Linnaeus 10

Activity 1. Types of Sensors and Classifications

Name Active, Exteroceptive Function

Passive, or or
Passive/Active Proprioceptive

1. Thermistor P PC ● Thermistors are thermally

sensitive resistors whose
prime function is to exhibit
a large, predictable and
precise change in
electrical resistance when
subjected to a
corresponding change in
body temperature.

● They can be found in

everyday appliances such
as fire alarms, ovens and
refrigerators. They are also
used in digital
thermometers and in many
automotive applications to
measure temperature.

2. IR Sensor P EC ● An infrared (IR) sensor is

(Transmissive) an electronic device that
measures and detects
infrared radiation in its
surrounding environment.

● IR sensors are commonly

used in climatology,
meteorology,
photobiomodulation, gas
detectors, water analysis,
anesthesiology testing,
petroleum exploration, and
rail safety.

3. IR Sensor A EC ● A reflective sensor is an IR

(Reflective) sensor that both emit and
detect radiation.

● They are used in stores,

supermarkets, garden
centers, and airports in
their sliding doors.
4. Ultrasonic A EC ● Ultrasonic sensors
Sensor measure distance by using
ultrasonic waves. The
sensor head emits an
ultrasonic wave and
receives the wave
reflected back from the
target. Ultrasonic Sensors
measure the distance to
the target by measuring
the time between the
emission and reception.

● They are used primarily as

proximity sensors. They
can be found in automobile
self-parking technology
and anti-collision safety
systems. Ultrasonic
sensors are also used in
robotic obstacle detection
systems, as well as
manufacturing technology.

5. Gyroscope P PC ● A gyroscope sensor is a

Sensor device that can measure
and maintain the
orientation and angular
velocity of an object.
These can measure the tilt
and lateral orientation of
the object.

● It is used in Aircraft,
Source shuttles, race cars
and motorboats. They are
also used in car navigation
systems, electronic
stability control systems of
vehicles, motion sensing
for mobile games, camera-
shake detection systems in
digital cameras, radio-
controlled helicopters, and
robotic systems.

6. Accelerometer P PC ● An accelerometer is an
Sensor electronic sensor that
measures the acceleration
forces acting on an object,
 in order to determine the
object’s position in space
and monitor the object’s
movement.

● Because of their size and

affordability, they are
embedded in a myriad of
hand-held electronic
devices like In phones and
tablets, the accelerometer
is responsible for “flipping”
the screen when the
device is rotated.
Accelerometers are also
used by zoologists,
engineers, and factories.

7. Rain Sensor P EC ● A rain sensor or rain

switch is a switching
device activated by rainfall.

● It has two main

applications for rain
sensors. The first is a
water conservation device
connected to an automatic
irrigation system that
causes the system to shut
down in the event of
rainfall. The second is a
device used to protect the
interior of an automobile
from rain and to support
the automatic mode of
windscreen wipers.

8. Soil Moisture P EC ● Soil moisture sensors

Sensor measure the volumetric
water content in soil. They
measure the volumetric
water content indirectly by
using some other property
of the soil, such as
electrical resistance,
dielectric constant, or
interaction with neutrons,
as a proxy for the moisture
content.
 ● It is used in agriculture,
landscape irrigation, and
for research purposes.

9. Phototransistor A PC ● The phototransistor is a

device that operates by
converting incoming
photons to electrons in the
base of a bipolar
transistor. As for any such
transistor, the base current
causes a larger collector-
emitter current to flow,
which is detected by a
circuit.

● It is used for Punch-card

readers, security systems,
encoders, IR detectors for
photos, electric controls,
computer logic, circuitry.
Relays, lighting control,
level indication, and
counting systems.

10. Water Flow P EC ● Water flow sensors are

Sensor installed at the water
source or pipes.

● It is used to measure the

rate of flow of water and
calculate the amount of
water flowed through the
pipe.

11. Heartbeat P EC ● Heartbeat Sensor is an

Sensor electronic device that is
used to measure the heart
rate.

● It is commonly used in
hospitals and can be found
in smart watches and
phones, chest straps, etc.

12. Alcohol Sensor P EC ● An alcohol sensor detects

the attentiveness of
 alcohol gas in the air and
an analog voltage is an
output reading.

● It is used for monitoring air

quality, detecting harmful
gases, domestic air
pollution, industrial
pollution, and portable air
pollution detection.

13. Color Sensor A EC ● A color sensor is a type of

"photoelectric sensor"
which emits light from a
transmitter, and then
detects the light reflected
back from the detection
object with a receiver.

● It can recognize and detect

colors and has many good
new features in
comparison with other
color sensors. It is
adequate for colorimeter
measurement applications,
such as medical diagnosis,
color printing, computer
color monitor calibration,
and cosmetics, paint,
textile and the process
control of printing
materials.

14. PIR Sensor P EC ● A passive infrared sensor

is an electronic sensor that
measures infrared light
radiating from objects in its
field of view.

● It is most often used in

PIR-based motion
detectors. PIR sensors are
commonly used in security
alarms and automatic
lighting applications.

15. Gas Sensor P EC ● A gas detector is a device

that detects the presence
of gases in an area, often
 as part of a safety system.

● This type of equipment is

used to detect a gas leak
or other emissions and can
interface with a control
system so a process can
be automatically shut
down.

16. Smoke Sensor P EC ● A smoke detector is a

device that senses smoke,
typically as an indicator of
fire.

● It automatically senses the

presence of smoke, as a
key indication of fire, and
sounds a warning to
building occupants. They
are also commonly found
in homes to corporate
buildings.

17. LM 35 P PC ● LM35 is a temperature

Temperature measuring device having
Sensor an analog output voltage
proportional to the
temperature.

● It is used to measure
temperature with an
electrical output
proportional to the
temperature (in °C). It can
measure temperature
more accurately than a
using a thermistor

18. IR Receiver A/P PC ● An infrared receiver, or IR

receiver, is hardware that
sends information from an
infrared remote control to
another device by
receiving and decoding
signals. This code is then
used in order to convert
signals from the remote
control into a format that
 can be understood by the
other device.

● They are used in remote

controls but they can be
found in other devices too.

19. LDR Light P PC ● An LDR is a component

Sensor that has a (variable)
resistance that changes
with the light intensity that
falls upon it. This allows
them to be used in light
sensing circuits.

● It can be used for lighting

switch and camera shutter
control.

20. Humidity P EC ● A humidity sensor is a

Sensor device that detects and
measures water vapor.

● They are found as part of

home heating, ventilating
and air conditioning
systems (HVAC systems).
These are also used in
offices, cars, humidors,
museums, industrial
spaces and greenhouses
and are also used in
meteorology stations to
report and predict the
weather.

21. Flex Sensor P PC ● A flex sensor or bend

sensor is a sensor that
measures the amount of
deflection or bending.
Usually, the sensor is
stuck to the surface, and
resistance of the sensor
element is varied by
bending the surface.

● It is used in wide areas of

research from computer
interfaces, rehabilitation,
security systems and even
 music interfaces. It is also
famous among students
and hobbyists.

22. Touch Sensor A/P PC ● Touch Sensors are the

electronic sensors that can
detect touch. They offer an
intuitive user interface.

● These sensors are used in

lamps, touch screens of
the mobile, etc…

23. Solar Cell Light P EC ● Solar Cell Light Sensor

Sensor converts light energy into
DC electrical energy in
voltage or current.

● It is commonly used in
calculators and satellites.

24. Metal Detector A/P EC ● A metal detector is an

electronic instrument that
detects the presence of
metal nearby.

● They are used in finding

metal inclusions hidden
within objects, or metal
objects buried
underground.

25. Real Time P PC ● A real time clock sensor is

Clock Sensor an electronic device (most
often in the form of an
integrated circuit) that
measures the passage of
time.

● The purpose of an RTC or

a real time clock is to
provide precise time and
date which can be used for
various applications. RTC
 is an electronic device in
the form of an Integrated
Chip (IC) available in
various packaging options.
It is powered by an internal
lithium battery.

26. Vibration P/V PC ● The vibration sensor is

Sensor also called a piezoelectric
sensor. These sensors are
flexible devices which are
used for measuring
various processes.

● They are used for

measuring the changes
within acceleration,
pressure, temperature,
force otherwise strain by
changing to an electrical
charge.

Questions:
1. Differentiate sensors from transducers.
● Both a sensor and a transducer are used to sense a change within the environment
they are surrounded by or an object they are attached to, but, a sensor will give an
output in the same format and a transducer will convert the measurement into an
electrical signal.

2. Identify 5 different types of sensors not listed in figure 1.

● Proximity Sensor
● Tilt Sensor
● Leak Sensor
● Flaw Sensor
● Force Sensor