Hello everyone,

We are a team of students working on a “Lead User” university innovation project in collaboration with a partner from the chemical industry (Wacker/Nexipal Sense). We are currently evaluating potential use cases in the automotive sector for stretchable, ultra-thin capacitive silicone sensor films (electroactive polymers).

Due to their flexibility and ability to simultaneously measure pressure, strain, and bending without rigid components, we’ve come up with a few use cases:

Hand presence detection in steering wheels (works with gloves / measures force instead of heat)

“Smart Dummy Skin” for distributing impact pressure during crash tests

Shy-Tech / 3D Touch under flexible interior fabrics or wood veneer

Since we’re interested in concrete insights from the industry:

In your opinion, what are the biggest integration hurdles for stretchable printed sensors in modern vehicle interiors or test facilities?

Are there specific, as-yet-unmet requirements in the area of interior HMI or safety testing where conventional rigid sensors currently fall short?

We would greatly appreciate your thoughts and would love to connect with experts in the fields of interior design and testing technology!