A2 - Sustainable and Flexible Electronics

Coordinator: Annalisa Tirella

This area focuses on developing new embedded and multifunctional sensing solutions operating in specific micro/environments. Emerging technologies and manufacturing systems will enable the development and validation of multiple-sensing devices, e.g. electro-mechanical.

Keywords: sensors, conductive materials, biopolymers, eco-friendly inks, circular economy materials, sustainable, smart material systems, additive manufacturing, emerging technologies, machine learning, multifunctional sensors, embedded solutions.

Over the past years, the rapid technological advances towards smart robotics led to a significant decrease in the lifetime of consumer electronics and increased the produced waste. To tackle this issue, this area focuses on the design and manufacturing of high-performance flexible electronic systems with a focus on the use of renewable and biodegradable materials, as well as manufacturing processes using a safe and sustainable design (SSbD) approach.

Activities within this area approach the manufacturing and characterisation of multifunctional sensing solutions towards the next generation of smart soft robots. Technologies and topics of interest for this area include, but are not limited to, the development and validation of multiple-sensing by: developing multifunctional conductive materials, optimising additive manufacturing methods for flexible sensors and actuators and designing new biomimetic and eco-friendly electronics.

Relevance within the Department of Excellence Project

The activities within this area aim to contribute to the general objectives of the Department of Excellence project, by focusing in particular on robotic components (e.g. multifunctional material components) and sub-systems, as defined in Quadro D.2 of the project description.

The activities within this area will pursue a system-level approach, and will thus mainly cover the following levels of the research project structure (Quadro D.3):

Level 1 – Enabling technologies, with specific attention to new multi-functional eco-friendly materials, sustainable and safe by design manufacturing methods, and flexible electronics.
Level 2 - Innovative subsystems, such as sensors and actuators based on multifunctional materials, self-powered batteryless wireless systems, and smart textiles.

This area aims to provide contributions to the following project deliverables:

Standardised SSbD Manufacturing Methods for flexible electronics, such as machine-learning algorithms, and design of experiments.
Prototypes of eco-friendly conductive inks, such as biodegradable conductive polymers, and eco-friendly solvents.
Prototypes of soft sensors and actuators, such as biomimetic systems, and polymer-based artificial muscles.

Strategic equipment for this area, procured as part of the Department of Excellence programme, includes:

Capillary viscometer for the characterization of solvents and conductive inks to be used in the manufacturing of flexible electronics.
Electroactive polymer systems manufacturing and characterisation testbench for the fabrication of multifunctional material systems.
Laser scanning vibrometer for contactless vibration measurements, instrumental for the characterisation of distributed actuators and active surfaces.
Electrostatic actuators characterisation testbench, which will serve as a general-purpose platform to characterise transducers and integrated systems under different loading conditions.
Laser sintering printer and desktop system for flexible circuits printing, for the fabrication of smart textiles and flexible transducers.

Activities

A2.1 - Novel flexible nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity for thermal management in flexible electronics

smart material systems, thermal conductivity, silsesquioxanes, ceramic nanoparticles, flexible nanocomposites, materials chemistry

A2.2 - Guided data-driven manufacturing approach for safe and sustainable by design of multi-functional natural-based conductive polymers

conductive materials, biopolymers, additive manufacturing, emerging technologies, machine learning, structured neural network, multifunctional materials

A2 - Sustainable and Flexible Electronics

Relevance within the Department of Excellence Project

Activities

A2.1 - Novel flexible nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity for thermal management in flexible electronics

A2.2 - Guided data-driven manufacturing approach for safe and sustainable by design of multi-functional natural-based conductive polymers

A2.3 - Conductive coatings fabricated by atmospheric plasma deposition

A2.4 - Battery-free Electronic Sensors with tiny machine learning on flexible substrates

A2.5 - The Operating Table as an Intelligent Hub for Data-Logging to Promote Physical Patient Comfort During Surgery