Glossary: MEMS (Electronic)

Micromachined Electromechanical Systems are microscopic machined devices moved by electricity and usually repeated in large numbers across a surface for some purpose. There has been talk of using MEMS as sensors with RFID. Being fashionable, the term is much abused, often being used to describe any small sensors including those with no moving parts. Because micromechanical electromagnetic systems involve microscopic mechanical and electrical components and moving parts and have advantages as some forms of sensor, for example, often with the energy harvester, such as a microscopic wind turbine, or piezo vibration harvester,, forming part of the micromachined assembly. Accordingly, all three options will form an important part of advances in energy harvesting in the next ten years - a change from the past.