Flexible electronics, which are also commonly known as flex circuits have generated a strong demand in recent years. This can be largely attributed to the widespread application of flexible electronics in numerous end use fields such as defense, consumer electronics, medical devices, and biometrics among others.
Flexible electronics also provide a number of additional benefits over conventional circuits such as greater variety in product design, higher durability, lower weight, and the ability to build on 3D configurations. Moreover, with the rapid innovations in smart mobile devices and the Internet of Things, the scope for flexible electronics is expected to grow even wider in the near future.
Flexible Electronics to Play a Major Role in Healthcare Technology Innovations
Growing awareness about healthcare issues are encouraging patients and healthcare professionals to increasingly make use of wearable devices, which provide a vast improvement in the monitoring ability available to doctors, even from remote locations. These features are expected to gain enhancements with the introduction of Internet of things technologies, for faster and more efficient exchange of essential data between patients and healthcare professionals.
With the decreasing costs of such wearable devices and improvements in technology for data collection, the use of flexible electronics is expected to increase significantly, through integration not only in mobile devices, but also in textiles and clothing for real time monitoring and diagnosis of patients.
Increasing Consumer Awareness and Investments Generate Demand
Flexible electronics are increasingly making use of advanced technologies such as ultra-thin solar power sources, and stretchable conductivity materials, which are adding to the efficiency of wearable and mobile technology. In addition, growing awareness about the benefits of using such producers among an ever widening consumer base, is expected to significantly boost the flexible electronics market.
Manufacturers focus on the renewable energy power sources and weight reduction technologies, which are anticipated to provide producers with large opportunities of growth, and generate favorable environment for greater adoption of this technology.
Digital Displays Make Increased Use of Flexible Electronics
Flexible displays are expected to hold control over a major share of end use applications for flexible electronics, owing to innovations in flexible sensors and photovoltaic setups. These types of displays are anticipated wit witness high popularity owing to the significant reduction in weight and width of such devices, making them extremely portable, in addition to reducing power consumption, robustness, and reliable performance.
OLED and LCD screens in particular are expected to adopt flexible electronics extensively, owing to the growing use of plastic instead of glass for their electronic substrates. This will include not just televisions and computers but also in mobile devices such as smartphones and smart watches.
Robotics Aims towards Creations with Human Senses through Flexible Electronic Skin
Researchers in robotics and prosthetics are displaying great interest in the potential applications of flexible electronic skin that will allow robots with extreme sensitivity with regards to tactile interactions with surroundings. Flexible electronic skins will allow the robot to sense pressure, temperature, and other sensations with a similar or improved level of sensitivity as that of actual human skin. The electronic skin market has witnessed developments such as ultrathin, stretchable electronics to create e-skins that find application in advanced prosthetics, virtual reality, and remote monitoring of health among others.
Some scientists have create a unique template for circuit patterns, for printing on tattoo papers, which is then accurately coated with a paste of silver that adheres to the printed ink. This is further augmented with microchips that use magnetic glue for adhesion, for creating electronic tattoos that monitor vital signs, while being flexible enough to allow high mobility of the body part where the tattoo is applied.
This innovation reduces production costs and time, and eliminates the need for complex clean room procedures such as photolithography that are commonly used for the manufacturing of conventional variants of electronic tattoos.
