Market expansion in automotive, semiconductor, and MEMS sensors
We will move towards linking SW services to sensors to differentiate HW.

The technologies expected to lead the 4th industrial revolution, such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and self-driving cars, are based on sensors. This is because they play a role in selectively collecting information from specific objects. Interest in advanced sensors, which are intelligent sensors that not only sense but also process information and integrate communication functions, is growing.

According to the POSRI report, the sensor market is expected to increase in demand across all sectors, centered around smart cars and smartphones. While a typical mobile phone used only two sensors, image and sound sensors, smartphones use more than 20 sensors per device. Accordingly, it is predicted that the era of 1 trillion sensors will arrive around 2025. The advanced sensor market is also expected to increase from 19% in 2010 to 49% in 2020.

PD Son Gwang-jun of the Korea Industrial Technology Assessment and Management Institute said, “In the past, semiconductors and MEMS sensors were mainly used in the information and communication and automobile industries, but when the era of intelligent advanced sensors comes, the markets in which they are used, such as robotics, automobiles, medical, environmental, and energy industries, will grow,” and explained the development direction of sensors in each core field of the 4th industrial revolution.

Smart devices include touch, touchless UI, motion, video, environment, and biometric sensors. Among them, research is being conducted on ultrasonic 3D fingerprint sensors and multi-biometric sensors to enhance security as fintech is combined. It is also expected that various UI, 3D, thermal imaging, and molecular scanner sensors will be added to integrate new services.

As the future automobiles enter the era of autonomous vehicles, the proportion of electric and eco-friendly vehicles will inevitably increase. Accordingly, it is expected that the direction will be toward sensors for integrated safety control systems, sensors for semi-autonomous driving systems, sensors for mobile office convenience systems linked to automobile wireless communication, sensors for ECO-ITS linked systems, and high-voltage/high-power large-capacity BMS sensors.

The healthcare field is trending toward personalized and preventive care. Here, as small size and low power are required, POCT (Point of Care Testing) and self-testing biosensor technology are becoming important. As a result, it is expected to develop into a type of sensor that is integrated with various biosensors such as optical/electrochemical non-invasive samples, health signals, and wearable devices.

Smart factories that will move toward customized production are expected to develop sensors that are tailored to unmanned automation, factory environments, and process equipment prediction and diagnosis. They are expected to move toward AI-based failure prediction and diagnosis sensors, air quality management sensors for workers’ work environments, and 3D recognition sensors.

PD Son said, “Intelligent collaborative robots are attracting attention. “With the advancement of artificial intelligence recognition technology, existing recognition sensors will be unified into a compact sensor module that integrates various measurement principles, can measure external impacts in a non-contact manner, and can perform multi-turn absolute measurements using an ultra-small absolute encoder,” he explained.

Drones are also expected to require multi-functional sensors due to the advancement of vision and recognition technology for autonomous flight. In order to be used for surveillance, photography, and transportation purposes, multi-fusion sensors that enable autonomous flight at medium- to long-range cruising speeds and composite navigation sensors that enable indoor positioning or non-GPS navigation are required.

Not only the direction of sensor development but also the market structure is expected to change. The existing competitive structure was a hardware battle between equipment manufacturers and parts manufacturers. With the entry of new software companies, specialized manufacturers, and user groups, it is expected that the 'manufacturing-service' strategy linking hardware with software will be strengthened.

Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) are expected to expand their contract manufacturing services targeting advanced sensor design companies to reduce costs, and in the case of MEMS sensors, the proportion of contract manufacturing will increase, which will be advantageous for foundries.

“User groups that have relied on sensor imports will commercialize solutions and open up markets based on their accumulated experience,” said Kim Young-hoon, a senior researcher at POSCO. “There will be an increasing number of cases where intangible asset solutions are combined with tangible sensors to commercialize them.”