Sensors

The subject of energy harvesting making small electronic and electric devices self-sufficient, usually for decades - is changing rapidly.

London researchers published details of new sensor structures, which they claim could be used in novel security devices to detect poisons and explosives or proteins in patients' blood.

Researchers at the Center for Printed Intelligence (CPI) of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed an electronic spoilage sensor concept for poultry.

A five year Smart Brigdge project will look at an infrastructure monitoring system that uses surface and penetrating sensors to detect cracks, corrosion and any other signs of weakness.

US university researchers have created a portable "sixth sense" device powered by commercial products that can seamlessly channel Internet information into daily routines.

There were many users and potential users at the Energy Harvesting Workshop and they were far from being hooked on any one technology - Read part II of Dr Peter's Harrop's report.

A Swedish research centre has been established for intelligent pharmaceutical packaging, smart foods packaging, hospital logistics and patient care.

IDTechEx is offering a multiclient study of the e-label of the future. It will lead participants to billion dollar businesses in the materials, the labels and the extra sales of consumer, healthcare, military and other products that will result.

K-state engineers working with peregrine semiconductor to develop energy-harvesting radios that could make monitoring safety of bridges easier.

A carbon nanotube-coated "smart yarn" that conducts electricity could be woven into soft fabrics that detect blood and monitor health, engineers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated.

Gentag are due to speed up the introduction of their advanced mobile RFID sensor technology with a distribution agreement with Brightcard, Inc.

Zephyr™ Technology Ltd and ADInstruments have announced the signing of a supply agreement, whereby Zephyr™ will provide ADInstruments with the Zephyr™ BioHarness™ wireless physiological monitoring device.

Vibration energy harvesting is receiving a considerable amount of interest as a means for powering wireless sensor nodes. It is the simple notion that mechanical vibration can be transformed into useful electrical power.

Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois have created electronics that can be twisted.

Researchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current through the cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded.

Smart packaging company Stora Enso has joined forces with Medixine to market a new electronic compliance monitoring service.

IDTechEx finalises its report on the Intellipak conference held on 5 November in Sweden

Energy harvesting, otherwise known as energy scavenging is needed to boost and eventually replace the batteries in printed and other low cost and miniature electronics, particularly in order to extend their life in use.

IDTechEx has just issued a report called Wireless Sensor Networks and we summarise the subject also known as Ubiquitous Sensor Networks in part two.

IDTechEx has just issued a report on the hot topic of Wireless Sensor Networks WSN, also known as Ubiquitous Sensor Networks USN. The report is called Wireless Sensor Networks.

A European research team has developed groundbreaking medical-sensing smart fabrics, and its work could lead to pregnancy monitoring belts, sports clothing that provides training tips, a wearable physical game controller, and a vest that helps to prevent repetitive strain injury.

An electromagnetic cloak as seen in the Harry Potter movies may be only 5 years away believe scientists at Purdue University.

The new IDTechEx masterclass, called "Creating new products with printed electronics," will explore the needs by industry sector and appraise the technologies and timelines.

Researchers at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, have made electronic biosensors that identify bacteria in poultry plants.

some of the most compelling areas of future application involve the intimate, conformal integration of electronics with the human body in ways that are inconceivable using established technology.

Researchers have found a simple way to uniformly deposit between one and five layers of graphene to create transistors and proof-of concept electrodes for organic photovoltaics.

Printed electronics today is mainly a matter of inorganic rather than organic chemistry and the next ten years are unlikely to see the inorganic part drop below 50% of the high value materials required.

ESL acknowledges the plastic electronics revolution on flexible substrates is here to stay and will meet their customers' challenges with off-the-shelf products, and with the development of proprietary or custom formulations.

Georgetown University, Gentag, Inc., and Science Applications International Corporation, have combined forces to develop a non-invasive method for glucose measurement.

Gentag, Inc. and MacroArray Technologies have teamed to develop a new wireless test platform that will incorporate Gentag's cell phone-sensor technology with MacroArray's proteomics discovery technology to create a series of new disposable, wireless diagnostic tests.

Project demonstrates potential of biosensors with integrated printed detectors for point-of-use tests.

Analysts see printed electronics rising exponentially to around $300 billion in twenty years' time, with demand for conductive inks alone reaching several billion dollars yearly five years from now.

Thanks to the design of an innovative jacket by a Middlesex University student in the UK, cyclists will be seen in the dark when giving hand signals.

German companies to develop a unique airborne pathogen detection system for the European Defence Agency.

A claimed breakthrough barrier technology from Singapore protects sensitive devices like organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and solar cells from moisture 1000 times more effectively than any other technology available in the market.

Like 3M and Illinois Tool Works, Motorola has had many activities involved in printed electronics and they have often been independent.

Taking medication wrongly is a huge problem, resulting in more than 150,000 people dying unnecessarily in both North America and in Europe every year.

Toumaz Technology and consortium partners win major EU funding to develop personal blood glucose predictor for diabetes patients.

Stretchable electronics is needed for many potential applications in healthcare and elsewhere.

Global Monitoring Leader and Life Sciences Research and Education Provider Sign.

A silk garment printed with LEDs using Elumin8 technology that turns the intimate breath of the wearer into pulses of light was exhibited at the Back Gallery Project in Vancouver, Canada.

The vibrant new printed electronics industry is being created as energetically in Germany as anywhere else in the world.

Bed sheets with built in sensors are being developed so that heart patients can take a more proactive role at home in the treatment and management of their condition thereby reducing the overall healthcare costs in the EU.

These very affordable hand held devices and tiny tags permit items, people and animals to be located in 3D and, where necessary, electronically ring fenced.

Webbing that wraps around the heart could free patients from a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs.

It sounds like science fiction but smart paint may be available in the near future.

OTTI, the East-Bavarian Technology Transfer Institute, will host an experts' forum on printed electronics 3-4 March in Regensburg, Germany.

A stretchable, flexible self-cleaning device that can be used as a mobile phone or keyboard that harvests solar energy and senses the environment by using nanotechnology was launched this week.

Fraunhofer IZM, Germany reports that high throughput manufacturing of biosensors has remained a challenge. This is due to the different environments necessary for the survival of biological components on the one hand and current MEMS technologies on the other.