INSTRUMENTATION & ELECTRONICS


PRINTED SENSOR EMPOWERMENT


Could printed sensors offer the key to meeting the demands of mass digitisation?


F


rom personalised user experiences to warehouse inventory management, data-driven insights are


accelerating demand for smarter sensors – and lots of them. Printing sensors could offer an avenue to meet this demand, as the technique enables sensors capable of measuring force, touch, light, gas, temperature and more to be manufactured in large areas at high volumes. However, printed sensors have traditionally struggled to compete with conventional sensing solutions in terms of cost. With mass digitisation demanding greater digital integration, though, the tide could be about to turn.


18 www.engineerlive.com International Design Engineer


asked IDTechX Technology Analyst Dr Jack Howley, author of the market intelligence firm’s recent report “Printed and Flexible Sensors 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets,” whether large-area printed sensors could be the silver bullet to empower the next generation of smart sensing solutions.


EMERGING APPLICATIONS “In industrial applications, cost is an important driver for the adoption of new sensing solutions,” says Howley. “While printed sensors are poorly positioned to compete on price alone, proactive maintenance and increasing


process efficiency are emerging as addressable opportunities. IDTechX predicts that emerging structural integrity monitoring and testing applications will benefit the most from printed sensors.” So, what real-world application


examples could we see leveraging the benefits of printed sensors? “A great example of this is flexible


X-ray photodetectors targeting weld inspection in non-destructive testing,” Howley offers. “Existing photodetector technology is rigid and bulky, prohibiting use in confined spaces. By conforming to pipes, printed X-ray sensors image the entirety of a joint at once, reducing testing time and


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