FRONICS

FRONICS (Flexible electRONICS) was established in 2016 as a spin-off from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). FRONICS was spun-off to commercialize smart acoustic sensors and wearable devices. In February 2018, KAIST announced FRONICS would also commercialize flexible Micro-LED technology. FRONICS' corporate goal is to bring flexible electronics to the AI market to create technology capable of curing diseases and keeping people healthy.

Graphic example of FRONICS' voice sensor.

The FRONICS voice sensor technology is a proprietary flexible piezoelectric material that is a speaker identification and voice recognition sensor specifically designed with artificial intelligence to mimic the way humans hear sound. The sensor is a thin piezoelectric film in a trapezoidal shape that mimics the basilar membrane of the human cochlea, which allows the sensor to precisely and sensitively acquire voice signals capable of resonating for multiple frequency bands of voice.

This means the FRONICS sensor is capable of enabling machines to hear more like humans, and is capable of detecting sounds up to eight times farther away and provide up to twenty-two times cleaner data than traditional microphones. Further, unlike conventional microphone sensors, the FRONICS sensor can be self-powered (always-on) without an external power supply. The sensor, called the Flexible Piezoelectric Acoustic Sensor (f-PAS) can obtain abundant voice data from one utterance because it receives signals on multiple channels to reduce errors in speaker identification and voice recognition, in order to provide greater capabilities for smart home automation, AI assistants, self-driving cars, and biometric authentication security.

FRONICS suggests the f-PAS sensor has been used or is being considered for use in various sectors, including core industries identified for the f-PAS sensor including big data, IoT, smart electronics and IoT, smart cars, smart devices, smart home facilities, virtual reality, and the defense industry.

The MicroLED or Micro Light Emitting Diode technology developed by FRONICS is an advanced display technology manufactured as a panel. These panels are composed of 5 to 100 mm LED pieces that are flexible and can be adjusted to a desired form. The LEDs are manufactured to be cost-competitive and thinner than conventional chip-type microLEDs. Furthermore, FRONICS suggests the company has made mass transfer possible in the MicroLEDs with its micro-vacuum module through which diodes can be lifted and transferred through the force of the vacuum. And the thin-film MicroLED uses ACF packaging in order to exert heat and pressure and enable transfer and interconnection to be done simultaneously. All of this creates flexible MicroLED panels that have also been shown to offer a more impactful light.

FRONICS has identified certain areas of opportunity for its MicroLED technology, including surface-light-emitting patches for light therapy, as the close adherence of the patches to the skin allows the light to penetrate deeper into the skin for a better cosmetic effect, or for relieving pain, or other forms of light therapy. As well, the MicroLED technology has been used in industries such as displays, smart factories, smart cars, and electronics, and have been used in treatments for hair loss and pain in healthcare.