Fiber-optic sensors set for ‘impressive’ sales growth

20 Jun 2012

Gobal consumption of fiber-optic sensors will grow by 20% p.a. hitting $3.4 bn in 2016, says analyst ElectroniCast.

The consumption value of fiber optic point sensors and distributed fiber optic sensor system links will grow at an “impressive” average annual rate of 20.5% from $1.34 billion to $3.39 billion per year between 2011 and 2016.

ElectroniCast Consultants, Upper Lake, CA, US, a leading market/technology forecast consultancy, yesterday published its new market forecast and analysis of the global consumption of fiber optic sensors.

[Market forecast data refers to predicted consumption for a given calendar year; therefore, the data is not cumulative data.]

Monitoring and data transmission using fiber optic sensors and optical fiber in cabling is now commonplace in various applications, via intrinsic or extrinsic fiber optic sensors.

With an intrinsic sensor, one or more of the sensing/measuring quantity or physical properties (measurand) of the optical fiber passes through or inside the optical fiber and therefore experiences a change. Extrinsic sensing takes place in a region outside of the optical fiber and the optical fiber acts as a transmission media of light to and from the sensing interface.

Continuous growth since 1970s

Fiber optic sensor technology has continued to experienced impressive growth ever since ElectroniCast first started providing market and technology analysis of the subject in the early 1980s. In fact Electronicast adds that its analysts were tracking the various associated advanced photonic technologies since 1976.

The worldwide consumption value for fiber optic intrinsic sensors is forecast to increase at an average annual growth rate of nearly 20.7% during 2011-2016; that of equivalent extrinsic sensors is forecast to increase at 18.2% per year.

The market forecast report is available immediately from ElectroniCast Consultants. For detailed information on this or other services provided by ElectroniCast, please contact Theresa Hosking, Marketing/Sales; thosking@electronicastconsultants.com

ElectroniCast Consultants specializes in forecasting trends in technology forecasting, markets and applications forecasting, strategic planning and consulting. ElectroniCast Consultants, as a technology-based independent forecasting firm, serves industrial companies, trade associations, government agencies, communication and data network companies and the financial community.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org