The value of fiber-optic sensor systems will grow at an average annual rate of 20.5%. The consumption value of fiber optic point sensors and distributed fiber optic sensor system links will grow at an “impressive” average annual rate of 20.5% from $1.34 billion to $3.39 billion per year between 2011 and 2016. ElectroniCast Consultants, Upper Lake, CA, US, a leading market/technology forecast consultancy, yesterday published its new market forecast and analysis of the global consumption of fiber optic sensors.

Monitoring and data transmission using fiber optic sensors and optical fiber in cabling is now commonplace in various applications, via intrinsic or extrinsic fiber optic sensors.

With an intrinsic sensor, one or more of the sensing/measuring quantity or physical properties (measurand) of the optical fiber passes through or inside the optical fiber and therefore experiences a change. Extrinsic sensing takes place in a region outside of the optical fiber and the optical fiber acts as a transmission media of light to and from the sensing interface.