MIG Invites CE OEMs and Integrators to "Sensors and MEMS Technology" at 2015 International CES

PITTSBURGH, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2014) - MEMS Industry Group (MIG)'s conference track at the 2015 International CES®, "Sensors and MEMS Technology presented by MEMS Industry Group," gives consumer electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and embedded systems integrators an inside look at sensors and MEMS -- the component technology integral to wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Enabled by micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors, sensor hubs/SoCs, sensor fusion, low-power wireless connectivity, and specialized software development platforms, wearables represent one of the fastest-growing market segments in consumer electronics. And according to IHS Technology(i), shipments of sensors used in wearables will grow seven-fold from 2013-2019, from 67 million units to 466 million units.

"Wearables are poised to grow on a massive scale but the challenge and opportunity for consumer electronics OEMs and integrators is to sow the seeds of brand dominance while the market is still emerging," said Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS Industry Group. "Many wearable applications require multi-axis motion sensing, environmental sensing, hardware and software sensor fusion, and other MEMS- and sensors-based functionality. Understanding how to leverage this functionality to best advantage will differentiate the truly successful from the rest of the increasingly crowded pack."

Conference Agenda

• Welcome and Opening Remarks -- Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS Industry Group
  
  
• Challenging Developers to "Make it Wearable" -- At 2014 CES, Intel launched its "Make it Wearable" development challenge to "encourage innovation in wearable technology and help create new connected experiences." Steven Holmes will share some of the most compelling new developments arising from the challenge.
  
  Speaker: Steven Holmes, vice president - New Devices Group & General Manager - Smart Device Innovation, Intel Corporation
   
  
• Transforming Wearables through Bluetooth Smart -- power efficiency is more important to wearables than to any other product category, including smartphones. Bluetooth Low Energy fulfills a critical requirement for low-power wireless connectivity in wearables, enabling new applications for remote controls, watches, and healthcare/wellness equipment.
  
  Speaker: Vincent Gao, technical program manager, Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)
   
  
• Beyond Audio with Biometric Earbuds -- the ear is the best place in the body for biometric measurement, say some sensor design firms. And they are embedding tiny optomechanical sensor modules in earbuds to prove it. Biometric earbuds will change gaming, performance coaching and fitness training.
  
  Speaker: Dr. Steven F. LeBoeuf, president, Valencell, Inc.
   
  
• Wearables: A Very Real Market Opportunity -- market analysts are closely following the market for wearables -- but predictions on market size as well as the next 'killer app' beyond fitness & activity monitors vary greatly. Top market analysts will predict market trends and opportunities in wearables.
  
  Panelists to date: Marwan Boustany, senior analyst for MEMS and Sensors in Mobile and Consumer Technology, IHS Technology; Jim Feldhan, president, Semico Research; Kevin Harwood, consulting architect, Mutual Mobile; and Seppo Nissila, CEO & managing director, SilverBlip
  
  
• MEMS and Sensors for a Smart IoT -- MEMS and sensors are the bedrock of a smart Internet of Things (IoT) -- spanning consumer, automotive, medical and industrial markets. Panelists will discuss how improved sensing technologies, smaller form factors and more integration will help unleash the considerable opportunities predicted for the IoT.
  
  Moderator: Bruce Kellerman, senior director - product marketing -Semiconductor Materials, SunEdison
  
  Panelists to date: David Allan, president, Virtuix; John Hoye, director, partnerships, Evernote Corporation; Mark Ireland, vice president, Semiconductor Products and Services, IBM; and Charlene Marini, vice president of marketing - Embedded Segments, ARM
  
  
• Waiting for the Holy Grail for Data -- with the next breakthrough in health sensors, consumers are poised to generate the holy grail of medical research: clinically accurate, contextual and continuous data. These sensors collect 400,000 vital signs per person, per day, creating an unprecedented opportunity to understand health.
  
  Speaker: David He, CTO, Quanttus
  
  
• The Dynamic Duo: Wearables and People Analytics --- wearables have a long history as an integral part of the workplace, but their real power comes from the behavioral data they generate. Pairing data from wearables with micro-level outcome data enables true people analytics: online-style behavioral analysis and A/B testing in the real world at an unprecedented scale.
  
  Speaker: Ben Waber, president & CEO, Sociometric Solutions
  
  
• Getting to Low Power and Maximum Functionality through Sensor Fusion -- consumers demand greater functionality in smaller, more power-efficient wearables. With diverse approaches -- hardware/software sensor fusion, integrated 'sensor hubs' or some combination thereof -- how can consumer OEMs and embedded systems integrators take full advantage of MEMS and sensors for wearable devices?
  
  Panelists: Behrooz Abdi, president and CEO, InvenSense; Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and general manager, Bosch Sensortec; Becky Oh, board of directors, PNI Sensor Corp.; Timothy Saxe, CTO, QuickLogic; and Benedetto Vigna, executive vice president and general manager, Analog, MEMS & Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics

Visit MIG on the Show Floor
The MIG booth is in a space dedicated to sensors- and MEMS-enabled products, featuring everything from gesture recognition and augmented reality to eye-tracking technology. Co-exhibitors to date feature: Cinder Solutions, PNI Sensor Corp., QuickLogic and ZMDI. Booth sponsors include: Akustica, Bosch Automotive Electronics and Bosch Sensortec GmbH.
The MIG booth is located in Tech West, Sands Expo, Level 2, Booth 72032 and will be open January 6-9, 2015 during 2015 CES exhibition hours.

Conference Registration Information
MIG's full-day conference "Sensors and MEMS Technology," will be held January 6, 2015 from 9-4:30 p.m., and will be followed by an onsite reception for speakers and conference-session attendees. The post-conference reception is sponsored by Mutual Mobile, PNI Sensor Corp. and SPEC Sensors.

'Sensors and MEMS Technology' will take place in Venetian, Level 1, Marco Polo 702. MIG members receive a 25% discount. Please contact Chivonne Hyppolite via email, chyppolite@memsindustrygroup.org, to receive the coupon code to register.

About MEMS Industry Group
MEMS Industry Group (MIG) is the trade association advancing MEMS and sensors across global markets. More than 170 companies comprise MIG, including Analog Devices, Applied Materials, ARM, Bosch, Broadcom, Freescale Semiconductor, GE, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, HP, IBM, Infineon, Intel, InvenSense, Lenovo, OMRON Electronic Components, Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics, SunEdison, Texas Instruments and TSMC. For more information, visit: www.memsindustrygroup.org.

MEMS Industry Group and the MEMS Industry Group logo are registered trademarks of MEMS Industry Group. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

(i) IHS Technology's "MEMS & Sensors for Wearables Report"