The term IT PICKS UP READINGS can be solved by the word SENSOR, which is a six-letter word. A SENSOR is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. Sensors are used in everyday objects such as touch-sensitive elevator buttons and lamps which dim or brighten by touching the base. They are also used in scientific and industrial applications such as robotics, manufacturing, and medicine. Sensors detect and measure physical phenomena such as temperature, pressure, force, or acceleration and convert them into electrical signals which can be read by an instrument or a computer.