(IJCH) The Wonderful World of MEMS - Introduction

IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)

From the Author

Salutations.

I am JaiChai.

And if I haven't had the pleasure to make your acquaintance, it's always nice to meet a fellow Steemian.

Glucose monitoring and delivery system.

Unseen But Ubiquitous

Machines smaller than a human hair with moving parts, micro channels to guide the flow of fluids or frequencies of light and sensors to measure inertia are already hidden in our laptops, smartphones, automobiles, inkjet printers and medical devices.

They are so tiny that they are governed more by surface science and atomic physical properties than gravity and macro inertia.

All this is possible with MEMS.

The term MEMS stands for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. And it's poised to be a driving force in all our future technology.

MEMS Market Capitalization

In 2015, MEMS market capitalization was $11.9 billion.

Conservative estimates project the MEMS market to reach at least $20 billion by 2021. - Yole Development.

Literally thousands of private companies and university labs are working on the next wave of tiny, miracle machines.

https://epsnews.com/2016/06/14/mems-market-steady-growth-lower-asps-ahead/

The Basics

MEMS integrates sensors, electronics, actuators and micro channels - at micro-resolution sizes - on a common plate (usually a silicon substrate, but other substrates like the more expensive germanium has been used in the past).

Lab on a chip.

The technology has already produced amazing devices such as E-noses (mechanical devices that sense poisonous gases), micro-electric glucose control systems, billion sensor light arrays, complete clinical laboratories on a chip and super-sensitive, micro-gyroscopes.

Military insect drone.

On the horizon are more advanced insect-sized surveillance drones (http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/14/tech/mci-drone-robohawk-robofly/index.html) self-replicating MEMS and micro-implants for siezure patients.

Depending on the response to this post, I will craft additional, more in depth articles on the Wonderful World of MEMS.

By JaiChai

Many thanks for reading my post. And if you enjoyed it, please: Upvote, Follow, Comment and Resteem.

- JaiChai "My mind was a terrible thing to waste..."

About the Author

JaiChai has been in the Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency spaces for many years. He is an enigma, regarded by his cohorts as sarcastic, funny, intuitive, but most of all - elusive. He’s known for randomly submitting philosophical and contrarian posts on most forums.

JaiChai alternates long dormant periods with concentrated episodes of frenzied commentary - only to go silent again.

When asked about his vanishing acts, he says, "I’m just somebody who enjoys being nobody because I look like everybody. Besides, time checking things off my 'bucket list’ - sans notoriety - is time well spent.”

Parting Shot -

Any questions about MEMS I could clear up?