Ultrasonic sensing technology is undergoing a pivotal transformation: shifting from traditional piezoelectric ceramic transducers toward innovation based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Within this evolution, Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) have emerged as a core direction in sensor development, distinguished by their miniaturization, low power consumption, and high integration capabilities.
Among these, PMUT sensor featuring a 180° "panoramic" field of view represent the cutting-edge breakthroughs and future trends in this field.
Breaking Visual Boundaries: The Revolutionary Power of PMUT
The rapid advancement of PMUT technology has given rise to ultrasonic sensors possessing a hemispherical (180°) field of view. This is not merely a simple expansion of perspective; its core lies in:
Precision Vibration of Piezoelectric Films
Piezoelectric thin films fabricated using silicon-based micromachining processes vibrate efficiently under electrical excitation, transmitting and receiving high-frequency ultrasonic waves.
Wide-Angle Beamforming
Unique sensor structural design and acoustic optimization enable ultrasonic energy to be effectively radiated and received within a 180° hemispherical space, breaking through the limitations of the narrow conical field of view typical of traditional ultrasonic sensors.
Acoustic "Panoramic" Perception: A single sensor can achieve near-blind-spot-free environmental acoustic imaging, significantly reducing the number of sensors required and the overall system complexity.
Unlocking Key Scenarios with 180° Field of View
This exceptionally wide field of view endows PMUT with unprecedented capabilities, solving core pain points across multiple domains:
Industrial Automation:The Guardian of Omnidirectional Perception
Revolution in Mobile Robot Obstacle Avoidance & Navigation
Robots no longer rely on stitching together "views" from multiple sensors. A single 180° PMUT covers a large area around the robot body, detecting obstacles, personnel, or equipment approaching from the sides or diagonally behind in real-time, significantly enhancing transit safety and efficiency in complex, dynamic environments.
Human-Robot Collaboration Safety Upgrade
In collaborative robot work cells, wide-angle ultrasound forms an encircling safety monitoring field, providing blind-spot-free perception of human operator positions and movements. This ensures safety shutdowns can be triggered by unexpected intrusions from any direction, building truly reliable human-robot coexistence environments.
Intelligent Spatial Occupancy Monitoring
In scenarios like warehouses and factories, wide-angle PMUT mounted overhead can precisely monitor storage status on shelves, equipment locations, etc., within large areas below, optimizing space utilization and management.
Service Robots: The Perceiver of Complex Environments
Leap in Autonomous Navigation & Scene Understanding
Household or commercial service robots require only a few wide-angle PMUT to build a model of their surrounding environment. In homes cluttered with furniture or crowded restaurants, they can accurately detect table/chair legs, low-lying obstacles (e.g., pets, toys), walls, and pedestrians, enabling smarter, smoother autonomous movement and obstacle avoidance.
Close-Range Interaction Safety Assurance
When robots perform delivery tasks or approach humans, the wide field of view ensures they "perceive" users approaching from all directions, preventing accidental collisions and enhancing interaction safety and experience.
Smart Terminals: The Perceptual Foundation for Intelligent Interaction
Presence Sensing & Scene Intelligence
The wide-angle detection capability makes PMUT excellent room-level presence sensors, accurately determining occupant positions, movement trajectories, etc. This provides core perceptual input for smart lighting, climate control, security, and more, driving true environmental intelligence.
Dimensional Upgrade in Gesture Recognition
Wide-angle PMUT integrated into smart speakers, TVs, or AR/VR devices can support more natural, larger-scale 3D gesture control. Users no longer need precise alignment with the device; gestures (like waving, grabbing, swiping) performed within the broad space in front of the sensor can be accurately captured and recognized, enabling revolutionary interaction experiences.
The 180° field-of-view PMUT sensor is ushering in a "panoramic" era of spatial perception. As MEMS technology and AI algorithms continue to evolve, its applications will broaden further, laying a solid foundation for building general-purpose embodied AI systems and driving human-machine collaboration toward a safer, more efficient new era.
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