A synchronization approach to sensing using many oscillators

Engineers have found a new approach of taking a measurement over an extended area. The technique is based on coupled 'chaotic oscillators,' which are highly sensitive electronic circuits that can interact wirelessly through low-frequency low-power electromagnetic coupling. By making each oscillator sensitive to a quantity of interest, such as light intensity, and scattering a number of them sufficiently closely, it is possible to 'read out' useful measurement statistics from their collective activity.