It’s been a few years since print media started going digital, but technology developed at Purdue University could take this trend further. Thanks to technology fresh out of the lab, any paper surface can become a keyboard for numbers and music.progress opens the door to the next Notebooks or packages with interactive touch screen capabilitiesAlso, the resulting paper is hydrophobic.
The team has created a system that does not require an external power source as it uses a vertical pressure sensor to generate electricity thanks to so-called triboelectric energy. Its inventors claim it was the first electronic device written on paper. There are several technologies involved behind this project. First, researchers created a paper that repels water, dust, and grease through a cover of highly fluorinated molecules. Materials of this quality are known as omniphobic. Then, after creating this new support, I was able to print the circuit layers onto the paper without the ink bleeding, thanks to a patented process.
One of the essential advantages of this technology project It is compatible with industrial printing processes and enables smart packaging production. One application is being able to sign packages by swiping a finger through a piece of paper. Researchers have demonstrated the potential to introduce volume controls and piano keys, so it’s possible to create a notebook that includes a musical keyboard. this video.
A new generation of smart socks
The Purdue University paper keyboard is another example of the many applications of the triboelectric effect, which is basically based on the exchange of electrical charges due to contact between materials. The fact that it works through pressure and movement makes it an ideal candidate to meet the new wave of wearables that will start appearing on the market in the coming years. will be And thanks to other new technologies like machine learning, even these smart garments could increase that potential.
When you think of socks, you don’t think of exciting, smart clothes, but of the most incredible Christmas presents and the most nondescript functional accessories. But the socks featured in an article in the scientific journal Nature are a far cry from that. New smart clothing that harnesses the triboelectric effect can transmit information about the wearer’s movements. Combined with IoT technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, these socks can identify and transmit up to 5 types of activity and gait with 96.67% accuracy.
These socks require very little energy to operate and, according to the inventors, are very cheap to manufacture. And to control vital signs, it’s not unreasonable to join the constellation of smart clothes.
sauce: science daily
