For the writing assignment, students will research, draft, and complete a 3,500-word formal research paper on the assigned topic (found below). The research paper must consist of discussion covering the topic’s background, technical details, and the topic’s impact in economic, environmental, societal, and global contexts. The paper must be supported by and incorporate primary sources, all of which must be appropriately cited in-text and in the paper’s bibliography. The paper must follow the IEEE style guide.
Sensors are electronic devices that convert outside world signals, including temperature, motion, pressure, etc., to electrical signals to be used in processors. Sensors come in a variety of forms and sizes, and are built into integrated circuits and operate using semiconductors. Applications of the sensors can be found in many industries. Sensors in transportation, such as electrical vehicles, airplanes, and trains, play a significant role in people’s lives and their transportation needs and help save energy. A number of processes are involved in realizing a sensor and its circuit.
Compose an essay on the current state of sensor technologies in transportation. Identify a transportation industry that utilizes sensors, and assess the current state of this important technology therein. Explain how the products produced by that industry operate and function, and evaluate how sensors have been implemented in the respective industry. Trace the ways in which sensor has developed and evolved over the years, as well as the ways in which this technology could develop into the future.