Projects driving organic electronics forward in the automotive industry

Joe Thompson - 22 Aug 2009

The ergonomic design properties of organic and printed electronics ensure that the automotive industry will be a significant market for these technologies in the coming years.

Applications and opportunities for plastic electronics in cars and other vehicles span EL displays for ambient interior lighting, OLED headlamps, OPV sun roofs and textile sensors for controls and even monitoring driver fatigue to increase automobile safety.

Automotive companies - many based in Europe - are working with technology developers to design new systems based on plastic electronics. Many of these are in the early stages of development, while some are undergoing trials and tests.

Schreiner VarioLight

Schreiner VarioLight, a subsidiary of German company Schreiner Group, is developing a range of printed sensors, wires and EL displays for the automotive industry.

The firm is printing low-cost, flexible sensors on a conventional screen press and working with a group of leading German car makers to embed these devices in the front cabin of a high-end car. Textile controls integrated in seat and arm rests will enable drivers to change volume on the stereo, operate windscreen wipers and air conditioning.

Although engineers are still devising the technology in the lab in Oberscleissheim, Germany, prototypes could be unveiled within 6-8 months.

Daimler

In Germany, leading car maker Daimler is creating a line of intelligent textiles for use in car seats to monitor driver fatigue. Through a publicly-funded project called Insitex, organic electronic sensors detecting heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, drowsiness and stress are being integrated into seat upholstery in a Mercedes-Benz concept car.

Work is being carried out at the company's hardware and functionality lab near Stuttgart. Insitex is a three-year project. Members will present final seat prototypes to Daimler's R&D and product design committee when the project ends in 2010.

Sanko Gosei

This Japan-based leading automotive equipment supplier is a partner in a project funded by the Technology Strategy Board in the UK.

The project, called MENDIPs, aims to create a sustainable, controlled print manufacturing system to produce PLED displays. Sanko already supplies interior design products and equipment to leading tier one car brands, but is branching into flexible, printed OLED displays because of their ability to flex, bend and be applied in awkward spaces that are difficult to illuminate.

UK start-up PolyPhotonix will help Sanko design the organic displays. Much of the design and pilot testing work will be carried out within the Plastic Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC), in the north of England, where PolyPhotonix has access to facilities.