“While the MEMS industry has traditionally been associated with automotive applications, the consumer market continues to gain ground as these tiny sensors become more sensitive and less expensive. The use of MEMS sensors in consumer electronics is forecast to grow from $355 million in 2005 to nearly $800 million in 2010, as more people rely on mobility and benefit from the improved ease-of-use interfaces that MEMS sensors provide.”
“At this point, it appears that handset manufacturers are still not convinced that MEMS sensors are worth spending the money necessary to create the device drivers needed, mostly because there's uncertainty about whether consumers will like MEMS-enabled features enough to pay more for them. As a result, these manufactures currently expect a total solution, one which MEMS sensor suppliers are unable to provide, nor can they do so on their own. Partnerships will be required, but those have their own issues.”
“We are entering an era where products will have an increasingly rich level of self-awareness; one that relies on interaction with the consumer and will be made possible by the use of various sensor technologies. This emergence of interactive intelligence will have a very real impact on every aspect of how we live, work and play.”
