STMicroelectronics have just announced the launch of a new height sensor they’ve developed. The LPS001WP is a tiny silicon pressure sensor that uses an advanced technology to provide extremely high resolution measurement of pressure – and therefore also altitude – in an ultra-compact and thin package. Since it’s so tiny, it will be able to be used in watches, smartphones and other portable equipment which would benefit from such measurements. Paired with a GPS device, users will be able to locate where they are in three dimensions- if someone was trapped in a building and sent out their location with the GPS and the LPS001WP sensor- we’d be able to detect the building as well as the floor that the device was in. Talk about useful! The pressure sensor will be made available from December 2010, so don’t expect to see them in phones until next year. What other uses for a pressure/height sensor can you think of?
