Sensor
A Sensor is a device that detects or measures a physical property — such as temperature, humidity, pressure, location, motion, vibration, light or the opening of a door — and converts it into an electronic signal or data that a system can read. Sensors are the “senses” of the Internet of Things, the input devices that turn real-world conditions into digital information.
In logistics and shipping, sensors are everywhere data is needed: temperature and humidity sensors monitor reefer containers and cold-chain cargo; GPS and location sensors track assets; shock and tilt sensors detect rough handling; and vibration, pressure and temperature sensors on ship machinery feed condition-based maintenance. A sensor's readings are typically gathered by a microcontroller, sent via a gateway and protocols to cloud or edge systems, and analysed to produce alerts and insight. Sensors are the foundational data source of IoT-enabled visibility, monitoring and automation, and their counterpart — the actuator — acts back on the physical world. Reliable sensing is the starting point of any connected, data-driven logistics operation.
Every insight in a connected supply chain starts with a sensor — the device that turns a real-world condition (a reefer's temperature, a container's location, an engine's vibration) into data a system can act on. Sensors are the senses of IoT, and the quality of monitoring, alerts and predictive maintenance all depend on them. They are where data-driven logistics begins.
What do sensors measure in logistics?
Temperature, humidity, location, motion, shock, tilt, pressure and vibration — for cold-chain monitoring, asset tracking and machinery condition.
What is the difference between a sensor and an actuator?
A sensor detects a physical property and inputs data; an actuator acts on the physical world, such as opening a valve or driving a motor.