sensore

A sensor, or sensore in Italian, is a device that detects physical, chemical, or biological properties and converts them into signals that can be measured or analyzed. A sensor typically comprises a sensing element that responds to a stimulus and a transducer that converts this response into an electrical, optical, or other output signal. The produced signal may be analog or digital.

Common categories include temperature sensors (thermistors, RTDs), pressure sensors, proximity sensors, position sensors, optical sensors (photodiodes, cameras), acoustic sensors, humidity sensors, chemical sensors, and biosensors. They operate by various transduction principles, including resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, inductive, optoelectronic, and electrochemical conversion.

A sensor system typically includes a sensing element, a transducer, and signal conditioning electronics, sometimes integrated with power management and data communication. Performance is described by sensitivity, measurement range, resolution, accuracy, linearity, response time, hysteresis, and environmental stability such as temperature drift.

Applications span consumer electronics, automotive systems, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, and medical devices. The field has evolved from early thermometers and galvanic sensors to modern MEMS, nano-scale sensors, and wireless sensor networks, enabling pervasive data collection and autonomous monitoring.