manufacturing of smart goods: current state, future potential, … · 2017-03-22 · manufacturing...

Manufacturing of Smart Goods:

Current State, Future Potential,

and Research Recommendations

Brian K. Paul1

School of Mechanical, Industrial

and Manufacturing Engineering,

Oregon State University,

Corvallis, OR 97330

e-mail: [email protected]

Rahul PanatSchool of Mechanical and Materials Engineering,

Washington State University,

Pullman, WA 99163

Christina MastrangeloIndustrial & Systems Engineering,

University of Washington,

Seattle, WA 98195

Dave KimDepartment of Mechanical Engineering,

Washington State University,

Vancouver, WA 98686

David JohnsonDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry,

University of Oregon,

Eugene, OR 97403

Smart goods are everyday products with wireless connection tocloud computing enabling cost-effective strategies for embeddedcomputation, memory and sensing. A 2015 workshop sponsoredby the National Science Foundation and the Oregon Nanoscienceand Microtechnologies Institute brought industry and academicleaders together in the Pacific Northwest to help identify futuremanufacturing research needs in this emerging industry. Work-shop findings show that the impetus exists to drive the costs ofsmart goods lower and several technological challenges stand inthe way. This paper summarizes the outcomes of the workshopincluding the current state of practice, future potential, technolog-ical gaps, and research recommendations to realize lower costroutes to manufacture smart goods. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4033968]

1 Introduction

In 2012, the U.S. information technology (IT) industry, consist-ing of semiconductors, computers, software, publishing, broad-casting, telecommunications, data processing, internet publishing,and other information services, contributed over $1.7 trillion tothe United States gross domestic product [1]. By 2017, about one-half of spending on IT equipment in the U.S. is projected to be insmart computing [2], much of which is driven by social network-ing and gaming through mobile and cloud computing platforms.By 2020, global IT is expected to become further distributed,growing from roughly 10� 109 interconnected devices today

[3,4] to as many as 200� 109 [5] “smart goods,” with computa-tion embedded within everyday objects connected to cloudcomputing via wireless sensing, i.e., the “internet of things” (IoT).These estimates include 30� 109 interconnected autonomous sys-tems that extend IoT beyond social networking and automateddata collection [6] to include closed-loop actuation and teleopera-tion. The technology ecosystem surrounding these smart goods isestimated to be an $8.9 trillion global industry by 2020 [5].

For most of the prior 50 years, productivity in the IT industry hasbeen driven by improvements in semiconductor manufacturingassociated with Moore’s law, i.e., the doubling of transistors in anintegrated circuit (IC) every two years. The emergence of smartgoods represents a seismic shift in the way IT is being designed,produced, distributed, and marketed. Computers are increasinglybeing sold as a subsystem within an existing product rather than asa stand-alone processor driving new requirements for form factorsand component integration across sensing, computing,and communication platforms. Further, mobile smart goods aredriving new requirements for power management and energyharvesting, challenging conventional wisdom associated with semi-conductor device design and integration. Like the IT revolution ofthe last 50 years, the future IoT revolution will be enabled in part bythe development of manufacturing platforms capable of deliveringhigher computing performance at lower cost. In this way, smartgoods manufacturing platforms form part of the economic founda-tion necessary for advancing many significant IoT industries of thefuture including personalized medicine, precision agriculture, smartgrid, and the industrial internet among many others.

Many examples exist today of smart goods produced usingconventional semiconductor and electronics assembly technology(e.g., mail trackers, thermostats, food freshness sensors, medica-tion compliance monitors, lighting, power meters, diagnostic,and therapeutic devices). While the near-term demand for smartgoods will continue to leverage silicon complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), microelectromechanical systems(MEMS), and surface mount technology manufacturing platforms,it is anticipated that the opportunities exist to reduce the cost ofelectromechanical integration within products through digitalprinting. Additional research and development is needed to bringboth digital printing into the mainstream of manufacturing as wellas to extend existing semiconductor processing platforms to meetthe future structural and functional requirements of smart goods.With this in mind, a two-day workshop sponsored by the NationalScience Foundation was organized to:

(1) Examine and review the state-of-practice in manufacturingmaterials and process technologies for the emerging smartgoods industry;

(2) gather the smart goods industry perspective regardingadvanced manufacturing research needs, gaps and the asso-ciated challenges; and

(3) formulate recommendations for next steps, includingfollow-up workshops as needed, to advance manufacturingtechnologies for the emerging smart goods industry.

The workshop was held in Portland, OR on May 14 and 15,2015. Also known as the Silicon Forest, the Portland, OR, andVancouver, WA metropolitan area contains almost 900 semicon-ductor and electronics companies. The workshop drew a diversegroup of participants from industry, academia, and governmentincluding 20 industry speakers. A total of 120 people attended,including 38 (32%) from industry, 67 (56%) from academia, and15 (12%) from state and federal government and nongovernmen-tal organizations. This total included participation from 19 statesacross the U.S. including AZ, CA, GA, HI, ID, KS, MD, MA,MN, MO, NE, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, and WI.

The purpose of this paper is to capture the state-of-practice andmanufacturing research needs identified by workshop speakersand to make recommendations for advancing manufacturing

1Corresponding author.Contributed by the Manufacturing Engineering Division of ASME for publication

in the JOURNAL OF MICRO- AND NANO-MANUFACTURING. Manuscript received January 5,2016; final manuscript received June 15, 2016; published online October 19, 2016.Editor: Jian Cao.

Journal of Micro- and Nano-Manufacturing DECEMBER 2016, Vol. 4 / 044001-1Copyright VC 2016 by ASME

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research in support of this vital emerging industry. Section 2 sum-marizes workshop presentations from the five workshop sessions.The first three sessions involved assessing smart goods needsfrom both large and small company perspectives including spe-cific manufacturing needs. The final two sessions cover the futureresearch needs of both existing and emerging smart goods manu-facturing platforms. Section 3 summarizes the research needsidentified by industry to realize cost effective manufacturingroutes for smart goods. Section 4 summarizes the workshop find-ings and recommends mechanisms to carry out the research needsoutlined in Sec. 3.

2 State-of-the-Practice

Summaries for each of the subsections below are shown intables at the beginning of each subsection.

2.1 Smart Good Needs. Table 1 provides a summary of thesmart goods needs described in more detail below. Dr. Al Salour(Technical Fellow, Boeing) highlighted that cyberphysical system(CPS) applications at Boeing are being driven by a 50% increasein the demand for airplanes. He emphasized that the advent ofwireless sensing has enabled worker productivity gains andimprovements in the quality of data available for a wide range ofindustrial internet applications. Manufacturing shop floor applica-tions discussed included the use of radio frequency identification(RFID) tags to provide real-time tracking of production assets likeinventory and tools. He discussed the efforts to implementcondition-based maintenance of equipment, in place of scheduledmaintenance, using wireless sensing platforms in combinationwith custom and off-the-shelf data analytics software to predicttool failure conditions before they happen. Specific examplesincluded the use of smart phones for the collection of acousticsensor data setup for equipment health monitoring by productionmechanics. Advantages included the ability to simplify the cali-bration and training of mechanics as well as the ability formechanics to use the data to identify failure modes before theyoccur to minimize safety risks and damage to products and equip-ment. Other cyberphysical applications discussed involved theuse of wireless gauges to support statistical process control andquality assurance programs. Dr. Salour also discussed efforts atBoeing to implement structural health monitoring in compositesections of the airplane using fiber optic strain sensors. This appli-cation reflects only one of many needs that Boeing currently faceswith regards to integrating sensor technology directly into theairplane as a smart good.

Dr. Roy Want (Research Scientist, Google) discussed the datamanagement issues associated with the large and growing num-ber of smart goods becoming available within society. Eachsmart good must be discovered and separately managed using a

software application (app) which can become difficult to do ona mobile platform. Further, the large number of interactions cangenerate an overwhelming amount of data all the while posingan increased safety and security risk. Dr. Want proposed thateach smart good have an embedded “UriBeacon” to broadcast aURL address referencing a web page with the specific data asso-ciated with the smart good. This is similar to Apple’s iBeaconconcept except that in order to use the iBeacon, companies mustdevelop their own apps. Note that iBeacon is a protocol devel-oped by Apple, Inc., that is used as an identifier to determine adevice’s physical location, track customers, or trigger a location-based action on the device such as a check-in on social media.A UriBeacon can enable a connection of the device to a webpage that could enable the devices to be found using currentsearch engines. One example given for the use of UriBeaconswas setting up a smart phone to search for temperature controlpoints (e.g., thermostats, appliances, etc.) in an effort to influ-ence the localized temperature within buildings. Advantages ofthe UriBeacon approach include easier use (i.e., lack of the needto develop apps) and the ability to monetize IoT through adver-tising. Current issues being worked on include privacy, power,and search query processing. A review of current UriBeaconand iBeacon costs show a price of $50 per item (volume pricingavailable) which could be a barrier to the ubiquitous usage ofthese technologies to connect smart goods to the Internet.

Ned Lecky (Principal Engineer, Amazon) presented the chal-lenges that all retailers face in tracking and monitoring the conditionof retail goods being distributed worldwide. For Amazon, it requirestracking roughly 60,000 goods per hour per building through 200distribution centers for a total of 12� 106 goods per hour. Trackingthis volume of goods through a tightly coupled distribution systemresults in a very large real-time database of where everything is.This data is largely generated by barcode scanners, which are expen-sive to build to meet the required throughput. Further, the problem isthat barcodes must be visible to be scanned, so damaged, lost or sto-len goods can be hard to track or find. Mr. Lecky indicated that evenfive cent RFID tags would require $150 million per year in operatingexpenses which can be hard to justify when the “smarts” do nothingbut track goods during distribution. Mr. Lecky emphasized that thereason RFID tags are not more ubiquitous is that they do not directlyadd value to the end use customer. On the other hand, many smartgoods have the ability to track location, offering a chance to servemultiple purposes both for the distributor and retailer in merchandisetracking while directly adding value to the customer. In this manner,the costs of distribution could be reduced. Mr. Lecky proposed thatas smart goods evolve, perhaps they could have tracking featuresbuilt into them. Data of interest included monitoring of location,temperature, humidity, orientation, and shock as a function of time.Concerns included privacy once the goods are passed on to thecustomer.

Table 1 A summary of the company-specific smart goods requirements discussed in Sec. 2.1

Company Attributes of smart goods critical to the company Comment

Boeing-factory operations Smart goods for CPS applications in manufacturing environment forefficiency improvement

Google Smart goods to have an embedded broadcasting device to reference themto URL addresses

Amazon Smart goods that can add value to the end customer rather than just trackpackages. Perhaps a tracking of features built into the smart devices inappliances, etc.

Simplexity, Inc. New materials and manufacturing methods with compact size, waterresistance, safety, and durability

Designed the Microsoft band

VDOS global Expanding bandwidth for communicating data wirelessly, increasingbattery life, and reducing the weight and cost of propulsion

Specializes in on and offshorepetroleum refineries

Impinj, Inc. High-speed manufacturing of soldering an IC (e.g., a flip chip) to anantenna that has been previously fabricated on PET substrate

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Dorota Shortell (President, Simplexity Product Development,Inc.) highlighted two smart goods that her company recently devel-oped and shared lessons from those experiences. Case studiesincluded the Microsoft Band (Fig. 1), a wearable device for thewrist, and smart dumbbells. Key challenges for the wearable devicewere its compact size, water resistance, safety, and durability. Sizeand durability requirements drove designers away from the use ofpolymers toward materials with higher specific strength such asstainless steel. The need to drive metals into complex shapes withtight tolerances led to the use of metal injection molding and preci-sion sheet metal forming techniques. Water/sweat resistance andsafety drove designers toward low-cost space-saving integrationstrategies for the gasketing and sealing of components includinginsert molding onto flexible printed circuits and overmolding ofthermoplastic elastomers onto structural elements to improve pro-file accuracy. Key challenges for the smart dumbbells included bat-tery life and achieving the positional accuracy required for use.Power management solutions included the use of a low-power cen-tral processing unit and the development of software routines forminimizing sensor on-time. Common needs included the desire tofurther miniaturize common smart goods components (e.g., acceler-ometers, gyros, cameras, and batteries), lower the power require-ments of sensors, reduce the costs of positional measurement,reduce the amount of interconnect, and increase the flexibility ofinterconnects. Ms. Shortell expected that future smart goods willmove beyond sensing to manipulation of their environment whichwill bring needs for low-cost, low power manipulators (e.g., motors,solenoids).

Brian Whiteside (President, VDOS Global) provided insightsinto the future of autonomous systems (Table 2). VDOS Globalspecializes in the use of drones for the inspection of on and

offshore petroleum refineries. Future needs included expandingbandwidth for communicating data wirelessly, increasing batterylife, and reducing the weight and cost of propulsion. Specificimplications for manufacturing included the ability to use three-dimensional (3D) printing to not only “remove and replace” com-ponents but to build autonomous systems in a single printing cycleemphasizing the need for new platforms for electromechanicalintegration.

Nikhil Deulkar (Director of Product Management, Impinj, Inc.)discussed the opportunities and manufacturing needs of RFIDtags. Key new RFID markets include healthcare, pharmaceutical,automotive parts, food distribution, and athletic competitions.One key challenge is the detuning of RFID tags within variousenvironments. Another key challenge is the need for high speedmanufacturing with Impinj shipping 5� 109 RFID tags in 2015alone. RFID inlays are produced by soldering an IC (e.g., a flipchip) to an antenna that has been previously printed, etched,stamped, or vapor-deposited onto a paper or polyethylene tereph-thalate (PET) substrate. RFID inlays are then laminated betweenpaper as labels or polymer films as cards or directly attached toitems through the use of adhesives. Current bottlenecks in manu-facturing production are the RFID printers used to encode the tagwith data. Current efforts are being made in the industry toadvance into graphene or silver-based antennae and to further sim-plify the interconnect. Future RFID platforms are moving towardenabling wireless sensing by attaching a front-end RFID tag to aback-end bus for connecting to sensors.

2.2 Smart Goods Manufacturing Needs. Table 3 provides asummary of the smart goods manufacturing needs described inmore detail below. Bruce Angelis (Engineering Advisor, Itron)opened this session by discussing his insights on the needs of smartpower meters. Itron designs, manufactures, markets, installs, andprovides services systems and fixed communication networks forautomatic and electronic meter reading. The company has beenmanufacturing smart meters, which collect, process, and transmitvital energy information, allowing utilities to leverage time-basedrates, demand response, home networking, and many other smartgrid applications. However, key challenges facing the develop-ment of smart meters include the range of different communica-tions technologies available (Optical probe, Wifi, Cellular), thepossibility of outside interference (e.g., fraud, unauthorized/massdisconnection, energy diversion, behavior monitoring, and denialof service) and the need for data security. Another challengeincludes the need to extend battery life to 20 years requiring theintegration of energy harvesting (Fig. 2). Further, efforts are beingmade to leverage the use of additive manufacturing for fabricatingsensors and devices. Of particular interest is the use of graphenefor smart devices with primary interest in ultracapacitors and lowenergy/high sensitivity sensors.

Dr. Scott Johnston (Research Scientist, Boeing) talked primar-ily about the use of direct write (DW) technologies for use instructural health monitoring systems in aerospace applications.

Fig. 1 A case study in smart goods: The Microsoft Band.(Reproduced with permission from Simplexity Product Develo-ment, Inc., San Diego, CA. Copyright 2016 by Simplexity).

Table 2 A roadmap looking forward at the advancement of robotic systems over time

2008 2018 2028

Human interaction Requires human operator Voice commands MultilingualSwarm Single unit Within controlled environments Multi domain collaborationFrequency Restricted RF Limited frequency agility Multi band communicationsFunctionality Single mission operator directed Programed “smart” missions Autonomous behaviorsOperating environment Restricted controlled environments Expanded operating limitations All weather cross domainsPayload Single mission design Integrated sensors Integrated SystemsCommand and control Requires human operator Operator per command unit Operator per regionData network Limited by technology available Smart bandwidth control Bandwidth independentEndurance Single hour Days YearsMaintenance Specialized skill maintenance Remove and replace Self repairArtificial intelligence Sensor data Integrated sensor and mission operation Decision making

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Specifically, the potential airplane applications of DW technologiesincluded strain gauges, thermocouples, barcode tracking, data lines,power supply lines, and antennae among others. At present, selectedelectronic components, such as switches, batteries, and antennae arebeing printed on a wide variety of substrates using various DW tech-nologies including ink jet, aerosol jet, screen printing, flexography,plasma-based thermal spray and fused filament. Integration of DWmanufactured components into an aircraft is a very challenging pro-cess, which requires a long time (5–7 years) and a high caliber oftesting and certification. However, DW applications are currentlybeing applied and tested in many Boeing platforms. Areas of addi-tional investigation or development include the need for: conductormaterials with performance close to current printed circuit boardinterconnects including the ability to sinter at low temperature withhigh adhesion

(1) Substrate materials that are compatible with current aero-space materials and manufacturing environments;

(2) DW equipment possessing higher levels of automation withminimal machine-to-machine variability; and

(3) the ability to interconnect with traditional electronics.

Considerations for DW technologies within the aerospace indus-try include issues such as longevity, in situ monitoring capabilities,nondestructive verification of viable traces and properties, andstandard testing methodologies. Dr. Johnston also discussed mate-rial, electrical, and performance testing requirements of DW appli-cations including the in situ testing of thermal, adhesive, flexural,and fatigue requirements. The ability to implement DW applica-tions on existing airplane materials without requiring new substratematerials is desired in order to minimize testing requirements.

Table 3 A summary of the company-specific smart goods manufacturing requirements discussed in Sec. 2.2

Company Smart goods manufacturing needs Comment

Itron, Inc. Want explore the extending battery life to 20 years, with energyharvesting methods to assist an existing battery

Company manufactures and installssmart power meters

Boeing-manufacturing DW technologies for printed electronics on aircraft wings. Particularlyconductive and functional materials and low temperature sinteringmethods

Sharp Laboratories of America Low-cost manufacturing methods with a combination of Si, whereperformance is needed, and printed interconnects

SNUPI technologies Small company needs the ability to have teams that integrate manydisparate engineering disciplines: manufacturing for cost andfunctionality, electrical/wireless design, reliability, and productaesthetics

Fig. 2 Energy harvesting research needs for smart meters

Table 4 Cost dependency of manufacturing technologies for existing and potential sensor applications

Price point($ per sensor) Existing or potential applications for sensors Manufacturing technology

1.0 IoT applications fighting global hunger, pollution, healthcare,and energy

Conventional IC hybrid Exists/developing

0.1 Ultrahigh volume sensors applications for personal health, fit-ness, and lifestyle

Hybrid Developing

0.01 Monitoring trillion shipped packages—United Parcel Servicealone ships about 160� 106/yr

Printing Developing

0.001 Monitoring freshness and quantity of food in trillions of foodpackages sold every year

3D printing Developing/early stage

0.0001 Planting sensor arrays with plant seeds to monitor health andnutrient needs of every plant to optimize the crop yield

3D printing Early stage



Dr. Tolis Voutsas (Director of New Business Development, SharpLabs of America) mainly talked about sensor technology develop-ment with an emphasis on manufacturing perspectives and needs. Heacknowledged that we already use many sensors during our dailylives (e.g., approximately 200 sensors per car, 100 sensors per smarthome, 14 sensors per smart phone, and ten sensors per wearable de-vice). Key sensors exist for motion, direction and heading, altitude,proximity and environment (pressure, temperature, etc.). New sensorsare being advanced for biological sensing and user experience (i.e.,image, optical, microphone, etc.). However, cost is a key constraintlimiting the massive adoption of sensors as shown in Table 4. Threemanufacturing options were discussed for sensor manufacturingincluding conventional Si-based, printed, and a hybrid of the two. Si-based technology currently is the platform for delivering low-costand high performance. Printed manufacturing cannot yet fabricatehigh performance circuits and systems. The combination of additiveprocesses with the placement of Si chips (e.g., RFID tags) throughhybrid manufacturing can be applied over larger areas with theadvantage of Si performance where it is needed. Challenges in theuse of 3D printing include the need for higher performance materials.Other challenges discussed included battery life, applications designs,data management, and security.

Marco Micheletti (Senior Director of Operations, SNUPI Tech-nologies) shared his views on smart goods manufacturing needs.SNUPI Technologies is a sensor and services company offeringsmart goods for home safety, security, and loss prevention. Oneexample is the WallyHome

TM

product which detects and alertshome owners of water leaks and high-levels of humidity within thehome. The product offers a 10þ year battery life based on the useof an ultralow power circuit and communications protocol. As asmall company, key challenges discussed included the need to findinvestment for exploring advanced manufacturing capabilities andthe ability to integrate many disparate engineering disciplines. Forthese reasons, the speaker advocated the need of a technology road-map for smart goods which would help smaller companies, absentthe marketing and product development capabilities of larger firms,understand the future direction of technology markets and invest-ments. He also advocated for a consortium to help educate otherindustries about the capabilities available through IoT technology.

2.3 Digital Printing. Table 5 provides a summary of thedigital printing research needs described in more detail below. JimStasiak (Distinguished Technologist, Hewlett-Packard) began bydiscussing the evolution of IT from mainframes and personal com-puters to the World Wide Web and mobile computing to what HPnow calls the central nervous system for the Earth, a highly intelli-gent network of sensors that can feel, taste, smell, see, and hear. Itis expected in the next decade that the number of sensors will growto trillions per year or on average 150 new sensors per global citi-zen per year. Massive scaling in the production of sensors will beneeded to meet this demand. The advantages of digital printingwere lauded for being able to help meet this demand throughembedding device and surface functionality. Digital printing strat-egies provide access to a broader array of materials likely needed toenable new approaches to sensing, energy storage, and energy

harvesting. The high materials utilization of digital printing willlikely be important to minimize the cost of new materials develop-ment. Rates as high as 100 feet per minute are achievable in print-ing. Further, digital printing is programmable, enabling on-the-flycustomization at high-speed. Examples were given of companiesdeveloping a broad class of printable materials including organics,inorganics, nanomaterials, and even biological materials. Thisbroad class of films in printed format opens the opportunity for digi-tal material science generating films and structures with gradientmaterial properties. Graphene was singled out as an important ma-terial that is currently difficult to print. In general, much work isneeded to improve the performance of printed functional materials.

Dave Tence (Jetting Development Manager, Xerox) discussedthe wide variety of options for printing of electronics including gra-vure, flexography, inkjet and offset printing among many others.Inkjet printing methods include piezo, thermal, electrostatic, andacoustic actuation. A key advantage touted for digital printing isthe ability to replace six lithography steps with one inkjet step. Theimportance of the quality of inks was stressed in functional printing.Key factors include the stability and viscosity of the particle sus-pension as well as avoiding particle agglomeration. Challengeshighlighted in jet-printing of electronic circuits included the sub-strate quality (e.g., hydrophilic, smooth), jetting reliability (e.g.,drop-to-drop variation), and resolution. The control of Brownianmotion and electrostatic forces was emphasized as crucial forimproving resolution. Digital printing examples included patterningof selective emitters for solar cells, printed organic light emittingdiode displays, and printed batteries among a variety of electroniccomponents and circuits. Current efforts include work on combin-ing 3D printing with the printing of electronic circuits to makefunctional electromechanical parts in one step.

Kurt Christenson (Research Physicist, Optomec) assessed thecurrent state-of-the-art in IoT printing included gravure, offset,flexographic, screen and inkjet printing, and traditional printedcircuit board manufacturing techniques which have high through-put with limited material availability. Laser direct sintering(LPKF), needle dispense (Nordson), ultrasonic atomization (Sono-Tek Corporation, Milton, NY), and aerosol jet printing were iden-tified as 3D compatible but highly serial with low throughput.Aerosol jets, like piezo inkjets, can pattern a wider variety of inks,compared with thermal inkjets where the phase change can com-plicate printing. However, aerosol jets are continuous and can befocused down to a 10 lm diameter with a large depth of field (upto 5 mm) which is helpful for printing on contoured surfaces. Amajor part of the cost of a digital printing system is the motioncontrol system. Electronics typically involve a two-axis systemwhereas 3D printing can involve three, four, or even five axis sys-tems depending on the application. Yield problems can extendfrom poor uniformity of the ink. Research needs include standar-dized software tools to help implement electrical interconnectionwith printing platforms. Also, much research is needed in the de-velopment of new materials for improving performance at lowcost. Near term focus will be on printed conductors, dielectricsand die attach materials, processes and requirements. Specificrequirements included:

Table 5 Research needs for companies that enable low-cost digital printing

Company Research needs

Hewlett-Packard To enable surface functionality and embedded architectures

Xerox Substrate quality (e.g., hydrophilic, smooth), jetting reliability (e.g., drop-to-drop variation), and resolution (e.g.,Brownian motion and electrostatic forces) of digital printing

Optomec Multihead aerosol jet printing and low temperature sintering methods

Voxtel Fabricating inkjet-printed functionally gradient structures and index of refraction (IR) nanomaterials

Shoei electronic materials Research on ways to control the size of QDs at mass production scales and fabricating billions of QDs per hour foreconomical adoption of these technologies

Quest integrated Research on low temperature sintering of metallic traces on aircraft parts



(1) Conductors—curable at 80 �C with the conductivity ofsilver; stability of ink

(2) Dielectrics—high glass transition temperature that main-tains stability when other materials are added

(3) Die attach—absorb coefficient of thermal expansion mismatchwith substrate; high thermal conductivity; Coefficient of Ther-mal Expansion on demand

Long-term opportunities include materials development in sup-port of strain, temperature, piezo, light, humidity, medical, andchemical sensors as well as passive electrical components.

George Williams (President, Voxtel, Inc.) discussed newadditive manufacturing techniques for producing optical compo-nents. Optical technology is a $36 billion market including a widevariety of energy capture and IT fields such as solar concentrators,photonics, cell phone cameras, microscopy, and telecommunica-tions to name a few. Optical components are typically the domi-nate cost within electro-optical systems such as cameras, highpower laser assemblies, and night vision goggles. The basis ofoptics (Snell’s law) has not changed in hundreds of years. Advanc-ing our thinking from a ray-tracing problem to a wave problem canlead to cheaper, more sophisticated optics based on materials withgradient optical properties. Efforts were discussed for using ink jetprinting to embed high IR nanomaterials within low IR polymersto produce gradient IR structures. Currently, a small researchprinter can take 25 h to print a single 1 in. lens. However, the sametechnology could be setup to print 45,000 lens per hour using acommercial web printer. Further, opportunities to lower the cost ofoptical components include the ability to produce complex wave-guides enabling the equivalent function of multiple optical compo-nents in one structure. Efforts are needed to develop the designtools based on wave propagation needed to optimize the designand manufacturing process.

Dr. David Schut (General Manager, Shoei Electronic Materials,Inc.) presented a new method for scaling up the production of col-loidal nanomaterials, specifically quantum dots (QDs). A QD is asemiconductor material typically below 10 nm in diameter whoseexcitons (electron-hole pairs of electrons that have jumped to ahigher electron shell) are confined in all three spatial dimensions.Consequently, light emitted from a stimulated QD sees a blue-shift(photons decrease in wavelength) as the size of the nanoparticledecreases. Applications of QDs range from security taggants andbiological probes to displays and lighting. Because the emissionwavelength is tied to the size of the nanoparticle, it is critical tofind ways to control the size of QDs at mass production scales. Incontinuous flow QD synthesis, convection heating can lead to ther-mal gradients between the wall and center of the tubing and abroadening of the QD particle size. Microwave heating can heatreagents and solvents from the “inside out” reducing the effect ofthe thermal gradient. Indium tin oxide and cerium oxide QDs werereported as being capable of being scaled to production volumes

with standard deviations of 0.3 and 0.38 nm for 4.43 nm diameterand 2.94 nm diameter, respectively. This represents the state-of-the-art in scaling the production of nanomaterial colloidal chemis-tries that could be used in various digital printing applications.

Giovanni Nino (Composites R&D Director, Quest Integrated)discussed structural health monitoring of aircraft parts using DWmanufacturing. Sensors printed using aerosol jet technology wasemphasized. One of the key requirements for such technologies isthe low temperature sintering of the metallic traces. Such lowtemperature processing is necessary to make it compatible withcomposite aerospace structures. Reliability of the traces underthermomechanical loading is also highly important.

2.4 Electronic Design and Semiconductor Manufacturing.Table 6 provides a summary of the electronic design and semicon-ductor manufacturing research needs described in more detailbelow. Serge Leef (Vice President of New Ventures and GeneralManager of the System-Level Engineering Division, MentorGraphics) provided insights as to the directions and challenges ofIoT technology. Examples of IoT applications included the use ofwireless sensors on cows and smart lawn sprinklers. Measuringthe vital signs of a cow enables the farmer to respond when thecow is sick or pregnant. Tracking the position of the cows overtime enabled the farmer to determine certain social behaviorswhich were linked to increased milk production. Design of thesetypes of electronic systems is changing. Designs now includecloud-based infrastructure, web portals, mobile apps, and evendata analytics. In addition to electronics, controls and software,smart goods design must consider multiphysics, power and

Table 6 Research needs for companies in electronic design and semiconductor manufacturing

Company Research needs Comment

Mentor graphics Research on security of cloud systems

Integration of the building blocks of the IoT technologies in intelligent ways to createhigh-value, domain-specific user experiences

ONSemiconductor

Research on integration of sensors on Si as it is the fastest way to dramatically reduce thecost of sensors (from several $/piece to a few cents/piece) since Si technologies are mature

Company makes automotive imagesensors and industrial image sensors

High temperature electronics with high bandgap materials (to avoid leakage current atelevated temperature) such as SiC or GaN for various applications

Research on managing power inputs from various energy harvesting devices

Thermogentechnologies

Research on improving the quality of energy in energy harvesting devices

Research on printing thermoelectric nanoparticles with high zT (thermoelectric figure ofmerit) on curved surfaces with low temperature sintering which could help move this technol-ogy from its infancy to large scale adoption

Fig. 3 Number of devices connected to the internet as of 2014.(Reproduced with permission from Business Insider, New York.Copyright 2016 by Business Insider Intelligence).



communications. Mr. Leef identified current limitations and chal-lenges of IoT technologies including technology, monetization,and security. The technology infrastructure is no longer a limitingfactor as evidenced by the explosion of internet connectivity overthe past ten years (Fig. 3) [7]. Building blocks are accessible. Thecost of sensors continues to drop (Fig. 4) although there is stillroom for improvement in order to penetrate new markets. A hugeopportunity exists to combine all these technologies in intelligentways to create high-value, domain-specific user experiences.However, new business models are needed to figure out how tomake money from the technology. Finally, IoT architectures offermany more places that hackers can invade our privacy. Accordingto Cisco, the biggest concern with IoT technologies moving for-ward is security.

Dr. Bill Cowell (Corporate Research and Development, ONSemiconductor) provided a summary of the Si-based technologiesthat are “imperative” in making smart goods successful. Keygrowth drivers within ON Semiconductor are automotive imagesensors and industrial image sensors. It was argued that thefastest way to dramatically reduce the cost of sensors (from sev-eral $/piece to a few cents/piece) is to integrate sensors on silicon.Figure 5 shows the perceived building blocks of the IoT segmentthat will drive the future research needs in Si-based technologies.Research challenges in sensors include producing sensor elementscompatible with CMOS. Other challenges with sensors include

scaling the infrastructure to handle the data volume generated bythese sensors. Research challenges in power management stemfrom the electrical resistance heating of the circuit. Several Si-based logic/controller strategies can be used to implement powermanagement strategies as shown in Fig. 6 including the integra-tion of energy harvesting and batteries. Challenges include man-aging multiple input and output levels/types. For example, thepower from various harvesting devices can range from 0.01 V(thermos-electrics) to >5 V (solar). All of the power sources thatoperate at different voltages and time scales need to be manufac-tured such that the system power consumption is minimized.Also, research should include how to manage different storagedevices operating at different voltages and time scales within asingle smart device. Finally, several research challenges were dis-cussed in the area of connectivity and controls with reference tothe Si technology including power consumption, hardware inte-gration, security and data volume. Standards are needed to helplower the cost of the smart goods.

James Hensel (CEO, Thermogen Technologies) discussedneeds from an energy harvesting perspective. As pointed out, theIoT revolution will depend, among other things, upon the timebetween charging of the edge nodes, i.e., smart goods, the“things” within IoT. As a result, the density of the energy storagedevice is highly important although battery energy density gainshave been only incremental over the last 30 years. Consequently,in many mobile or remote applications, harvested energy isneeded as a supplement to the batteries within the smart good.Although simple in concept, energy harvesting is challenging dueto the “quality” of energy (i.e., areal density and voltage) obtainedas shown in Fig. 7. While convenient, the harvesting of wirelessRF energy is highly inefficient providing low levels of harvestedpower. RF energy has restrictions on maximum intensity due tohuman health considerations. The use of solar energy as a sourcefor energy harvesting is great due to the maturity of solar technol-ogy. However, solar energy is highly time/space dependent. Forexample, the energy harvested by devices inside a building isabout 1000� less than that outdoors. Further, the cyclical natureof solar power can be highly challenging to the electronic circuit.The research needs for solar are well documented involvingefforts to increase photonic efficiency and are not specific to smartgoods. Energy harvested by piezoelectric materials is an importantemerging area. Such methods can be optimum for applicationswith continuous and consistent vibration frequency during opera-tion such as found in athletic goods. The typical power obtained is

Fig. 5 Si perspective of the building blocks for IoT (ON Semiconductor). The diagramidentifies key research areas that can be addressed by academia to help industryaddress its critical problems. (Reproduced with permission from ON Semiconductor,Phoenix, AZ. Copyright 2016 by ON Semiconductor).

Fig. 4 2014 forecast for average sensor cost. (Reproducedwith permission from Business Insider, New York. Copyright2016 by Business Insider Intelligence).



in lW. Research challenges in these devices include integrationinto the device (e.g., need to capture the vibrational “hotspots” tomaximize the harvested energy) and increasing the energy den-sity. The use of the Seebeck effect was discussed as a way to har-vest energy using thermal gradients. Thermal gradients can beobtained from the human body itself. Several uses of thermoelec-trics were discussed including medical monitoring, remote usage,fitness devices, and biosensors. Research innovations in thermo-electric manufacturing include the need to print high zT (thermo-electric figure of merit) particles on curved surfaces which couldhelp move this technology from its infancy to large scaleadoption.

Edoardo Gallizio (Product Marketing Manager, STMicroelec-tronics) discussed research needs in MEMS. The company hasshipped over 9� 109 MEMS-based sensors including light, noise,pressure, acceleration, and gyro. One of the key arguments regard-ing MEMS-based sensors was that the building blocks for thistechnology already exist. STMicroelectronics is building a

STM32 Nucleo Ecosystem. This system is based on ST’s 32-bitARM Cortex-M based microprocessors. Development boardsfor all STM32 families are currently available to developers.STMicroelectronics has also developed boards with additionalfunctionality including sensing, connectivity, power, and analog.MEMS apps have also been made available by STMicroelec-tronics. Such innovations will make sensor technologies moreavailable for smart goods applications and help expand the reachof the hardware in a manner similar to the way software prolifer-ated through open source app development (Fig. 8).

In the final session, Steve Brown (Innovation Strategist, Intel)provided a broad futuristic viewpoint of the future of smart goods.First, “smart” is transformational and will require a different prod-uct perspective. For example, a product itself is only one part ofthe deliverable because it could be a service delivery mechanismwith alternate ways to monetize it. In addition with improveddevelopment tools, everyone could become a developer, and non-technical creators may utilize other optimization metrics than effi-ciency. They may focus on experiences and may thrust human

Fig. 7 Surface power density from various harvested energysources. (Reproduced with permission from Thermogen, Cor-vallis, OR. Copyright 2016 by Thermogen)

Fig. 8 An open source “modular” approach at STMicroelectronics.MEMS-based sensors available to developers and consumers.(Reproduced with permission from STMicroelectronics, Amsterdam,The Netherlands. Copyright 2016 by STMicroelectronics).

Fig. 6 The Si-based power management areas for research. (Reproduced with permis-sion from ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, AZ. Copyright 2016 by ON Semiconductor).



needs ahead of efficiency. Second, a computer should be able tosee, hear, and interpret the world around it. With this capability,autonomous machines may be able to interface with humanssafely. For example, if autonomous vehicles develop, transporta-tion may be thought of as a service where people are packagesthat need to be moved from point A to B. This may lead to newsharing models moving from individual car ownership to munici-pal ownership where issues related to parking, licenses, insurance,etc., may disappear. Third, artificial intelligence and learningalgorithms will be used in smart goods. Once devices are in thedigital domain, we will all have the potential to be connected.“Value” needs to be considered. For example, how much valueresides in the device verses the digital domain? How will scalabil-ity be addressed? Will smart lead to a more sustainable modelbecause additional services may be readily added? Smart will bemore than sensing; more than a product. Future users will be moreaccepting of letting robotics and smart systems do things forthem, yet the majority of smart products today are centered oninternet-connected sensors. The next wave of smart products needto be able to manipulate their environment based on their sensorsthus resulting an increase in the blending of the human/machineworld. Smart goods are evolving from simply pushing sensor datato the network to closed-loop, autonomous control (i.e., affectinganother part of the device to take action).

3 Industry Research Needs

3.1 Development of Smart Components and Interconnects.Workshop participants consistently called for advancement of thecomponents and interconnects required for developing smartgoods. Persistent themes included reduced power, enhanced bat-tery life, energy harvesting, smaller form factor, and lower cost.Of particular interest was the desire to drive the costs of wirelesssensing down in order to open up new markets for IoT. Key com-ponents of interest included sensors, batteries, ultracapacitors,energy harvesters, wireless antennae, passive electrical compo-nents, switches, optical components, motors, and solenoids amongothers. Specific sensors mentioned included gyros, accelerome-ters, thermocouples, strain gauges, and cameras as well as sensorsfor humidity and for detecting chemical and biological speciesand activity. Sensors and batteries need to further decrease in sizeto enable smart goods miniaturization. Current sensors consumesignificant power. Many of the components will have to operate inseverely power-constrained environments, requiring improve-ments in energy efficiency and local energy harvesting.

Due to the relatively limited gains observed in battery technol-ogy over the past 25 years, the industry is becoming more inter-ested in harvested energy as an alternative source of power forsmart goods. Energy harvesting platforms requiring advancementincluded RF, piezo, and thermoelectric. Energy harvesting chal-lenges requiring additional research included the inefficiency ofRF energy harvesting, the need to match piezo to available vibra-tional frequencies, and the need to develop high zT circuits oncurvilinear surfaces using printing. The delivery of energy closeto the sensor elements/IC chip can also reduce the inductive lossesat high frequencies. The harvested power needs to reach mW/cm2

and beyond in order to have a practical impact for the smartgoods.

Advances are also needed in reducing the complexity of andpower consumption of interconnects. New form factors for cir-cuits brought on by new smart goods applications will requireflexibility and/or the need to print 3D interconnects. All of thesedevelopments must be advanced with key specifications in mindsuch as the durability and reliability of traces under thermome-chanical loading. In situ and nondestructive testing and monitor-ing of the thermal, adhesive, flexural, and fatigue properties ofcircuits will be important for structural health monitoring applica-tions. Standards development is needed to drive forward progressin the structural and electrical performance of materials used insmart circuits.

3.2 Sustainable Design and Manufacturing of High-Performance Materials. Workshop presenters consistentlybemoaned the need for higher performance structural, electrical,and optical materials. One promising area of research is the devel-opment of a digital material science that can predict the propertiesof gradient materials. Examples include the ability to optimize dieattach materials capable of absorbing the thermal expansionbetween the die and substrate. Specific material needs for tracesincluded higher electrical conductivity (e.g., silver) using lowtemperature (below 200 �C) processes. Graphene was mentionedmultiple times as a means for advancing antennae, ultracapacitorsand low-energy, high-sensitivity sensors. Efforts are needed toqualify substrate materials that conform to aerospace specifica-tions (e.g., structural composites). Specific challenges with sub-strate materials include the need for smooth surfaces with goodhydrophilicity. Challenges for dielectrics include higher glasstransition temperatures and chemical stability in the presence ofink solvents. Due to the need to miniaturize many wearable appli-cations, structural elements will require higher specific strengthsmoving structural elements away from polymers and toward met-als. This highlights the need for higher precision metalworkingincluding metal injection molding and advanced sheet metal form-ing techniques.

Several of the presenters agreed that a solution-based approachthat avoided the need for vacuum deposition and lithography werekey to low-cost, energy efficient manufacturing. The ideal pathfrom inks to functional materials, devices, and systems involvesdirect printing, patterning, and conversion with minimal energyinput. Digital printing enhances materials utilization and, whencombined with benign and sustainable functional material inks,addresses the grand challenge of environmental compatibility.Because smart goods are intended to be ubiquitous, they must berecyclable, compostable, or biodegradable. This poses a challengesince available biodegradable metals (e.g., Mg) are difficult tohandle and typically have higher electrical resistances.

An example of sustainable materials progress within the semi-conductor industry has been the development of metal oxideresists as a means to advance extreme ultraviolet lithography[8,9]. For decades, silicon transistors have been patterned andprocessed by using polymer resists, but these materials havelargely approached their fundamental resolution limits. By usingnew photosensitive, benign inorganic resists, patterning resolu-tions have been considerably extended to single-digit nm, materi-als utilization has been improved, and numerous processing stepshave been eliminated. These materials and their chemistries havealready been extended to digital printing.

3.3 Digital Printing. Digital printing technologies offeropportunities to transcend existing board-level strategies for com-ponent integration based on planar architectures reducing the costand improving the performance of electronic assemblies. Roboti-cally manipulated printheads can enable the conformal printing ofwireless sensors onto curvilinear surfaces, important for aero-space, trucking, and autonomous vehicle markets. Combined withthe large evolving library of wet chemistries and postprocessingtechniques for producing functional films, digital printing canserve as an electromechanical integration platform for realizing anew generation of cheaper and smarter products.

Although inkjet and aerosol-jet methods are available todirectly print materials on surfaces, key technical challengesremain in developing inks and processes that produce requiredfunctionalities at high resolution and high performance. Further,efforts are needed to demonstrate cost competitiveness and relaxresolution limits compared with lithographic methods. Significantinnovation is required in digital printing to enable unit processesthat are fully compatible with roll-to-roll, multihead processing atan industrial scale. Below are additional challenges that must bemet in driving forward smart goods applications in digitalprinting.



3.3.1 Scaling of High-Performance Functional Materials.During the workshop, many promising examples were given ofprojects exploring the use of digital printing for smart goods.However, a current bottleneck is the need for the manufacture ofspecialty inks in sufficient volume for production. The point wasstressed that the opportunities exist to develop low-cost, func-tional materials for digital printing applications in smart goods.The need for higher performing functional inks was emphasizedby many of the speakers including the need for better colloidalstability. Graphene was singled out as an important material thatis currently difficult to print.

Inks and wet chemistries are the central building blocks forcost-effective printing of the electrical components and circuitsfor smart goods. Inks are critical and developing inks with desiredink-substrate interactions simultaneous with weak ink-print headinteractions is both critical and extremely challenging. The lack ofspecialty inks for printing of 3D objects with complex functional-ity was lamented. The need for inks that produce materials withdesired electrical properties, either insulating, semiconducting, ormetallic, with desired dielectric properties and proper adhesionbetween constituents was suggested as an area where significantresearch resources should be focused. The need to relievestresses between constituents resulting from thermal processing isan additional challenge.

To address future markets in smart goods, significantdevelopments are needed to scale functional materials capable ofdelivering the electronic, optical, and mechanical properties nec-essary to enable the required sensor, energy storage, and wirelessfunctions. While nanoparticle materials for functional materialssuch as batteries and conductors [10–15] have been extensivelystudied, volume use of these materials requires scaling from milli-gram to kilogram quantities per day. Typical development scalesynthesis is done in small batches where speed and efficiency isnot important. However, for high volume production, continuousflow processes must be developed. Synthesis of nanomaterialsusing continuous flow microchannel reactors has attracted muchattention in the past decade [16–21]. Advanced process controlprovided by microchannel reactors includes precise and rapidchanges in reaction conditions, spatial separation of reagent intro-duction, and unparalleled temporal resolution. The reportedmicrochannel reactors, however, are normally operated at rela-tively small flow rates (1–100 lL/min).

As highlighted at the workshop, one promising area of advance-ment is the use of continuous flow microchannel reactors to scalethe solution-phase synthesis and functionalization of colloidalnanomaterials [22]. Microreactors have been used as a flexibleand versatile platform for nanomaterials synthesis, assembly anddeposition which will enable the integration of nanomaterials intoheterogeneous systems [23–25]. Microreactors can also producereactive fluxes of short-life, intermediate molecules for heteroge-neous growth on a temperature-controlled substrate. A major chal-lenge associated with the scale-up of functional materials includesthe ability to characterize nanomaterials during high-rate synthesisto ensure proper size and shape distribution. The availability ofhigh throughput, in-line diagnostic tools to monitor, and controlthe process at kilogram quantities per day is difficult.

3.3.2 Conversion and Integration of Functional Inks. Toproduce these smart goods, it is critical that printable materials areavailable that are either directly useable or can be converted intofunctional forms without damaging the underlying product or sur-face. While direct printing of functional materials is the idealpath, conversion of the materials from some precursor form to afinal functional material was often mentioned. Nanoparticle sin-tering methods that can create the traces at low temperature are ofimmense interest to the industry. For example, one of the keyrequirements for structural health monitoring in the aerospaceindustry is the need to print and sinter sensor elements and traceson these parts at low temperature (below 200 �C) to avoid affect-ing the structural composite. Photonic sintering methods make use

of the plasmonic resonance within many nanoparticles to allowsintering of nanoparticles at lower temperatures. The printing andphotonic sintering of nanoparticle inks represents a low tempera-ture path to form solid metallic conductors, antennae [26], passiveelectrical components, and sensor elements among other compo-nents. Several companies highlighted the need to advance ourunderstanding of photonic sintering as well as photonic curing,thermal sintering, and plasma sintering.

An additional challenge highlighted at the workshop is the abil-ity to integrate multiple functional materials (e.g., combiningenergy harvesting piezoelectrics with conductive interconnectsand battery materials all encapsulated for environmental protec-tion). Most current work focuses on single materials, and issuessuch as incompatible chemistries and interfacial bonding arerarely addressed. A related challenge involves the ability to inte-grate the nanomaterials into heterogeneous systems without losingtheir functional properties. Efforts are needed to develop compu-tationally aided design, synthesis, and testing tools for functionalinks to reduce the trial-and-error associated with integrating multi-ple materials and processes for smart goods.

3.3.3 Large-Area and Conformal Form Factors. Thechallenges of large area and nonplanar, conformal form factors inthe manufacturing of smart goods were highlighted in several pre-sentations. Several applications required the integration of sensorelements, interconnects, antennae, power sources, and microproc-essors within or onto complex 3D shapes (e.g., curvilinear surfa-ces). One example can be appreciated by considering the currentdevelopment of the Google contact lens (Fig. 9). Once developed,the contact lens will contain all of the components necessary tomeasure and transmit the glucose level in a tear drop to asmartphone or physician’s office by using embedded wirelesstechnology.

At present, the integration of the sensing element with the RFantenna and ultralow-power electronics involves conventionalvapor deposition, electrodeposition [28], and lithography. Alterna-tives include fabricating a battery array on a flexible substrate[18] which enables conformal fitup to the 3D shape, but is limitedto a restricted set of 3D geometries and possesses interfacial integ-rity issues that compromise reliability. Another way to integratesmart components onto 3D structures is to use existing two-dimensional lithographic methods on a deformable substrate fol-lowed by mechanical folding to produce the desired 3D geometry.Batteries processed in two-dimensional have been converted to3D using origami principles [29]. Although several attempts havebeen made in academic research labs, fundamental technicalissues, such as high stress and deformation in the areas of the foldshave limited the function of the circuit. New solution-depositedmaterials and processes provide a means to pattern the circuitonto the contoured surface with less energy. Robotically con-trolled digital printing can be used to directly print components oncontoured surfaces, leading to 3D structures. Such a method is

Fig. 9 A Google smart device: (a) contact lens that (b) sensesglucose levels and (c) uses an antenna to wirelessly transmitthe reading to a smart phone [27]. (Reproduced with permissionfrom Google, Mountain View, CA. Copyright 2016 by Google).



expected to provide considerable flexibility in adapting to geomet-ric surfaces.

3.4 Silicon and Hybrid Integration. As pointed out inseveral presentations, the most immediate route to integrating lowcost wireless sensing into everyday things will be through the useof silicon. High-performing digitally printed materials do not yetexist in most applications. Solutions include the use of hybrid (sil-icon and printing) approaches to integration over large, conformalareas. Silicon will be used in the near future as the computing andsensing element for smart devices. Future manufacturing researchneeds to include the integration of the sensing elements withCMOS-based devices. Sensor manufacturing techniques willinclude MEMS-based and ink-based printing methods. Futureresearch should address the science and engineering of materialsand methods directly compatible with IC metallization, reliabilityunder thermomechanical stresses, and 3D-printed passive andactive components over metallization.

3.5 Design Tools. Several presenters mentioned the need todevelop design tools to enable the development of smart goods. Inmany cases, the development of a smart good requires the simulta-neous development of a cloud-based infrastructure with web por-tals, mobile apps, and data analytics. As highlighted above, smartgoods design must consider multiphysics such as thermomechani-cal stresses as a result of electromechanical integration. Powermanagement and communications are becoming more importantfor designers. The need to develop optical components requiresthe ability to design based on wave propagation. Further, the useof digital printing and 3D printing technologies to develop inter-connects requires the development of new algorithms for optimiz-ing performance, energy efficiency and cost as well as thesoftware drivers to run new digital printing and 3D printingplatforms.

3.6 Data Volume Considerations in Large IoT Networks.A consistent concern expressed throughout the workshop was theneed to develop a network environment that is able to handle themassive data volumes that will be generated by smart goods. Thecomputing architecture will include diverse gateways, smartgoods, and protocols which must interconnect. Standards for con-nectivity, communications, and security will all be needed to drivethe industry forward. Data volumes will require network standardsand improved reliability in data capture. Battery life will beextended based on system architectures and networking protocols.Multiple input and output voltages and timescales will requireon-chip mixed signal processing. Of paramount importance is theissue of cybersecurity in the face of increased connectivity. Issuesof privacy, fraud, disconnection, diversion, behavior monitoring,and denial of service were all discussed. Data storage will need toevolve to minimize the computing overhead generated by themassive data (petabytes) collected through IoT networks.Improvements in visualization techniques will be necessary toextract accurate information and conclusions from the data cap-tured by IoT networks. Finally, as software applications evolve,smart goods will need to be able to adjust and tune themselves toallow rapid deployment of new use cases and functionalities.

4 Conclusions

The emerging smart goods industry has a common set ofresearch and educational challenges which must be overcome inorder to advance a multitrillion dollar global IoT industry. A tech-nology and business consortium process bringing smart goodscompanies together with the electronics industry is the most prac-tical and impactful approach to solving smart goods problems anddeveloping IoT networks for the future. Workshop attendees con-sistently acknowledged the need for consortia activity to poolresources in critical research areas and expressed the value of this

consortia activity in different ways. Large companies expressedthe value as coming together to better understand emerging smartgoods markets and common areas for the development of stand-ards. Small companies expressed the need for understandingfuture technology roadmaps indicating the direction of future mar-kets and investments. Product and technology roadmaps can helpto identify the technical challenges to realize the next generationof smart goods that meet consumer and industrial needs. Further,it was stated that an industry-university research consortium couldhelp small companies access the talent and facilities needed tointegrate emerging smart goods manufacturing platforms intotheir businesses. Small companies have a great need to integratemany different engineering disciplines in advancing smart goods.These capabilities can be provided within an ecosystem of univer-sity and industry partners working together to advance commoncauses. Such an ecosystem will help small companies to attractinvestment in manufacturing and further help educate other indus-tries about the opportunities available through smart goodsand IoT.

Acknowledgment

This workshop was supported by the Oregon Nanoscience andMicrotechnologies Institute and the National Science Foundationunder Grant No. CMMI#1535849. Any opinions, findings, conclu-sions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NationalScience Foundation.

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