From lab to market: A system integration perspective on flexible smart sensors

Flexible smart sensors are designed to conform to irregular or compliant surfaces. Operating at the interface of materials, structures, sensing, electronics, and system integration, these sensors have advanced rapidly at the device level, yet their transition into commercial sensor systems is lagging. This article posits that technical advances alone are insufficient to translate research advances into technological innovation and market penetration; achieving these outcomes also requires overcoming five systemic challenges: (1) seamless integration of flexible sensors into complex mechanical, electronic, and digital architectures; (2) manufacturability and scalability of sensor technologies within broader engineered systems; (3) reduction of cost across materials, fabrication, and system-level deployment; (4) universalization of engineering standards that ensure reliability, durability, interoperability, and safety; and (5) development of intellectual property frameworks to promote collaboration across the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) spectrum. Addressing these challenges is essential for moving flexible sensing technologies from laboratory demonstrations to robust, affordable, and widely adopted practical sensor systems.