PITTSBURGH – (December 3, 2014) — MEMS Industry Group (MIG)’s conference track at the 2015 International CES®, “Sensors and MEMS Technology presented by MEMS Industry Group,” gives consumer electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and embedded systems integrators an inside look at sensors and MEMS — the component technology integral to wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Enabled by micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors, sensor hubs/SoCs, sensor fusion, low-power wireless connectivity, and specialized software development platforms, wearables represent one of the fastest-growing market segments in consumer electronics. And according to IHS Technology[i], shipments of sensors used in wearables will grow seven-fold from 2013-2019, from 67 million units to 466 million units.
“Wearables are poised to grow on a massive scale but the challenge and opportunity for consumer electronics OEMs and integrators is to sow the seeds of brand dominance while the market is still emerging,” said Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS Industry Group. “Many wearable applications require multi-axis motion sensing, environmental sensing, hardware and software sensor fusion, and other MEMS- and sensors-based functionality. Understanding how to leverage this functionality to best advantage will differentiate the truly successful from the rest of the increasingly crowded pack.”
Conference Agenda
- Welcome and Opening Remarks — Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS Industry Group
- Challenging Developers to “Make it Wearable” — At 2014 CES, Intel launched its “Make it Wearable” development challenge to “encourage innovation in wearable technology and help create new connected experiences.” Steven Holmes will share some of the most compelling new developments arising from the challenge.
- Speaker: Steven Holmes, vice president – New Devices Group & General Manager – Smart Device Innovation, Intel Corporation
- Transforming Wearables through Bluetooth Smart — power efficiency is more important to wearables than to any other product category, including smartphones. Bluetooth Low Energy fulfills a critical requirement for low-power wireless connectivity in wearables, enabling new applications for remote controls, watches, and healthcare/wellness equipment.
Speaker: Vincent Gao, technical program manager, Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)
- Beyond Audio with Biometric Earbuds — the ear is the best place in the body for biometric measurement, say some sensor design firms. And they are embedding tiny optomechanical sensor modules in earbuds to prove it. Biometric earbuds will change gaming, performance coaching and fitness training.
Speaker: Dr. Steven F. LeBoeuf, president, Valencell, Inc.
- Wearables: A Very Real Market Opportunity — market analysts are closely following the market for wearables — but predictions on market size as well as the next ‘killer app’ beyond fitness & activity monitors vary greatly. Top market analysts will predict market trends and opportunities in wearables.
Panelists to date: Marwan Boustany, senior analyst for MEMS and Sensors in Mobile and Consumer Technology, IHS Technology; Jim Feldhan, president, Semico Research; Kevin Harwood, consulting architect, Mutual Mobile; and Seppo Nissila, CEO & managing director, SilverBlip
- MEMS and Sensors for a Smart IoT — MEMS and sensors are the bedrock of a smart Internet of Things (IoT) — spanning consumer, automotive, medical and industrial markets. Panelists will discuss how improved sensing technologies, smaller form factors and more integration will help unleash the considerable opportunities predicted for the IoT.
Moderator: Bruce Kellerman, senior director – product marketing -Semiconductor Materials, SunEdison
Panelists to date: David Allan, president, Virtuix; John Hoye, director, partnerships, Evernote Corporation; Mark Ireland, vice president, Semiconductor Products and Services, IBM; and Charlene Marini, vice president of marketing – Embedded Segments, ARM
