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The Conversation: How Sensors Monitor and Measure Our Bodies and the World Around Us

Nicole Mcfarlane

Sensors detect aspects of the physical world—matter, energy, force—in much the same way as a person’s or animal’s senses. But instead of translating the information into nerve impulses, sensors translate them into electrical signals that can be stored, processed by a computer, or displayed on a screen. They can be a current or voltage that is constant or varying with time.

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Nicole McFarlane explains that sensors answer important questions about topics such as how inflated a car’s tires are, whether ice is building up on an airplane’s wings, and whether carbon monoxide is in the air.

Sensors can also monitor biological and environmental indicators such as blood oxygenation, glucose, heart rate and function, temperature, and pH. Read the full article on The Conversation.

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