Bosch Sensortec has unveiled a new barometric pressure sensor designed for use in wearables and IoT devices. The new BMP581 offers dramatic performance improvements over its BMP390 predecessor, eating up 85 percent less current while producing 80 percent less noise to deliver better battery life and power efficiency.
The BMP581 is also extremely accurate, to the point that it can detect even the slightest change in elevation. The sensor will notice a shift of only a few centimeters, and Bosch believes that that sensitivity will unlock a number of different use cases that were not feasible with previous tech. For example, the sensors can be used in a fitness tracker to measure every single push-up and pull-up rep during a workout, or as part of a fall detection system for older individuals.
By the same token, the system can improve indoor navigation since it can tell people exactly which floor they are on in a larger building. That can be particularly useful for emergency responders who need to be able to get to someone quickly. The technology has additional applications beyond the wearable market, where it can be used to measure water levels in an appliance to guard against flooding, or be installed in a drone to make landing smoother.
According to Bosch, the BMP581 will be an appealing solution for device manufacturers that are looking to optimize both costs and performance. The sensor is housed within a miniscule 2mm x 2mm x 0.75mm package, and that small form factor should make it possible to integrate in the BMP581 into a wide range of consumer and enterprise-grade devices. Most notably, the sensor could be deployed in the next generation of smart watches, or in future headphones and other smart listening products.
Source: Design World Online
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