There are many new applications emerging in the area of flexible and printed electronics (PE), including wearables, sensors and devices for the Internet of Things. Printed Electronics USA 2016, organized by IDTechEx and opening today at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA, is highlighting these opportunities.
 
To make their point, IDTechEx has brought together a strong variety of brand owners, including Unilever, Intel. Google, Coca Cola, Qualcomm, Boeing, Toyota, Porsche, Caterpiller and others, who will discuss what they are working on and/or looking for from the technology.
 
Once again, PE USA 216 features co-located programs covering growing sectors that overlap each other This year’s conference features co-located sessions on 3D Printing, Energy Harvesting, Energy Storage Innovations, Graphene, Internet of Things (IoT) Applications, Sensors, and Wearables.
 
PE USA 2016 and its co-located shows have enjoyed continued growth in terms of attendees and exhibitors every year. IDTechEx CEO Raghu Das said 2016 is expected to follow this trend.
 
“As of Oct. 17, we are up more than 350 attendees versus this time last year – a month out from the event,” Das said. “We expect overall to far exceed 3,000 attendees. The exhibition has grown – not only in numbers but also in size of booth. We have found this year companies are taking a large stand and investing more in their booth.”
 
“By covering topics such as wearables, IoT, electric vehicles, sensors, energy storage and 3D printing, attendees can understood those value chains, problems in those industries and the innovation coming through,” he added. “As a result, the event provides a platform for companies in printed electronics to meet with interested parties from different industries.”
 
The Keynote Session features speakers from industry leaders like Google, Unilever and Intel. Das will open the session, leading into the keynote talks, beginning with Heidi Dohse, Google senior program manager and founder of Tour de Heart, whose topic is “The Internet Of Me – Data Empowering Patients.”
 
Dohse is followed by John Snow, global customer packaging manager of Unilever, who will discuss “Creating Global Opportunities and Purpose for Printed Electronics Through the Eyes of a CPG.”
 
Dr. Achin Bhowmik, VP and GM of perceptual computing at Intel, will follow with a talk on “Adding Human-Like Sensing To Devices With Intel RealSense Technology.” Winnifred Noorlander, public relations for the Nuon Solar Team, will close the keynote session with “Solar Car: Together We Power the Future.”
 
The conference then breaks into eight concurrent tracks. Printed Electronics, the topic of Track 1, then opens with an End User Insight Panel featuring Boeing,The Coca Cola Company, and Unilever. Presentations then follow with NextFlex, SciPerio, Toyota Central R&D Labs, Sabic, Tacto Tek, TNO, Optomec and BotFactory.
 
Track 2 covers Wearables. IDTech Ex opens the session followed by Qualcomm Life Lumo BodyTech, UICO, Holst Centre/TNO,  Maxim Integrated, United Sciences, Fit Pay, Toyobo Co., Panasonic and Semblant.
 
Track 3 will analyze the opportunities for sensors. After IDTechEx, talks will be given by Sensirion, Parrot, AMS, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Tacterion GmbH, Peratech, Sharp Laboratories of America, BeBop Sensors, Parker Hannifin and Biolinq.
 
Track 4, Internet of Things Applications USA,  will discuss the IoT as well as RFID. Talks are scheduled from IDTechEx, Bayer, Flex, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, FedEx Services – SenseAware, Schneider Electric, Orange IoT Studio, Jabil, Infratab, RAIN RFID and Avery Dennison RBIS.
 
Track 5, Energy Harvesting USA, hosts talks by IDTechEx, Kelk Ltd., Analog Devices, NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Pavegen Systems, EnOcean, Linear Technology, Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design/Space10, StretchSense Ltd., CEHMS, Virginia Tech and Johnson R&D.
 
Track 6 features 3D Printing USA as well as Graphene. Among the companies on hand for these talks are IDTechEx, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, 3PrinterOS, XG Sciences and Ford, Cabot, Nanomedical Diagnostics, Haydale, Versarien and Cambridge Nanosystems.
 
Track 7, Energy Storage Innovations USA, will feature presentations from IDTechEx, California Energy Commission, Samsung R&D Institute Japan (SRJ), Intel Corporation, STMicroelectronics, Front Edge Technology, Ilika Technologies, PolyPlus Battery Company, Solid Power and Cymbet.
 
Electric vehicles are the subject of Track 8. Presenters will be on hand from IDTechEx, Porsche Cars North America, BYD Heavy Industries, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, EVX Ventures, Cambridge University Eco Racing, Alta Devices, University of Wisconsin-Madison, NASA Ames Research Center, Ford Motor and Elix Wireless.