The Sensor Revolution: Benefits and Challenges for the Marine Technology Workplace

Abstract- Sensors are revolutionizing the way we study, explore and utilize our oceans. The continued development, operation and expansion of sensors and sensor networks will require a workforce well-prepared in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, which are also critical to other sectors of the economy. However, as national reports and international test scores indicate, these skills are currently lagging in U.S. students, presenting a challenge to the technology workplace. Using sensors and the data they produce as an engaging mechanism to teach STEM skills is one way to meet this challenge. Students armed with these skills can, in turn, put them to use in jobs that involve sensor development, operation and data use, providing lasting benefits to society and the global economy. I. Introduction – The Sensor Revolution Technology revolutions have enabled science, industry and military applications and transformed society. In the 1980s, the personal computer revolution placed computing at the average citizen’s fingertips and permeated virtually every sector of the economy. In the 1990s, the internet revolution provided connections with an information web that spans the planet. This decade ha