Smart sensor systems for military and aerospace applications
Parul Raturi, Bijit Choudhuri, P. Chinnamuthu · 2023
The transformative advancement of sensor technology resulted in the evolution of smart sensors. Smart sensor systems consist of preliminary sensing units but with embedded intelligence. A smart sensor system picks input from the surrounding physical environment and, on detection of some specific inputs, performs predefined functions by using in-built resources. Defense and military systems include missiles, ships, military vehicles, spacecraft, drones, satellites, rockets, and marine systems. All of these systems work in harsh environments during normal and combat operations. Therefore, the application of the sensors in the military field depends not only on the ability of the sensors to fulfill the necessary action; however, nowadays, the security system relies on intelligent and smart sensor technologies for intelligence surveillance and combat operations. Some of the phenomena required to be sensed for military applications include sound, pressure, light, and electromagnetic waves resulting from explosions and gunfire. Thus, smart sensors became an integral part of military systems and the performance needs of all military equipment, vehicles, and related systems. At the beginning of this chapter, an introduction to conventional and smart sensors systems and their differences will be discussed. This section will be followed by the progressive development of smart sensors and their applications in various fields. The chapter’s primary focus will be to discuss the design of smart sensors for military and aerospace applications in a systematic manner.