CES 2025 in Las Vegas is just around the corner, featuring arguably the most diverse set of electronics at any single trade show and not just consumer-focused appliances and cars.
The microelectronics industry featured at CES includes MEMS and various sensors for cars and healthcare, a few that have been recently announced, although major companies like TI and TDK are holding off with some big news until Jan. 6, a day ahead of the official show opening.
In one exception, Japanese microdevice company Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) already said it plans to showcase a suite of its AgeTech sensor devices focused on applications to improve aging in place, a heathcare subset designed to meet the needs of an aging generation.
About 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, a trend AARP and others expect will continue through 2030. In other words, plenty of opportunity for makers of sensors-related apps. “Boomers aren’t scared of tech,” mused Gregg Rouse president of AKM’s US business unit in an interview with Fierce Electronics. “They’ve been using smartphones for a decade or more, so tech is not necessarily foreign to them. There’s a huge population in the aging bracket.”
By using mmWave radar and contactless monitoring, Rouse said AKM will feature three capabilities: a fall detection system, a battery-free smart diaper and infrared temperature sensors integrated into hearing aids, smart watches and earbuds. AKM is focused on high quality data to improve AI systems.
Fall detection is enabled with antennas combined into AKM’s AK5816 60 GHz mmWave radar transceiver. A demo at AKM’s booth is expected to show how the system recognizes a person’s fall, presence and movement without carmeras. The radar means a health care organization or retirement community could use the system to capture essential health indicators as anonymous data points. “They don’t lose privacy,” Rouse said.
The fall detection could be useful if a patient detected on the floor says they are “OK” but then doesn’t move for some time.
A battery-free smart diaper will also be on display. It is designed to detect the presence of urine, even just a few drops on an electrode. The moisture will generate a tiny burst of voltage, as little as 300 millivolts, which AKM amplifies through an ultra-low power boost converter (the AP4470L) to power the smart diaper without the need for a battery. The detection data can be sent to a caregiver using an AKM AK1595 Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter to initiate a diaper change to help reduce discomfort.
AKM has previously shown DC/DC converters for energy harvesting for use in various standalone applications.
The company also said it will show a wristband-based thermometer featuring the AK9757P infrared temperature sensor, at just 1.6 x 1.76 mm for integration into a smartwatches, earbuds and hearing aids. The ability to have continuous, non-invasive health monitoring with slight impact on battery life can be useful for women in detecting ovulation, Rouse said. “The way AI works best is with constant data that’s good quality,” he said.
AKM is part of Asahi Kasei Group, with 49,000 employees worldwide. The company’s CES booth is 54418 at the Venetian.