A line of sensors under development has the potential to correct manufacturing logistics problems by monitoring the routines of machines using sound.

Germany-based Bosch’s MEMS sensors (short for micro-electro-mechanical system) convert physical motions into electric reactions. The sensors have been applied in applications that include smartphones that monitor physical activity, drone technology, augmented and virtual reality, and automotive applications.

Bosch’s MEMS sensor and a human hair..Bosch is pushing MEMS toward the industrial and manufacturing sectors by teaming with other companies on a project that will use the sensors to monitor the smoothness of production processes.

The MEMS sensors under development for sensing sound and vibration can not only diagnose anomalies in operations but also correct them using a vibration sensor. To monitor the machines, the system will measure two types of noise: structure-borne sound (meaning vibrations inside the machine), and acoustic sound, or noise made by the machine.

In a manufacturing setting, the micro sensors can tell whether a machine is operating correctly. It does this by monitoring the mechanical sounds and determining whether the sound indicates a properly running unit according to the acoustical properties programmed into the sensor.

If a machine starts to vibrate or make a sound that the sensor doesn’t recognize, it compares the signal with the programmed sound profiles and initiates a correction process.

Bosch says it expects the project to become operational by the end of 2018, when sensors are integrated into factories. It says that the sensors, implemented properly, have the potential to cut operating expenses by up to 30%. The project to develop the sensors was partially underwritten by the German government, which has invested just over $4 million toward development.