<p>  </p> <p>Printed electronics (PE) is one of the fastest growing technologies in the 21^st century. Recent reports have shown that PE market will reach 4.9 billion by 2032. PE refers to additive deposition of materials to fabricate electrical circuits, interconnects, and devices. </p> <p>The quest for developing nondestructive processes that enables additive manufacturing of low-cost PEs on heat-sensitive substrates with novel functionalities has resulted in several recent developments in the field which includes investigation of selective and optical sintering processes such as photonic sintering and laser sintering, to name a few. Broadly, this dissertation is an effort to study these sintering technologies for additive manufacturing of bimodal (metal/metal, metal/inorganic, and metal/organic) printed material compositions.  </p> <p>In the first section, nondestructive sintering technologies is combined with chemical sintering to develop bimodal metallic conductive pastes for the fabrication of biodegradable and non-biodegradable printed devices for applications in food packaging and wireless smart drug delivery.</p> <p>Next, a process is developed via near-infrared (NIR) technology to enable soldering and mounting electrical components onto printed materials using low-temperature bimodal metal/organic solder pastes. The developed optimized process is used to fabricate a flexible printed hybrid device for remote assessment of the wound exudate absorption in dressings.</p> <p>Lastly, laser processing is used to fabricate an antibacterial bimodal silver containing glass ceramics coating directly on temperature-sensitive polymeric surgical meshes. The integrated bioceramic coating on the mesh exhibits long-lasting antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains of bacteria. </p> <p>The results of this dissertation will open a new route of research to fabricate low-cost devices with bimodal materials with applications in medical device, healthcare, and packaging industries. </p> <p><br></p>

Smarta kläder är en kroppsnära teknik som består av kläder som har i sig integrerade/invävda sensorer vilka mäter kroppssignaler, arbetsställningar och rörelser och visar information om eventuella överbelastningar. Syftet i denna studie var att utvärdera prototyp 1 av ett smart arbetsklädersystem genom att utreda användarnas upplevelse (user experience) och användbarhet av prototypen samt prototypens påverkan på testpersonernas arbetsbeteende. En kombinerad studiedesign valdes. Den experimentella studien kompletterades med enkät och intervju. Tolv testpersoner deltog i undersökningen, fördelade lika på tre grupper: en kontrollgrupp och två experimentgrupper. Via tekniska mätningar samlades kinematisk data gällande: handledens vinkelhastighet och tummens tryckkraft; överarmens vinkel för höger- och vänster arm; överarmens vinkelhastighet för höger och vänster arm samt bålens vinkel vid fram- och bakåtböjningar. Signifikanta arbetsbeteendeförändringar kunde ej konstateras, men det förekom stora skillnader i de individuella resultaten i varje grupp. Dock kunde inte något specifikt mönster i arbetsbeteendeförändringar från de olika grupperna urskiljas. Hypotesen att arbetsbeteendeförändringar kan tillskrivas påverkan från prototypen stöddes inte av data. Resultatet från intervju- och enkätundersökning kring användarnas upplevelse och användbarhet visade att prototypen skattades som användarvänlig och användbar i sin helhet. Testpersonerna önskade förändringar i prototypens konstruktion gällande prototypens material och storlek, typ av feedback samt placering av sensorer. Vissa brister i design och utförandet av användartesterna och experimentmätningen konstateras och deras inverkan på studiens validitet och reliabilitet diskuteras. Rekommendationer ges gällande framtida testning av nästa prototyp utifrån de upptäckta bristerna. / Smart clothes are a group of technical aids that consist of clothing that has integrated/built-in sensors that measure body postures and movements and display information about possible physical overload. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prototype 1 of a smart workwear system by investigating its user experience and usability, as well as the impact of the prototype on the test subjects' work behavior. A combined study design was chosen. The experimental study was supplemented with questionnaire and interview. Twelve test subjects split in three equal groups participated in the study: one control group and two experimental groups. Through technical measurements, kinematic data was collected: angular velocity of the wrist and thumb pressure; right and left arm's angle; angular velocity for the right and left arm as well as the torso angle during forward and backward bending. Changes in work behavior were found. However, large differences in the individual results within each group were observed, with no obvious pattern of changes in work behavior between groups. The collected data did not support the hypothesis that work behavior changes can be associated with the impact of the prototype.  The result of analysis of the interviews and questionnaires about user experience and usability showed that the prototype was considered user-friendly and useful in general. Test subjects requested changes in the prototype’s construction regarding the prototype’s material and size, type of feedback and location of sensors.  Some shortcomings are observed in the test design, data collection and also in how the tests were conducted. Their impact on the validity and reliability of the study is discussed; accordingly, recommendations addressing the detected shortcomings are given regarding the future testing of the next prototype.

近年來越來越多虛實整合技術不斷地湧出，像是電影阿凡達或虛實互動型態的表演。這樣的表演會根據事先預錄好的虛擬角色進行演出，但要成功地演出需要演員們不斷的練習。另外,許多電影利用攝影機捕捉人體姿態來與虛擬角色互動，但此方法受限於燈光環境以及障礙物。 此篇論文運用穿戴式裝置與新一代無線網路藍芽4.0,提出即時追蹤技術套用於這類表演,可使得演出更加豐富並且能即興創作。然而，目前受限於穿戴式平台上的藍芽訊號強度更新頻率每秒只有5至10次且傳輸容量有限，所以本篇論文結合體態感測裝置輔助無線網路藍芽4.0,提升對穿戴者的即時追蹤能力。實驗結果與真實位置只有0.3至0.5秒的延遲時間,並在校內進行兩場互動式展演作驗證成果。未來期許可以將此技術運用於多人展演場，讓更多使用者可以互動體驗。 / Recently, more and more interactive performance technologies appear such as Avatar or virtual-character integrated art perform. Such performs are based on pre-made animations and physics simulations. However, this kind of shows need a lot of practice, and it is impossible that audience or performers play with or interact with the virtual characters. In addition, many moviemakers use high quality cameras to distinguish body postures. Although cameras can record anything with high precision, it is constrained on the light and obstacles of the environments. If we, somehow, can capture the motion of the performers in real time, then we are able to interact with virtual characters and make improvisation possible. This thesis aims to use the wearable sensors and the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of BLE to track in real-time. However, the update rate of RSSI is limited to 5~10 per second. This thesis proposed a tracking technique which combines with wearable motion sensors to assist BLE localization. The tracking lag can be reduced to only 0.3~0.5 seconds, and also real performance was experimented in the campus. In the future, we hope to use this technique on interactive performance with many people in different places.

大多數的已開發國家都逐漸成為高齡化社會；同時，可以幫助高齡族群的科技發明變得越來越流行和重要。本研究提出一個以穿戴式裝置為基礎的服務系統，不只專注在健康，也重視正向情緒、投入程度、人際關係、人生意義和成就感（PERMA，幸福模型）。本系統的目標是透過以活動為基礎的介入，促進幸福價值；亦即透過整合服務系統內的所有資源以提供個人化的活動介入給戰後嬰兒潮族群，並整合子系統的最佳化機制以得到整體的價值最大化。 因為幸福被定義為一種多維度的觀念，為了衡量並評價幸福，我們使用一個以影子價格為基礎的計算矩陣來比較各個活動介入的價值。透過幸福價值最大化，本研究試著幫助戰後嬰兒潮族群成功的在地老化。本研究初探性的結果指出，此系統被證實是有效的，且活動介入有能力增加使用者感受的幸福價值，介入品質和高齡幸福評價被發現有高度關聯性。 / Most of the societies of developed countries are becoming “aging population society”. Technologies that help baby boomers stay healthy become more popular and essential. We propose a wearable-device-based service system that focused not only on vitality but also positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment (PERMA as well-being model). Since the system aims at improving well-being value through activity-based interventions, it is necessary to integrate all the resources within the service system and provide the most appropriate personalized interventions with most expected value to the baby boomers. The system generates those interventions through greedy approach, which means they are generated by local mechanism first and combine them to get the global optimality. In order to measure well-being, which is definitely a multi-dimensional concept, we use an evaluation matrix based on shadow price to compare the value between each intervention, i.e. activities. By the well-being valuation and maximization, we try to make the baby boomers live a successful aging. Our exploratory evaluations show that the system is justified to be effective and activity-based interventions are able to increase baby boomers’ perceived value. The correlation between intervention quality and senior well-being valuation is found along with other findings.

We propose the concept of spatial analytic interfaces (SAIs) as a tool for performing in-situ, everyday analytic tasks. Mobile computing is now ubiquitous and provides access to information at nearly any time or place. However, current mobile interfaces do not easily enable the type of sophisticated analytic tasks that are now well-supported by desktop computers. Conversely, desktop computers, with large available screen space to view multiple data visualizations, are not always available at the ideal time and place for a particular task. Spatial user interfaces, leveraging state-of-the-art miniature and wearable technologies, can potentially provide intuitive computer interfaces to deal with the complexity needed to support everyday analytic tasks. These interfaces can be implemented with versatile form factors that provide mobility for doing such taskwork in-situ, that is, at the ideal time and place. We explore the design of spatial analytic interfaces for in-situ analytic tasks, that leverage the benefits of an upcoming generation of light-weight, see-through, head-worn displays. We propose how such a platform can meet the five primary design requirements for personal visual analytics: mobility, integration, interpretation, multiple views and interactivity. We begin with a design framework for spatial analytic interfaces based on a survey of existing designs of spatial user interfaces. We then explore how to best meet these requirements through a series of design concepts, user studies and prototype implementations. Our result is a holistic exploration of the spatial analytic concept on a head-worn display platform. / October 2016

Grâce aux progrès réalisés ces dernières années dans la conception de réseaux intelligents, tels que les réseaux centrés sur la personne (WBAN) ou les réseaux sans fils de proximité (WPAN), de nouveaux types d’applications émergent et utilisent des capteurs d’informations capables de relever les paramètres physiologiques, environnementaux et plus particulièrement le positionnement des personnes. Dans ce cadre, nous nous sommes attachés dans ce travail de recherche à la conception et la réalisation d’antennes en polarisation circulaire pouvant être intégrées dans des vêtements, pour les standards de géolocalisation européen Galiléo et Américain GPS. Nous avons utilisé pour ces antennes des structures métamatériaux de type conducteurs magnétiques artificiels, afin d’augmenter les performances en rayonnement et pour diminuer le couplage avec et le corps humain. Une autre voie explorée est l’utilisation d’antennes patchs qui sont de nature faible encombrement. La bande de fréquence du standard de communications par satellite Iridium étant très proche du standard de géolocalisation GPS, nous avons trouvé intéressant de développer une solution de type patch couvrant les deux bandes GPS (1,575 GHz) et Iridium (1,621 GHz). L’antenne devant être intégrée sur une boite crânienne, les niveaux de débit d’absorption spécifique et les modifications du rayonnement sous conformation de l’antenne ont également été étudiés. L’évolution de ce travail a été ensuite d’étudier le comportement de cette antenne posée sur le dessus d’un casque militaire français. Les performances en rayonnement ont été satisfaisantes et ont montré la possibilité d’une telle application. / Thanks to the progress made in the recent years in the design of smart networks, such as wireless Body Area Network (WBAN), or Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), a novel type of emerging applications using smarts sensor measuring physiologic parameters, environmental et more particularly positioning of the persons are nowadays available. In the research presented in this manuscript, we are committed to design and realize antennas that can be possibly integrated into clothes, dedicated to the American GPS (1.227 GHz - 1.575 GHz) and European Galileo (1.180 GHz - 1.575 GHz) global navigation satellite systems. We used for these antennas a type of metamaterial structure named artificial magnetic conductor, to increase and enhance the radiation performance and reduce the coupling between the antenna and the human body. Another way has been explored using patch antenna solutions that are inherently low profile antennas. As the frequency band of the satellite communication system Iridium is close to the GPS one, we developed a dual band antenna solution covering both GPS (1.575 GHz) and Iridium (1.612 GHz) standards. The antenna being dedicated to be integrated over a human skull, the specific absorption rate and the radiation modification was also studied.

A wearable body temperature sensor would allow for early detection of fever or infection, as well as frequent and accurate hassle-free recording. This thesis explores the design of a body-temperature-sensing device inkjet-printed on a flexible substrate. All structures were first modeled by first-principles, theoretical calculations, and then simulated in HFSS. A variety of planar square inductor geometries were studied before selecting an optimal design. The designs were fabricated using multiple techniques and compared to the simulation results. It was determined that inductance must be carefully measured and documented to ensure good functionality. The same is true for parallel-plate and interdigitated capacitors. While inductance remains relatively constant with temperature, the capacitance of the device with a temperature-sensitive dielectric layer will result in a shift in the resonant frequency as environmental or ambient temperature changes. This resonant frequency can be wirelessly detected, with no battery required for the sensing device, from which the temperature can be deduced. From this work, the optimized version of the design comprises of conductive silver in with a temperature-sensitive graphene oxide layer, intended for inkjet-printing on flexible polyimide substrates. Graphene oxide demonstrates a high dielectric permittivity with good sensing capabilities and high accuracy. This work pushes the state-of-the-art in applying these novel materials and techniques to enable flexible body temperature sensors for future biomedical applications.

<div>Decades of scaling in semiconductor technology has resulted in a drastic reduction in the cost and size of unit computing. This has enabled computing capabilities in small form factor wearable and implantable devices. These devices communicate with each other to form a network around the body, commonly known as the Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). Radio wave transmission over air is the commonly used method of communication among these devices. However, the human body can be used as the communication medium by utilizing its electrical conductivity property. This has given rise to Human Body Communication (HBC), which provides higher energy efficiency and enhanced security compared to over the air radio wave communication enabling applications like remote health monitoring, secure authentication. In this thesis we characterize the human body channel characteristics at low frequencies, utilize the insight obtained from the channel characterization to build high energy-efficiency, interference-robust circuits and demonstrate the security and selectivity aspect of HBC through a Common Off the Shelf (COTS) component-based system. First, we characterize the response of the human body channel in the 10KHz1MHz frequency range with wearable transmitter/ receiver to study the feasibility of using it as a broadband communication channel. Voltage mode measurements with capacitive termination show almost at-band response in this frequency range, establishing the body as a broadband channel. The body channel response is also measured across different interaction scenario between two wearable devices and a wearable and a computer. A bio-physical model of the HBC channel is developed to explain the measurement results and the wide discrepancies found in previous studies.We analyze the safety aspect of different type of HBC by carrying out theoretical circuit and FEM based simulations. A study is carried out among multiple subjects to assess the effect of HBC on the vital parameters of a subject. A statistical analysis of the results shows no signicant change in the vital parameters before and during HBC transmission, validating the theoretical simulations showing >!000x safety margin compared to the established ICNIRP guidelines. Next, an HBC transceiver is built utilizing the wire-like, broadband human body channel to enable high energy efficiency. The transceiver also provides robustness to ambient interference picked up by the human body through integration followed by periodic sampling. The transceiver achieves 6.3pJ/bit energy effciency while operating at a maximum data rate of 30Mbps, while providing -30dB interference tolerant operation. Finally, a COTS based HBC prototype is developed, which utilizes low frequency operation to enable selective and physically secure communication strictly during touch for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) between two wearable devices for the rst time. A thorough study of the effect of different parameters such as environment, posture, subject variation, on the channel loss has also been characterized to build a robust HBC system working across different use cases. Applications such as secure authentication (e.g. opening a door, pairing a smart device) and information exchange (e.g. payment, image, medical data, personal profile transfer) through touch is demonstrated to show the impact of HBC in enabling new human-machine interaction modalities.</div>

In this age of wireless technology, Body Area networks (BAN) is revolutionising the concept of patient care and health monitoring. BAN provides people good assessment of their health status at any time, wherever they are physically. The increased interest in developing effective body (in, on &amp; off) communication systems made phantoms which can mimic the electrical properties of an actual human body necessary. Wearable antennas which are the indispensable part of BAN got to be low pro file and above all influences that human body can make. There should also be a way to reduce the effect of antennas on human body namely specific absorption rate (SAR). In this work effort has been made to develop phantoms suitable for both On body and In body communications. The base materials which are selected for the study are of biological origin (bio ceramics and biopolymers) whose behaviour is closer to that of human tissues. As these phantoms are biocompatible they are essentially non toxic where the conventionally available phantoms are toxic in nature. Different kinds of low profile conformal wearable antennas working at 2.4GHz ISM band were developed and studied in the BAN perspective. Antennas suffer much in terms of matching and efficiency when they are in contact or in the premises of human body. This is a major hurdle in the way to setting up a good body communication network. This work encompasses various techniques adopted to limit the body interferences to an acceptable level. The techniques adopted (Such as Backing Ground Plane, High Impedance Surface &amp; Polymeric Ferrite Sheets) proved to be effective in reducing the sway in antenna characteristics when they are mounted on body. Specific absorption rate is also brought to acceptable levels and thus avoiding the formation of hot spots due to microwave absorption. A safer and cost effective BAN can be set up using this work which will lead to a safer, mobile and healthy future. / Les réseaux BAN (Body Area Network) révolutionnent le concept de la surveillance et de la prise en charge à distance de la santé du patient. Le BAN fournit des informations sur l’état de santé du patient en temps réel quelque soit l’endroit où il se trouve. Dans le « télé monitoring », des capteurs de mouvement, de respiration ou du rythme cardiaque placés à l’intérieur ou sur le corps humain transmettent des données via le réseau sans fil constituant le BAN, une antenne étant associée à chaque nœud du réseau. La communication peut être in/on, on/on ou on/off selon que les antennes sont placées à l’intérieur, sur ou à l’extérieur du corps. Le développement des BAN nécessite la réalisation de modèles (ou fantômes) simulant au mieux les propriétés électromagnétiques du corps humain. Des antennes portables, miniaturisées doivent être réalisées avec des contraintes d’intégration d’une part (aux vêtements, à des objets type montre ou badge), des contraintes de résistance ou de prise en compte de l’influence du corps d’autre part. La réduction de l’impact des antennes sur les tissus en terme de SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) doit également être considérée. Dans ce travail, l’objectif est de développer des fantômes valables pour les communications dans et sur le corps. Les matériaux de base sélectionnés sont d’origine biologique (biocéramiques et biopolymères) avec des propriétés proches de celles des tissus humains. Ces fantômes étant biocompatibles, ils sont essentiellement non toxiques alors que les fantômes usuels le sont en général. D’autre part, différents types d’antennes conformables, fonctionnant dans la bande ISM 2.4 GHz ont été développées et étudiées dans la perspective du BAN. Les antennes voient leur adaptation et leur efficacité chuter au contact ou à proximité du corps, ce qui constitue un écueil majeur pour établir une bonne communication. Différentes méthodes permettant de réduire l’influence du corps (plan de masse à l’arrière, surface haute impédance, feuille de ferrite polymère) sont testés et leurs avantages et inconvénients développés. Des mesures de SAR permettent aussi de démontrer l’efficacité de ces méthodes sur la réduction de la puissance absorbée par les tissus. Au final, ce travail apporte une contribution à l’étude théorique et expérimentale de l’interaction entre corps humain et antenne dans le cadre des réseaux BAN appliqués à la télésurveillance de la santé.

Designing for and with animals is common within Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI). However, studies involving animals within the design process has challenges due to verbal barriers, and an unclear methodology on how to both understand, and analyse animals in ACI. This paper explores how an air-scent search dog can participate in the design process from the beginning to end involved in various design methods with a Participatory design (PD) approach, to empower the relationship between human and dog with the help of wearable technology. The study explores the benefits and challenges of the involvement of other species than humans in the process of making a prototype. Furthermore, two types of tools with biting and pulling interactions attached to a vest were developed and tested on an air-scent search dog in two different environments. Due to the verbal barrier between dogs and humans, it was necessary to let the dog participate by testing physical prototypes. This study aims to empower this relationship between an air-scent search dog and its handler with the help of wearable technology. The results suggest that direct contact with the other species is crucial in the creation and iteration of prototypes regarding; weight, placement, and wearable technology. The results also showed that in the context of search training, or situated based action, it is crucial to test the prototypes in an environment that reflects a real scenario in a forest, which is a typical place for search training.