Description du projet
Du nouveau pour l’électronique bio-inspirée imprimée en 3D
La transition permettant de passer d’une électronique rigide, fragile, polluante et dépendante des batteries à une électronique souple, résiliente, recyclable et autoalimentée est en cours. Dans ce contexte, le projet Liquid3D, financé par l’UE, développera une série révolutionnaire de composites imprimables sans frittage à base de métaux liquides, afin d’imprimer en 3D des cellules fonctionnelles de détection, d’action, de traitement et de stockage d’énergie enchevêtrées de manière distribuée et tridimensionnelle. Liquid3D vise à offrir une certaine liberté de conception aux scientifiques, en leur permettant d’imprimer des composants électroniques souples et futuristes. Ce qui est impressionnant avec cette électronique, c’est qu’elle permettra d’atteindre un nouveau niveau de bio-inspiration dans les dispositifs artificiels, ce qui n’était pas possible auparavant. Le projet développera également une compréhension fondamentale et une modélisation mathématique des composites biphasés à base de métaux liquides, ainsi que des méthodes de recyclage des composites développés.
Objectif
Liquid3D proposes bioinspired electronics and machines that are soft, resilient, self-healing, shape-morphing, and fully recyclable. Functional sensing/acting/processing/energy cells will be 3D printed using a series of game changer Liquid Metal based composites. As a result, we will print futuristic soft electronics that sense and interact with humans or the environment. This provides an excellent design freedom to scientists for manufacturing complex “living” electronics, while guaranteeing that any possible product coming from these inventions will be Resilient, Repairable, and Recyclable. I expect that over 80% of microchips, and metals in the printed circuits, can be recovered. Liquid3D redefines the electronics, by rethinking the materials, fabrications, and design architectures.
These objectives are feasible, thanks to the recent breakthroughs that I made to the field: First; discovery of the biphasic (liquid-solid) composite based on Gallium-Indium Liquid Metal (LM), that allowed the first ever method for room temperature printing of stretchable circuits; and second, a method for inclusion of microelectronics into ultra-stretchable circuits through self-soldering, self-healing, and self-encapsulating of LM-Polymer composites.
With Liquid3D I will develop fundamental understanding, and mathematical modelling of biphasic systems, and develops novel room temperature printable composites with sensing/acting/energy storage properties, and methods for recycling them. I will investigate novel forms of implementing truly 3D electronics, with distributed functional cells.
Liquid3D intends to fundamentally rethink, the concept of electronics, as we know today. From rigid and brittle to soft, resilient and repairable; From polluting to recyclable; from battery dependent to self-powered; from 2D to truly 3D; It proposes a radically new way of making “greener” electronics.
With Liquid3D I aim to establish the world leading centre on recyclable, and green electronics.
Champ scientifique
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcomposites
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticssoft robotics
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicsmicroelectronics
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturing
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régime de financement
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitution d’accueil
3004-531 Coimbra
Portugal