Printed and reconfigurable microwave electronic circuits on flexible substrates

越来越多地存在对高速数字通信和设备互连性的需求。物联网可以被定义为一个大型的设备集合，这些设备为了有用的目的相互连接和通信，将需要比目前可用的带宽更多的带宽。为了解决这一问题，需要更高的频率和新的带宽使用方式。本项目旨在开发用于物联网的新型廉价设备。这些可能包括基于纳米材料墨水的可打印天线，低温或溶液处理晶体管以及在柔性基板上创建设备。还将研究在装置中重新配置频率的能力，即改变波束的频率或方向的能力。这种特性将允许更有效地使用频谱和专业应用，如自动汽车上的扫描仪。为了实现这些目标，设备将需要达到比以前更高的频率。目前，这将是在15 GHz或30 GHz的范围。有许多潜在的好处和应用与高频大规模生产设备的发展。这些可能包括田间设置的自动检测系统，以监测土壤或作物状况。许多无人机可以通过包裹递送服务递送包裹。在医疗保健中连接传感器可以提供医生不知道的患者信息。自动汽车也可以使用这些频段来扫描它们前面的地形，或者与交叉路口的迎面而来的车辆进行通信。

Increasingly there is a demand for high speed digital communication and interconnectivity of devices. The internet of things, which could be defined as a large collection of devices connected and communicating with each other for useful purposes, will require much more bandwidth then is currently available. In order to resolve this problem higher frequencies and new ways of using bandwidth will be needed.This project aims to develop new inexpensive devices for use in the internet of things. These may include printable antennas based on nanomaterial inks, low temperature or solution processed transistors and the creation of devices on flexible substrates. The ability to reconfigure frequency in the device, that is to change frequency or direction of the beam, will also be investigated. This property would allow much more efficient use of the spectrum and specialist applications such as scanners on automated cars.In order to achieve these goals devices will need achieve higher frequencies then previously reached. Currently this would be either in the 15GHz or 30GHz range. There many potential benefits and applications associated with the development of high frequency mass producible devices. These could include automated detection systems in fields set up to monitor soil or crop conditions. Numerous drones could deliver parcels via a parcel delivery services. Connection of sensors in healthcare could provide information on patients which would otherwise be unknown to doctors. Automated cars could also use these frequency bands for scanning terrain in front of them or communication with or oncoming traffic at junctions.