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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将创造一个低成本，灵活的物联网（IoT）智能标签，在所有照明条件下都能自供电。这种智能标签可以直接贴在包裹、货物、建筑物上，也可以作为医疗设备佩戴，从而提高实时数据的准确性。传感标签和资产跟踪器广泛用于控制库存和监测易腐商品以及药品、食品、医疗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收集能力。目前的资产追踪器有可充电电池，其中一些由硅基光电转换器供电，但室内光线性能较差。该项目将有机光电池（OPV）集成到灵活的智能标签中，以便在室内和室外光线下持续供电，并允许将数据频繁传输到云端。OPV技术将针对常见的室内光谱进行独特的调整，以提供超过20%的光电性能值，这是最佳商用硅光电器件室内光性能的两倍。该项目将联合收割机柔性OPV与柔性混合电子（FHE）相结合，开发出一种低成本、柔性、轻薄、信用卡大小的物联网设备，内置传感器和无线电设备，可实现持续无线通信。该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种可持续运行的柔性物联网设备，用于包装、资产跟踪和零售领域的柔性物联网智能标签。目前对完全灵活的OPV供电物联网设备的限制是：（1）OPV尚未专门调谐到发光二极管（LED）光谱;（2）OPV之前尚未连接到FHE;以及（3）物联网智能标签集成OPV之前尚未在生产中存在。将FHE连接到OPV是最重要的技术风险，因此该项目的目标是验证灵活的OPV驱动的物联网智能标签作为一个可行的产品，提供三个概念验证原型。为实现这一主要目标，根据八个关键要素将目标分为几组：（1）开发用于印刷电子集成的OPV片材，（2）展示OPV片材背面上的印刷器件电路和天线，（3）确定用于转换为柔性兼容形状因子的理想电源管理芯片，（4）放置和集成硅芯片，（5）集成和测试柔性电池，（6）封装/层压整个柔性标签，（7）演示从柔性物联网设备到云端的无线数据传输，以及（8）制定第二阶段扩大制造规模的路线图，包括扩大产品成本的估计。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.