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Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring
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Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 14038

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yizhou Ye

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology and Systems of the Education Ministry of China, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: MEMS sensors; self-powered sensing; optoelectronic integrated sensing; flexible sensor technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Shunbo Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
Interests: microfluidics and nanofluidics; biosensors; SERS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, wind, light intensity, electric field, magnetic field, and electromagnetic radiations are physical entities which have a great influence on people’s safety. With the rapid development of electronics and materials, some physical sensors have been invented for environmental monitoring, including temperature, humidity, wind, light intensity, and magnetic field. However, demands for high-performance sensors with a small size, low power consumption, high sensitivity, and high integration are still increasingly becoming a hot topic. In addition, it is difficult to measure the electric field and electromagnetic radiations using specific small sensors, mainly because of the lack of efficient sensing materials and strong interferences from the environment. This Special Issue, entitled "Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring”, aims to collect recent advances in designing physical sensors with a high performance and the integration of different sensors together. Both research papers and review articles are welcome to be submitted. We eagerly welcome submissions that promote developments in this research field, such as high-performance MEMS sensors, new sensing materials, novel detection principles, and the integration of different sensors.

Dr. Yizhou Ye
Prof. Dr. Shunbo Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physical sensor
  • environmental monitoring
  • MEMS
  • high performance

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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47 pages, 12445 KB  
Article
Cognitive Radio–Based Ionospheric Scintillation Detection: A Low-Cost Framework for GNSS Detection and Monitoring in Equatorial Regions
by Jaime Orduy Rodríguez, Walter Abrahao Dos Santos, Claudia Nicoli Candido, Danny Stevens Traslaviña, Cristian Lozano Tafur, Pedro Melo Daza and Iván Felipe Rodríguez Barón
Sensors 2026, 26(6), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26061765 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 808
Abstract
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are highly affected in equatorial regions, especially due to the formation of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs), which cause disturbances in the ionosphere resulting in different forms of signal degradation. Despite Colombia’s privileged geographic position, its limited monitoring infrastructure [...] Read more.
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are highly affected in equatorial regions, especially due to the formation of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs), which cause disturbances in the ionosphere resulting in different forms of signal degradation. Despite Colombia’s privileged geographic position, its limited monitoring infrastructure hinders the detection and mitigation of these effects. This study proposes the development of a Low-Cost Scintillation Laboratory (LCSL) using a cognitive radio–based approach for real-time scintillation monitoring, aimed at improving GNSS reliability. The system was designed following a Systems Engineering methodology, defining functional architectures and constraints. A communication system model was developed to account for EPBs’ effects on GNSS signals, while cognitive radio algorithms within a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) framework enabled real-time detection, monitoring, and alert generation. To implement this approach, monitoring stations were deployed in Bogotá, Cartagena, and Santa Marta utilized low-cost GNSS receivers integrated with Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for the automatic classification of scintillation events. Additionally, the system’s accuracy was validated by comparing experimental data with historical records from the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP). The results demonstrated that the integration of cognitive radio and ML-based detection enhanced precision and adaptability compared to traditional methods. The network of monitoring stations effectively validated the system’s performance, providing valuable insights into equatorial ionospheric dynamics. This study contributes to the advancement of monitoring methodologies and highlights the importance of accessible infrastructure for mitigating EPB effects on GNSS, ultimately fostering more resilient navigation and communication systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring)
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20 pages, 6102 KB  
Article
Rapid Determination of Molybdenum (VI) in Water Using Phenylfluorone-Modified Test Strips Combined with Colorimetry and LAB Color Space Analysis
by Xingping Li, Daiwei Zhuang, Xiaoling Liu, Hongbing Luo, Ke Zhang, Bing Jiang, Wei Chen and Wancen Xie
Sensors 2026, 26(3), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26030885 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 469
Abstract
Excessive molybdenum (VI) (Mo (VI)) in water threatens environmental safety and human health, yet rapid on-site methods for Mo (VI) determination remain limited. Here, we propose a rapid method for Mo (VI) determination using phenylfluorone (PF)-modified test strips with dual readouts: visual colorimetry [...] Read more.
Excessive molybdenum (VI) (Mo (VI)) in water threatens environmental safety and human health, yet rapid on-site methods for Mo (VI) determination remain limited. Here, we propose a rapid method for Mo (VI) determination using phenylfluorone (PF)-modified test strips with dual readouts: visual colorimetry and image-based analysis in the CIELAB (Lab*) color space, and demonstrate its applicability using urban park water samples. Based on visual colorimetry, a standard color card was established, providing a screening range of 0.08 to 0.8 mg L−1 (A blank (0 mg L−1) was used as the baseline reference). Moreover, by the LAB color space, the linear relationship between the color development results of the PF-modified test strip and the A channel conforms to y = 21.08 + 8.82x (R2 = 0.992), with a detection range of 0–0.8 mg L−1. The total detection time was reduced to 2.5 min. To evaluate accuracy in real matrices, influent, midstream, and effluent samples from Chengdu Living Water Park were analyzed, with UV-vis spectrophotometry used as the reference method. The test-strip results agreed well with UV-vis spectrophotometry, with relative errors below 5%. Overall, this study provides a portable, rapid, and accurate method for the detection of Mo (VI) in water, and has potential application prospects in the field of water environment detection in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring)
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13 pages, 2314 KB  
Article
TDLAS-Based Rapid and Accurate Measurement of Near-Ambient Temperature Using Near-Infrared Vibrational Water Vapor Transitions
by Jiaao Zhang and Jiao Gao
Sensors 2025, 25(9), 2839; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25092839 - 30 Apr 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1606
Abstract
Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) of water vapor transitions has been used to effectively measure temperature under high temperature and pressure conditions. However, due to the weak variation in transmittance and low signal-to-noise ratio, applying the same technique to measure temperature in [...] Read more.
Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) of water vapor transitions has been used to effectively measure temperature under high temperature and pressure conditions. However, due to the weak variation in transmittance and low signal-to-noise ratio, applying the same technique to measure temperature in near-ambient environments is difficult. This study reports the rapid and accurate measurement of near-ambient temperature through monitoring water vapor transitions with a three-point measurement method based on TDLAS. The transmission spectra of two selected water vibrational transitions at 1389.01 and 1389.89 nm are investigated, and the monotonic variations in the dip area are validated both theoretically and experimentally. The results show that by using the proper regression parameter (RatiodipA/RatiodipB)2, the temperature measurement time can be reduced to 40 s, with an uncertainty as low as 0.39 °C and a p-value as small as 1.98 × 10−13. This work contributes to rapid and accurate non-invasive temperature measurement in near-ambient complex environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring)
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11 pages, 16442 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Three-Dimensional Multi-Directional Piezoelectric Wind Energy Harvester
by Zonghao Chen, Xiaohan Liao, Shen Li, Shu Pu, Pengfei Li, Dingkun He, Yizhou Ye and Xuefeng He
Sensors 2024, 24(23), 7757; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24237757 - 4 Dec 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1981
Abstract
The wind-induced vibration energy harvester is a type of ideal power source for wireless sensor nodes. To adapt to the uncertainty of wind direction in natural environments, this paper proposes a three-dimensional multi-directional piezoelectric wind energy harvester (WEH), whose bluff body is an [...] Read more.
The wind-induced vibration energy harvester is a type of ideal power source for wireless sensor nodes. To adapt to the uncertainty of wind direction in natural environments, this paper proposes a three-dimensional multi-directional piezoelectric wind energy harvester (WEH), whose bluff body is an external shell with the shape like a lampshade, supported by three internal piezoelectric composite beams. A harvester prototype was made using 3D printing technology, and its multi-directional energy harvesting characteristics were systematically tested in a wind tunnel. Experiments show that it can harvest wind energy from any direction in three-dimensional space. When the wind speed is about 15 m/s and the wind direction changes in the horizontal plane, the minimum to maximum total average output power ratio is about 0.84. This work provides an experimental basis for the future development of three-dimensional multi-directional WEHs to some extent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring)
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Review

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14 pages, 2739 KB  
Review
The Status of Environmental Electric Field Detection Technologies: Progress and Perspectives
by Qingsong Liu, Zhaoqing Lan, Wei Guo, Jun Deng, Xiang Peng, Minghe Chi and Shunbo Li
Sensors 2024, 24(17), 5532; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24175532 - 27 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5840
Abstract
The detection of electric fields in the environment has great importance for understanding various natural phenomena, environmental monitoring, and ensuring human safety. This review paper provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art technologies utilized for sensing electric fields in the environment, the challenges [...] Read more.
The detection of electric fields in the environment has great importance for understanding various natural phenomena, environmental monitoring, and ensuring human safety. This review paper provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art technologies utilized for sensing electric fields in the environment, the challenges encountered, and the diverse applications of this sensing technology. The technology is divided into three categories according to the differences in the physical mechanism: the electro-optic effect-based measurement system, the MEMS-based sensor, and the newly reported quantum effect-based sensors. The principles of the underlying methods are comprehensively introduced, and the tentative applications for each type are discussed. Detailed comparisons of the three different techniques are identified and discussed with regard to the instrument, its sensitivity, and bandwidth. Additionally, the challenges faced in environmental electric field sensing, the potential solutions, and future development directions are addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Physical Sensors for Environmental Monitoring)
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