Sensors

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.

Printed RFID tags that could be cheap enough to use on consumable packaging to monitor temperature, store and transmit data may only be a year way claim scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB in Erlangen.

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.