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 IBM today announced the launch of a new community, IBM developerWorks Recipes, designed to help developers – from novice to experienced – quickly and easily learn how to connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices to the cloud and how to use data coming from those connected devices.

Users of developerWorks Recipes can tap into IBM’s platform-as-a-service, Bluemix, to implement step-by-step tutorials for embedding advanced analytics and machine learning into IoT devices and applications. Examples include:

  • Understanding vehicle performance by analyzing data from its On-Board Diagnostic system.
  • Linking real-time machine condition monitoring with IBM asset management to monitor everything from the health of household appliances to wheels on a railroad car.
  • Spotting trends and obtaining solutions to common problems through graphical representation of historical and real-time data from IoT devices.

Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 4.9 billion connected things will be in use in 2015, up 30 percent from 2014, and will reach 25 billion by 2020.

By helping users connect their IoT devices to IBM Bluemix, which IBM launched in 2014 with a $1 billion investment and today has more than 100 open-source tools and services, users can then run advanced analytics, utilize machine learning and tap into additional Bluemix services. For example, data storage, predictive modeling and geospatial analytics can help users to better understand the data on their devices and also help to accelerate the IoT ecosystem.

“IBM has long been a leader in offering innovative tools for developers to create the applications of our future.  Now, IBM is expanding that focus so anyone — from the software novice to the experienced hardware engineer — can easily and quickly access materials providing guidance in the creation, management and connection of IoT devices to each other and the cloud,” said Christopher O’Connor, General Manager, Offerings, Internet of Things, IBM. “With developerWorks Recipes, IBM provides easy access to new analytics and operational insight capabilities that tap into the vast data from many connected devices, home appliances or cars.”

Developers and the IoT ecosystem are already taking advantage of the new IoT community from IBM:

“For years, companies have been building their machine-to-machine and IoT applications essentially from scratch. IBM developerWorks Recipes enables companies to leverage the hard lessons learned by other developers in order to simplify the process – a goal to which MultiTech has been committed for more than 40 years,” said Daniel Quant, Vice President of Product Management, MultiTech Systems. “IBM is helping to enable us and our customers to connect devices quickly and with security features to the IBM Cloud – with the ultimate goal of transforming our business processes and efficiencies.”

“Developers just can’t be experts on each new ‘thing’ that gets added to the IoT,” said Jone Rasmussen, General Manager of IoT developer tool startup Bitreactive. “To control costs of IoT projects, developers need easy, repeatable ways to quickly extract data from devices. IBM developerWorks Recipes is the perfect platform to do just that. It brings the embedded and cloud developer communities together in one place. Any cloud IoT developer can now easily find and reuse our templates for producing intelligent data at the edge of the network. With developerWorks Recipes, IBM shows it understands what’s needed to make developers’ lives easier.”

“The ecosystems around the IoT are complex and that complexity makes it more difficult for companies to get the true business benefits from IoT,” said Tony Milbourn, Vice President Corporate Strategy, u-blox. “To cut through this complexity, particularly in the Internet of Things that Really Matter, u-blox has combined its robust cellular, short-range and positioning products and solutions with IBM’s deep data analytics and management capabilities in IBM Bluemix cloud platform. developerWorks Recipes brings recipes, tools and prototypes that show customers the benefits, support ease of deployment, and most importantly provide information about how to best reduce risk.  The combination of IBM and u-blox is ideal for key global players in the automotive, industrial and professional markets.”

IBM developerWorks Recipes is currently open for anyone to take advantage of existing IoT content, create new content and share with the community: https://developer.ibm.com/recipes/

Within the photolithography equipment market reaching $150M in 2014, advanced packaging applications experienced the strongest growth. Yole Développement (Yole)estimates that more than 40 systems have been installed in 2014, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) representing 10 percent between 2014 and 2020. In the meanwhile, MEMS photolithography equipment looks set for 7 percent CAGR and LEDs 3 percent.

Yole released last month its technology & market analysis dedicated to the manufacturing process, photolithography. Under this analysis entitled “Photolithography Equipment & Materials for Advanced Packaging, MEMS and LED Applications”, the “More than Moore” market research and strategy consulting company proposes a comprehensive overview of the equipment and materials market dedicated to the photolithography step. Yole’s analysts performed a special focus on the advanced packaging area. They highlighted the following topics: current and emerging lithography technologies, technical specifications, challenges and technology trends, market forecast between 2014 and 2020, market shares and some case studies.

yole packaging july

“The advanced packaging market is very interesting and is growing dynamically as it includes many different players along the supply chain,” said Claire Troadec, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole. It encompasses outsourced assembly at test firms (OSATs), integrated manufacturers (IDMs), MEMS foundries and mid-stage foundries.
In comparison, even if the MEMS & Sensors industry is growing at a fast pace, components are also experiencing die size reduction due to strong cost pressure in the consumer market. Consequently wafer shipments are not following the same trend as unit shipments. Lastly, LED equipment growth is back to a normal rhythm, after big investments made in recent years.

Advanced packaging has very complex technical specifications. Warpage handling as well as heterogeneous materials represent big challenges to photolithography. Due to aggressive resolution targets in advanced packaging, performance must be improved. The current minimum resolution required is below 5µm for some advanced packaging platforms, like 3D integrated circuits, 2.5D interposers, and wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP). A lot of effort is being made to reduce overlay issues due to shifting dies and obtain vertical sidewalls for flip-chip and WLCSP. Although steppers are already well established in the packaging field, new disruptive lithography technologies are also emerging and could contribute to market growth from 2015-2016.

“Huge business opportunities in the advanced packaging market are therefore driving photolithography equipment demand,” highlighted Amandine Pizzagalli, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole. “Given the high growth rate of this market, there is no doubt that already established photolithography players and new entrants will be attracted,” she added.

yole packaging july fig 2

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today commended the launch of the Congressional Semiconductor Caucus. SIA recognized members of the caucus at a reception on Capitol Hill Tuesday evening and honored the caucus’s co-chairs, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.).

“Semiconductors form the foundation of America’s technological and economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “The Congressional Semiconductor Caucus will provide a venue for Members of Congress and industry professionals to share ideas and work collaboratively to advance policies that preserve and strengthen the semiconductor industry and our country. We applaud Sen. Risch, Sen. King, Rep. Sessions, and Rep. Lofgren for leading the caucus and for their longstanding support of policies that promote growth and innovation.”

Semiconductors are the brains of modern electronics, making possible the myriad devices we use to work, communicate, travel, entertain, harness energy, treat illness, and make scientific discoveries. SIA is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, uniting companies that account for 80 percent of America’s semiconductor production.

The semiconductor industry directly employs nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. and supports more than 1 million additional U.S. jobs. In 2014, sales from U.S. semiconductor companies accounted for more than half of the $336 billion in total global semiconductor sales. Semiconductors are America’s third-leading manufactured export, behind aircraft and automobiles. The industry is highly research-intensive, investing one-fifth of revenues in R&D annually – more than any other industry.

“In the semiconductor industry and across the tech sector, innovation is made possible through the hard work and ingenuity of the industry’s scientists and engineers and is aided by smart public policy from the federal government,” Neuffer said. “SIA looks forward to working with members of the Semiconductor Caucus to advance policies that facilitate free trade and open markets, modernize America’s tax system, strengthen America’s technology workforce, advance university research, and protect intellectual property, among other priorities.”

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.51 billion in orders worldwide in June 2015 (three-month average basis) and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.98, according to the June EMDS Book-to-Bill Report published today by SEMI.  A book-to-bill of 0.98 means that $98 worth of orders were received for every $100 of product billed for the month.

SEMI reports that the three-month average of worldwide bookings in June 2015 was $1.51 billion. The bookings figure is 2.6 percent lower than the final May 2015 level of $1.55 billion, and is 3.5 percent higher than the June 2014 order level of $1.46 billion.

The three-month average of worldwide billings in June 2015 was $1.54 billion. The billings figure is 1.0 percent lower than the final May 2015 level of $1.56 billion, and is 16.2 percent higher than the June 2014 billings level of $1.33 billion.

“The June book-to-bill saw slight declines in the three-month averages for both booking and billings compared to May,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI.  “Both figures, however, are above the trends reported one year ago and the first half of the year has been one of positive growth.”

The SEMI book-to-bill is a ratio of three-month moving averages of worldwide bookings and billings for North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Billings and bookings figures are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Billings
(3-mo. avg)

Bookings
(3-mo. avg)

Book-to-Bill
January 2015 

$1,279.1

$1,325.6

1.04
February 2015 

$1,280.1

$1,313.7

1.03
March 2015 

$1,265.6

$1,392.7

1.10
April 2015 

$1,515.3

$1,573.7

1.04
May 2015 (final)

$1,557.3

$1,546.2

0.99
June 2015 (prelim)

$1,542.1

$1,506.1

0.98

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org), July 2015

Market revenues associated with network communications, sensing, and control functions in subsystems and objects attached to the Internet of Things (IoT) are forecast to grow 29 percent in 2015 to $62.4 billion after increasing 21 percent in 2014 to about $48.4 billion, according to data in IC Insights’ recently released Update to its 2015 IC Market Drivers Report.  Figure 1 provides a breakout of sales growth in five IoT market categories, based on IC Insights’ updated forecast.

wearable sensors IC

 

IC Insights raised its projection for IoT-related revenues in 2015 to show much stronger growth in wearable systems after the formal launch of Apple’s first smartwatches in April 2015.  The long-term fate of smartwatches continues to be debated.  Whether these wearable systems evolve into a major end-use market category or simply become a niche with a short lifecycle remains to be seen.  In the short-term, however, the launch of the Apple Watch—jam-packed with ICs, sensors, and other components—has provided a major boost to semiconductor unit shipments and sales to the wearable IoT category.

Total IoT-related revenues (excluding Internet servers, network infrastructure, and cloud-computing systems) are now expected to rise by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.1 percent from 2013 to 2018, reaching $104.1 billion at the end of the forecast period.

Worldwide growth of “things” connected to the Internet continues to significantly outpace the addition of human users to the World Wide Web, according to the IC Market Drivers Update.  New connections to the “Internet of Things” (IoT) are forecast to increase 40 percent in 2015 with 574 million new Internet connections expected to be attached to embedded systems, sensors, instruments, vehicles, controllers, cameras, wearable electronics, and other objects.  IoT connections grew to 410 million in 2014, which was a 45 percent increase from 282 million in 2013 (Figure 2).  The total installed base of connected things on the IoT is forecast to reach 13.2 billion units worldwide in 2015 versus about 3.1 billion humans using computers, cellphones, and other system applications over the Internet this year, based on IC Insights’ updated projections.  By the end of this decade, more than 25 billion systems and objects are expected to be attached to the Internet versus about 4.4 billion human users.

wearable sensors IC fig 2

SEMI honored six industry leaders for their outstanding accomplishments in developing Standards for the microelectronics and related industries. The annual SEMI Standards awards were announced at the SEMI Standards reception held last night during SEMICON West 2015. 

2015 SEMI International Standards Excellence Award, inspired by Karel Urbanek

The SEMI International Standards Excellence Award, inspired by Karel Urbanek, is the most prestigious award in the SEMI Standards Program. The 2015 recipient is Dr. Jean-Marie Collard of Solvay Chemicals. The Award recognizes the leadership of the late Karel Urbanek, co-founder of Tencor Instruments and a past SEMI Board of Directors member who was a key figure in the successful globalization of the Standards Program.

Active in SEMI Standards development since 1997, Collard co-chaired the European Chapters of the Gases and Liquid Chemicals Committees since 2003. Under his leadership, the committees created numerous Standards for the semiconductor and solar manufacturing industries.  Collard has been instrumental in ensuring that the standards developed are relevant. He has actively recruited key players in the supply chain to contribute to development efforts, making certain that the published Standards reflect the true needs of the industry.  He also served as co-chair of the European Regional Standards Committee (ERSC) from 2009 to 2013, steering the ERSC through difficult economic times. As ERSC co-chair, Collard was also an International Standards Committee member, and provided valuable, practical input for new proposals, including the current effort to establish virtual meetings.

Collard earned his Master’s degree and Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Liege, Belgium. He joined Solvay in 1988 and has worked in Belgium, France, and the United States.

Merit Award

The Merit Award recognizes a Standards volunteer major contributions to the semiconductor industry through the SEMI Standards Program. Award winners typically take on a complex problem at the task force level, gain industry support, and drive the project to completion. Matt Milburn of UCT established the Surface Mount Sandwich Component Dimensions Task Force, within the North America Chapter of the Gases Committee, in April 2013 to develop standards for “sandwich” components (components located between substrate and another component). At the time of Task Force formation, these components did not have dimensional standards in place and varied by each manufacturer, resulting in interchangeability issues between manufacturers of functionally equivalent components.  Milburn addressed this problem by leading the successful development of ballot 5595, Specification for Dimensions of Sandwich Components for 1.125 Inch Type Surface Mount Gas Distribution Systems, which was recently approved by the Gases Committee and will be published as SEMI C88-0715.

Leadership Award

The Leadership Award recognizes volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in guiding the SEMI Standards Program. This Award is presented to individuals who have strengthened the Program through member training, mentoring, and new member recruitment. Frank Parker of ICL Performance Products and Frank Flowers of PeroxyChem have co-chaired the North America Chapter of the Liquid Chemicals Committee for over ten years. During this time, Parker and Flowers have overseen the development of new specifications and analytical test methods for liquid chemicals while keeping the extensive catalog of previously developed liquid chemical standards up-to-date with current industry needs. Their experience and patience has been critical in transforming new volunteers into productive committee contributors, effectively guiding them through the standardization process and minimizing wasted efforts.

Honor Award

The Honor Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated long-standing dedication to the advancement of SEMI Standards. Dr. Jaydeep Sinha of KLA-Tencor has contributed to the Silicon Wafer Committee for over 15 years and has led the development of numerous metrology standards. In addition to leading the Advanced Wafer Geometry Task Force, Sinha organized several SEMI Standards workshops around the world, recruiting technologists from leading device makers, equipment suppliers, and consortia to educate local audiences on recent developments and future needs in wafer geometry. Sinha also actively works to keep the Silicon Wafer Committee familiar with oncoming industry trends, frequently inviting industry experts to speak at committee meetings on hot topics.

Corporate Device Member Award 

The Corporate Device Member Award recognizes the participation of the user community and is presented to individuals from device manufacturers. Dr. Jan Rothe of GLOBALFOUNDRIES is this year’s recipient. Rothe has been active in SEMI Standards since the mid-2000s, and has led the International E84 (Specification for Enhanced Carrier Handoff Parallel I/O Interface) Revision Task Force since 2007. Rothe’s consistent participation in the Physical Interfaces and Carriers Committee and feedback on ballot proposals has ensured that the customer perspective is reflected in all committee output.

Blood and tears at DAC


July 14, 2015

BY PETE SINGER, Editor-in-Chief

At this year’s Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco, Brian Otis, a Director at Google, talked about how hundreds of millions of people are at risk of diabetes – and how a smart contact lens that continuously monitors blood glucose levels and transmits the data to a smartphone might just be the ideal solution.

There is a good correlation between your glucose levels in tears and that in blood (although it’s a factor of magnitude lower), so a smart contact lens can measure glucose levels using a wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor. The devices are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material.

Google announced the smart lens project in January of 2014, at which time multiple clinical studies had been completed. A partnership was subsequently announced with Novartis’s Alcon eye-care division in July of 2014.

Otis said that the universe of people who are either bona fide pre-diabetic or at risk is huge. “It’s hundreds of millions of people,” he said. “Our hypothesis is that if we are able to create more comfortable CGMs (continuous glucose monitors), this will significantly impact the diabetes management problem we’re facing. No one has solved this problem yet, but we really want to do this because it could improve people’s lives,” he said.

A smart contact lens could solve the problem because it’s a wearable device that many millions of people already wear on a daily basis. “If there is an option of wearing the device that many people wear, that’s comfortable and also corrects your vision and gives you this valuable information, you’re likely to do that over than, let’s say, pricking your finger,” Otis said.

Otis described smart contact lenses as not just another gadget. “It’s really part of an ecosystem that can form a new type of proactive healthcare. We’re going to work really hard on that,” he said.

What makes this all possible, of course, is the work that the semiconductor industry has done in minia- turization over the last several decades. Otis said more work is needed: “The chips, the passive components, the power supplies, the antennas: Everything needs to shrink,” he said.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and design, today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $28.2 billion for the month of May 2015, an increase of 5.1 percent from May 2014, when sales were $26.8 billion. Global sales from May 2015 were 2.1 percent higher than the April 2015 total of $27.6 billion. Regionally, sales in the Americas increased 11.4 percent compared to last May to lead all regional markets. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average.

“The global semiconductor industry overcame lingering macroeconomic uncertainty to post solid year-to-year growth in May,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Year-to-year sales have now increased for 25 straight months, month-to-month sales increased for the first time in six months, and we expect modest growth to continue for the remainder of 2015 and beyond.”

In addition to the Americas market, year-to-year sales also increased in China (9.5 percent) and Asia Pacific/All Other (8.0 percent), but decreased in Europe (-7.8 percent) and Japan (-11.8 percent). Compared to last month, sales were up in China (4.0 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (3.3 percent), and the Americas (0.2 percent), but decreased slightly in Europe (-0.6 percent) and held flat in Japan.

“Congress and the President recently gave the U.S. semiconductor industry and other trade-dependent sectors a major boost by enacting Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which makes it easier for the United States to strike deals on free trade agreements,” said Neuffer. “With TPA, the United States is more likely to get the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other critical trade agreements across the finish line, leading to continued growth and innovation in our industry and across the U.S. economy.”

May 2015

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                               

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.61

5.62

0.2%

Europe

2.89

2.87

-0.6%

Japan

2.54

2.54

0.0%

China

7.78

8.09

4.0%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.78

9.07

3.3%

Total

27.61

28.20

2.1%

Year-to-Year Sales                          

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

5.05

5.62

11.4%

Europe

3.12

2.87

-7.8%

Japan

2.88

2.54

-11.8%

China

7.39

8.09

9.5%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.40

9.07

8.0%

Total

26.83

28.20

5.1%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

Nov/Dec/Jan

Feb/Mar/apr

% Change

Americas

6.23

5.62

-9.7%

Europe

2.88

2.87

-0.2%

Japan

2.55

2.54

-0.6%

China

7.76

8.09

4.4%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.32

9.07

9.0%

Total

27.74

28.20

1.7%

 

Smartphones first accounted for more than 50 percent of total quarterly cellphone shipments in 1Q13. In 4Q15, smartphones are forecast to reach 435 million units or 80 percent of total cellphones shipped according to data in IC Insights’ newly released Update to its IC Market Drivers Report (Figure 1). On an annual basis, smartphones first surpassed the 50 percent penetration level in 2013 (54 percent) and are forecast to represent 93 percent of total cellphone shipments in 2018.

Figure 1

Figure 1

In contrast, non-smartphone cellphone shipments dropped by 18 percent in 2013 and 23 percent in 2014.  Moreover, IC Insights expects the 2015 non-smartphone cellphone unit shipment decline to be steeper than 2014’s drop with a decline of 27 percent. Total cellphone unit shipments grew by only 5 percent in 2014 and are forecast to grow by only 3 percent in 2015 (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Figure 2

Samsung and Apple dominated the smartphone market in both 2013 and 2014.  In total, these two companies shipped 457 million smartphones and held a combined 47 percent share of the total smartphone market in 2013.  These two companies shipped over 500 million smartphones in 2014 (503.9 million), but their combined smartphone unit marketshare dropped seven percentage points to 40 percent.  It appears that both Samsung and Apple are losing smartphone marketshare to the up-and-coming Chinese producers like Xiaomi, Yulong/Coolpad, and TCL.

In contrast to the weakening fortunes of Nokia, BlackBerry, and HTC, 2013-2014 smartphone sales from China-based Lenovo (which acquired Motorola’s smartphone business from Google in October of 2014), Huawei, Xiaomi, Yulong/Coolpad, and TCL surged.  Combined, the six top-10 China-based smartphone suppliers shipped 359 million smartphones in 2014, a 79 percent increase from the 201 million smartphones these six companies shipped in 2013.  As a result, the top six Chinese smartphone suppliers together held a 29 percent share of the worldwide smartphone market in 2014, up eight points from the 21 percent share these companies held in 2013.

In early 2015, there were numerous reports of slowing in the Chinese smartphone market.  Since most of the Chinese smartphone producer’s sales are to Chinese customers, this slowdown became evident in their 1Q15 smartphone sales figures.  In total, the top six China-based smartphone suppliers shipped 83.4 million smartphones and held a 25 percent share of the 1Q15 worldwide smartphone market, down four points from their 29 percent combined marketshare in 2014.

Chinese smartphone suppliers primarily serve the China and Asia-Pacific marketplaces.  Their smartphones, unlike those from Apple, Sony, and HTC are low-cost low-end handsets that typically sell for less than $200.  In some cases, smartphones sold by the Chinese companies have been known to sell for as little as $50.

With much of the growth in the smartphone market currently taking place in developing countries such as China and India, low-end smartphones are expected to be a driving force in the smartphone market over the next few years.  IC Insights defines low-end smartphones as those that sell for $200 or less and high-end smartphones as those that sell for greater than $200.

Wearable electronics is one of the consumer market’s hottest topics. Indeed, giants like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei are now competing for a slice of a very promising pie. Under this context, Yole Développement (Yole) releases a technology & market analysis entitled Sensors for Wearable Electronics & Mobile Healthcare. According to this analysis, the wearable industry will reach 295 million units by 2020, with a market value of US$90B. According to Yole’s report, three markets will drive this impressive growth: consumer, healthcare, and industrial.

Sensors for Wearable Electronics & Mobile Healthcare report is a comprehensive analysis providing a deep understanding of the wearable landscape, applications and market drivers. With this new technology and market analysis, Yole proposes an overview of the sensors portfolio for the wearable markets including inertial, pressure, biosensor, environmental. This report also presents a detailed technology and applications roadmap.

“Wearable technology is expected to be part of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, bringing useful information directly to the user in a more natural and friendly way than with traditional electronic devices,” commented Guillaume Girardin, Technology & Market Analyst, MEMS & Sensors at Yole.

Yole expects the consumer market, which is mostly comprised of fitness bands and smart watches to grow faster than the other two. The healthcare market, which covers devices like hearing aids, blood pressure monitors, and back monitor sensors, is expected to grow at a lower rate, since this market has already been growing for many years. Regarding the industrial market, Yole expected slow, steady growth through 2019, with a significant uptick commencing in 2020.

Until recently, wearable electronics were often associated with the healthcare market – typically, bulky medical devices with only a few features and not optimized for “customer-friendly” usage. Often times, these devices including hearing aids and blood pressure monitors, perform a single task and are solely dedicated to patient monitoring and/or well-being.

“They are not “smart devices.” Indeed their only mission is to accurately complete a single task. At Yole, we believe that a large part of the healthcare market will evolve in association with the consumer market, eventually blurring the lines between healthcare and consumer devices,” said Dr. Benjamin Roussel, Activity Leader, Medical Technology at Yole.

And Yole’s report details: in fact, the healthcare market will slowly merge with the consumer one, resulting in personalized medicine that involves self-monitoring of one’s health with smart and reliable devices. However, these kind of devices, which require a highly accurate, highly reliable tracking of biological signs in a non-invasive fashion, are not expected for another few years.

From a technology point of view, the “More than Moore” strategy consulting and market research company, Yole, analyses in this new report, the impact on the MEMS industry. Indeed, the MEMS sensors industry has acquired from the smartphone market a strong experience in inertial sensors, microphones, and pressure or environmental sensors.

Based on this experience, the MEMS players have pushed the boundaries of performance and size. Sensors are now small enough, reliable enough, and accurate enough to be included in a pocket-sized device of only 9cm3, while delivering a performance comparable to a smartphone from 2013! These sensors are the ones that wearable devices identified by Yole’s analysts and listed in this new report, until 2018.
The integration of biosensors (HRM, sweat sensor, skin temperature) is more difficult due to lack of experience, and technical challenges. Moreover, battery limitation is pushing the industry towards more optimization, even on the hardware side, through either packaging innovation or new designs with lower power consumption. Software is another area that’s acquiring value, with sensor fusion creating smarter sensors. Such improvements have led to sublime new features like context awareness or “always-on” sensors, which has increased device intelligence.

“All these improvements will lead the global sensors market for wearable from 112 million units in 2014, to 835 million units by 2020, which is proof that this market is still in its infancy”, confirms Guillaume Girardin from Yole.