Market Trends of US Optical Sensors Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the US Optical Sensors market according to our research experts:
Photoelectric Sensor is Expected to Register a Significant Growth
These sensors have been recognized for their robust use in the industrial automation marketplace, owing to their high precision in detecting objects. These sensors have found a rising integration into a wide range of automated machinery, mainly for non–contact detections and measurements, including counting, monitoring, conveyor mechanisms, transport systems, machine tools, and across assembly lines.
According to Control Global Magazine, some of the leading automation vendors in the region include Emerson, Rockwell, ABB, Fortive, Schneider Electric, Siemens, etc. Emerson had a sales revenue of USD 5.27 Billion in the year 2020, followed by Rockwell Automation with a sales revenue of USD 3.72 Billion in 2020.
With a greater inclination toward employing robotics and automation through Industry 4.0, there is a pressing need for precision in operations. Thus, driving the need for photoelectric sensors. The packaging, material handling, and automotive industries have emphasized the need for photoelectric sensors, owing to their collaboration of IIoT with Big Data and the reliance on data from smart sensors.
This rising trend in sectors, ranging from packaging (the growth of automated warehouses) to manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals to food and beverages, is set to augment the growth of the market over the forecast period.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of warehouses in the United States has been growing at an increasing rate every year, reaching 19,190 in 2020. Forbes survey with 48 respondents also showed that one-third of respondents plan to invest in conveyors or automatic sortation facilities in the next 12 months.
Usage of optical sensors in Industrial and Automotive applications are expected to drive the growth of the market
Optical sensors are increasingly used in driver assistance systems for lane-keeping assistants, parking assistants, and emergency brake assistant systems. The sensors, based on LEDs and infrared lasers, are one of the primary technologies for advanced driver assistance systems to reduce the burden on the driver gradually.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), In 2020, approximately 2.2 million automobiles were produced in the United States, which has decreased a lot due to the covid-19 pandemic. However, this number is expected to increase in the forecasted period, which can fuel the growth of the market. Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), almost 13.4 million motor vehicles were produced in North America in 2020.
Sensors based on infrared lasers are also witnessing a rising integration into a wide range of automated machinery primarily for non-contact detection, such as monitoring conveyor systems, transport systems, and assembly lines. The application of optical sensors in the automotive industry is considerably growing, especially with the usage of image sensors due to the advancement of technology. The image sensors growth in the automotive industry is estimated to grow rapidly due to its extensive image applications in the automotive sector.
In January 2020, ams AG, a worldwide supplier of sensor solutions, launched the CMOS Global Shutter Sensor (CGSS) Near Infrared (NIR) image sensor, CGSS130, that enables 3D optical sensing applications such as face recognition, payment authentication, among others. The CGSS130 sensor has high quantum efficiency at NIR wavelength up to 40% at 940nm and 50% at 850nm. The stacked BSI process used to fabricate the sensors offer a small footprint of 3.8mm*4.2mm.
The sensor produces monochrome images with an effective pixel array of 1080H × 1280V at a maximum frame rate of 120 frames/s. In addition, it offers a high dynamic range (HDR) mode of more than 100dB. The CGSS130 is 4times more sensitive to NIR wavelengths and reliably detects reflections from very low-power IR emitters in 3D sensing systems. The sensor is used for 3D sensing technologies such as Active Stereo Vision, Time-of-flight, and Structured Ligh.
