With the increasing amount of data, intelligent sensor integrated with processor becomes an important development trend in the future. According to the market research firm Transparency Market Research, sales of this kind of intelligent sensors may increase at an annual rate of 10%, and it is expected to reach $6.9 billion by 2018.

Different from the traditional sensor , a "dumb" processor , which simply collects data and sends it to the central server, intelligent sensor integrated with processor will be more powerful and intelligent, these equipments can monitor not only the quality of the information, also run advanced computations, and provide bases for more applications in the future.

“I think it will be a huge market, all sensors will be run according to this model.” CTO of Linear, Chris Pister said, "mobile phone and its application is a good example. Ten years ago, no one knows what the applications are."

"It is the foundation of smart cities, smart buildings, and smart applications of waters” Market Research firm WinterGreen Research Susan Eustis said "it can constitute the Internet of Things, and achieve an incredible growth rate."

It is reported that many main IT vendors have already entered intelligent sensor market, new-style sensor of Linear Technology, equipped with 32 bit microprocessor based on ARM Technology, is about to full production. IBM, Freeseale, Qualcomm, Silver Spring Network, Sensus and Streetline and other companies are also designing more powerful processors and sensors.

The rapid rise of intelligent sensor is derived from people’s huge demand of classification of information. "We swim in the ocean of sensors, and covered with huge amounts of data." Dharmendra Modha, an IBM research group leader said, "The data growth of sensor is fast, as a result, our ability to use data is greatly limited." And new type of intelligent sensor can quickly distinguish important data from useless information before delivering the data to a central server.

At the same time, in order to be better applied in all kinds of terminal products, intelligent sensors is also downsizing , even some like small needles. For the development of intelligent sensors in the future, WinterGreen gives a promising prediction: the intelligent sensors with integrated processor will reach 2.8 trillion pcs by 2019, and far more than 6.5 million pcs in 2013.

Source: People’s Posts and Telecommunications News (PPTN)