Plenary Speakers

The human skin is a large-area, multi-point, multi-modal, and stretchable sensor, inspiring the development of electronic skin for robots capable of detecting pressure and thermal distribution simultaneously. With improvements in conformability, electronic skin has evolved beyond robotics to next-generation wearables for humans, reaching a stage where ultrathin semiconductor membranes can be directly laminated onto the skin. This intimate and conformal integration of electronics with human tissue enables continuous health monitoring over extended periods, paving the way for personalized medical care. 

Our ability to shape materials at the nanoscale opens up new possibilities for, among other things, rapid diagnostics and smart medication. I will give examples from our research that encompass both new discoveries and startup stories.
In the treatment of leukemia and sepsis, there is a need for therapeutic monitoring of drug concentrations in patients’ blood. Silicon structures at the nanometer scale can have surprising optical properties. For example, they can enhance the so-called Raman scattering more than a million times. This effect can be used to perform very sensitive measurements of small molecules in a complex blood sample.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, and xylene are common pollutants found in fugitive emissions from industrial processing; from refinement, distribution, and combustion of petroleum and oil; and from printing and painting. Elevated exposure to such VOCs can result in central nervous system dysfunction, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. There is an obvious need to monitor and regulate such emissions in a cost-effective manner.