As part of European Mobility Week, AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has unveiled Scootech, an innovative electric scooter that incorporates the latest in plastronics—an emerging technology that combines electronics with plastic materials. This smart vehicle demonstrates how solutions based on this technology can improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability not only in mobility but also across a wide range of sectors, including automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics.
Image Credit: AIMPLAS
Scootech stands out for its integration of advanced technologies such as flexible electronics and capacitive sensors, which enhance user experience and vehicle functionality. Among its most notable innovations is an ultra-thin central console that integrates temperature, pressure, strain, and lighting sensors directly into the scooter’s plastic components. “This solution not only reduces the number of components but also simplifies the assembly process and improves the product’s recyclability,” explained Susana Otero, lead researcher in Cities, Mobility, and Sustainable Energy at AIMPLAS.
The scooter also features cutting-edge functionalities such as touch buttons for power and light control, hybrid LED lighting for efficient backlighting, and a touch slider to adjust the intensity of the front light. Additionally, “the device includes an NFC antenna for system activation and heated handles that integrate two innovative technologies: a heating film and a 3D-printed resistor made with conductive material developed by AIMPLAS,” Otero added. Both technologies are not only energy-efficient but also customizable, with applications in sectors such as automotive, furniture, and packaging.
Image Credit: AIMPLAS
Smart Safety Innovation with Intelligent Technologies
The demonstrator also includes a smart helmet with a capacitive presence sensor and a pressure sensor on the scooter itself to measure the user’s weight, enhancing safety and interaction with the vehicle. These innovations can also be applied to wearables, medical devices, or detection systems in industrial environments, opening up a wide range of possibilities for the use of plastronics in various fields.
Image Credit: AIMPLAS
Although Scootech is presented as an example in the mobility sector, the solutions developed by AIMPLAS have applications in a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, home appliances, technical textiles, construction, and consumer electronics. With this demonstrator, “AIMPLAS showcases how plastronics can transform products and processes, providing sustainable, efficient solutions tailored to future needs,” concluded Susana Otero.