Furthermore, skin-like integrated circuits are necessary for neuromorphic signal processing to generate spike-train signals. However, the advent of organic-based electronic materials may offer a potential solution to this longstanding problem. Over the past decade, we have developed materials design concepts to add skin-like functions to organic electronic materials without compromising their electronic properties. An important discovery was nano-confined polymer semiconductors and conductors. This finding addressed the long-standing challenge of conformational disorder-limited charge transport with polymer electronic materials. It enabled us to introduce various skin-like functions while simultaneously increase polymer electronic material charge transport ability. The above fundamental understanding further allowed us to develop direct photo-patterning methods and fabrication processes for high-density large scale soft stretchable integrated circuits. In addition, we developed various soft sensors for continuous measurements, including pressure, strain, shear, temperature, electrophysiological and neurotransmitter sensors. The above sensors and integrated circuits are the foundations for soft bioelectronics and are enabling a broad range of new tools for medical devices, robotics and wearable electronics.

Bao is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors. She a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Science.
Bao is known for her work on artificial electronic skin, which is enabling a new-generation of skin-like electronics for regaining sense of touch for neuro prosthetics, human-friendly robots, human-machine interface and seamless health monitoring devices. Bao has been named by Nature Magazine as a “Master of Materials”. She is a recipient of the VinFuture Prize Female Innovator 2022, ACS Chemistry of Materials Award 2022, Gibbs Medal 2020, Wilhelm Exner Medal2018, L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award 2017.
Bao co-founded C3 Nano (acquired by Du Pont) and PyrAmes, which produced materials used in commercial smartphones and FDA-approved blood pressure monitors. Research inventions from her group have also been licensed as foundational technologies for multiple start-ups founded by her students.

This presentation will explore various flexible printed sensors—including temperature, pressure, strain, and humidity sensors—and their applications in healthcare, medical fields, logistics, and robotics. These sensors, fabricated on flexible film substrates using nanocarbon particles, conductive polymers, piezoelectric polymers, and liquid metals (LMs), offer high performance and novel functionalities. Notable developments include a flexible pressure sensor array that enables robotic tactile sensing and humidity sensors utilizing nanocarbon and cellulose nanofibers for rapid response and high sensitivity. Additionally, advancements in liquid metal printability have led to soft strain sensors with a bilayer structure of oxidized and bare LM layers on stretchable substrates.

To realize practical IoT-driven sensor systems, we integrate printed electronics with mature silicon-based technology on flexible substrates—a concept known as flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). Circuit layouts are precisely designed with complex multilayer structures using screen printing. The presentation will also touch on advanced printing technologies for ultrafine patterning and 3D-printed electronics, highlighting their role in advancing the field.

In 1990, he joined Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. as a Senior Research Engineer. In 2001, he transitioned to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) as a Research Director. Since 2010, Dr. Tokito has been a Distinguished Research Professor at Yamagata University, initially at the Research Center for Organic Electronics (ROEL), later serving as Director.

With over 40 years of experience, he has worked extensively on conducting polymers, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), and various sensors based on organic small molecules and polymers. Over the past decade, his research has focused on printed electronics, emphasizing their environmental benefits. He has led a large research group of over 50 scientists, including industry collaborators.

Dr. Tokito is also the founder of Future Ink, a startup specializing in bed sensors for vital sensing. In 2015, he received a Ministerial Award for Science and Technology from Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.