The availability of sensors that can conveniently conform in shape to their imposed working environment has existed for quite some time with the earliest being for aerospace applications. Most recently, there has been an exponential growth in the field of flexible, printed and organic large-area electronics and sensors driven by applications including physiological/activity monitoring in wearables for e-Health, sports/recreational and military personnel and the Internet of Things (IoT). These new electronics and sensors are fabricated on flexible plastic substrates or are printed/woven into fabrics (e-fabrics), which offer advantages including low unit cost, mechanical robustness, shape conformity, lightweight and low-profile. The creation of these “non-classical” platforms is enabled by the high-throughput manufacturing processes of devices including for those over large areas using various technologies including Roll-to-Roll printing. These sensors are finding application several emerging areas including military, point of care medical, sports medicine and IoT.
The extensive list of speakers, who represent the international “who’s who” in this topical area, will present several of the more interesting printed/flexible/stretchable and e-fabric/smart fabric sensor technologies, their current and future applications and products that they enable.
In addition to these sensors, we will address several other electronic functionalities and the challenges of their packaging and integration with other functional element of basic wearable and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Finally, barriers to the successful commercialization of these sensors and recommended strategies for market success will be presented.
Presented and chaired by Roger Grace Associates
Agenda:
9.00 - 9.30am
Roger Grace, Roger Grace Associates, Introduction and Overview to Printed/Flexible/Stretchable and Functional Fabric Sensors and Sensor-Based Systems: Challenges and Opportunities (ORGANIZER/CHAIRMAN)
9.30am - 9.50am
Development of Flexible Hybrid Electronics Using Advanced Manufacturing for Sensing and Energy Storage Applications
Massood Atashbar, Dinesh Maddipatla; Western Michigan University
Abstract: Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE), which combines the flexibility and low cost of printed electronics with the performance of conventional semiconductor devices, is poised to transform the electronics industry. By integrating additive manufacturing processes with roll-to-roll production, FHE enables the fabrication of lightweight, conformable, and cost-effective electronic devices for a wide range of applications. Western Michigan University (WMU) has established itself as a leader in FHE research through its state-of-the-art facilities, the Center for the Advancement of Printed Electronics (CAPE) and the Center for Smart Sensors and Structures (CASSS). CAPE, recognized in the 2014 National Academy of Sciences Report, provides a platform for the development and application of materials for flexible electronic devices using printing technologies. CASSS collaborates with CAPE to design, fabricate, and test sensors and sensing systems for biomedical, environmental, and defense applications. Together, these centers leverage the advantages of FHE, including reduced material wastage, simplified fabrication processes, and low manufacturing temperatures, to create innovative solutions. This presentation will highlight WMU's capabilities in the FHE research, focusing on the development of printed sensors and energy storage devices that showcase the potential of this transformative technology.
9.50am - 10.10am
A Scalable Architecture for Integration of Flexible Hybrid Electronics into Smart Textiles to Support Human Monitoring, Communications and Performance
Alex Cook, NextFlex
Abstract: Active smart textiles hold great promise for the future of wearable technology, offering improved physiological monitoring, light-weight integrated communications, discrete sensing, and novel user input devices. Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) is a significant enabling technology for the smart textiles industry supporting the integration of complex electronics on a lightweight flexible substrate. NextFlex is working to address challenges associated with the integration of flexible electronics into textiles, resulting in new solutions and a variety of applications. Solutions include the development of a modular scalable architecture which utilizes a fabric backplane system to provide power and communication to discrete edge nodes. Each node is self-contained with its own core power management and processing capabilities and can be adapted to support a diverse array of sensing and command-and-control functions within the textile. NextFlex will discuss its design for a scalable FHE architecture for smart textiles and demonstrate how this architecture can provide novel communications, physiological monitoring, and human-machine interfaces. This technology promises to support novel applications in areas such as outpatient medical monitoring, environmental and physiological monitoring in risky or solo situations, competitive and noncompetitive athletic feedback, and health and performance of humans in safety-critical job functions.
10.10am - 10.25am - Break
10.25am - 10.45am
Integration and Interconnects: Critical Factors for Printed Hybrid Electronics’ Commercialization Success
Rob Irwin, Molex
Abstract: TBC
10.45 - 11.05am
Stretchable Printed Circuits and 3D Printed Ceramics: Innovative Platform Technologies Enable Sensor Creation for Medical Wearable Applications
Mark Waugh, Murata Electronics North America, Inc
Abstract: Stretchable Printed Circuit (SPC) technology is a game-changer in creating next-generation medical products. SPC enables wearable therapeutic devices and vital monitoring tools to provide better accuracy, durability, and patient comfort. Significant developments in printed circuit, sensor creation and sensor integration allow design engineers to leverage more advanced bio-potential sensing possibilities. The technology represents the next chapter in both substrate and sensor development, providing both flexibility and stretchability while maintaining full functionality.
11.05 - 11.40am
All-in-One: Multi-Modal Wearable Sensor Patches for Monitoring Chemistry and Vitals (KEYNOTE)
Joe Wang, UC San Diego,
Abstract: Continuous tracking of vital and biochemical signatures can provide comprehensive
monitoring of an individual's health and wellness status. Such parameters are commonly
monitored periodically by centralized laboratory instruments and trained medical professionals,
that cannot provide critical real-time dynamic information about temporal profiles of multiple key
health parameters. This talk will cover our recent progress towards the development of multimodal
wearable sensor systems, capable of monitoring simultaneously multiple chemical and physical
parameters towards capturing in real time dynamic and rich health information. The importance
of such simultaneous monitoring of biochemical and biophysical temporal profiles using advanced
integrated wearable bioelectronic systems will be discussed along with representative examples
of such recently developed hybrid sensing platforms from our UCSD laboratories. The potential
of multimodal wearable sensors, coupled with cloud-based data mining, for providing a
comprehensive health monitoring, predicting health trends and disorders, and supporting timely
medical interventions, will be discussed.
11.40 - 12.00pm - Summary & Conclusio
