The Marketing Minute: Cracking the Code of Technical Marketing
Trouble in Your Tank: Implementing Direct Metallization in Advanced Substrate Packaging
Graphene Proves a Perfect Fit for Wearable Devices
December 30, 2015 | University of ManchesterEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Cheap, flexible, wireless graphene communication devices such as mobile phones and healthcare monitors can be directly printed into clothing and even skin, University of Manchester academics have demonstrated.
In a breakthrough paper in Scientific Reports, the researchers show how graphene could be crucial to wearable electronic applications because it is highly-conductive and ultra-flexible.
The research could pave the way for smart, battery-free healthcare and fitness monitoring, phones, internet-ready devices and chargers to be incorporated into clothing and ‘smart skin’ applications – printed graphene sensors integrated with other 2D materials stuck onto a patient’s skin to monitor temperature, strain and moisture levels.
Examples of communication devices include:
- In a hospital, a patient wears a printed graphene RFID tag on his or her arm. The tag, integrated with other 2D materials, can sense the patient’s body temperature and heartbeat and sends them back to the reader. The medical staff can monitor the patient’s conditions wirelessly, greatly simplifying the patient’s care.
- In a care home, battery-free printed graphene sensors can be printed on elderly peoples' clothes. These sensors could detect and collect elderly people’s health conditions and send them back to the monitoring access points when they are interrogated, enabling remote healthcare and improving quality of life.
Existing materials used in wearable devices are either too expensive, such as silver nanoparticles, or not adequately conductive to have an effect, such as conductive polymers.
Graphene, the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material, is perfect for the wearables market because of its broad range of superlative qualities. Graphene conductive ink can be cheaply mass produced and printed onto various materials, including clothing and paper.
The researchers, led by Dr Zhirun Hu, printed graphene to construct transmission lines and antennas and experimented with these in communication devices, such as mobile and Wifi connectivity.
Using a mannequin, they attached graphene-enabled antennas on each arm. The devices were able to ‘talk’ to each other, effectively creating an on-body communications system.
Page 1 of 2
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Curing and Verification in PCB Shadow Areas
09/17/2025 | Doug Katze, DymaxDesign engineers know a simple truth that often complicates electronics manufacturing: Light doesn’t go around corners. In densely populated PCBs, adhesives and coatings often fail to fully cure in shadowed regions created by tall ICs, connectors, relays, and tight housings.
Marcy’s Musings: Advancing the Advanced Materials Discussion
09/17/2025 | Marcy LaRont -- Column: Marcy's MusingsAs the industry’s most trusted global source of original content about the electronics supply chain, we continually ask you about your concerns, what you care about, and what you most want to learn about. Your responses are insightful and valuable. Thank you for caring enough to provide useful feedback and engage in dialogue.
September 2025 PCB007 Magazine: The Future of Advanced Materials
09/16/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamMoore’s Law is no more, and the advanced material solutions being developed to grapple with this reality are surprising, stunning, and perhaps a bit daunting. Buckle up for a dive into advanced materials and a glimpse into the next chapters of electronics manufacturing.
I-Connect007 Launches Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest
09/15/2025 | I-Connect007I-Connect007 is pleased to announce the launch of Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest (AEPD), a new monthly digital newsletter dedicated to one of the most critical and rapidly evolving areas of electronics manufacturing: advanced packaging at the interconnect level.
Panasonic Industry will Double the Production Capacity of MEGTRON Multi-layer Circuit Board Materials Over the Next Five Years
09/15/2025 | Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd.Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group company, announced plans for a major expansion of its global production capacity for MEGTRON multi-layer circuit board materials today. The company plans to double its production over the next five years to meet growing demand in the AI server and ICT infrastructure markets.