis. IR thermal imaging cameras are often used as they offer the ability to see in dark, foggy or dust filled environments where there are large trucks, cranes, robotics and other moving apparatus that present danger to humans.
Fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems and pressure gauges enable critical monitoring during exploration and energy production for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). These sensors can be used to: – Estimate production potential in or between new wells by measuring the distributed temperature and the point pressure, or pressure measured at the bottom of the well. These measurements allow the calculation of reservoir size, flow resistance between wells (if multiple wells are instrumented), well bore damage caused by drilling, effectiveness of the fracturing operations, and well completion. – Monitor surface and subsurface scale buildup and chemical clean-up. Scale, a mineral residue precipitated from geothermal fluid in response to changes in water pressure and temperature, builds up on pipe walls and will, over time, form a thick, insulating layer that limits flow and may block a pipe. Chemicals are injected into the pipe to remove the accumulated scale. By understanding severity of the scaling, operators can better consider what mitigation options are most suitable as well as minimize the use of expensive chemicals. – Provide permanent monitoring of injector and producer wells to allow identification of the specific zones and fractures that produce fluids. – Perform integrity monitoring for casing and tubing leaks to avoid contaminating ground water and subsurface aquifers.
For habitat environment observation, monitoring sensors such as temperature, humidity, height, wind, light, and cameras are used
GPS for autonomous navigation in open-field cultivation environments Robotic data collection platform equipped with RADAR, liDAR, ultrasonic radar sensors, spectrometers, fluorometers
Irradiance, temperature, humidity sensors and voltage sensors used to measure photovoltaic (PV) output current and voltage on solar panels. By placing sensors along the distribution channels and substations operators are able to gather real-time power consummation data which will helps make decisions about the load, voltage, and power being supplied
LED sensors equipped to capture data around ambient light levels, temperature, occupancy, security, performance & energy consumption
Light sensors – allows for the greenhouse lighting to be adjusted depending on the sun’s intensity, benefits of increasing electrical efficiency and cost savings of the entire system. Sensors for Volumetric water content (VWC), Bulk electrical conductivity (ECb), Temperature – Used to monitor soil moisture content
Machine vision camera and spectral imaging – helps growers track the growing process of their entire operation, give details on plant height, 3D leaf area, projected leaf area, digital biomass, leaf inclination, leaf area index, light penetration depth, and leaf coverage
Mobile Monitoring and tracking devices equipped with GNSS and other sensors (temperature, humidity, motion, shock, vibration, pressure, light/darkness) to monitor condition of the asset
Monitoring emissions from factories in real-time involves a variety of sensors and instruments designed to measure different types of pollutants. These sensors are often networked together and connected to a central monitoring system that collects, analyzes, and reports data in real time. This enables factory operators and regulatory agencies to track emissions continuously and ensure compliance with environmental regulations, as well as to make informed decisions about emission control and reduction strategies. Gas Analyzers: These sensors are used to detect and quantify specific gases in the air, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Particulate Matter (PM) Sensors: These sensors measure the concentration of particulate matter in the air. Opacity Monitors: These are used to measure the opacity of emissions from smokestacks, which is an indicator of particulate matter concentrations. Flame Ionization Detectors (FID): FIDs are used to measure total hydrocarbon levels in emissions. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) Analyzers: These analyzers can detect a wide range of gases and are particularly useful for identifying complex mixtures of pollutants. UV Spectrometers: Ultraviolet spectrometry can be used to measure specific gases like ozone (O3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) based on their absorption characteristics in the UV range. Chemical Sensors and Biosensors: These are used to detect and measure specific chemical compounds in emissions. Temperature, Pressure, and Flow Sensors: These sensors provide additional data on the emission conditions, such as the temperature and pressure of the emitted gases and the flow rate of emissions.
Pest control sensors on traps that provide accurate information on trap status, whether armed, unarmed, or armed without a catch.
Portable waste bin or portable toilets enabled with GNSS. Once data related to fill rates and temperatures of smart bins /toilets are collected, the sensors relay the exact location and other waste related information of the bins in question so waste management can send out SMSes to nearby garbage collectors to do the needed collection/emptying before harmful carbon emissions are released.
Rain Gauges: Modern rain gauges often come equipped with wireless communication capabilities, allowing them to transmit data on rainfall amounts to monitoring centers in real time. Stream Gauges: Many stream gauges are designed to wirelessly transmit data on water levels and flow rates, providing crucial information for flood forecasting.Soil Moisture Sensors: These sensors can be equipped with wireless communication to send soil moisture data to a central system, which helps in assessing the risk of flooding, especially in areas prone to flash floods. Pressure Transducers: Used in various water bodies, these sensors can wirelessly transmit water pressure data, which is then used to calculate water levels. Ultrasonic Sensors: These can be set up to measure water levels and then transmit the data wirelessly to a central monitoring system. Anemometers: Modern anemometers can send wind data wirelessly to meteorological centers, contributing to broader weather pattern analysis for flood prediction. Tide Gauges: In coastal areas, tide gauges equipped with wireless communication capabilities transmit sea level data, which is crucial for predicting storm surges and coastal floods.
RFID Readers: E.g., Handheld Typical uses: Warehouses: Tracking assets that are packaged or inside a container Hospitals: Tracking asset locations automatically within a limited distance range
Robotic assisted surgical device. On the remote expert/surgeon side, these applications may require a VR interface in order to provide an immersive sense of experience.
Seismic sensors used for monitoring of seismic activity in geothermal plants can enhance the safety aspect of power generation. Geothermal power plants are generally located near earthquake-prone zones and the ability to manage such power plants remotely is useful for employee safety. Vibration and temperature sensors are used in turbines and generators to monitor temperatures and detect vibrations.
Smart meters that collect granular real-time data across the water grid, LED light sensors to monitor water levels in tanks, pH sensors, temperature sensors and turbidity sensors in pipelines and storage and distribution tanks, volume sensor
Smart Waste Bin with wireless ultrasonic fill-level sensors and other indicators such as temperature and tilt within waste container
soil moisture sensors – used to assess the water level in the soil temperature and humidity sensors – used to monitor the environment, which had a direct influence on the water level of the soil
Some of the key types of sensors used in urban air quality monitoring include: Particulate Matter (PM) Sensors: These sensors measure concentrations of particulate matter Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Sensors: NO2 is a common urban pollutant, often produced by vehicle exhaust and industrial processes. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Sensors: Commonly produced by industrial processes, SO2 levels are often monitored using ultraviolet fluorescence or electrochemical sensors. Ozone (O3) Sensors: Ozone at ground level is a harmful pollutant, and its concentration is typically monitored using ultraviolet (UV) photometry or electrochemical cells. Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sensors: CO is a colorless, odorless gas resulting from incomplete combustion. It’s usually monitored in urban environments using electrochemical sensors. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Sensors: VOCs are emitted from a variety of sources, including vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, and consumer products. Meteorological Sensors: These sensors measure environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction, which are important for understanding and interpreting air quality data.
Tag sensors and readers for tracking people, collecting environmental data, equipment tracking, and real-time alerts. RFID transmitter devices are mounted on headlamps belts or badge cards of miners to enable tracking of workers in real-time.
The rodent sensors are placed in the high rodent-activity areas for inspection. When rodents pass through the location, infrared sensors trigger notification to all the relevant parties such as owner and pest management service about the rodent activity so that they can decide a plan of action of elimination.
Types of sensors: Remote metering, Cathodic protection, Gas density, Pipeline pressure, Custody transfer flow meters, Fire / Gas / H2S alarms, Tank levels, Tank batteries, Temperature sensors, Control valves, Flow monitoring, Electricity consumption, Structural health & deformation, Air pollution
Underground mining has significant safety hazards due to high-stress concentrations, weak rock masses, and limited access and air quality. Different sensors are used in mine-related activities, such as geophones in exploration and blast control, piezometers in dewatering and toxic gas detectors in working frontlines.
Vibration sensors such as low-frequency accelerometers are mounted on the casing of the turbine and generator near the bearings and shaft. Water quality sensors (Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Sensor)
Wind Sensors (Anemometers): measure wind speed and direction, key factors in sandstorm formation. By understanding wind patterns, it becomes easier to predict the movement and intensity of sandstorms.
Wind Turbine sensors are used to continually assess acceleration, temperature and vibration. Turbine impact sensors – for monitoring avian and bat collisions Turbine vibration sensors – Vibration sensors provide data that enables predictive maintenance, allowing operators to manage assets at a distance – Turbine – Because of variable wind speeds and frequent braking, the load is never consistent on the turbine, causing a lot of wear on the moving parts. Bearings are the biggest culprit in gearbox failure. When bearings fail, it usually leads to other components, such as gearwheels, breaking down, causing a domino effect of failure across the entire apparatus. One of the biggest issues with regard to bearing failure is lubrication starvation. Vibration sensors can help an operator stay ahead of lubrication issues by detecting subtle friction changes -Blade – Wear and tear on rotor blades come from high winds, lightning, ice, and extreme weather conditions that result in blade imbalance. Over time, these factors lead to cracking and fractures along the edges and pitch system failure. Wireless vibration sensors make it feasible to remotely monitor such conditions, alerting operators to impending failure and maintenance needs without physically accessing the site. These sensors are combined together into one communication channel. Associated KPI’s are considered in the aggregate.
Wireless Z-Traps are devices used to catch pests around the plants using pheromone lure. Pest count information is wirelessly passed along from up to 1 km away using a base station to the online cloud service. This information is used to study and determine where and how much pesticides will be required. Imagery sensors capture imagery data to identify the diseases in plants – RGB sensors – have three colour channels, i.e., red, green and blue, which can be used to perceive the biometric effect in the plants – fluorescence Imagery sensors – used to distinguish the photosynthetic activities in the plants – spectral sensors – capture images containing the spatial information of objects in multiple wavebands, used to analyse crops’ health and pest attack – thermal sensors – used to measure the water status in the plant by measuring the temperature Weather condition monitoring sensors, i.e., temperature, dew, humidity and wind speed, are used to monitor weather parameters to find a correlation between pest growth with weather
