The volume of goods being shipped and distributed has grown significantly due to the increase in online shopping globally. The logistics management of these goods is facilitated using IoT network technology and sensors. In addition, quality monitoring of high-value products, such as vintage or premium wines, or high-value perishable goods, such as cherries or melons, has also become essential. We have shown that flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) sensors can effectively monitor distribution logistics conditions. The shipped goods' temperature, humidity, and shock were successfully monitored and observed. The electronic paper display was also valuable for recognizing basic information. The more information about the goods, the more information can be seen by a smartphone through a displayed QR code. All data could be transmitted to a smartphone through a BLE transmission system. A more practical demonstration was carried out on the logistics of premium wines shipped by sea and imported from Italy to Japan over five months. This demonstration experiment indicates that FHE sensors are significantly helpful for global logistics. Our aim has been to develop intelligent sensor devices for logistics that combine circuits and sensors and connect wirelessly to the Internet. To realize a sensor system that wirelessly monitors quality during shipment, we developed the FHE systems employing a low-power design with a sleep mode based on mature silicon LSI devices for signal processing and wireless communication circuits and integrated them onto plastic film substrates. This logistics platform ensures the quality of wines and reduces losses. This presentation reviews the design and sustainable manufacturing methods for the developed FHE devices, including printing materials, the printing process, and low-temperature silicon LSI chip mounting technology. Screen printing forms circuit patterns, an antenna, and sensors on a flexible plastic film substrate. Thin Si-LSI chips and components are then mounted on the printed interconnect layers using low-temperature solder. A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Near Field Communication (NFC) system is used for data transmission. A flexible electronic paper display was combined onto the same flexible substrate for logistics applications to show the necessary information to the delivery people and end customers.
