Large-Scale Highly Aligned Nanowire Printing

Nanowires (NWs) are 1D confined nanostructures; this geometry gives them unique properties that have been exploited in fabrication of high-density and high-tech electronic devices. Current method to produce NWs cannot fabricate large-scale-aligned NW arrays with precise control of length, orientation, location, and number of NWs individually; these inabilities hinder application of NWs in practical electronics. This paper describes e-nanowire printing, a method to print highly aligned NWs on a large scale, and then reviews recent progress in various electronic applications with highly aligned NWs. Finally, future research is suggested to advance nanoelectronics.1110Ysciescopu

3D Trajectory Reconstruction of Drones using a Single Camera

Drones have been widely utilized in various fields, but the number of drones being used illegally and for hazardous purposes has increased recently. To prevent those illegal drones, in this work, we propose a novel framework for reconstructing 3D trajectories of drones using a single camera. By leveraging calibrated cameras, we exploit the relationship between 2D and 3D spaces. We automatically track the drones in 2D images using the drone tracker and estimate their 2D rotations. By combining the estimated 2D drone positions with their actual length information and camera parameters, we geometrically infer the 3D trajectories of the drones. To address the lack of public drone datasets, we also create synthetic 2D and 3D drone datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed methods accurately reconstruct drone trajectories in 3D space, and demonstrate the potential of our framework for single camera-based surveillance systems.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Flexible Neuromorphic Electronics for Computing, Soft Robotics, and Neuroprosthetics

© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, WeinheimFlexible neuromorphic electronics that emulate biological neuronal systems constitute a promising candidate for next-generation wearable computing, soft robotics, and neuroprosthetics. For realization, with the achievement of simple synaptic behaviors in a single device, the construction of artificial synapses with various functions of sensing and responding and integrated systems to mimic complicated computing, sensing, and responding in biological systems is a prerequisite. Artificial synapses that have learning ability can perceive and react to events in the real world; these abilities expand the neuromorphic applications toward health monitoring and cybernetic devices in the future Internet of Things. To demonstrate the flexible neuromorphic systems successfully, it is essential to develop artificial synapses and nerves replicating the functionalities of the biological counterparts and satisfying the requirements for constructing the elements and the integrated systems such as flexibility, low power consumption, high-density integration, and biocompatibility. Here, the progress of flexible neuromorphic electronics is addressed, from basic backgrounds including synaptic characteristics, device structures, and mechanisms of artificial synapses and nerves, to applications for computing, soft robotics, and neuroprosthetics. Finally, future research directions toward wearable artificial neuromorphic systems are suggested for this emerging area.

The shrinking middle: exploring the nexus between information and communication technology, growth, and inequality

To implement specific actions to respond to challenges accompanied by technological advances, it is essential to realize the foreseen future at different levels. This study aims to generate the forecasts of different prospects of different industries, labor market, and households, depending on the pervasiveness of the information and communication (ICT) software (SW) in production. For the analysis, we propose a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that explicitly incorporates diverse impact channels induced by ICT SW investments. Our simulation results suggest that the development of ICT SW technology can bring about both opportunities and challenges in the economic system. The results also show that advancements in ICT SW can aggravate inequalities within the economic system, while driving higher economic growth effects by accelerating the polarization of the labor market and wages/income distributions. Accordingly, our results suggest that policymakers should formulate tailored policy options to mitigate structural problems and widen income disparities driven by ICT-specific technological advances to achieve economic inclusiveness

Retina-Inspired Carbon Nitride-Based Photonic Synapses for Selective Detection of UV Light

Photonic synapses combine sensing and processing in a single device, so they are promising candidates to emulate visual perception of a biological retina. However, photonic synapses with wavelength selectivity, which is a key property for visual perception, have not been developed so far. Herein, organic photonic synapses that selectively detect UV rays and process various optical stimuli are presented. The photonic synapses use carbon nitride (C3N4) as an UV-responsive floating-gate layer in transistor geometry. C3N4 nanodots dominantly absorb UV light; this trait is the basis of UV selectivity in these photonic synapses. The presented devices consume only 18.06 fJ per synaptic event, which is comparable to the energy consumption of biological synapses. Furthermore, in situ modulation of exposure to UV light is demonstrated by integrating the devices with UV transmittance modulators. These smart systems can be further developed to combine detection and dose-calculation to determine how and when to decrease UV transmittance for preventive health care.

Compact Localized States in Electric Circuit Flatband Lattices

We generate compact localized states in an electrical diamond lattice, comprised of only capacitors and inductors, via local driving near its flatband frequency. We compare experimental results to numerical simulations and find very good agreement. We also examine the stub lattice, which features a flatband of a different class where neighboring compact localized states share lattice sites. We find that local driving, while exciting the lattice at that flatband frequency, is unable to isolate a single compact localized state due to their non-orthogonality. Finally, we introduce lattice nonlinearity and showcase the realization of nonlinear compact localized states in the diamond lattice. Our findings pave the way of applying flatband physics to complex electric circuit dynamics

Stretchable organic optoelectronic sensorimotor synapse

Emulation of human sensory and motor functions becomes a core technology in bioinspired electronics for next-generation electronic prosthetics and neurologically inspired robotics. An electronic synapse functionalized with an artificial sensory receptor and an artificial motor unit can be a fundamental element of bioinspired soft electronics. Here, we report an organic optoelectronic sensorimotor synapse that uses an organic optoelectronic synapse and a neuromuscular system based on a stretchable organic nanowire synaptic transistor (s-ONWST). The voltage pulses of a self-powered photodetector triggered by optical signals drive the s-ONWST, and resultant informative synaptic outputs are used not only for optical wireless communication of human-machine interfaces but also for light-interactive actuation of an artificial muscle actuator in the same way that a biological muscle fiber contracts. Our organic optoelectronic sensorimotor synapse suggests a promising strategy toward developing bioinspired soft electronics, neurologically inspired robotics, and electronic prostheses.

Stretchable Self-Healable Semiconducting Polymer Film for Active-Matrix Strain-Sensing Array

Skin-like sensory devidces shoud be stretchable and self-healable to meet the demands for future electronic skin applications. Despite recent notable advances in skin-inspired electronic materials, it remains challenging to confer these desired functionalities to an active semiconductor. Here, we report a strain-sensitive, stretchable, and autonomously self-healable semiconducting film achieved through blending of a polymer semiconductor and a self-healable elastomer, both of which are dynamically cross-linked by metal coordination. We observed that by controlling the percolation threshold of the polymer semiconductor, the blend film became strain sensitive, with a gauge factor of 5.75 x 105 at 100% strain in a stretchable transistor. The blend film is also highly stretchable (fracture strain, \u3e1300%) and autonomously self-healable at room temperature. We proceed to demonstrate a fully integrated 5 x 5 stretchable active-matrix transistor sensor array capable of detecting strain distribution through surface deformation