How do machines perceive the world? Sensors, acting as their "five senses," capture changes in sound, light, electricity, temperature, and other data to drive intelligent systems. With the rapid growth of AI and IoT technologies, these small yet critical components have become the "nerve endings" of industrial automation and a cornerstone of modern industrial systems.

**Industry Foundations: Research Resources and Growing Scale** Sichuan has emerged as a hub for sensor development, hosting over 140 related enterprises and 24 national and provincial key laboratories. Companies like AVIC Chengdu Kaitian Electronics have achieved full industrial chain coverage, from sensitive components to perception systems.

Regional clusters are taking shape, with Deyang High-Tech Zone building a "Western China Sensor Valley" and Chengdu's Qingyang District establishing the Sichuan Sensor Industrial Park, where 100,000 square meters of initial space are already operational.

Academic institutions such as the University of Electronic Science and Technology, Sichuan University, and research bodies like the China Academy of Engineering Physics contribute to advancements in MEMS and fiber-optic sensors.

**Gaps in the Supply Chain** Despite progress, Sichuan lags behind leading regions like the Yangtze River Delta, which dominates China’s sensor market with complete supply chains and innovation ecosystems. Sichuan struggles with weak core chip design and manufacturing capabilities, relying on external suppliers for integrated sensor products.

Gou Liuhui, General Manager of Chengdu Hanwei Sensing Technology, highlights inefficiencies: "In Shenzhen, assembling a precision instrument with 10,000 parts within a 20-kilometer radius cuts costs by a third compared to Sichuan."

**Opportunities: Smart Upgrades and Future Industries** Sichuan’s push for industrial digitization aims for 75% of key processes in large enterprises to be automated by 2027. Smart sensors, pivotal to this transformation, will see expanded applications in robotics, low-altitude economies, and emerging fields like brain-computer interfaces.

Tang Xiaolin of the Sichuan Sensor Industry Association emphasizes the need for public technical platforms to break barriers and strengthen supply chains. As technology advances and new applications emerge, Sichuan’s sensor sector is poised for its own "sensing revolution."