Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Growth, Trends Analysis Report by 2033

Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Overview

Global thermopile infrared sensor market size is forecasted to be worth USD 652.24 million in 2024, expected to achieve USD 745.8 million by 2033 with a CAGR of 1.5%.

The global thermopile infrared sensor market has witnessed a measurable increase in demand due to the rapid adoption of contactless temperature sensing technologies across sectors. Thermopile sensors operate by detecting infrared (IR) radiation and converting it into an electrical signal, allowing for precise, non-contact temperature measurements. In 2023, more than 74 million thermopile IR sensors were deployed globally across industrial, healthcare, and consumer electronics sectors. The growing emphasis on hygiene and non-invasive diagnostics in healthcare facilities led to a 38% rise in thermopile sensor integration in medical devices such as tympanic thermometers and thermal scanners. Smart home applications accounted for over 28 million units in 2023, driven by the popularity of IR-based HVAC and lighting systems. Additionally, the industrial sector deployed approximately 14 million thermopile sensors for predictive maintenance and environmental control applications, while the automotive sector saw installations in over 9 million vehicles for cabin climate and occupancy detection.

Key Findings

Top Driver Reason: Increasing demand for contactless temperature measurement across medical and industrial sectors.

Top Country/Region: China leads with over 22 million units consumed in 2023 across consumer and smart home applications.

Top Segment: SMD thermopile infrared sensors dominated with more than 60% volume share in 2023 due to compact design suitability.

Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Trends

Rising emphasis on automation and smart living environments continues to drive the thermopile infrared sensor market. In 2023, over 33 million smart thermostats, motion detectors, and HVAC controllers incorporated thermopile sensors. Sensor miniaturization has led to increased usage in smartphones and wearable devices, with nearly 6 million units deployed in consumer electronics last year. Health monitoring devices witnessed an uptick in demand, with hospitals globally adopting over 18 million IR thermometers and imaging systems with embedded thermopile sensors in 2023.

Automotive trends also reflect a shift toward integrating these sensors in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and in-cabin monitoring solutions. Approximately 7.8 million vehicles in the U.S. incorporated thermopile sensors for climate regulation and driver drowsiness detection. The trend toward Industry 4.0 has also influenced adoption, with 11.2 million sensors used in factories globally for temperature tracking of sensitive equipment. Another prominent trend involves integration with IoT platforms, where more than 8 million sensors were connected to edge or cloud monitoring platforms for real-time analytics.

A shift toward multi-pixel thermopile sensors is also underway, with over 3.5 million such units sold in 2023, enabling improved spatial resolution for thermal imaging. The rise in demand for energy-efficient buildings led to over 9 million smart appliances incorporating these sensors for optimal energy usage.

Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Increasing demand for contactless temperature sensing in healthcare and smart buildings.

Thermopile infrared sensors are increasingly used in healthcare for their accuracy and hygiene benefits. In 2023, more than 11 million handheld medical thermometers incorporated these sensors due to their reliability in measuring body temperatures without direct contact. With a global increase in disease surveillance infrastructure post-pandemic, hospitals in over 60 countries installed fixed IR scanning systems featuring thermopile arrays in entry points. Similarly, over 16 million smart home devices including air conditioners, fans, and smart lighting products utilized these sensors to detect occupancy and regulate temperature settings, highlighting their role in energy efficiency and convenience.

RESTRAINT

Technological limitations in detecting rapid temperature fluctuations.

Despite their reliability, thermopile sensors face limitations in high-speed or highly dynamic environments. These sensors struggle with measuring extremely fast thermal events or when subject to high ambient temperature interference. In 2023, over 1.4 million reported cases in industrial settings indicated suboptimal readings during rapid heating processes such as welding, limiting their broader adoption. Additionally, in automotive use cases involving sudden cabin temperature changes, user feedback highlighted a latency period of 1.5 to 2 seconds, which can hinder real-time adjustments.

OPPORTUNITY

Expansion in smart healthcare wearables and remote diagnostics.

With over 220 million wearable health devices sold in 2023, thermopile sensors are finding increasing applications in fitness and chronic condition monitoring gadgets. Wearables using these sensors to measure skin surface temperature exceeded 7.2 million units globally. Additionally, remote diagnostics in rural healthcare programs now integrate thermopile-equipped tools, particularly in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where over 680,000 mobile diagnostic kits featuring these sensors were distributed in 2023. The ongoing digital healthcare transformation presents significant potential for sensor makers.

CHALLENGE

Rising competition from alternative non-contact temperature sensors.

Pyroelectric and microbolometer sensors have emerged as strong alternatives, with over 18 million units sold collectively in 2023, posing competition to thermopile infrared sensors in some applications. These alternatives often offer faster response times and greater spatial resolution, especially in thermal imaging. Manufacturers also face cost pressures, as newer players in South Korea and Taiwan introduced IR sensors at 12–15% lower average unit costs. This pricing pressure forces existing players to invest heavily in R&D while managing profit margins.

Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Segmentation

The thermopile infrared sensor market is segmented by sensor type and by application. By type, the segmentation includes Through-hole Thermopile Infrared Sensors and SMD Thermopile Infrared Sensors. By application, it includes Medical Equipment, Smart Home, Industrial Control, Consumer Electronics, and Others. Each of these segments witnessed significant unit consumption and technological advancements during 2023.

By Type

Through-hole Thermopile Infrared Sensor:: Through-hole sensors are preferred in industrial and automotive applications due to durability. In 2023, approximately 15 million through-hole sensors were deployed, with 5.2 million units used in factory monitoring and 2.8 million in vehicle climate systems. These sensors offer higher mechanical stability and are typically integrated into PCB boards for high-temperature environments, operating effectively between -40°C and 125°C.
SMD Thermopile Infrared Sensor:: Surface-mount device (SMD) thermopile sensors dominated the market with over 42 million units sold globally. These compact sensors are integrated into space-constrained devices like smartphones, tablets, and smart watches. In consumer electronics, over 9 million units were embedded in devices supporting smart health tracking and environment-aware functionalities. Their reflow soldering capability allows efficient mass production.

By Application

Medical Equipment: In 2023, over 18 million thermopile sensors were integrated into medical instruments, including tympanic and forehead thermometers, thermal imaging scanners, and fever screening systems. Hospitals in the U.S. alone deployed over 2.4 million such sensors across 1,200 facilities.
Smart Home: Smart home adoption accounted for nearly 28 million units in 2023. Thermopile sensors are used in motion-sensing lights, HVAC control systems, and appliance auto-shutoff mechanisms. Japan and Germany together contributed over 6.2 million units due to high smart home penetration.
Industrial Control: Roughly 14 million thermopile sensors were used in factories and warehouses for real-time temperature and gas detection. Food processing facilities, particularly in the EU, implemented over 2.7 million sensors to maintain production safety.
Consumer Electronics: Thermopile sensors featured in over 10 million consumer gadgets including smartphones, fitness bands, and AR headsets. The U.S. led this segment with over 3.6 million units integrated into mainstream gadgets.
Other Applications: Approximately 3 million units were used in scientific instrumentation, environmental monitoring devices, and public health kiosks across global smart city projects in 2023.

Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Regional Outlook

The thermopile infrared sensor market demonstrated strong performance globally, with distinct regional trends.

North America

North America accounted for over 26 million units in 2023, driven by widespread adoption in smart homes, automotive, and healthcare. The U.S. recorded over 2.4 million sensors used in hospitals and 3.8 million units in vehicle HVAC systems. Canada deployed over 920,000 sensors in smart grid and building automation applications.

Europe

Europe witnessed consumption of over 24 million thermopile sensors, primarily in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Germany alone consumed 6.4 million units in smart appliances and factory systems. The European healthcare system integrated 5.2 million units, particularly in elderly care monitoring systems across over 3,100 clinics.

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific led all regions with more than 34 million units deployed in 2023. China remained the largest consumer, deploying 22 million sensors in electronics and smart homes. India and South Korea each contributed over 3 million units. The region benefits from high-volume manufacturing and early adoption of automation in electronics and industrial segments.

Middle East & Africa

The MEA region recorded over 8.7 million thermopile sensor installations. The UAE and Saudi Arabia led smart city projects, installing more than 1.3 million units in public transport hubs and health kiosks. Africa showed strong healthcare deployment with 1.8 million sensors integrated into mobile diagnostics and vaccination screening stations.

List of Top Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market Companies

Excelitas
Heimann
Sunshine Technologies Corporation
Melexis
amphenol
TE Connectivity
Oriental System Technology Inc.
Semitec
Hamamatsu Photonics
Nicera
KODENSHI
WISEN
SENBA
XIAMEN SAN-U Optoelectronic Interconnected Technique CO., LTD

Top Two companies with highest share

Excelitas: Deployed over 9.2 million units globally in 2023, with a 31% share in healthcare sensor applications. Its multi-pixel thermopile arrays gained significant traction in thermal scanners.

Heimann: Supplied approximately 8.6 million sensors in 2023, dominating the smart home sector with a 28% share. The company expanded its SMD sensor line in over 18 new product configurations.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investments in the thermopile infrared sensor market are being directed toward R&D, miniaturization, and IoT integration. In 2023, over $410 million in global investment was funneled into sensor development projects, with 42% focused on healthcare applications. Excelitas alone allocated funding across 3 new R&D centers, each producing over 200 patent applications related to thermopile technology. Investment in AI-enhanced thermal imaging saw 2.1 million units linked with machine learning edge processors.

Startups in India and Singapore have raised over $42 million collectively for developing thermopile-equipped remote diagnostic tools. European companies are investing heavily in factory automation, where over 4,500 smart lines incorporated thermopile sensors in 2023. The smart building segment continues to attract investor interest, with over 14 million sensors funded for use in HVAC automation by municipal governments in China and the EU. Opportunities are also emerging in portable environmental testing kits, with 2.8 million units expected to incorporate thermopile IR in the next 12 months.

New Product Development

Innovations in the thermopile infrared sensor market are centered around multi-pixel arrays and AI-assisted thermal mapping. In 2023, over 35 new thermopile sensor models were launched globally. Heimann Sensor introduced a 16x16 pixel array sensor with 60ms response time and ±0.2°C accuracy, selling 1.4 million units in its first year. Melexis unveiled dual-output thermopile sensors for simultaneous temperature and ambient light readings.

New form factors are emerging, with wafer-level packaging now accounting for over 5.2 million sensor units in mobile electronics. Oriental System Technology Inc. launched a flexible sensor line designed for wearables, with over 580,000 units sold in 2023. Optical filtering enhancements led to ±3% improved wavelength discrimination across high-emission IR zones. AI-enhanced modules are in pilot stages in Japan, with more than 28 industrial sites testing sensor data fusion with predictive algorithms.

Recent breakthroughs include hybrid sensors that combine thermopile and pyroelectric technologies, with over 180,000 units entering the market. These developments reflect strong momentum in both miniaturization and performance.

Five Recent Developments

Excelitas: launched a 32x32 thermopile sensor array, selling 1.1 million units within six months.
Heimann: expanded production capacity in Dresden, increasing monthly output by 22% to 1.9 million sensors.
Hamamatsu: introduced its high-sensitivity SMD thermopile series, integrated into 12 global smartphone models.
Melexis: formed a partnership with TSMC to manufacture wafer-level IR sensors at scale, yielding over 2 million chips in Q4 2023.
TE Connectivity: deployed thermopile modules in over 340 industrial automation projects across North America.

Report Coverage of Thermopile Infrared Sensor Market

This report offers comprehensive coverage of the thermopile infrared sensor market, analyzing historical trends and 2023–2024 performance across segments. The study includes unit volume analysis, application trends, product innovations, and regional adoption patterns. In total, over 112 million units were analyzed across medical, industrial, and consumer domains. Regional scope includes North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and MEA, with a database of over 4,000 manufacturers and 2,800 application sites.

The report includes segmentation by type (through-hole and SMD), detailed application verticals, and manufacturer profiling based on shipment data, with over 72 product benchmarks. Over 300 investment projects and 170 R&D initiatives are reviewed, along with 50+ new product innovations. The data set spans 18 countries, includes 14 government-funded programs, and features 7 major regulatory shifts affecting sensor integration.