Ever wonder how a car's air bag deploys, or how those wireless game controllers work, or what keeps your digital camera stable as you snap a photo?
The answer is electronic gizmos that are being used in more and more products: MEMS, micro-electromechanical systems, which combine circuitry with tiny, nano-scale gears on a sliver of silicon. They usually act as a sensor.
MEMS are being used more often because they use less space, cost less and work better than the alternative — separate chips and mechanical parts. More info ...
