Why Bosch is doing more than dipping a tentative toe....

Hi Donna,

Bosch has established itself as the world leader in the manufacture of MEMS (micro-electrical-mechanical systems) sensors since 1995 (annual production volumes now exceed 200 million)

MEMS sensors include mechanical functional elements such as springs, beams, weights, or membranes in the form of fine silicon structures just thousandths of a millimeter thick. They are used to measure physical variables such as pressure, acceleration, yaw-rate, flow quantity, or gas composition accurately and reliably. Highly integrated electronic circuits preprocess the fine sensor signals and transmit them to control units for further processing.

MEMS sensors will be key to future mHealth innovation as these little (3×3x0.9 mm) low power devices have the requirements needed for low cost pervasive always-on monitoring roles.

Check out Fullpower.com - a company that is having considerable success in the integration of MEMS into cellphones - for some ideas about the direction this is heading...