MEMS Accelerometers: Unique Devices with Multiple Personalities, According to ABI...

MEMS Accelerometers: Unique Devices with Multiple Personalities, According to ABI Research

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(Business Wire)--
MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometers have hit
the limelight in the past year, although most consumers are probably
quite unaware that they make the Nintendo Wii's motion-sensing remote
control and the Apple iPhone's self-orienting display possible. But
according to ABI Research senior analyst Douglas McEuen, these popular
products are only the high-profile advance wave of what will be a
rising tide of new and innovative uses for the tiny motion sensors.

"Other major game console manufacturers are following Nintendo's
lead in seeking accelerometer applications for their next-generation
products," he says. "But games are only one use for these specialized
devices. They are already widely used in automotive airbag systems
(where the high sales volume has helped drive down prices.) They can
measure vibration in industrial machinery; they are used in exercise
step-counters, and we will see them in growing numbers of other phones
and PDAs."

Recently, in an effort to improve shock-reducing designs,
researchers in the United States even fitted accelerometers to
football helmets in order to measure the impact when players collide.

A relative handful of manufacturers share this high-potential
market. A "big three" - Analog Devices, Freescale, and ST
Microelectronics - are joined by just a few others, including OKI
Semiconductor and Hitachi Metals America.

"In the very creative consumer electronics market," adds McEuen,
"the sky's the limit. The growth rate of this market will be
determined by the imaginations of designers as they think up
innovative and unexpected ways to incorporate accelerometers into new
devices. The arrival of another wildly popular consumer product that
sells large numbers worldwide could give this market a significant
boost."

A recent report from ABI Research, "MEMS Accelerometers"
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/MEMS_
Accelerometers) provides a detailed examination of MEMS accelerometer
technology and the requirements for competitive solutions, including
essential product capabilities. It includes an in-depth market
forecast that numerically tracks both positive and negative market
forces. The study concludes with profiles of key manufacturers and
early-adopting handset/CE vendors.

It is a component of three ABI Research Services, Consumer Video
Technologies
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Consumer_Video_
Technologies_Research_Service), Mobile Devices
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Mobile_Devices_Research_
Service), and Wireless Semiconductors
(http://www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Wireless_Semiconductors_
Service), which also include other Research Reports, Research Briefs,
Market Data, ABI Insights, an Online Database, ABI Vendor Matrices,
and analyst inquiry support.

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the
impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business
markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary
research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry
analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with
their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit
www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.

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exists.

ABI Research
Nicole Fabris, +1-516-624-2542
pr@abiresearch.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008