T-Ink

Printed electronics invigorates old electronics

Most of the well-known objectives of printed electronics remain elusive because they are glamorous, Olympian dreams based on some very exciting demonstrations in laboratories.

Printed Electronics: What can we do better?

IDTechEx has tracked the printed electronics market since 2002. We have conducted extensive research programs, run our own events internationally and attended most other relevant events. Being impartial, we state the good and the bad. So what have we learnt?

Electric vehicles become electronic

About 80% of the value of a military jet aircraft lies in the circuitry, up from almost nothing a century ago. Civil airliners are about 50% electric and electronic, whereas the family car is around 30% so far, all these percentages steadily rising. The point is that an aircraft has far more than the radar, communications and other instruments accessed by the pilot: it is a sea of sensors, fuel controls and servo systems in the engines, wings and elsewhere. Even the family car adds much more than the satnav, phone, proximity sensors and other electronics directly assisting the driver, the MEMS accelerometer controlling the air bags being just one of an increasingly huge number of out-of-sight safety and other measures controlled by circuitry.

Intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles

Two forthcoming events in Germany reflect the intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles. Energy Harvesting Europe 21-22 June covers many forms of harvesting for other applications as well and drills into the technology, investment and other aspects of harvesting in general. On the other hand Electric Vehicles Land Sea Air in Stuttgart 28-29 June is entirely vehicle oriented.

Energy harvesting for electric vehicles

Energy harvesting is the production of electricity from ambient energy. Usually the objective in electric vehicles is to increase range and safety. Range is increased in two ways. Either a very powerful form of energy harvesting such as shock absorbers or regenerative braking adds significant amounts of energy to the traction battery or wireless sensors and actuators improving safety also save many kilograms of wiring this also increasing range significantly.

Intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles

Two forthcoming events in Germany reflect the intense interest in energy harvesting for electric vehicles.

Some impressions from Printed Electronics Europe

Printed Electronics Europe in Düsseldorf grew again, remaining Europe's largest event on the subject.

Demonstration Street at Printed Electronics Europe 2011

The Printed Electronics series of conferences and tradeshows hosted by IDTechEx are attended by a large number of end users from many verticals, including electronics, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, military, advertising & media and toy industries.

Printed electronics - many new directions

Samsung Electronics of South Korea had approximately $132 billion in sales in 2010 and it is prioritising printed electronics for the future, its commitment extending to making its required materials, production machines and components and manufacturing complete products based on this new and versatile technology.

Paper electronics ready for prime time

The term paper electronics refers to electronic and electric circuits printed onto paper - increasingly both at the same time. Paper electronics has its origins in the screen printing of electrodes onto battery separators for cylindrical batteries and it has been used for conductors and sensors in such things as T-Ink toys and novelties.

Printed electronics widens its scope

Printed electronics has its origins in conductive patterns printed as part of conventional electronics, forming flexible keyboards, antennas and so on.

Smart Skin for Land, Sea and Air Vehicles

Cars that glow in the dark and have far more passenger space, aircraft and submarines that monitor their complete outer surface, military vehicles that destroy missiles that hit them. The common factor here is smart skin.

Printed Electronics USA 2010 Highlights

Last week the annual IDTechEx Printed Electronics event was held in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. Almost 1200 people attended the conference and 49,000 square foot exhibition.

IDTechEx Printed Electronics USA 2010 award winners

The fourth annual printed electronics winners were announced on Dec 1st at the IDTechEx Awards Dinner in Santa Clara, USA.

Control system for electric aircraft

Bye Energy an integrator of alternative energy technologies is poised to provide the aviation community with a safe, economical, efficient, and quiet, low-emission "green" aircraft propulsion alternative to the internal combustion engine through an electric hybrid propulsion system (EHPS).

Where to? Demonstration Street please!

The Printed Electronics series of conferences and tradeshows hosted by IDTechEx are attended by a large number of end users from many verticals, including electronics, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, military, advertising & media and toy industries. These companies attend our events to meet with suppliers and preview what is currently available or what is becoming available in the near future.

Reducing EV weight

The race is on to reduce EV weight with a ground up reappraisal of every structural material and every component and subsystem.

Heavy duty electric land vehicles

There are about 250 manufacturers of heavy industrial vehicles worldwide but most do not make EVs. Between them they will make about 700,000 of these vehicles in 2010.