Use of MEMS technology in realizing single-parameter and multi-parameter sensing systems

To effectively gauge the weather, it is essential to gather many ambient parameters over a wide geographic area. The published literature contains many proposals for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based sensors for the monitoring of such weather parameters as the temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. Such sensors not only have the advantages of an increased sensitivity and response time, but also provide the potential for integration to form a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). This chapter commences by reviewing the various state-of-the-art MEMS-based weather sensors which have been proposed. The chapter then describes the integration of these sensors to form a wireless MEMS-based weather station capable of measuring all of the weather parameters of interest.