Sensing the future

摘要

The term 'sensor' covers the wide range of devices used to measure the physical environment in which a vessel operates, the characteristics and state of the vessel itself. The technology behind them is developing rapidly to meet a seemingly insatiable demand for data. They increasingly allow real-time monitoring and control of systems and processes, and will almost certainly be a key enabler for autonomous ships. The main trends driving sensor innovation are miniaturisation, coupled with minimal power requirements and low cost. You need look no further smartphones to see how far we've come down that road. Elsewhere closer integration of sensors, processing and actuators is evident. This effectively moves the intelligence for interpretation of sensed data and the ability to respond to it into the sensor itself. Power requirements are being tackled from two ends: by reducing the power needed to transmit data and by developing ways to harvest whatever 'ambient energy' is available in a given environment.