SBIR Phase I: Flexible Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Label Powered by Organic Photovoltaics

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将创建一种低成本、灵活的物联网(IoT)智能标签，该标签在所有照明条件下均可自行供电。这种智能标签可以直接贴在包裹、货件、建筑物上，或作为医疗设备佩戴，从而以更高的准确性实现实时数据。传感标签和资产追踪器被广泛用于控制库存和监控易腐烂商品以及药品、食品、保健样品等的新鲜度、质量、安全性和保质期。现有的射频识别(RFID)智能标签没有能量存储或能量采集能力。目前的资产追踪器拥有可充电电池，其中一些电池由硅基光伏供电，这种光伏的室内采光性能很差。该项目将有机光伏(OPV)集成到灵活的智能标签中，在室内外光线下持续供电，允许数据频繁传输到云中。OPV技术将独特地调谐到常见的室内光谱，提供超过20%的光电性能值，是最好的商用硅光伏室内光性能的两倍。该计划将柔性OPV与柔性混合电子(FHE)相结合，以创建低成本、灵活、薄、轻、信用卡大小的物联网设备，以及用于持续无线通信的板载传感器和无线电。该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种持续运行的柔性物联网设备，用于包装、资产跟踪和零售中的柔性物联网智能标签。目前，完全灵活的OPV供电的物联网设备面临的限制是：(1)OPV尚未专门调谐到发光二极管(LED)光谱；(2)OPV以前没有连接到FHE；以及(3)集成了IoT-Smart-Label的OPV以前从未投入生产。将FHE粘贴到OPV上是最大的技术风险，因此该项目的目标是验证OPV支持的灵活物联网智能标签是否是一种可行的产品，并提供三个概念验证原型。为了实现这一主要目标，根据八个关键要素将目标划分为小组：(1)开发用于印刷电子集成的OPV板材，(2)展示OPV板材背面的印刷设备电路和天线，(3)确定转换为FLEX兼容外形因数的理想电源管理芯片，(4)放置和集成硅片，(5)集成和测试柔性电池，(6)包装/层压整个FLEX标签，(7)演示从FLEX IoT设备到云的无线数据传输，以及(8)在第二阶段开发制造规模扩大的路线图，这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will create a low-cost, flexible, Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Label that is self-powered in all lighted conditions. This Smart Label can be directly attached to packages, shipments, buildings, or worn as a medical device, enabling real-time data with improved accuracy. Sensing labels and asset trackers are extensively used to control inventories and monitor the freshness, quality, safety, and shelf life of perishable goods, as well as pharmaceuticals, foods, healthcare samples, and more. Existing radiofrequency identification (RFID) smart labels have no energy storage or energy harvesting capability. Current asset trackers have rechargeable batteries, with some powered by silicon-based photovoltaics which have poor indoor light performance. This project integrates organic photovoltaics (OPV) into flexible smart labels for continuous power supply under indoor and outdoor light, allowing frequent transmission of data to the cloud. OPV technology will be uniquely tuned to the common indoor light spectra to deliver light-to-electricity performance values over 20%, twice the indoor light performance of the best commercially available silicon photovoltaics. This program will combine flexible OPV with flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) to create a low-cost, flexible, thin, light-weight, and credit-card-sized IoT device with onboard sensors and radios for continuous wireless communication.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a continuously-operating flexible IoT device for flexible IoT smart labels on packaging, asset tracking, and in retail. The current limitations to a completely flexible, OPV-powered IoT device are: (1) OPV has not been specifically tuned to the light emitting diode (LED) spectrum; (2) OPV has not been attached to FHE before; and (3) IoT-Smart-Label-integrated OPV has not existed in production before. Attaching the FHE to OPV is the most significant technical risk, so the goal of this project is to validate flexible OPV-powered IoT smart labels as a viable product, delivering three proof-of-concept prototypes. To achieve this primary goal, the objectives are divided into groups based on eight key elements: (1) develope OPV sheet for printed electronics integration, (2) demonstrate printed device circuits and antenna on the backside of OPV sheets, (3) determine ideal power management chip for conversion to flex-compatible form factor, (4) place and integrate silicon chips, (5) integrate and test the flexible batteries, (6) package/laminate the entire flex label, (7) demonstrate wireless data transfer from the flex IoT device to the cloud, and (8) develop roadmap for manufacturing scale-up in Phase II, including an estimate of scaled-up product cost.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.