NextFlex awarding $12 million to fund flexible hybrid electronics projects

NextFlex, the San Jose, Calif.–based hybrid electronics manufacturing institute, today announced $12 million in funding for seven projects in areas ranging from healthcare to avionics to infrastructure monitoring.

The funding is part of NextFlex’s Project Call 3.0 and includes $7 million in cost-share contributions from participants. The Project Call program overall has awarded more than $59 million in development funds to date.

“With Project Call 3.0, we wanted to focus on the future of FHE and how it would be used to improve daily life,” Malcolm Thompson, executive director of NextFlex, said in a news release.

“The seven projects we’ve selected not only make exciting developments in fields like healthcare, avionics or heavy industry, but they’re creating building blocks upon which future researchers can create new applications with FHE, accelerating the pace of true FHE innovation,” Thompson said.

The seven projects awarded funding include:

• Development led by Epicore of thin, flexible systems for disposable, “skin-like” health monitoring systems for healthcare and athletic performance.
• Development led by GE and Binghamton University of disposable, clinical-grade vital sign monitoring devices designed. The idea is to increase patient safety and shorten hospital stays.
• Development led by Lockheed Martin and Georgia Tech of epidermal sensors for robotic exoskeleton knee control. The goal is to enable real-time injury management and rehabilitation of soldiers and industrial workers.
• Development led by Boeing of printed passive elements that evaluate geometric and chemical behavior of printed materials to provide long-term stability for resistors, capacitors and inductors.
• Development led by Boeing of a large area sensor network that detects temperature, strain, humidity, pressure and other conditions and communicates status in industrial systems and infrastructure.
• Development led by Lockheed Martin of a database on additively printed antennas and microwave elements for use in military, avionic and microwave communications.
• Development led by MicroConnex of low-cost flexible circuit fabrication processes using roll-to-roll printing for high volume production.

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