Research background and development status of inertial sensors

Micro-electro-mechanical Systems (MEMS) inertial sensors are sensors based on Micro and nano technology that can measure and detect the acceleration, angular velocity and direction of an object. MEMS inertial sensors have been widely used in automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, medical equipment and industrial automation because of their miniaturization, low power consumption, low cost and high performance. In this paper, the research background and development status of MEMS inertial sensors will be introduced in detail.

Ⅰ. Research background

The research background of MEMS inertial sensors can be traced back to the 1960s. At that time, people began to research and develop micro sensors, and began to explore how to shrink traditional mechanical sensors down to the micron level. With the continuous development of semiconductor technology and micro and nano manufacturing technology, MEMS technology is gradually mature, which provides a strong support for the development of MEMS inertial sensors.

Ⅱ. Development status

1. Acceleration sensor

Acceleration sensors are one of the most common and mature types of MEMS inertial sensors. It can measure the acceleration of an object on three axes and is widely used in automotive safety systems, smartphones, motion tracking and virtual reality. At present, the size of acceleration sensors has been reduced to a few millimeters, while having higher resolution and lower power consumption.

2, angular speed sensor

The angular velocity sensor is also an important part of the MEMS inertial sensor, which can measure the rotation speed of an object. Angular velocity sensors have a wide range of applications in aerospace, drones, electronic stabilizers and game controllers. At present, the sensitivity and accuracy of angular velocity sensors are constantly improving, while the size and power consumption are gradually decreasing.

Ⅲ, direction sensor

A direction sensor is a MEMS inertial sensor that can measure the direction of an object and is commonly used in navigation and positioning systems. By combining acceleration sensors and angular velocity sensors, directional sensors can provide more accurate directional information. At present, the research focus of direction sensor is to improve the accuracy and reduce the size.

Ⅳ. Combine sensors

Combined sensors are systems that integrate multiple MEMS inertial sensors together to provide more comprehensive and accurate motion measurements. Common combination sensors include six-axis sensors (acceleration sensor + angular velocity sensor) and nine-axis sensors (acceleration sensor + angular velocity sensor + magnetic force sensor). At present, the research of combined sensor mainly focuses on sensor fusion algorithm and system design to improve the accuracy and stability of measurement.

Ⅴ. Emerging application areas

In addition to the traditional automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics fields, MEMS inertial sensors are also receiving widespread attention in emerging applications. For example, motion-sensing games, virtual reality, smart wearable devices, health monitoring and industrial automation and other fields have the application demand of MEMS inertial sensors. In the future, with the further development of technology, MEMS inertial sensors will show great potential and application prospects in more fields.

In summary, MEMS inertial sensors have made great progress in the past few decades and become an important part of the modern technology field. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous expansion of application fields, MEMS inertial sensors will continue to play an important role in future development.