Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Sensors 4.0 integrates IoT, AI, and big data, requiring sensors to be interconnected and intelligent, with flexibility and intelligence as key features. • Flexible electronics introduce a new mechanical dimension, enabling deformable, miniaturized, and lightweight distributed sensory applications. • The Special Issue covers three themes: flexible sensory applications for light, gas, and temperature; neuromorphic devices integrating sensing, memory, and computation; and integrated multimodal systems for IoT in biology and healthcare. • The issue includes six research articles and ten review articles from leading experts, addressing stability, material selection, and device architectures for advanced sensing.
Abstract
The evolution of information technology has propelled the advancement of sensors into a new era, referred to as Sensors 4.0. This era is characterized by the integration of key technological developments, including the internet of things (IoT), Industry 4.0, big data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and digital health. These innovations necessitate that sensors become increasingly interconnected and intelligent. The concept of 'everything is connected' demands that sensors undertake a broader and more complex range of tasks, a challenge that conventional, bulky devices are ill-equipped to address. In addition to pursuing improvements in sensitivity and bandwidth, as seen in the 'more Moore' approach—focused on extracting the last few nanometers from process nodes—the paradigm of 'more than and beyond Moore' presents new opportunities in the Sensors 4.0 era. A key breakthrough in this context is the development of devices with flexibility, which introduces a new mechanical dimension to the conventional sensor form factor. This innovation lays the foundation for next-generation distributed sensory applications that are deformable, miniaturized, and lightweight. Furthermore, recent advancements in multimodal, biomimetic, AI-enhanced, and all-in-one sensing materials and devices are pushing the boundaries of smart electronics. These developments aim to achieve minimal power consumption while enhancing overall functionality. Consequently, flexibility and intelligence have emerged as two critical features driving the development of novel and compelling electronic sensory applications in Sensors 4.0, thus lead to the organization of our Special Issue at the very beginning of 2025 that collects critical research progress and strategic reviews across multidisciplinary subjects of flexible and smart electronics. Specifically, this Special Issue features six research articles and ten review articles contributed by leading experts in the field, categorized into three themes: 1) Sensory applications for light, gas, and temperature measurement, focusing on the fabrication and design of flexible platforms; 2) neuromorphic electronic devices that integrate sensing, memory, and computation to develop next-generation parallel and low-power sensory systems; 3) integrated and multimodal sensory systems for IoT applications in areas such as biology and healthcare.
1. Introduction
The evolution of information technology has propelled the advancement of sensors into a new era, referred to as Sensors 4.0. This era is characterized by the integration of key technological developments, including the internet of things (IoT), Industry 4.0, big data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and digital health. These innovations necessitate that sensors become increasingly interconnected and intelligent. The concept of 'everything is connected' demands that sensors undertake a broader and more complex range of tasks, a challenge that conventional, bulky devices are ill-equipped to address. In addition to pursuing improvements in sensitivity and bandwidth, as seen in the 'more Moore' approach—focused on extracting the last few nanometers from process nodes—the paradigm of 'more than and beyond Moore' presents new opportunities in the Sensors 4.0 era.
A key breakthrough in this context is the development of devices with flexibility, which introduces a new mechanical dimension to the conventional sensor form factor. This innovation lays the foundation for next-generation distributed sensory applications that are deformable, miniaturized, and lightweight. Furthermore, recent advancements in multimodal, biomimetic, AI-enhanced, and all-in-one sensing materials and devices are pushing the boundaries of smart electronics. These developments aim to achieve minimal power consumption while enhancing overall functionality. Consequently, flexibility and intelligence have emerged as two critical features driving the development of novel and compelling electronic sensory applications in Sensors 4.0, thus lead to the organization of our Special Issue at the very beginning of 2025 that collects critical research progress and strategic reviews across multidisciplinary subjects of flexible and smart electronics.
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Zhuoran Wang, Yang Li, Qilin Hua (2024). Preface to Special Issue on Flexible and Smart Electronics for Sensors 4.0. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4926/24121701
Research & Educational Purpose Only:The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoTechIntel are intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sensors 4.0?
Sensors 4.0 refers to the new era of sensors driven by the integration of IoT, Industry 4.0, big data, AI, robotics, and digital health, requiring sensors to be interconnected and intelligent.
What are the key features of sensors in the Sensors 4.0 era?
Flexibility and intelligence are two critical features, enabling deformable, miniaturized, lightweight, and low-power sensory applications.
What topics are covered in this Special Issue?
The Special Issue covers three themes: flexible sensory applications for light, gas, and temperature; neuromorphic devices integrating sensing, memory, and computation; and integrated multimodal systems for IoT in biology and healthcare.
How many articles are included in the Special Issue?
The Special Issue features six research articles and ten review articles contributed by leading experts in the field.
What is the significance of flexible electronics in Sensors 4.0?
Flexible electronics introduce a new mechanical dimension, enabling next-generation distributed sensory applications that are deformable, miniaturized, and lightweight, essential for the 'everything is connected' concept.
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