BEYOND YOUR SENSES

Hellman explains how smart sensors work and provides apt examples of this emerging technology. Sensors are devices that respond to a ``command''—a supermarket door that opens when a pad buried in the ground feels weight, or a toaster that pops up when the toast is done. Smart sensors are the next generation of this technology; they mimic human senses. For instance, machine ``vision'' occurs when light energy is converted to electrical energy to recognize patterns or screen parts in the robotics, manufacturing, and biomedical fields. Tactile sensors read pressure changes in games, toys, sporting goods, medical devices, and measuring instruments. Hearing sensors can detect tiny fractures or cracks in buildings, bridges, pipelines, cranes, aircraft, and dams. Readers interested in virtual reality will especially enjoy learning how smart sensors allow people to interact with an artificial landscape or environment. This cutting-edge resource will be welcome in most collections. (index, not seen, b&w photos and illustrations, glossary, further reading) (Nonfiction. 12+)