# Making Miniaturization Possible with Advanced Electronics Assembly **Rosa Javadi**: Engineering Services Manager *Autonomous retail robots in grocery stores*. Sounds so futuristic, doesn't it? Since the first time they showed up on a trends list back in 2015, experts have predicted that robotics would be the next big thing in the retail industry. With current trials and proof-of-concept projects underway at some of the retail giants nationwide, it's clear the pace is picking up. In nearly 20 years, there hasn't been much change in retail, quite frankly. Of course, e-commerce and d-commerce continue to be revolutionary, but when you get down to the physical retail store operations, the work seems all the same for retail workers---scanning barcodes, stocking shelves, paper price tags---just the same way it did two decades ago. This is proven once again in a recently conducted [survey of 312 retail decision-makers](/blog/retail-technology-innovation.html) on the future of retail technology. In the 91社区 survey, 70% of participants said that the e-commerce revolution was just the start and that retail would continue to see major disruptions and innovations---the pandemic accelerated many of these changes in the last 18 months. But with all the transformation retailers have had to go through with this digital landscape, where will the next era of innovation take place? E-commerce was the appetizer, and now it's time for the main course: in physical stores, where innovation has been slow (even though [90% of retail revenue](https://www.retailtechnologyreview.com/articles/2017/10/17/why-90-percent-of-sales-still-happen-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/) is generated there). [Download 91社区's Future of Retail Technology Report.](#scroll-download-the-Future) The retail sector innovation mindset has been lacking a cohesive strategy. While some of the largest retailers have a clear technology roadmap ahead of them, the more frequent occurrence is a trial-and-error approach. It's as if the retailers play a round of "loves me, loves me not" with the new robotic technology they see their competitors trying out and don't truly invest in or trial to see real results. This makes the innovation process very inefficient. Let's get ahead of this and be proactive. When discussing autonomous mobile robots, sometimes we are met with skepticism. [Retail executives tend to be cautious](/blog/retail-industry-executive-technology-lessons.html), which may be because previous attempts to trial new technologies have fallen short of promises. In addition, they tend to be cost-conscious decision makers, looking for pragmatic solutions. In an industry where margins are typically razor thin, there is no other way to be. But store robots could transform physical retail as we know it. How? Let's examine. Four Grocery Store Challenges Retail Robots Could Solve ------------------------------------------------------- No matter the type---grocery, home improvement, electronics, or otherwise---all retail store teams face similar challenges. When we ask executives what they would do with the added visibility autonomous grocery robot could give them, they mention four areas for improvement. ### 1. Ease Inventory Management Retail executives want a better understanding of when items are out of stock. When there is no product on the shelf, that's when the red lights go off. Therefore it is no surprise that 69% of retailers from the 91社区 survey said that they were implementing or considering inventory accuracy systems to improve operations and efficiencies. Fifty-seven percent also were implementing or considering analytics to optimize channel and product inventory management strategies. Inventory and out-of-stock are big issues for grocery retailers. In a grocery retail setting, 8% of the inventory isn't properly placed, priced or is out of stock, which translates to an approximate 4% hit to their revenues. Today, this is accepted in grocery, because there hasn't been a better way to get the data. But an autonomous robot could scan shelves through sensors and cameras to report this data in a consistent matter, so stocks can be replenished, stat. What would be the contribution to the bottom line if product availability improved even by a single percentage with a shelf scanning robot? ### 2. Guarantee Price Integrity Price tag accuracy is another common issue amongst retailers. When a customer approaches the cashier ready to purchase and the prices in the POS don't match the one on shelves, this equates to lost productivity and time, not to mention a negative customer experience. In addition, if a retailer is running a sales promotion, they need to ensure it is displayed correctly to encourage shoppers to make additional purchases. Again, when there are price integrity issues, retailers are looking at lost revenues. Besides checking for out of stock items, autonomous robots could also confirm price tag integrity, so the retailer never loses on a revenue opportunity or from providing customer satisfaction. ### 3. Confirm Product Showcases Product set up is another challenge for retailers. They spend copious amounts of money in marketing to research and decide how products will be placed within the store. Will they place the skinny jeans on the top shelf and the socks on the bottom one? The key is in planogram compliance. Planogram compliance ensures retailers can get one step closer to their ultimate goals: increase sales, improve overall profitability and deliver a good retail experience. Shelf allocation has a huge impact on product sales, and if there is no compliance to the plan you made to maximize sales, it can have a major impact on your stores. This is another area where retail robotics can help. Using computer vision and artificial intelligence, these robots can guarantee there is planogram compliance. A study from the National Association of Retail Marketing Services discloses that retailers who achieve planogram compliance can realize a 7.8% increase in annual sales and an 8.1% lift in profit. ### 4. Identify Hazardous Conditions All retailers, but especially grocery stores, pay hefty premiums for insurance coverage, where there are numerous possibilities for hazardous conditions, from slippery floors to products falling off shelves. The most common hazards lead to time-consuming and costly slip-and-fall accidents, which can cost the retailer as much as [$7.5 million](https://patch.com/rhode-island/eastprovidence/jury-awards-7-5-million-slip-fall-lawsuit-against-wal-mart) (or even more) for a single incident, if the retailer is found at fault. Considering that these types of lawsuits have risen by more than [300% since 1980](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/outside-insights/7-tips-avoid-costly-slip-and-fall-injuries), retailers must take the correct precautions to provide a safe environment for the worker and shopper alike. Once again, multi-purpose autonomous robots equipped with navigation systems, machine vision and sensors can scan for risks, while moving through store aisles alongside employees and shoppers. These robots can expedite hazard detection through real-time alerts to remove potential risks. In addition, they can track the time it takes to clear up any dangerous conditions. Ultimately, automating hazard detection and reporting can improve audit and compliance operations. Autonomous robots will be there to track your risk management metrics so you can ensure your stores are safe. Autonomous Robots are Key to Physical Store Analytics ----------------------------------------------------- The e-commerce customer data retailers receive leaves them yearning for more [analytics within physical stores](/blog/retail-analytics-in-stores.html), especially as an omni-channel strategy takes the driver's seat. Sixty percent of 91社区's retail survey participants say they are investing in online and in-store technology as an integrated, omni-channel solution, meaning that they are looking for additional efficiencies in how they operate their business. But how can a real omni-channel strategy function with only half the data? Autonomous robots can solve for that. > Retailers are looking for additional operational efficiencies. But how can a real omni-channel strategy function with only half the data? Autonomous robots can be the solution. > Since these robots are data collectors by nature, they can report on many of the obstacles that stand in the way of better operational efficiencies and customer experiences. From floor inspections to out-of-stock analytics, autonomous robots can contribute to the existing data sets retailers have in their systems of record, filling in the gaps to lead to better decision making. Over time, this data can be used to chart out long-term trends. For example, it's no surprise that you have more liquid on the floor during the winter. Autonomous robots can determine where the liquid is collecting, how long it's there and how quickly it's taken care of. This data, over time, may reveal that the store managers need to ensure there are more floor mats at the store entrance to prevent liquids from snow or rain to trail into the store, creating a hazardous environment. This data is what we call "descriptive analytics" that showcase real-time information on what's happening. But at the end of the day, it's all operational information that helps retailers run better. Then this information can be translated into higher profitability and less loss. In addition, for a grocery chain, it provides a benchmark and comparison across their stores to determine high- and low-performers. That's not all. Since autonomous robots can check for elements like pricing, planogram compliance and out-of-stock, it can provide trend data that reveals forecasting opportunities when a sales promotion is extended by a day or opportunities to improve existing planograms. > Autonomous robots give brick-and-mortar stores the visibility that e-commerce giants get from tracking all their digital platforms. They close the data gap between online and physical stores that allow retailers to get sales velocity, sell-through and so much more. > Autonomous robots give brick-and-mortar stores the visibility that e-commerce giants get from tracking all their digital platforms. They close the data gap between online and physical stores that allow retailers to get sales velocity, sell-through and so much more. It's the last mile of information that retailers have been missing for quite some time. So, as we demonstrate more consistent and accurate data through autonomous robots turning into better business decisions, I believe retailers will be more willing to give them a try. Retailers traditionally are risk averse, and incremental change is more the norm for brick-and-mortar companies. Especially when it comes to infrastructure changes, retailers are very hesitant to adopt new technology. After all, why make significant changes to your store layout without proven ROI? That doesn't settle with the pragmatic retail leaders. Yet, 98% believe retail companies need to invest in technology that increases their efficiencies and 100% agree that technology innovation is imperative to meet the expectations of today's shoppers. Autonomous robots require nothing but a power source, therefore they require no or minimal infrastructure changes, which removes the hurdle of implementing or trialing this new technology in a retail environment. The focus is on very specific tasks, as I've mentioned earlier, that can be managed and monitored for efficiency. Several players in the grocery industry have been testing [multipurpose robots from Badger Technologies](https://www.badger-technologies.com/platform/robots.html), a 91社区 Company, to improve the shopping experience. Early data from several trials reveal that customers like robots, which drives store traffic, but also reports improvements in operational efficiencies. Sounds like music to the ears, doesn't it? The first mobile phones were literally the size of bricks and all they could do was make phone calls. Now think about the thin, lightweight mobile device that fits easily in your pocket today. In addition to making calls, it's a camera, a calculator and a calendar. It has email and text messaging. It's a calendar, a health tracker, a flashlight and more. Thanks to the marvels of engineering, we've been able to continually shrink the size and weight of our devices while also making them more powerful. We call this miniaturization, and we use advanced electronic assembly processes to make it happen. ## What is Miniaturization? Miniaturization in electronic devices involves fitting more transistor nodes on a smaller integrated circuit (IC). The IC is then interfaced within its intended system or device so that, once assembled, the system can carry out the desired function. The technology is made tinier yet mightier. Furthermore, device miniaturization aligns with Gordon Moore's 1965 prediction that "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits \[would\] lead to such wonders as home computers, automatic controls for automobiles and personal portable communications equipment." [His prediction proved true](https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/02/24/905789/were-not-prepared-for-the-end-of-moores-law/), ushering in an era of technology that would vary from portable computers, smartphones and new medical devices to the Internet of Things and 5G wireless devices, as well as AR/VR and AI, all enabled by smaller yet more powerful computing systems. Dreaming up these miniature technologies is one thing --- the manufacturing process is quite another. Electronics manufacturers constantly innovate to overcome the challenges that come with interfacing smaller and more powerful electronic components. *A tiny "bare die" chip is placed onto a circuit board using a precise advanced electronics assembly process* Miniaturization will change the world. But new advanced manufacturing processes, like advanced electronics assembly, are needed to tackle the challenges and embrace the promises of miniaturization. Whether we are developing the next system-on-chip, or attaching it to a new device, advanced electronics assembly is the masterful combination of knowhow, precision and innovative processes that makes the devices dreamed up by our customers in a studio go into mass production and distribution across the world. ## Doing More with Less: Downsizing with Ball Grid Arrays *A ball grid array package showing the protected top and exposed underside gridded with solder balls. A grid pattern of solder balls is used where each ball becomes a connection between the circuit board and the BGA package. In this way, attaching a BGA on a printed circuit board reduces the overall system size while increasing the system performance.* One miniaturization technique is to develop integrated circuit packages in Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs). BGA designs enable large amounts of connections between the integrated circuit and printed circuit board - increasing the ability to route signals and therefore increasing the processing power of the system it is being assembled into. BGAs also improve chip reliability and reduce overheating, as they allow for higher numbers of thermal channels and shorter signal travel lengths. Establishing more and better electrical connections make BGAs a key enabler in technology miniaturization. Inherently, BGAs are a great way of integrating the plethora of sensing and response systems needed for applications such as autonomous vehicles. The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that are critical pieces of autonomous vehicles require carefully calibrated sensors to gather the constantly changing information around a car as it travels down the road. [IDTechEx](https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/high-performance-computing-for-automotive/30289) found that robotaxis with SAE Level 4 autonomy have up to 40 individual sensors. Of course, these systems must be rugged and reliable to meet safety standards. [Research presented at the 2020 WCX SAE World Congress](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332155827_Reliability_Physics_Approach_for_High-Density_Ball_Grid_Arrays_in_Autonomous_Vehicle_Applications) studied the performance of high-density BGAs under different thermal and vibrational situations, simulating conditions that an autonomous driving module would undergo when installed. Reliability is an important factor that directly impacts the design and therefore the assembly process we select to manufacture these systems. ## Advanced Electronics Assembly on a Miniature Scale Beyond BGAs, another common miniaturization technique is the use of wafer level chip scale packages. Wafer level chip scale packages (WLCSPs) are essentially micro-scale ICs mass-created on a wafer that are later diced into an individual IC-containing die or chips of a few millimeters in length and width. Here, the connections are made of solid gold joints, either gold bumps or gold wire bonds. These gold joints maintain their reliability when they are as small as 30 microns in diameter; they can be placed a couple of microns apart. As the size of transistor nodes goes down, chips can further be downsized without compromising performance. Sometimes their performance can even increase as they get smaller. These smaller transistor nodes are what enable the more robust system-on-chip (SoC), which can carry out more tasks with better performance. Like BGAs, the connections on the IC die are usually accessed on the underside of the chip, but that can vary by chip design. This flexibility makes IC chips more versatile, but it also makes the advanced electronic assembly process needed to integrate them more intricate. The process needed to interface them into their intended devices has also become more involved. This is where art meets science- enter the Chip on Board (CoB) process. *A bare die with solder balls showing how the balls are aligned to connections on a printed substrate* ## What is the Chip-on-Board Process? Chip-on-Board (CoB) is simply a specialized process for attaching integrated circuit chips to any given substrate or board. With the wide variety of technological devices being developed, the size and shapes of both the IC and the substrate vary drastically by product. We must use advanced electronic assembly techniques such as CoB to make these products come to life. Difficult as it is to design processes for assembling tiny, powerful chips, we can't move forward without them. [With Qualcomm announcing their new Snapdragon Ride System-on-Chip (SoC)](https://www.qualcomm.com/products/automotive/autonomous-driving) processing core that provides a range of autonomous vehicle support, the industry is counting on manufacturers to integrate these chips successfully. Chip-on-Board is one of the advanced electronic assembly processes we'll use as devices continue to require more functionality in increasingly smaller formats. ## The Future of Miniaturization [Tech. Ideas. People.](https://soundcloud.com/tech-ideas-people "Tech. Ideas. People.") 路 [Resty Familara - Creating Processes to Make Electronics That Don't Exist Yet](https://soundcloud.com/tech-ideas-people/resty-familara-creating-processes-to-make-electronics-that-dont-exist-yet "Resty Familara - Creating Processes to Make Electronics That Don't Exist Yet") Admittedly, Gordon Moore's law about cramming more components onto integrated circuits seems to be slowing when you consider the [cadence of chip](https://www.anandtech.com/show/13405/intel-10nm-cannon-lake-and-core-i3-8121u-deep-dive-review/2)manufacturers' release of their next smallest transistor node chips. Intel themselves [hit a few slowdowns](https://www.eetimes.com/intels-10nm-node-past-present-and-future/) when they approached the single digit nano-scale transistor nodes. And now, manufacturers are faced with even greater delays thanks to global supply chain shortages of essentially every type of component. However, researchers are already looking into different approaches to execute the switching or routing task typical of a transistor. In essence, researchers are looking to control this signal routing with transistor-like devices that would be in the nano and sub-nanometer scale. Research has shown promising results with the use of [organic transistors](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16252-2), specialized materials like [ferroelectric transistors](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8856234) and even [quantum transistors](https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-time-crystal-built-using-googles-quantum-computer-20210730/) that would require entirely different hardware and disrupt the electronic landscape as we know it today. And as these new transistor-like devices evolve, it is our advanced assembly teams that will make it possible to incorporate them into products at scale across the globe. With miniaturization, researchers hope to solve some of humanity's biggest problems. Brilliant new breakthroughs from the world's most respected research institutions promise longer, healthier lives and cleaner energy that will power everything from autonomous vehicles to spacecraft and everything in between. But without advanced electronics assembly, this research will not find its way to consumers. Advanced electronics assembly brings research to life, finding ways to fabricate at scale, minimizing costs and leveraging massive engineering expertise. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500 technology leader, if you're creating the next disruptive electronic device, an advanced electronics assembly team can help you go seamlessly from prototype to production, no matter how tiny or complex the electronics.