Self-Powered Wireless Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for Vibration Monitoring

Although great strides have been made over the last decade in reducing the size and cost of many types of sensors through the use of MEMS technology, these cost savings have not been realized by the end user. Increasing the total cost of using a sensor in a testing application comes primarily from the installation, i.e. the labor cost of the installation out-weighs the sensor itself. What is needed in these situations is a compact, light, wireless sensor that takes advantage of advances in fabrication technologies and inventive packaging to reduce system cost to the point that it is disposable. NextGen proposes to use commercial-off-the-shelf devices assembled in a compact and intelligently designed packaging that uses a snap-together package to reduce cost and allow battery replacement. Additionally, the concept can be expanded to many sensor types (pressure, temperature, chem/bio, etc.) by swapping the sensor and making minor logic changes. NextGen has significant experience in packaging of sensor hardware and its use in health monitoring applications and will team with Virginia Tech's Center for Wireless Technology to provide the wireless design expertise and with Endevco, a leader in the accelerometer market, to supply networking standards and market direction.