Abstract
Micro technology is an emerging high-tech field, which has opened up a billion- dollar market for such products as combined read-write heads for hard disk storage, ink printer heads, laser systems for compact discs or integrated optical components for communications applications. Now the use of micro devices has spread to the automobile industry, where micro sensors for monitoring and control of the engine and the chassis and for the improvement of driving safety and comfort are gaining in popularity, becoming more the rule than the exception. Nowadays the use of micro sensors to support driving safety is the state of the art: ESP systems are built into our cars to improve roadability, airbag sensors help protect us from serious head injury, proximity sensors warn us when we get too close for comfort, and rain sensors aid us in poor weather conditions. In 1996, sales of micro devices added up to more than $12 bn, with revenues for 2002 predicted to soar to well over $30 bn according to a study carried out by Nexus (VDI Bulletin No. 28, July 16, 1999). Actually an update of this study is planned to include new micro products and to correct the market growth rate which is now expected to be higher than 18% as calculated in 1998 due to new products (http://www.nexus-emsto.com/NEXUS/taskforce.html).
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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Schmidt, M. et al. (2001). Using Micro Devices in Automotive Applications. In: Krueger, S., Gessner, W. (eds) Advanced Microsystems for Automotive Applications 2001. VDI-Buch. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18253-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18253-2_2
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