Nanusens, a UK-based pioneer in sensor technology sensation, is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) devices through its breakthrough embedded sensor technology. This innovation addresses significant challenges that currently impede the mass adoption of AIoT devices, primarily related to the size, cost, and power consumption of traditional sensors.
Traditional sensors are manufactured by specialized companies on small silicon substrates, often called dies. Each sensor type of sensor requires a dedicated production line, making it difficult to efficiently scale production efficiently. These sensors are typically packaged in black units with wire connections for PCB mounting, or left as bare dies next to the main chip, resulting in increased cost and device size, hindering the progress of AIoT.
Nanusens has successfully overcome these obstacles by developing a novel approach to sensor integration. The company embeds sensors directly into the control chip, or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), during the chip manufacturing process. This integration minimizes the physical space occupied by sensors and eliminates the need for external packaging. It also allows multiple sensors to be integrated into a single chip, increasing the device's intelligence without significantly increasing cost or size. The result is a significant increase in available space for additional features and larger batteries, leading to longer device life. In addition, this approach dramatically reduces power consumption, further extending battery life.
Josep Montanyà, CEO of Nanusens and the innovator behind this breakthrough, explains, The ability to integrate as many sensors as is needed on a chip with almost no size or cost penalty will revolutionize the design of a whole new generation of smarter AIoT devices." Montanyà emphasizes that Nanusens has not only addressed the issue of cost, but also tackled size, power consumption, and manufacturing constraints, opening the door for the use of numerous sensors that collect real-world analog data, a critical component for AI's effectiveness within the IoT network.
Nanusens has already achieved significant success with its embedded sensor technology, securing a licensing agreement and having several others in the pipeline. As a result, the company has initiated a Series A funding round to further its advancements.
Background on Nanusens' Embedded Sensor Technology
Nanusens is the only company that has perfected the art of building sensors into chips. These sensors, known as MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), are created using standard chip manufacturing techniques known as CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor). Notably, this process occurs simultaneously with the fabrication of electronic circuitry on the chip, allowing the production of Nanusens-embedded chips in large quantities across multiple CMOS fabs. The high yields characteristic of such fabs translate into cost-effective low-cost production.
key innovation by Nanusens is the development of a novel control circuit that measures capacitance changes within the sensor to provide sensor data. This control circuit, like the sensor itself, is a digital Intellectual Property (IP) block, allowing it to be seamlessly integrated into the device's control chip or ASIC using standard Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. This pairing of sensors and control circuitry as IP is unique to Nanusens and reduces device complexity and bill of materials (BOM) costs for AIoT devices.
Nanusens has successfully embedded accelerometer sensors in an ASIC chip using this technology. The company is actively working on the integration of various other sensor types, including gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, microphone, IR imager, and gas sensors, expanding the potential applications of its embedded sensors to markets such as smartphones, earbuds, wearables, automotive, medical equipment, and aerospace. As a result, Nanusens has initiated a Series A funding round to support its continued growth and innovation in the field.
