214: Tiny Sensor Problems

Kristen Dorsey explained MEMS sensors: how do they work, how they are made, and what new ones we expect to see in the future.

Kristen's website is kristendorsey.com. She is a professor of engineering at Smith College and runs the MicroSmithie.

MEMS stands for microelectromechanical systems (Wiki). Used in some sensors, Galistan is a room-temp liquid with interesting properties (Wiki).

A few interesting MEMS applications:

• Micronium: a tiny resonator making music
• 2-stroke gas engine
• Pinball machine

One of Kristen's stretchy strain sensor, not MEMS (so you can see it)