Besides being installed in everything from automatic teller machines and airport check-in kiosks to pacemakers and ocean monitoring sensors, microchips also are going into a staggering array of once decidedly low-tech items — from grave-stone markers and running shoes to fish lures and writing pens.

These embedded devices are becoming “more programmable, they’re getting faster, and they’re getting communications functions built into them,” said Jordan Selburn, principal analyst at research firm iSuppli.

The market for these embedded chips is estimated at $150 billion or more. But that’s expected to grow as companies increasingly explore ways to make common household appliances and other products access the Internet, communicate with one another, and perform new functions for consumers.