Invited talk: 3D Printed, Embedded Sensors

Prof. Gijs Krijnen

2024/09/13

On September 9, 2024, Prof. Dr. ir. G.J.M. Krijnen, Chair of the Electrical Engineering discipline (department) of the EEMCS faculty at the University of Twente gave an exciting lecture on 3D printed, Embedded Sensors and multiple examples of his work.

Prof. Gijs Krijnen focused on bio-inspired transducers, parametric sensing, and sensor fabrication, with a current emphasis on 3D printing technology for embedded sensors.

Over the last decade the interest in 3D printing of functional structures, rather than rapid prototyping of non-functional mock-ups, has seen a considerable increase; technologies like multi-material 3D printing allow to incorporate electrically conductive materials in dielectric embedding. This opens the route to 3D print electrical connections and sensors while printing entire structures. It has the potential to integrate many (flexible) sensors and connections and holistically optimise for specific intended applications.

In his lab he focuses on the development of 3D printing technology for sensing, addressing challenges like print quality, anisotropic conduction, nonlinear mechanical and electrical behaviour, etc. Intended applications are in biopotential measurements and interaction sensing for wearable robotics and medical aids, flow sensing, beam deflection control, thrust control for UAV applications, etc

 

Prof. dr. ir. Gijs Krijnen’s interests are in bio-inspired transducers, parametric sensing schemes and sensor fabrication. He has been working on micro and nano fabrication and currently focuses on additive manufacturing in general and embedded 3D printed sensors in particular. He has (co-) authored over 130 refereed journal papers, 11 book chapters and over 260 conference contributions on a variety of subjects including nonlinear integrated optics, micro-mechanical sensors and actuators, biomimetic flow and inertial sensors and parametric and nonlinear transduction. He holds a PhD (cum laude) from the University of Twente, has been a fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded a VICI grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research in 2005 for research on bio-inspired flow- sensors (BioEARS). He is with the Robotics and Mechatronics group of the University of Twente and the current Chair of the Electrical Engineering department. He is an IEEE Senior Member, Associate Editor of the IEEE Sensors Journal and TPC co-chair of the IEEE Sensors 2020, 2021 and 2026 conferences.