Dylan Shah
Director - Hardware R&D
Arieca
Self-Powered Wireless Soft Electronics
Abstract
During this project, the team from Arieca and CMU developed a fully functional prototype of a battery-free pulse oximetry wearable powered by body heat using a soft thermoelectric device. The sensing component of the wearable contains a photonic chip for measuring heart rate and blood oxygenation and a microcontroller for signal processing and radio communication. The energy harvesting component is composed of a soft, rubbery sleeve that contains an array of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that convert body heat into electricity for powering the pulseox chip and microcontroller. In this presentation, we will summarize the progress made in three key areas. First, the team developed sensing circuitry for pulse oximetry and Bluetooth Low Energy radio communication. Second, we highlight development of a TEG-interfacing thermal interface material (TIM2) that is designed to improve heat flow through the TEG. The TIM2 composite is composed of droplets of liquid metal (LM) embedded within an epoxy-based polymer matrix. Third, we created a soft TEG array that was capable of fully powering a pulseox, microcontroller, and Bluetooth radio without the need of a battery. Preliminary testing was performed on a hot plate and on the human body. Moreover, tests on a human subject were carried out both in a laboratory and outdoors. To conclude the talk, we will discuss our ongoing research towards printable thermoelectric inks, enabling fully printable TEG arrays.
Biography
Dylan Shah is a mechanical engineer and roboticist with over 8 years of hands-on experience in fast-paced research environments, publishing over 25 peer-reviewed publications in various fields including soft-material robotics, stretchable electronics, and agricultural robotics. He completed his PhD at Yale University in mechanical engineering and materials science, where he was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow and was awarded the Henry Prentiss Becton Graduate Prize for exceptional achievement in research. Dylan began his research career at Iowa State University, where he completed an MS in agricultural engineering and BS in mechanical engineering. At Arieca, he leads research to characterize our LMEE formulations in their end use cases, including both in-package and on-package applications spanning the full range of mobile and consumer electronics markets.