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Consumer Electronics Daily News 2 9 Friday, January 12, 2018 Healthcare Analytics Start-Up Sensio AIR Wins CES 2018 Innovation Award Healthcare analytics start-up Sensio AIR has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Award Honoree for its Sensio AIR aller- gen tracking device. Judged by a panel of independent industrial designers, engi- neers and members of the trade media Sensio AIR has been presented with a title previously awarded to HP, Lenovo and Dell to name a few. For this year's edition of CES, the panel selected the most outstanding, cut- ting-edge consumer products showcased across 28 different categories, with Sensio AIR receiving the award for the 'Tech for a Better World' category. Having battled asthma and aller- gies all their lives, husband and wife co-founders Cyrille Najjar and Dr. Eve Tamraz Najjar decided to tackle an unresolved issue, all while highlight- ing the significance of preventive healthcare. On a mission to reveal invisible, potentially life-threatening airborne particles, they developed the first patented sensor capable of identi- fying and tracking them. Talking about the reasons behind the company's mis- sion, Cyrille Najjar, Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder of Sensio AIR said, "Air quality is a challenge to understand – even for some of the world's most prominent regulatory committees, like WHO or EPA. We took it upon ourselves to link asthma and pollution in order to highlight the impact air quality can have on asthma and allergy sufferers – and we've done so by focusing on the preventative and predictive aspects," he explained. Dr. Eve Tamraz Najjar, CSO and co-Founder of Sensio AIR commented on the recognition by CES. "We are very honored to have won such an esteemed award," she said. "The acknowledgement gives credit to all the hard work completed in-house so far, and gives us the motivation and means to push the product in the U.S. market. This validation from CES enables us to project the significance of asthma and allergy prevention on a larger scale, and therefore change the way respiratory conditions are dealt with in the US and the rest of the world," she concluded. About Sensio AIR After two years of research, Sensio AIR was born: a patented allergen tracking device made with a unique technology able to detect and identify airborne parti- cles. The product also provides users with tailored feedback and encourages them to take the necessary steps towards achieving a cleaner, healthier living envi- ronment. If users already possess a smart home automation system, Sensio AIR will instantly connect to the installed network. Sensio AIR boasts a unique sensor that uses the very latest in remote detec- tion technology. Ultimately, this permits the user to request particle identification data from the comfort of their own home. Mitsubishi Electric Introduces Robust Driver Monitoring System Mitsubishi Electric, a leading manufac- turer of in-vehicle entertainment, navi- gation systems and advanced driver- assistance systems (ADAS) technolo- gies, announced that it has developed the first in-vehicle monitoring system with a single wide-angle camera to detect both the driver and front passen- ger simultaneously. Conventional in-vehicle monitoring systems generally use a single camera to analyze the driver's face for drowsiness or distraction. More recent imaging sys- tems monitor the driver as well as the front passenger, but require several cam- eras. Mitsubishi Electric has refined this concept by developing a technology that uses just one wide-angle camera to iden- tify both the face and hand gestures of driver and front passenger. This allows OEMs to offer a range of safety and per- sonalization features at a lower cost. "Monitoring both front-seat occu- pants not only lets us check driver-centric safety behavior, but also allows us to sup- port additional gesture inputs for in-cab systems such as climate control or audio," says Mark Vogel, Senior Product Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America. "Providing a mix of safety and convenience features within the same monitoring system is critical as the line between those disci- plines continue to blur." With features in development to mon- itor upper body position and detect slump- ing or collapsing, this technology may soon be able to identify medical emergen- cies, such as a heart attack or stroke. In such circumstances, the vehicle could take immediate action by dialing emergency services or even rerouting to a nearby hos- pital. Active safety monitoring systems like this will become especially important as we evolve toward the self-driving car. About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation With over 90 years of experience in pro- viding reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a rec- ognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communica- tions, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. LoveHandle Wins Phone Grip Challenge We've all seen the huge variety of smart- phone grips, knobs and rings parading on the backs of smartphones and cases these days, but which one is the best all-around consumer choice? A recent survey asked users to try each one and rank their favorite based on overall functionality. Here are the results: 1. LoveHandle – The clear winner for function and comfort, LoveHandle passed the pocket-friendly test as the lowest-profile grip in the group. The thin profile also allowed it to operate with wireless charging, unlike some of its thicker and all metal competition. Reviewers liked its use of a softer elastic grip surface instead of hard plastic or metal, but promptly commented on how comfortable it is to securely hold the phone with just a fingertip. 2. Metal Rings – Coming in second place in the survey were the variety of swiveling metal rings that boast grip and stand functionality. While these rigid ver- sions did offer a reliable grip when worn as a ring on the user's finger, they did not score well in the comfort category. Some reviewers commented that the ring was somewhat uncomfortable and was not really a one-size-fits-all product. 3. Expanding Circles – These round expandable knobs are a current pop cul- ture fad among young teens and middle- school lunchrooms. However, reviewers said they lack the basic utili- ty of offering a reliable and comfortable grip for the phone. Large and bulky, many survey respondents complained that the knob would get hung on their pocket or purse when putting their phone away. On the comfort rankings, the pop- ping circles scored low as well due to the way it is held precariously between your fingers and constantly requires an active grip to prevent phone drops. Young reviewers still gave high marks for the addictive fidget-like quali- ties of popping and collapsing these expanding grips just for fun, though. It doesn't seem like the smartphone is going anywhere in the near future, so all of these grip accessories will have a piece of a growing market. However, its quite likely that fads will give way to function as mature consumers have the opportunity to try each of the cur- rent available solutions and decide which one works best for their needs. For more information, visit www .lovehandle.com or email sales@ lovehandle.com. Versatile Inertial Sensors for Tomorrow's Autonomous Vehicles By Ville Nurmiainen, Business Development Manager at Murata Americas In autonomous vehicles, it is important to know not only what is around the vehi- cle, but also the accurate position on the road. GPS can be used for localization, but it has certain limitations. At slow speeds, the heading determination is challenging and in an urban environment, the GPS signal can be blocked or have interference from buildings. Autonomous vehicles must rely on an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU provides a continuous stream of data related to the vehicle's linear acceleration on three principle axes and rotation parameters – pitch, roll and heading. When this data is fused with the GPS signal, localization accu- racy and robustness against external disturbance can be improved signifi- cantly. Where most autonomous concept cars today use expensive fiber optic gyro (FOG) technology, Murata – as a per- formance leader in MEMS sensors – has the technology to bring the high perform- ance IMU cost down to acceptable levels so that it can be used in the mass produc- tion of autonomous vehicles. Murata is a major supplier of automotive inertial sensor products that are qualified to be used in safety critical applications. Murata's gyro and accelerometer technology, based on 3-D MEMS, feature: excellent performance even in harsh and vibrat- ing environments; superior perform- ance over wide temperature range; advanced failure diagnostics, digitally activated self-test, memory parity or check sum check and continuous con- nection failure detection; and can sup- port any mounting orientation. Over the past few years, combo sen- sors are gaining traction. Just as MEMS technology reduces costs of high per- formance sensors dramatically, combo sensors could further lower the cost and footprint by combining the two sensors into one package with a sin- gle ASIC. Typically, com- bos are being used in elec- tronic stability control, but can be used also to support autonomous driving. Murata is a global market leader in inertial sensors for ADAS applications. The company's sensor offerings will continue to evolve in the marketplace — from road safety improvement to user interface applications that further take advantage of its vast expertise in high-performance inertial sensor tech- nology. For more information, visit Murata's meet- ing space at #MP26151, South Hall 2.