Modules, systems, and methods for monitoring environmental conditions

An electromechanical sensing module comprising:

• a plurality of sensing devices on a substrate, each sensing device comprising a cantilevered beam and at least one set of contacts located on the substrate and configured for non-latching contact-mode operation with the beam, the beam of each sensing device being responsive to a parameter within an environment and to deflect toward or away from the contacts thereof in response to the parameter in the environment, the beam of each sensing device comprising a stack of layers comprising at least first and second layers of dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first material being a curable material that has at least one property that undergoes a change as a result of a time-dependent process in which curing of the curable material occurs due to exposure to the parameter over a period of time and the first material has a curing time while exposed to the parameter such that the change in the property depends on a duration of the period of time during which the first material is exposed to the parameter, the curing of the first material during the time period indicates the parameter within the environment, the change in the property causes the beam to deflect in a direction normal to the stack as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, and the microstructure deflects an amount depending on the duration that the first material was exposed to the parameter in the environment, the beams being configured to contact and close or break contact and open their respective contacts after an amount of time depending on the parameter;
• means for producing a digital output when any one of the beams contacts and closes or breaks contact and opens the contacts thereof;
• and
• an electronic circuitry interfacing with the sensing devices so that the digital outputs of the sensing devices are used to generate a module output of the sensing module.

An electromechanical sensing module comprising:

• a plurality of sensing devices on a substrate, each sensing device comprising a cantilevered beam and at least one set of contacts located on the substrate and configured for non-latching contact-mode operation with the beam, the beam of each sensing device being responsive to a parameter within an environment and to deflect toward or away from the contacts thereof in response to the parameter in the environment, the beam of each sensing device comprising a stack of layers comprising at least first and second layers of dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first material having at least one property that undergoes a change as a result of a time-dependent process in which absorption by the first material occurs due to exposure to the parameter over a period of time and the first material has an absorption time while exposed to the parameter such that the change in the property depends on a duration of the period of time during which the first material is exposed to the parameter, the absorption by the first material during the time period indicates the parameter within the environment, the change in the property causes the beam to deflect in a direction normal to the stack as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, and the microstructure deflects an amount depending on the duration that the first material was exposed to the parameter in the environment, the beams being configured to contact and close or break contact and open their respective contacts after an amount of time depending on the parameter;
• means for producing a digital output when any one of the beams contacts and closes or breaks contact and opens the contacts thereof;
• and
• an electronic circuitry interfacing with the sensing devices so that the digital outputs of the sensing devices are used to generate a module output of the sensing module.

A method of sensing a parameter within an environment, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a sensing module comprising electronic circuitry and a sensing device on a substrate, the sensing device comprising a microstructure and at least one set of contacts located on the substrate and configured for contact-mode operation with the microstructure, the microstructure comprising a stack of layers comprising at least first and second layers of dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first material having at least one property that undergoes a change as a result of a time-dependent process in which curing of or absorption by the first material occurs due to exposure to the parameter over a period of time and the first material has a curing time or absorption time while exposed to the parameter such that the change in the property depends on a duration of the period of time during which the first material is exposed to the parameter, the curing of or the absorption by the first material during the time period indicates the parameter within the environment, the change in the property causes the microstructure to deflect in a direction normal to the stack as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, and the microstructure deflects an amount depending on the duration that the first material was exposed to the parameter in the environment;
• exposing the microstructure to the parameter within the environment to cause the microstructure to deflect in a first direction toward and close or deflect away from and open the contacts after an amount of time depending on the parameter;
• producing a digital output when the microstructure contacts and closes or breaks contact and opens the contacts thereof;
• and
• using the digital output of the sensing device to generate a module output of the sensing module.