SLI Ltd. (2008-12)

Title: Wireless MEMS sensor platforms
Research Engineer: Mu Fang
Sponsor: SLI Ltd., Livingston
Academic Supervision: Prof Rebecca Cheung, University of Edinburgh
Industrial Supervision: Dr Dominik Weiland and Dr Diarmuid O’Connell, SLI Ltd.

Background: Two emerging technologies that are rapidly changing the world in which we live are Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems [MEMS] and short-range wireless [RF] communications.

MEMS has been the technology at the core of airbag sensors and TI DLP displays for several years. In the last couple of years MEMS has moved into lower cost markets including games controllers (Wii), phones and the Segway scooter, where the technology enables cost effective motion control. This is the front edge of the MEMS wave which will move into many aspects of our lives, bringing with it many new and disruptive applications by enabling electronics to interact with the physical world.

The increasing ability to integrate greater numbers of transistors onto silicon has enabled more complex electronic systems to be realised. The end-result has been a lowering of costs for specific functions, facilitating the spread of wireless communications into every aspect of modern life. Wireless technologies such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G and the almost ubiquitous internet have made it practical to interact with a device at any time, and from anywhere.

Combining the ability of MEMS to interact with the physical world with the ability of RF to access that information remotely opens up a world of opportunities in environmental, structural, health and activity monitoring.

Project: While the combination of these technologies may appear straightforward there are many challenges to overcome in order to create an attractive and useable solution. The different technologies used for manufacturing have significantly different trade-offs and capabilities. Power source, power consumption and management are also challenges that will limit the applications which can be tackled.
The project will look at issues of combining these technologies to create a fully integrated device which combines MEMS functionality into an autonomously connected wireless platform.