Seismic monitors provide an early warning system for earthquakes.

The latest sensor equipment includes heart rate, electrical voltage, gas, light, sound, temperature, and distance sensors. Data is collected via the sensors and then transmitted to the computer. Up to date software is used to collect, display and store the experimental data. The computer software can then display this data in different formats - such as graphs, tables or meter readings, which make it easy for students to understand the process and bring science to life.

The significance of sensor technology is constantly growing. Sensors allow us to monitor our surroundings in ways we could barely imagine a few years ago. New sensor applications are being identified everyday which broadens the scope of the technology and expands its impact on everyday life.

Here are just a few examples of how sensors are being used:

In Industry

On the factory floor, networked vibration sensors warn that a bearing is beginning to fail. Mechanics schedule overnight maintenance, preventing an expensive unplanned shutdown. Inside a refrigerated grocery truck, temperature and humidity sensors monitor individual containers, reducing spoilage in fragile fish or produce.
In the Environment

Networks of wireless humidity sensors monitor fire danger in remote forests. Nitrate sensors detect industrial and agricultural runoff in rivers, streams and wells, while distributed seismic monitors provide an early warning system for earthquakes. Meanwhile built-in stress sensors report on the structural integrity of bridges, buildings and roadways, and other man-made structures.

For Safety and Security

Firefighters scatter wireless sensors throughout a burning building to map hot spots and flare-ups. Simultaneously, the sensors provide an emergency communications network. Miniature chemical and biological sensors in hospitals, post offices, and transportation centres raise an alarm at the first sign of anthrax, smallpox or other terror agents.

In the Classroom

Sensor technology provides teachers with an exciting alternative to the time consuming task of manually logging and observing science experiments. Instead of using stopwatches, thermometers and barometers, students are using sensors and powerful software to collect and analyze data as they are carrying out their experiments. This provides more accurate readings than the old manual methods and data is collected in a more exciting way.

Sensors in Education

Sensor technology can have a huge impact on the way science is thought in the classroom. This technology can bring valuable improvements in the teaching and learning of science and mathematics. As the sensors are easy to use and understand, they can be used across a wide range of ages and abilities. Sensor technology provides students with a means of seeing, interpreting, exploring and communicating relationships graphically.

The investigative approach to collecting and analyzing data is particularly useful for students who find science difficult. Students can repeat experiments several times due to the speed at which data is collected. This approach encourages higher order thinking while allowing students to engage in authentic investigation rather than prescriptive experiments that have pre-determined outcomes. As science syllabuses move away from content towards process, the use of modern measuring tools should be evident in every classroom.