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Sensors

The latest developments in computer vision, lidar, chemical sensors, and remote sensing
SensorsTopicMagazineTypeFeature

Flat Lenses Made of Nanostructures Transform Tiny Cameras and Projectors

Metalenses are finally moving into consumers’ hands

9 min read
A gray-scale photograph showing pillars of varying diameters in an array
An x-ray of a human skull and shoulders. There are red dotted lines along the eyebrow area and two implants, one in each shoulder.
BiomedicalTopicTypeSensorsNews

Machine Learning Hunts for Chronic Pain’s Signature

Researchers have mapped brain activity to painful sensations

4 min read
beige colored moth with wings stretched out against a white background
SensorsNewsTypeTopic

Insect Ears Inspire Superefficient Microphones

Tiny 3D-printed devices can determine a sound’s direction with minimal power and processing

3 min read
A circle with six spiral waves curling from it's center, and a gold electrode sits in an exposed section of brain in a mannequin's head.
BiomedicalTopicTypeRoboticsSensorsNews

Soft Robot Unfurls Inside the Skull

New device could improve brain-computer interfaces

3 min read
Argonne’s Polybot Joins the Self-Driving Lab Club
RoboticsTopicTypeSensorsNews

Argonne’s Polybot Joins the Self-Driving Lab Club

Semiautonomous lab robots drive quest to navigate the material world

4 min read

Robotics News in your inbox

Subscribe to IEEE Spectrum’s Robotics News.
A photo of a two-story building with flames coming from its roof
Consumer ElectronicsTopicTypeSensorsNews

The Internet of Things: Fire Sleuth, Fire Starter

IoT devices can witness how fires started, but there are doubts about the integrity of their evidence

5 min read
an artistic representation of a purple and yellow semiconductor chip with green wavy lines and pink lightning bolts emerging from it
SensorsNewsTypeTopic

A Tiny Terahertz Wake-Up Receiver Could Turbocharge IoT

The antenna can extend battery life and protect against attacks

3 min read

The Transistor at 75

The past, present, and future of the modern world’s most important invention
See the full collection →
Illustration of a cake with a candle shaped as a transistor symbol
A phot of an outstretched hand with several transistors in the palm of it.
SemiconductorsTopicDecember 2022MagazineTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

How the First Transistor Worked

A chart showing the timeline of when a transistor was invented and when it was commercialized.
SemiconductorsTopicDecember 2022MagazineTypeFeatureHistory of TechnologySpecial Reports

The Ultimate Transistor Timeline

A photo of 3 different transistors.
SemiconductorsTopicDecember 2022MagazineTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

The State of the Transistor in 3 Charts

An image of stacked squares with yellow flat bars through them.
SemiconductorsTopicDecember 2022MagazineTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

3D-Stacked CMOS Takes Moore’s Law to New Heights

Six men and a woman smiling.
SemiconductorsTopicDecember 2022MagazineTypeFeatureSpecial Reports

The Transistor of 2047: Expert Predictions

Get the latest technology news in your inbox

Subscribe to IEEE Spectrum’s newsletters by selecting from the list.
arm pointing on a wood desktop
SensorsNewsTypeTopic

Turn Any Surface Into a Trackpad

Surface acoustic wave sensors make clothes and countertops into touch interfaces

3 min read
A square device with chemical symbols and two golden pointed three dimensional shapes.
SensorsTopicTypeNewsTelecommunications

Shape-shifting Nano-Devices Slide Into Place

Applications in MEMS, nano-accelerometers, and optical beam steering

2 min read
green boxes with green laser and pink pulses in middle
SensorsNewsTypeTopic

Entanglement Could Step in Where GPS Is Denied

Tapping quantum weirdness to make an ultra-accelerometer

3 min read

Journal Watch

The latest engineering and computer science advances in context from IEEE Spectrum and the Xplore Digital Library
AerospaceTopicTypeComputingNews

Cybersecurity Gaps Could Put Astronauts at Grave Risk

5 min read
a person wearing an astronaut suit while looking out over black and white rocky terrain with crescent of Earth in the background
AerospaceTopicTypeNewsTelecommunications

This Alternative Could Stay on Target if GPS Fails

4 min read
round earth with satellite pathways going around
Consumer ElectronicsTopicTypeHistory of TechnologyNews

Smellovision Gets a Refresh

6 min read
A person with long hair wearing white VR googles with a tube connected to the nose area against a white background
EnergyTopicTypeTransportationNews

New Anodes Help Lithium-ion Batteries Charge Faster

3 min read
A micrograph shows a cross-section of the laser-patterned anode.
Consumer ElectronicsTopicTypeNews

New Drone Can Hitch a Ride on a Moving Car

3 min read
a box with a picture of a small teal car in front of a white backdrop, and a drone attached to the box's back
RoboticsTopicTypeNews

Ostrich-Inspired Robot Gives Its Neck a Stretch

2 min read
A robotic spine structure that ends in a bird like head and open beak extends out and then up vertically from lab equipment.
SensorsTopicTypeNews

Sharper 3D Holograms Come Into Focus

New projection method is key to depth control and reducing image bleed-through

3 min read
A green three dimensional dolphin shape emerges from a blow out of two squares of material.
A rear view of a man with a blue headband, AR goggles and a round patch below his left ear.
SensorsTopicTypeRoboticsNews

Dry EEG Sensors Control Army Robots

Graphene-based tech heralds next step toward brain-computer interfaces

3 min read
Liquid Salts Bring Push-button Lenses Into Focus
SensorsNewsTypeTopic

Liquid Salts Bring Push-button Lenses Into Focus

First-ever piezoelectric liquids could spark new technologies in optics and hydraulics

3 min read
How to Achieve Open, AI Native 6G Networks
TelecommunicationsWebinar

How to Achieve Open, AI Native 6G Networks

Thursday, 29 June 2023, 2pm ET

screen that shows vital signs reading 12 rpm underneath an illustration of lungs and 72 bpm underneath a heart
The InstituteTopicTypeSensorsProfile

Millimeter Wave Radar System Keeps Drivers Safe on the Road

This startup’s sensor checks vital signs to detect impaired driving

6 min read
a plant with a plastic leaf attached to it on a black background
SensorsTopicEnergyTypeNews

Artificial Leaf Draws Power From Wind and Raindrops

A single drop can produce 40 volts of electricity

3 min read

Explore topics

IEEE Spectrum reports on developments in each of these categories
  • Aerospace

    The latest developments in aviation, satellites, astrophysics, space flight, and space exploration

  • Artificial Intelligence

    The latest developments in machine learning, embedded intelligent systems, and medical AI

  • Biomedical

    The latest developments in biomedical devices, prosthetics, imaging, and diagnostics

  • Computing

    The latest developments in embedded systems, hardware, software, quantum computers, and IT

  • Consumer Electronics

    The latest developments in gadgets, gaming, smart phones, virtual reality, and audio/video

  • Energy

    The latest developments in power generation, batteries, renewables, smart grid, and nuclear energy

  • History of Technology

    A look back at key moments in the history of cyberspace, electronics, and the space age

  • Robotics

    The latest developments in consumer robots, humanoids, drones, and automation

  • Semiconductors

    The latest developments in processors, memory, nanotechnology, optoelectronics, and integrated circuit design and materials

  • Sensors

    The latest developments in computer vision, lidar, chemical sensors, and remote sensing

  • Telecommunications

    The latest developments in wireless networks, Internet standards, 5G, IoT, security, and information theory

  • Transportation

    The latest developments in electric vehicles, advanced aircraft, and self-driving cars

  • DIY

    Reviews, hands-on projects, and the latest on the maker movement from Spectrum's DIY editor Stephen Cass

  • Careers

    Profiles and interviews with engineers, tech industry news, and the latest trends on the job market

  • The Institute

    The latest news about IEEE, its members, tech history, and new offerings

A gloved hand grips a square of plastic. Two coppery films connect to a sandwich of light and dark layers under the plastic.
EnergyTopicTypeSensorsNews

Why MXenes Matter

These novel nanomaterials tantalize with super-supercapacitance, electromagnetic impermeability, and sensor possibilities

5 min read
CAD drawings of a nuclear reactor.
SensorsTopicEnergyTypeNews

Cosmic Rays Can Now 3D-Scan Nuclear Reactors

Harnessing massive, electron-like particles to analyze the safety of aging power plants

3 min read
Optimize Battery Pack Design via Simulation
EnergyWebinar

Optimize Battery Pack Design via Simulation

Now available on-demand

a small patch is wrapped around a cylinder in front of a dark background
BiomedicalTopicTypeSensorsNews

Wearable Ultrasound Patch Images the Heart in Real Time

The new device can analyze cardiac health even during exercise

5 min read
Spray-on Smart Skin Reads Typing and Hand Gestures
SensorsTopicArtificial IntelligenceMagazineTypeNewsMarch 2023

Spray-on Smart Skin Reads Typing and Hand Gestures

No cameras, keyboards, sensor gloves, or VR motion trackers required

3 min read
SensorsTopicTypeFeature

Europe Expands Virtual Borders To Thwart Migrants

Our investigation reveals that Europe is turning to remote sensing to detect seafaring migrants so African countries can pull them back

14 min read
A photo of a number of people sitting in a inflatable boat on the water with a patrol ship in the background.