Integration Of Emerging And Evolving Technologies To Create Novel Products (Printed Electronics Europe 2018)

Developments in the fields of Printed Electronics, Hybrid Electronics, IoT, Sensor Fusion, Artificial Intelligence, Energy Harvesting and Energy Storage are creating new paradigms for products in many markets. These markets include the Human-Machine Interface market, biometric monitoring for health and wellness, virtual reality/augmented reality, robotics and automotive. Novel applications within these markets always leverage several of the technology platforms listed above. The various technology platforms are thus intertwined during the process of product development. The challenge for companies is to establish core competencies and/or technology partnerships within all of the technologies that are required for specific products and implement them in a way that provides information that can be acted on by the users. In this talk, we will discuss applications that illustrate aspects of product development leveraging these emerging and evolving technologies from the perspective of an integrator and solution provider. We will focus on products where force and pressure sensing is a core element and show how the implementation of multiple technologies influences product design. Current gaps in available technologies will be identified and the path forward to meet market requirements will be examined.

Dr. Heitzinger is a 20 year veteran of the electronics industry with recent roles in corporate and R&D leadership. His efforts in technology development led to best-in-class industry processes and equipment for semiconductor wafer cleaning. This resulted in successful product launches and penetration of products into top tier semiconductor fabs throughout the world. He joined Soligie at its start in 2005, built the engineering team, led programs that defined the manufacturing processes and services that Soligie offered to its customers and was instrumental in establishing Soligie as a leader in the field of Printed Electronics. As President of Soligie he guided the organization to steady revenue growth eventually resulting in acquisition of Soligie by Molex. At Interlink, Dr. Heitzinger continues to drive business growth by engaging with industry consortia, government agencies and other early adopters of technology to develop comprehensive solutions that leverage Interlinks engineering expertise and extensive product knowledge.

Dr. Heitzinger earned B.S. degrees in physics and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Colorado - Boulder.

Interlink Electronics is a trusted advisor, technology partner and global leader in the advancing domain of human-machine interface and force-sensing technologies. Interlink Electronics has led the printed and flexible hybrid electronics industry in the commercialization of patented Force-Sensing Resistor (FSR®) technology. With this technology planform Interlink Electronics had delivered rugged and reliable human-machine interface (HMI) system solutions for over 30 years. Interlink Electronics has provided human-machine interface solutions for mission-critical applications in a wide range of markets, including, but not limited to consumer electronics, automotive, IoT, rugged computing, robotics, industrial, and medical devices.