October 5, 2011 — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Boston University (BU) engineering and microbiology researchers $4.8 million to develop a chip-sized, low-cost and easily deployed virus detection platform for point-of-care viral pathogen detection, targeting Ebola and Marburg, among others. BU’s technology will be tested at a biosafety facility in Texas.

Led by BU School of Medicine Assistant Professor and principal investigator John Connor, BU College of Engineering Professor Selim Ünlü (ECE, MSE) and Assistant Professor Hatice Altug (ECE, MSE) will refine virus detection platforms they have developed independently. In separate research collaborations with Connor, Ünlü and Altug have brought their streamlined biosensor platforms into pathogen detection roles.

BU Engineering Associate Professor Catherine Klapperich (BME, MSE) and Research Assistant Professor Mario Cabodi (BME) will further advance microfluidics technology they’ve designed, integrating sample preparation in each of the two platforms.

The BU researchers will partner with Becton Dickinson, a leading global medical technology company, to transform one of the virus diagnostic platforms into a working prototype, and enlist University of Texas Medical Branch Professor Thomas Geisbert, an internationally recognized expert on viral hemorrhagic fever diseases, to test it in his lab.

A "simple test" for viruses will "get rid of the need for enzymes or fluorescent labels," noted Connor. Nanoscale platforms that can look for multiple viruses at the same time, in a small and portable form factor, will be beneficial on the front lines of an outbreak.

Overcoming the extensive and costly training, sample preparation, refrigerated transportation and laboratory analysis that’s typical of conventional virus detection technology, these platforms promise to provide fast, point-of-care, fully-integrated diagnostics in clinical and field settings—dramatically improving our capability to confine viral outbreaks and pandemics.

Developed by Ünlü’s research group, the Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS) can pinpoint single virus and other pathogen particles quickly, accurately and affordably. The shoebox-sized, battery-operated device is the first not only to provide rapid detection of single nanoparticles of interest, but also to measure their size—an important factor in confirming the identity of a suspected pathogen and rejecting dirt or other contaminants. To detect and size pathogens, IRIS shines light from multi-color LED sources on nanoparticles bound to the sensor surface. Light reflected from the sensor surface is altered by the presence of the particles, producing a distinct signal that reveals the size of each particle. Configured with a large surface area, the device can capture this telltale response for up to a million nanoparticles at a time.

Altug’s platform rapidly detects live viruses from biological media with little to no sample preparation. It’s the first to detect intact viruses by exploiting arrays of apertures of about 250 to 350 nanometers in diameter on metallic films that transmit light more strongly at certain wavelengths. When a live virus binds to the sensor surface, the effective refractive index in the close vicinity of the sensor changes, causing a detectable shift in the resonance frequency of the light transmitted through the nanoholes. The magnitude of that shift reveals the presence and concentration of the virus in the solution.

“Both of these techniques promise to overcome the limitations of conventional virus detection methods that require expensive equipment, relatively long process times, and extensive training to use,” said Ünlü. “Under the new NIH grant, our goal is to produce a highly sensitive, user-friendly, commercially-viable virus detection system that can be deployed at the point of care and detect viruses in about 30 minutes.”

To produce a fully integrated, point-of-care system, the researchers plan to incorporate a microfluidic sample preparation chip to work with Ünlü’s and Altug’s virus detection platforms. The goal for the microfluidics team is to improve the quality of the sample introduced to the sensing surface, by purifying, then concentrating, the starting sample solution.

“By leveraging Klapperich’s work in low-cost, disposable diagnostics and our collective expertise in microfluidic separation and purification techniques, we’ll seek to improve the overall performance of the diagnostic platforms, while retaining speed of analysis and a compact format,” said Cabodi.

Within five years, the researchers plan to validate multiple harmless test viruses on the two evolving microfluidics-enhanced diagnostic platforms, develop one of the platforms into a commercially viable prototype, and validate the prototype on pathogens in Geisbert’s Texas biosafety lab, which employs the highest degree of biocontainment precautions to isolate dangerous biological agents.

The final prototype should consist of a small detector chip containing integrated microfluidics that allows samples to be drawn over the active sensing components, and a working reader capable of rapidly reading the detector chips and providing diagnostic information. The system should be able to simultaneously assess multiple possible infectious agents with minimal sample handling and be suitable for clinical use in resource-limited countries.

Courtesy of Mark Dwortzan, Boston University. Learn more at www.bu.edu.

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October 4, 2011 — Sensor fusion — where inputs from multiple micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) are "fused" to increase response and accuracy — is the next step for tablet/smartphone designs, according to a new IHS iSuppli MEMS & Sensors Special Report.

Also read: Smartphone/tablet motion sensor MEMS: What’s next?

Gyroscopes, accelerometers, compasses and other MEMS are "becoming ubiquitous in smartphones and tablets," said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst for MEMS and sensors at IHS, who adds that mobile electronics designers now need to improve device functionality and user interface by combining the outputs of various motion sensors seamlessly. This sensor fusion minimizes the individual limitations of each device, for example, strong drift over time in gyroscopes, or electromagnetic interference (EMI) sensitivity common to compasses.

The typical sensor fusion approach will combine a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis compass and 3-axis gyroscope to provide 9-axis sensor fusion, IHS predicts. The total available market (TAM) for 9-axis motion sensor fusion could be as large as $850 million in 2012, rising to $1.3 billion in 2015 (see the figure). To acheive the maximum benefit of sensor fusion, device designers will need to include it in the applications programming interface (API) for apps developers.

This API integration will allow software to complement motion sensors and compensate for limitations, giving the device user "immersive games and very responsive and accurate augmented reality applications for outdoor use," among other options, Bouchaud said. IHS sees room for a "major improvement" via sensor fusion to the Apple iOS (which currently only has some 6-axis sensor fusion) and Android operating systems (currently no fusion).

The software algorithms will be embedded in the sensors or may run on the application processors of tablets and smartphones. New concepts also are emerging to support a more power-efficient implementation. Some handsets in 2012 will include a dedicated microcontroller to run the sensor fusion algorithms for simple processing tasks, while the application processor will be woken up only to conduct more complex applications such as indoor navigation. Eventually, sensor fusion also could run on a dedicated core in the application processor.

Figure. 9-axis sensor fusion total available market: Global revenues for motion sensor trios (gyro, accelerometer, compass) in mobile tablets and smartphones. SOURCE: IHS iSuppli September 2011.

The two leading gyroscopes suppliers for handsets and tablets — STMicroelectronics and InvenSense — have developed 9-axis sensor fusion engines for OEMs. STMicroelectronics calls it "iNEMO" and expects handsets using the 9-axis integration in 2011.  Microsoft Corp. uses STMicroelectronics’ sensor fusion solution in Windows 8. InvenSense announced its combo sensor with embedded 9-axis sensor fusion in September.

Also see the IHS iSuppli report: Motion Sensors in Handsets: It’s All About Fusion at http://www.isuppli.com/MEMS-and-Sensors/Pages/Motion-Sensors-in-Handsets-It-s-All-About-Fusion.aspx?PRX

October 3, 2011 — In 2006, the global market for micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices, which at that time included automobile airbag systems, display systems and inkjet cartridges, totaled $5.9 billion. That initial success may have been driven by the use of air-bag accelerometers in the automotive market, but the true commercialization of MEMS motion sensors began in 2005-2006 with consumer electronics and mobile phones. In fact, because of increased adoption and new applications in consumer and mobile applications, Yole Développement is now projecting double-digit annual growth in MEMS from the $8.7 billion reported in 2010, to $19.6 billion projected in 2016.

In the consumer and mobile markets, MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes today enable cost-effective innovation, creation, and success of various motion-activated or motion-aware devices. Sensors add an intuitive man/machine interface to mobile phones and music/video players, PDAs, tablets and game controllers, by linking movements of the user’s wrist, arm, and hand to applications, navigation within and between pages, the movement of characters in a game, and much more. Almost every consumer device or cell phone today has a motion sensor embedded inside.

This successful commercialization of motion sensors was accelerated by the continual perfection of manufacturing techniques using extensions of the same high-volume, low-cost batch fabrication techniques that the semiconductor industry has used for decades. With these techniques, MEMS have achieved greater reliability and lower cost. One of the first manufacturers to dedicate an 8” wafer fabrication line solely to MEMS, STMicroelectronics, has made MEMS a centerpiece of its “Sense and Power” activities and this focus has led to further reduction in unit costs as well as higher degrees of innovation and integration.

But the emphasis on simply meeting demand wasn’t enough. As developers learned how to use the motion sensors for simple applications, they also gained trust in the performance and reliability of these sensors, built in-house sensor expertise, and were encouraged to develop more advanced applications that required even higher performance sensors.

Manufacturers throughout the MEMS industry are rising to that challenge. The future trend is to provide multi-sensor modules and deploy dedicated sensor fusion algorithms to make multiple sensors play well together. Sensor fusion is the core element for developing high-end applications, such as location-based services and dead reckoning.

Figure 1. The mechanical structure of the driving and sensing elements of a 3-axis gyroscope includes flexing silicon “fingers” that help the MEMS gyroscope detect changes in pitch, yaw and roll. SOURCE: STMicroelectronics.

At the forefront of MEMS sensor fusion development is the integration of multiple sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and pressure sensors- in one package (Fig. 1). This approach is leading to giant leaps in functionality and performance in a wide variety of applications. One example of this integrated sensor approach is ST’s iNEMO. In these multi-sensor products, integrated sensors enable autonomous and automated systems by monitoring specific conditions and turning the detection of those conditions into actions with minimal or no user intervention required. Further, smart sensors combine MEMS devices with integrated processing capability to run the sensing-related algorithms independent of the main processor unit and thereby decrease overhead and, more importantly, power consumption, at the system level, which is especially crucial in battery-hungry portable devices.

Figure 2. The movements of a MEMS gyroscope bear a strong resemblance to a beating heart. SOURCE: STMicroelectronics.

We have been able to leverage the iNEMO Engine’s filtering and predictive software (that fuses the data from all the sensors) in multi-sensor modules. We fully expect that sensor fusion will significantly contribute to further commercialization of existing inertial sensors, while also accelerating the adoption of even more sensors into the consumer electronics devices and smart phones.

Jay Esfandyari is MEMS Product Marketing Manager at STMicroelectronics, 750 Canyon Dr, Suite 300, Coppell, TX, (972) 466-7619, [email protected].

This blog is provided by MEMS Industry Group (MIG). Read the first blog in this series: MEMS product development — why is it so hard? by Karen Lightman, MEMS Industry Group and Alissa M. Fitzgerald, A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates and MEMS Industry Group.

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September 30, 2011 – PRNewswire — Bosch Research and Technology Center (RTC) is developing "Alan," a personal robot, as part of the Personal Robot 2 (PR2) Beta Program by Willow Garage Inc. The goal is an affordable, capable, and safe robot to serve residential users in chores, such as folding laundry, delivered to the marketplace in the next 5-10 years. Personal robotics could be worth $15 billion within the next decade.

The PR2 program has advanced sensor technology, noted Peter Marks, chairman, president, and CEO of Robert Bosch LLC and member of the Board of Management.

Halfway through the two-year program, Bosch has contributed in shared autonomy (human assistance), remote experimentation, affordable sensing (devices that process data) and hackathons (exploring new applications). In the PR2 Remote Lab, users have been developing, testing, and comparing robot algorithms from all over the world.

Bosch identified and integrated suitable sensor technologies, such as gyros, force sensors and air pressure sensors in the PR2 to enable new applications and lower production costs. Bosch pulled from its experience in automotive sensors for the project, as well as cost-efficient consumer-grade sensors from Bosch Sensortec. Providing algorithms with a focus on automatic calibration, Bosch developed the required drivers to integrate its sensors into ROS (Robot Operating System), a free, open-source system that provides resources such as hardware abstraction, visualizers, message-passing and package management. In addition to the software integration, Bosch supports the PR2 community by providing sensors free of charge.

A significant portion of robotic production costs go into the development of manipulators — commonly known as the robot’s arms, wrists and body. To reduce costs without sacrificing performance, Bosch explored the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors in place of more expensive encoders. MEMS allow the PR2 to navigate human environments better, grasp and manipulare objects, and perform other tasks with less-expensive hardware.

Another project developed an intuitive interface for remote teleoperators to control robots engaged in complex tasts. This shared autonomy mitigates reliability concerns and increases efficiency, Bosch reports. It reduces time and computational needs solving loops in planning, control and perception.

In collaboration with Brown University, Bosch developed an infrastructure that allows the PR2 robot to be controlled over the internet, providing a browser-based infrastructure that includes sensor feedback, 3D models, and camera streams, allowing users to see the results of their code, interact with the PR2 from afar, and ultimately, improve the robot.

To evaluate potential applications for the PR2, Bosch researchers hosted one-week project sprints called “hackathons.” During these collaborative events, the PR2 demonstrated its ability to accomplish complex tasks, such as carving wooden nameplates using Bosch’s Dremel power tool, drawing on a white board, and delivering mail autonomously.

In a recent hackathon, an autonomous beverage-serving application was debuted using the PR2 and a low-cost TurtleBot personal robot. Working with Brown University; University of California, Berkeley; and the Technische Universität, Munich, Germany; Bosch created a web interface in which the PR2 uses precise manipulation functions to retrieve a beverage from the refrigerator, while the TurtleBot delivers the beverage to the requester. Developments that employ multiple robots further enable affordability and proficiency. More expensive robots with manipulation functions can be used for more difficult tasks, while less expensive robots can be used for transport and less complex activity.

In North America, The Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software innovations. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com, or visit the company’s global site at www.bosch.com.

Watch a video of Alan:

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September 28, 2011 — Precision positioning systems specialist PI (Physik Instrumente) opened a direct office in Singapore to expand its Asia market presence.

PI had previously been active in the region through a distributor.

PI (Physik Instrumente) Singapore LLP will provide dedicated service and allow further development of new business in Singapore and in the greater South East Asia region.

The Singapore office website is http://www.pi-singapore.sg

PI manufactures precision motion control equipment, piezo systems, piezo motors and actuators for photonics, bio-nanotechnology, medical engineering and semiconductor applications.