Integrated Electronics –Portfolio Grant Rolling ‘Vision’

Our overall vision is to drive forward science and technology at the component and sub-system level, informed by system level solutions to commercial applications, with the ultimate goal of improving the health, wealth and vitality of humankind in the era of all-pervading personal information exchange.

 

 

Our vision for the future is inspired by societal research on how people live, work and play. A major driver is people’s need to communicate and exchange information electronically, either for social or personal reasons, or as a tool for carrying out business. Applications could be in the domestic environment or in the office, and could relate to retail and purchasing, learning and entertainment, or the control and monitoring of personal health and well being.

 

Communication systems are rapidly evolving to encompass multi-media and machines as well as sensor nodes. Mobility is already a key feature of our lives and will demand a predominantly wireless environment in the future. The convergence of entertainment with communications is also accelerating, demanding the use of multi-sensory terminals and greater interactivity, so that the recipient is no longer just passive. Whether in work, leisure or transit modes, we also require systems to become more autonomous in setting and managing information and making decisions on our behalf to control the trivia of life.

 

Such scenarios raise issues relating to: (i) mobility, (ii) personalisation, (iii) virtual presence, (iv) ubiquity, (v) ambience, (vi) security, and (vii) autonomy. In turn, the key technology enablers are very high speed processing, coupled with novel integrated sensors and modern portable power supplies, together with advanced signal processing methodologies relating to image analysis and reconstruction. These must be underpinned by innovative electronics solutions involving the fusion of large area electronics technologies with new materials and, ultimately, nanotechnology.

 

Within the ‘Integrated Electronics’ Portfolio grant we aim to provide such integrated solutions, initially by design, and then by working on individual elements to bring the designs to reality. The solutions will address complexity, communication, imaging, energy sources, sensors, and technological issues related to fabrication of demonstration units and prototypes. We cover these as follows: (i) devices, electronics enablers, displays, (ii) medical imaging and signal processing, and (iii) wireless networks and middleware.

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