Consumer electronics: Low power sensing solutions for portable devices

The low power consumption and high accuracy of VTI's sensors make them ideal for use in battery-operated consumer electronic devices. The company's pressure sensors are widely used in various personal navigation devices to enhance GPS performance. VTI's accelerometers are particularly well suited for sports applications, such as measuring an athlete’s speed and the distance covered.

Motion detection/User Interface control
Movements of devices can be detected by accelerometers. This feature can be used e.g. in controlling devices' user interface or in pointing devices, such as 3D-mouse or game controllers. By analyzing the measured acceleration, you can have information relating to the distance traveled by the device, for example.

GPS Enhancement
Absolute location can be obtained through GPS navigation. Both pressure and acceleration sensors can be used to improve the accuracy of GPS navigation when the received satellite signals are disturbed by e.g. reflections. Also relative navigation - dead reckoning - when there is no satellite visibility, is possible. Through accelerometers, you can estimate the distance travelled and correct possible position errors. Pressure sensors provide information about the changes in vertical direction. This enables even more accurate and appropriate products for end-customers.

Altimeter/Barometer for Outdoor Electronics
When altitude increases, pressure drops. The ultra-sensitive SCP1000 can detect vertical movement with decimeter accuracy. Accurate altitude information is crucial in the mountains, but can also be used for determining slope angle and accumulated ascent/descent when cycling, jogging or skiing. Barometric pressure can aslo be used to detect and predict weather changes.

Speed and Distance Measurement for Walking and Running
Three-axis accelerometers can be used to accurately measure speed and distance when walking or running. This provides useful information to both casual joggers and professional marathon runners.

Activity Monitoring and Calorie Expenditure
Activity level and calorie expenditure can be calculated based on measuring movement, and helps provide the motivation to exercise.