Sensor Fusion

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What Does Sensor Fusion Mean?

Sensor fusion is the use of sensory data from multiple sources, combined into one comprehensive result. Using multiple sensors, planners can generate more robust data models or obtain greater numbers of data points for the purposes of a given system.

Techopedia Explains Sensor Fusion

Many sensor fusion models emulate models in the human body. For instance, anatomically, the data from both eyes goes to the central nervous system. In the same way, multiple sensors conduct streams of information to one data repository for use.

Sensor fusion systems are useful in image processing, in certain kinds of scientific research installations, and in camera systems, as well as many other types of systems. One common example of a sensor array would consist of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer. The fusion of these three data sources provide helpful localization data for a device or other use. Experts believe that sensor fusion will be an important part of the internet of things and embedded systems moving forward.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.