David Savastano, Editor10.30.19
Environmental monitoring is an interesting opportunity for flexible and printed electronics. The idea of putting low-cost sensors into buildings to monitor temperature, humidity and other environmental factors is promising. As a leader in passive humidity sensors, InviSense AB is making this happen.
Recently, InviSense AB announced that it is partnering with Ynvisible Interactive Inc., establishing Ynvisible as the preferred manufacturing partner for InviSense’s expanding range of humidity sensors. The companies jointly announced that the first result of this collaboration will be the roll-to-roll production and delivery of InviSense’s humidity sensor for flat roofs. These sensors will be deployed by SLD – Professional Roof Management Group, as a part of their moisture monitoring system for flat roofs for all their clients, first in Europe and later in the US.
InviSense’s passive moisture sensor is placed behind the sealing layers in building constructions and can be monitored for moisture damage. To monitor the moisture, you need InviSense moisture scanner and InviSense Cloud to collect the data.
The technology behind InviSense product was developed at RISE Acreo and Linköping University in the Printed Electronics Arena platform.
InviSense has come a long way since its start in 2016.
“The need for very thin, passive (no battery) wireless monitoring moisture sensors came from PEAB, a Swedish builder, after a lot of mistakes in some projects in Stockholm in 2005,” said Björn Garplind, CEO of InviSense AB, who is co-owner along with Anders Friberg. “They contacted Linkoping University (LiU), which has the Printed Electronic Arena, a testbed in Norrkoping for organic printed electronics, with their needs. LiU started to research and had proven its thesis in 2009. Then RISE (Research Institute of Sweden) continued the research and looked for an entrepreneur and found me. We had to redesign, change materials and the method of production to make it possible to commercialize.”
In September 2016, InviSense made its first small sale and followed that up with a large sale just before Christmas 2016. In 2017, InviSense received the CREATE Prize, Sweden’s largest inventors’ prize.
Garplind said that InviSense is focused on a number of key markets, including property owners, material suppliers and developers, architects, entrepreneurs and moisture specialists. Its standard sensor is gaining traction in Scandinavia and the UK, while the flat roof sensor is picking up interest in Europe and the US. The company’s concrete sensor, which measures the drying out of concrete, will launch this winter in Sweden and Finland.
Garplind noted that there are some important advantages of using printed electronics for producing sensors. “They are thin (< 0,1 mm), scalable, sustainable, and can be produced through roll-to-roll production,” he added.
So far, InviSense’s moisture sensors have performed well in the field.
“It doesn´t solve everything but it solves a lot,” Garplind said. “We have helped to save some big moisture damage.”
Garplind said the feedback from InviSense’s customers has been good from entrepreneurs.
“Some think it’s a bit scary, but their job became measurable,” he said. “Others sees it as a business opportunity – to have a really long relationship with their customers, they can come back and monitor the installed sensors and might get more jobs. Some think it’s great for control of their quality and leaves longer warranties.”
As for property owners, “they love it. It makes their investment measurable, which boosts the value of the properties,” Garplind added. “They can prove dry installations for their tenants, and they have the possibility to make claims in time before the warranty ends.”
InviSense is examining further opportunities for its technology, beginning with telephone wire pylons.
“We have some projects started with other branches, like telephone wire pylons,” Garplind said. “In Scandinavia, it’s not allowed to use creosote to impregnate pylons for electricity, telephone and others. So, a Norwegian company, Wopas, has dried out tree pylons to a moisture content of 13% and extruded PEM plastic to seal it. To prove their quality, they put in InviSense sensors.
“Our standard sensor can be redesigned to work in other applications,” Garplind added. “We cannot predict all of the possible needs, and we want the market to ask us if their needs could be fulfilled with our sensor.”
Recently, InviSense AB announced that it is partnering with Ynvisible Interactive Inc., establishing Ynvisible as the preferred manufacturing partner for InviSense’s expanding range of humidity sensors. The companies jointly announced that the first result of this collaboration will be the roll-to-roll production and delivery of InviSense’s humidity sensor for flat roofs. These sensors will be deployed by SLD – Professional Roof Management Group, as a part of their moisture monitoring system for flat roofs for all their clients, first in Europe and later in the US.
InviSense’s passive moisture sensor is placed behind the sealing layers in building constructions and can be monitored for moisture damage. To monitor the moisture, you need InviSense moisture scanner and InviSense Cloud to collect the data.
The technology behind InviSense product was developed at RISE Acreo and Linköping University in the Printed Electronics Arena platform.
InviSense has come a long way since its start in 2016.
“The need for very thin, passive (no battery) wireless monitoring moisture sensors came from PEAB, a Swedish builder, after a lot of mistakes in some projects in Stockholm in 2005,” said Björn Garplind, CEO of InviSense AB, who is co-owner along with Anders Friberg. “They contacted Linkoping University (LiU), which has the Printed Electronic Arena, a testbed in Norrkoping for organic printed electronics, with their needs. LiU started to research and had proven its thesis in 2009. Then RISE (Research Institute of Sweden) continued the research and looked for an entrepreneur and found me. We had to redesign, change materials and the method of production to make it possible to commercialize.”
In September 2016, InviSense made its first small sale and followed that up with a large sale just before Christmas 2016. In 2017, InviSense received the CREATE Prize, Sweden’s largest inventors’ prize.
Garplind said that InviSense is focused on a number of key markets, including property owners, material suppliers and developers, architects, entrepreneurs and moisture specialists. Its standard sensor is gaining traction in Scandinavia and the UK, while the flat roof sensor is picking up interest in Europe and the US. The company’s concrete sensor, which measures the drying out of concrete, will launch this winter in Sweden and Finland.
Garplind noted that there are some important advantages of using printed electronics for producing sensors. “They are thin (< 0,1 mm), scalable, sustainable, and can be produced through roll-to-roll production,” he added.
So far, InviSense’s moisture sensors have performed well in the field.
“It doesn´t solve everything but it solves a lot,” Garplind said. “We have helped to save some big moisture damage.”
Garplind said the feedback from InviSense’s customers has been good from entrepreneurs.
“Some think it’s a bit scary, but their job became measurable,” he said. “Others sees it as a business opportunity – to have a really long relationship with their customers, they can come back and monitor the installed sensors and might get more jobs. Some think it’s great for control of their quality and leaves longer warranties.”
As for property owners, “they love it. It makes their investment measurable, which boosts the value of the properties,” Garplind added. “They can prove dry installations for their tenants, and they have the possibility to make claims in time before the warranty ends.”
InviSense is examining further opportunities for its technology, beginning with telephone wire pylons.
“We have some projects started with other branches, like telephone wire pylons,” Garplind said. “In Scandinavia, it’s not allowed to use creosote to impregnate pylons for electricity, telephone and others. So, a Norwegian company, Wopas, has dried out tree pylons to a moisture content of 13% and extruded PEM plastic to seal it. To prove their quality, they put in InviSense sensors.
“Our standard sensor can be redesigned to work in other applications,” Garplind added. “We cannot predict all of the possible needs, and we want the market to ask us if their needs could be fulfilled with our sensor.”