To obtain information from the outside world, people must rely on their sensory organs. However, relying solely on our own sensory organs is far from sufficient for studying natural phenomena and laws, as well as in production activities. To address this, sensors are needed. Therefore, it can be said that sensors are an extension of the five senses, also known as the electrical senses.
The advent of the new technological revolution has ushered in the information age. In utilizing information, the first challenge is obtaining accurate and reliable information, and sensors are the primary means and method for acquiring information in the natural and production fields.
In modern industrial production, especially in automated production processes, various sensors are used to monitor and control various parameters in the production process, ensuring that equipment operates in normal or optimal conditions and that products achieve the best quality. Therefore, it can be said that without numerous high-quality sensors, modern production would lose its foundation.
In basic scientific research, sensors hold an even more prominent position. The development of modern science and technology has entered many new fields: for example, observing the vast universe spanning thousands of light-years on a macroscopic scale, observing the particle world as small as fm on a microscopic scale, observing celestial evolution spanning hundreds of thousands of years, and observing instantaneous reactions as short as seconds. Furthermore, research into various extreme technologies, such as ultra-high temperature, ultra-low temperature, ultra-high pressure, ultra-high vacuum, ultra-strong magnetic field, and ultra-weak magnetic field, has emerged, playing a crucial role in deepening our understanding of matter and exploring new energy sources and materials. Clearly, acquiring vast amounts of information that are inaccessible to human senses requires appropriate sensors. Many obstacles in basic scientific research lie primarily in the difficulty of obtaining information about the object of study, and the emergence of new mechanisms and highly sensitive detection sensors often leads to breakthroughs in these fields. The development of some sensors often serves as a precursor to the development of interdisciplinary fields.
Sensors have already permeated an extremely wide range of fields, including industrial production, space exploration, ocean exploration, environmental protection, resource surveys, medical diagnosis, bioengineering, and even cultural relic preservation. It is no exaggeration to say that from the vastness of space to the immensity of the ocean, and to various complex engineering systems, almost every modern project relies on various types of sensors.
Therefore, the crucial role of sensor technology in economic development and social progress is evident. Countries worldwide attach great importance to the development of this field. It is believed that in the near future, sensor technology will experience a leap forward, reaching a new level commensurate with its important status.
