ABSTRACT
The operation of our industrialized world has depended, in large part, on our ability to measure and control a variety of physical and chemical parameters, including temperature, pressure, and the chemistry of our environment. In recent decades, development of electrical measurement and control systems that couple input sensors and output transducers via ever more sophisticated signal processing units has continued at a rapid pace. Furthermore, the scope of potential applications of such systems has expanded significantly. However, comparable improvements in the input and output functions provided by the sensors and actuators have not kept pace and now often limit the feasibility of the overall system.
Increasing attention to developments in these areas can, therefore, be expected to continue.
