Summary of the three projects selected for the 2nd TRIGGER initiative (2023 call).
The TRIGGER are projects organized within the institute with a duration of one year. They allocate funding to internal initiatives with the aim of giving coordination experience to the center's postdoctoral research staff.
Wearable textile-based strain sensor for motion monitoring
PI: Sandra Pérez
With the advance of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), human motion detection and differentiation is becoming a more important topic for soft human-machine interaction, entertainment, but also for rehabilitation, sports or industrial monitoring, between many other fields. In this direction, this project focuses on the design and fabrication of flexible/stretchable textile based strain sensors for human motion monitoring; providing a non-intrusive and comfortable way to monitor various physiological and environmental parameters. The principle behind the proposed approach relies on the use of conductive materials printed onto flexible substrates whose electrical properties change when submitted to mechanical strain. Finally, the response of the developed sensor will be tested when applying strain in real conditions, and its performance benchmarked against analogous devices reported in the literature.
About Sandra Pérez
She completed her M.Sc. degree in Chemistry in 2007 at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, and received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2012 from the same university. From 2016 to 2017, she worked as a Research Associate at the University of South Australia. In 2019, she started a postdoctoral position at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. In 2020, she joined the Printed Microelectronics Group at CNM, initially as a support technician and now as a postdoctoral researcher. Her previous research focused on the development of electrochemical biosensors, but her current research is centered on organic and printed electronics.
Laser-induced grahene for thermoelectric generators (LIG4TEG)
PI: Iñigo Martín
Micro thermoelectric generators (uTEGs) are thermal energy harvesters that may become alternative to the most extended batteries in Internet of Things (IoT) applications wherever some remnant heat source may be found. Maximising the thermal difference across the TE material is among the main challenges to maximise the power generated by these devices. LIG4TED explores the integration of laser induced graphene, a porous form of graphene, with MEMS technologies and its benefits as a thermal interface material.
About Iñigo Martín
A Ramón y Cajal researcher in the MESSI group at IMB-CNM. His interests relate to the growth and integration of materials based on graphene and other 2D materials, micro and nanotechnologies, and their application to energy, sensors and nanoelectronics.
Photonic Intergated circuit for quantum and bio-sensing applications
PI: Neil Moffat
PICA aims to combine two technologies, a silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit with silicon avalanche photodiodes, in order to demonstrate experimentally a guiding and detection system for quantum and bio-sensing applications in the visible range of the spectrum. The light will be coupled from the optic fibre to the silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit, either by grating couplers or edge coupling. Once the light is on chip, the light will be detected coupling the light from the silicon nitride waveguide to the silicon avalanche photodiode, developing a complete CMOS compatible technological platform comprising light guiding and detection
About Neil Moffat
Phd in Physics from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. However I got tired of the wind and rain so searched for the light and ended up at the IMB-CNM under the supervision of Giulio Pellegrini. I am an expert in the field of radiation detectors for High Energy Physics (HEP), specifically in the simulation, design and fabrication of low gain avalanche detectors (LGADs). I would like to utilise the technology developed for HEP to move towards the world of light (i.e photonics).