Flexible Hybrid Electronics for the IOT

The future Internet of Things (IOT) will require custom solutions to sense and interpret the world. Printing is a promising approach to both mass produce and customize sensor systems for the IOT. Hybrid, flexible printed sensor systems can address both the desired form factor and the sensing modality for a variety of applications. For example, structural monitoring or wearables, require unique form factors, often personalized or customized. Arrays of sensors can be readily fabricated through printing, whilst data acquisition and communication are best performed by thin silicon microcircuits. Printed sensor arrays with combinatorial capabilities are especially powerful for accurate detection and selectivity. Our team has been focusing on the integration of printed electronics with sensors, microchips and other discrete components. Examples of these projects include wireless biosensors in mouth guards, networks of chemical sensors for methane, "peel and stick" sensor labels for environmental monitoring in buildings as well as smart tags for packaging and supply chain monitoring. The key to the success of such IOT systems is to make them configurable, seamless with their environment, manufactured on-demand at low cost.