Manufacturing of Smart Goods: Current State, Future Potential, and Research Recommendations

Abstract

Smart goods are everyday products with wireless connection to cloud computing enabling cost-effective strategies for embedded computation, memory and sensing. A 2015 workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute brought industry and academic leaders together in the Pacific Northwest to help identify future manufacturing research needs in this emerging industry. Workshop findings show that the impetus exists to drive the costs of smart goods lower and several technological challenges stand in the way. This paper summarizes the outcomes of the workshop including the current state of practice, future potential, technological gaps, and research recommendations to realize lower cost routes to manufacture smart goods.