In the case of an active sensor the sensing element needs to be connected/wired to the printed circuit board (PCB) which collects the sensed data. Wiring represents a big disadvantage for the sensing of physical properties from the inside of the materials, as wires can disrupt the structure of the material. That's where the other category, passive sensor – MicroWire, has a huge advantage, as it does not require any wiring and data can be read up to 5 centimetres with the sensing head.