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This paper aims to describe the sensors used in fire detection products and systems.

Following an introduction, this paper discusses the sensors used for fire detection according to the variables measured. It considers the sensing of smoke, temperature, flames and combustion products and covers residential and industrial uses, together with a short discussion of wildfire detection methods.

This shows that a multitude of different sensing techniques are used to detect fires and no single method is universally applicable. This reflects both the differing types of fires that can occur and also the many applications and environments in which fire detectors and systems are deployed.

This paper provides details of the sensor technologies and techniques used to detect fires in residential, industrial and natural environments.

The purpose of this paper is to establish whether consumer focus groups can generate reliable data when used as a consumer research input to copy/graphic design development for retail food packaging.

Six focus groups of six consumers each (n=36) were used to assess four concept designs for a manuka honey cordial product. The focus groups were used to rank the design concepts and to generate specific consumer-driven recommendations to develop/improve each of the designs. A new version of each design was then developed using these recommendations. The eight designs (four original and four improved) were tested together, using a quantitative field experiment at a supermarket in the area from which the focus group sample was drawn.

The results showed that the focus group rankings of the four original designs were largely predictive of the outcomes of the field trial. The improved designs also consistently outperformed their original equivalents in the field trials. Very large improvements were recorded with respect to the weaker original designs.

The research only studied a single product type. However, the results demonstrate that focus group outcomes can be extended onto larger populations if the focus group sample is large enough.

These results support the use of consumer focus groups as a research input to package graphic design development.

Focus groups are used regularly in research where the applicability of their results to larger populations is assumed. This is the first research to formally test that assumption.

Summarises six key papers presented at the Sensor and Transducer Conference, Birmingham, UK, 14‐15 February 2001. Features gas and chemical sensors using laser ring‐down, and photo acoustic, effects as well as wave guides and Bragg gratings. Also discusses self‐powered sensors, micro‐electromechanical systems and fibre optic sensors.

This paper aims to illustrate the growing importance of surgical robots by providing a short historical background and details of a selection of today’s products and their applications.

Following a short introduction, this first provides an historical perspective. It then discusses systems used in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). This is followed by examples of products aimed at other surgical applications and, finally, brief concluding comments are drawn.

The concept of robotic surgery arose in the 1960s and trials commenced in the 1980s. The business is now in a highly dynamic phase with numerous recent product launches and a growing number late-stage developments. MIS systems are attracting much interest but robotic technology is also being applied to many additional surgical procedures.

This provides an insight into the emergence and commercialisation of robotic surgical systems.