Soft Electronics and Sensors
Ultra-low power and low cost micro and nano scale devices are the next generation technology enhance quality of life and well-being.
The Soft Electronics and Sensors research program focuses on developing and translating ultra-low-power, low-cost micro- and nano-scale devices for diverse applications that enhance quality of life and well-being, making a significant contribution to society. Soft electronics, materials, and sensors are flexible, stretchable, and lightweight systems designed to integrate seamlessly with the human body, textiles, and various surfaces. Made from biocompatible materials like polymers, hydrogels, and nanomaterials, they offer superior comfort, adaptability, and real-time monitoring.
Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan, Associate Director (Research) at the Centre for Technology Infusion and an ARC Industry Fellow, leads our team dedicated to research on next-generation smart devices, including soft electronics, sensors, wearables, implantable, and battery-free devices for a wide range of applications spanning MedTech, healthcare, agriculture, food safety and processing, environmental monitoring, and industrial safety.
Comprising a team of highly skilled researchers, we actively partner with industry stakeholders and healthcare providers to develop and translate cutting-edge research into commercially viable solutions. For example, we are currently partnering with Sleeptite to develop a smart mattress for older adults. Our research also aims to make a significant impact on rural and remote communities, Indigenous and Aboriginal populations, women's and children's health, aging populations, and underserved groups, with the goal of enhancing overall quality of life and well-being.
Projects
Flexible pressure sensors have garnered considerable interest from both academic and industrial research communities due to their promising applications in smart systems, artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), human–machine interactions, wearable electronics, and tactile sensing for robots. Integration of these sensors into smart clothing and textiles allows for intuitive and gesture-based control of electronic devices and appliances. Despite significant progress in the development of flexible and stretchable pressure sensors, several challenges persist.
Our group aims to develop a flexible pressure sensing system using highly efficient materials and soft electronics technology with high sensitivity, fast response time, and high stability through advanced design and materials technology. Through collaboration with industry partners, this project will facilitate the widespread adoption of this technology in small and medium-scale electronic manufacturing.
The advancement of next-generation smart devices for continuous and remote monitoring is transforming healthcare, agriculture, food safety & processing, environmental monitoring, and industrial safety by enabling real-time data collection and analysis. These devices incorporate advanced sensing technologies, including biochemical, optical, and electrochemical sensors, combined with nanomaterials and soft electronics to enhance sensitivity, flexibility, and durability.
Our research group focuses on developing next-generation smart devices, including battery-free wearables and implantables, by leveraging soft electronics and sensor technologies integrated with wireless communication options such as Bluetooth, RF, and NFC. These innovations are particularly aimed at enhancing continuous and remote monitoring in rural and underserved areas. By integrating state-of-the-art sensing, communication, and AI-driven analytics, these smart devices have the potential to revolutionise real-time monitoring, enabling proactive, personalised healthcare and safety solutions.
Women's healthcare faces numerous challenges due to gender-based disparities in medical research, diagnosis, treatment, and cultural taboos. According to the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020–2030, women and girls from socioeconomically disadvantaged and marginalised groups face poorer health outcomes than the general population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have higher rates of comorbid conditions, including diabetes and breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers, compared to non-Indigenous women.
To address these disparities and advance women’s healthcare, the project ‘SHE’ – Smart Healthcare for Women Empowerment has been designed in collaboration with national and global partners at La Trobe University, Melbourne. In this project, we aim to develop smart menstrual pads - a novel, non-invasive platform technology capable of detecting and monitoring menstrual blood biomarkers in real-time. This modular sensor technology has the potential to be adapted in the future to detect additional biomarkers, including those associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reproductive health, cancer, and hormonal imbalances. This adaptation will provide valuable medical insights and expand the technology’s applications in women’s health monitoring.
In Australia, falls among older adults pose a major public health issue, leading to severe injuries or deaths and costing over $2.3 billion in 2020. The global market for fall detection systems was valued at USD 447.18 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.66% from 2024 to 2030. Fall risk and detection are often assessed via mobility and gait analysis, but clinical methods face limitations such as the use of bulky equipment, high costs, and the need for hospital and lab visits. Few commercial fall detection systems, such as camera-based systems, vision-based systems, and smartwatches, continuously monitor the older adults, often causing discomfort and unease, and are costly.
Our group, in collaboration with our industry partner Sleeptite, aim to address these limitations by developing a wearable device to prevent and detect falls in older adults, supporting the aged-care sector and reducing the burden on carers.
Our researchers
Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan – ARC Industry Fellow and Associate Director of the Centre for Technology Infusion, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Professor Aniruddha Desai – Research Professor and Director of the Centre for Technology Infusion
Dr Saimon Moraes Silva – NHMRC Investigator Fellow and Director, Biomedical & Environmental Sensor Technology (BEST) Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Professor Brian Abbey – Professor and Deputy Director of the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Professor Irene Blackberry – Professor and Director Care Economy Research Institute Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Professor Kristina Edvardsson - Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery & Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne
Industry partners
Dr Andrew Tucker - Director Research & Development, Sleeptite Pty Ltd, Melbourne.
Collaborators
Professor Madhu Bhaskaran – Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne.
Professor Sharath Sriram - Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne.
Professor Girish Dwivedi – Professor, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth.
Contact us
Our research program focuses on developing ultra-low power and low-cost micro and nano-scale devices for diverse applications to enhance quality of life and well-being.
If you would like to work with us, please contact Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan via email for more information.