42 The PCB Magazine • December 2017
Electronic Circuits Reveal When a Plant
Begins to Experience Drought Conditions
Forgot to water that plant on your desk again? It
may soon be able to send out an SOS. MIT en-
gineers have created sensors that can be printed
onto plant leaves and reveal when the plants are
experiencing a water shortage.
Berkeley Startup to Train Robots
Like Puppets
Robots today must be programmed by writing
computer code, but imagine donning a VR head-
set and virtually guiding a robot through a task,
like you would move the arms of a puppet, and
then letting the robot take it from there.
Smart Manufacturing Market Size
Worth $395.2 Billion by 2025
The growing emphasis on increasing produc-
tion efficiency and gaining visibility across the en-
tire value chain are the two major factors driving
market growth. In addition, the availability of ad-
vanced technologies such as 3D printing, Man-
ufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and plant
asset management solutions to small and medi-
um enterprises is further accelerating the industry
growth.
Top 3 Drivers for IIoT Market in
Automotive Industry
Technavio market research analysts forecast the
global IIoT market in the automotive industry to
grow at a CAGR of more than 33% during the
forecast period, according to their latest report.
IPC Pulse Survey: Bullish Outlook for
Equipment, PCB Manufacturers
A preliminary survey in IPC's new Pulse of the Elec-
tronics Industry global data service reveals a bull-
ish outlook for most segments of the electronics
industry, especially for equipment manufacturers
and PCB fabricators.
A Robotic Spy Among the Fish
A new miniature robot developed by EPFL re-
searchers can swim with fish, learn how they com-
municate with each other, and make them change
direction or come together. These capabilities
have been proven on schools of zebrafish.
Beyond 5G—After the Next Generation
The TERRANOVA team will be working on embed-
ding terahertz wireless solutions into fast fiber op-
tic networks, developing new frequency bands
and thereby laying the foundation for a resilient
communications infrastructure that is equipped to
cope with the demands of the future.
Real-Time Data Drives the Future of
Wearables in Healthcare
The proliferation of wearables for health and well-
ness, and the need for more data about the cur-
rent and future condition of individuals and pa-
tients, are key factors propelling market growth.
Future growth opportunities focus on the com-
mercialization and embedding of wearables in skin
patches, clothing, and electronic skins.
Telecommunications and Wireless
Communication Markets Projected
to Grow
According to a research by MarketsandMarkets,
the telecom managed services market is expected
to grow from $11.90 billion in 2017 to $22.58 bil-
lion by 2022, at a CAGR of 13.7%.
New Quantum Materials Offer Novel
Route to 3D Electronic Devices
Researchers have shown how the principles of
general relativity open the door to novel electron-
ic applications such as a three-dimensional elec-
tron lens and electronic invisibility devices.
Electronics Industry News
Market Highlights
