Sensors, Haptics & Displays

The term the Internet of Things was conceived when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set up the Auto ID Center in 1998.

There has been varying levels of interest in different types of energy harvesters over the past few years. For powering small or mobile devices, photovoltaics dominate - they are widely produced, robust and relatively low cost.

The 10th edition of Printed Electronics USA is only a few weeks away, and this year represents a unique opportunity to learn about printed, organic and flexible sensors.

The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) promises to redefine the way humans and machines interface and the way they interact with the world around them. Attributing a virtual signature to everyone and everything allows for new concepts of managing systems, optimizing processes and adding versatility to existing ways of exchanging information.

IDTechEx forecasts that the market for printed and flexible sensors will increase by more than $1 billion by 2020. This is one of the many findings discussed in the latest report "Printed and Flexible Sensors 2014-2024: Technologies, Players, Forecasts" (www.IDTechEx.com/sensors).

According to recent IDTechEx research on the topic of electrodynamic energy harvesting, almost 20 million devices will be sold in 2024 that will not be bicycle generators. Instead, they will be wireless switches, energy harvesters enabling wireless sensing in transport, industrial and building automation, devices that put the common alternator to work in market segments that there was previously no use for it.

IDTechEx first published a detailed report on NFC five years ago. In this article we share some of the findings in the new IDTechEx report, "Near Field Communication (NFC) 2014-2024".

This article introduces some of the research and content of the new IDTechEx report "Transparent Conductive Films (TCF) 2014-2024: Forecasts, Technologies, Players."

The Japanese are working very hard on thermoelectric energy harvesting from tiny forms for use on hot running electronics components the 1.5 kW versions for use on furnace flues etc.

IDTechEx has just completed an intense study of Printed Electronics in Japan involving 35 visits to companies and institutions there and interviews and lectures at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics Asia event there.