218 part | II Mechanical Measurements sensors have the property of not only being very small in comparison with their standard technology predecessors but also of having very low power consumption, which makes them attractive for battery operation. They are also becom- ing much easier to manufacture at low cost, which makes the vision of honeywell's david Kaufman of "lick-and-stick sensors" closer to a reality. 18.5 mems sensors today in 2009, there are MEMS technology sensors for pressure, temperature, viscosity, and such analytical measurements as ph, oRP, REdoX, and even complex chemical compounds. For example, Figure 18.2 shows a MEMS pressure trans- mitter from Turck inc. Notice how small and lightweight it seems compared to more traditional pressure transmitter designs. Turck claims a lower price as well. in 2006, BiodE, later the SenGenuity division of vec- tron international, introduced a MEMS and nanotechnology device for the measurement of viscosity. This solid-state sensor used a technology called acoustic wave technology to produce an online viscometer with no moving parts and, according to the company, requiring only minimal main- tenance and calibration. in the future, automation professionals should expect to see many more MEMS- and nanotechnology-based products for sensors and perhaps also for other devices. Nanotechnology expert and former digital Equipment Corp. and Compaq Fellow Jeffrey R. harrow has theorized on "smart" materials that can be bonded to the surface of a vessel and that will provide a digitized "window" into the vessel, complete with metadata on composition, perfor- mance algorithms, and control functions. 3 The technology of small machines will have a significant impact on automa- tion in the 21st century. fIgure 18.2 MEMS Pressure Sensor. Courtesy of Turck inc. fIgure 18.3 MEMS viscosity Sensor. Courtesy of SenGenuity. 3. www.controlglobal.com/articles/2007/252.html