In the near future we may have interactive food packaging that alerts us to the freshness of its contents. All thanks to a new form of paper that can be computerized without even needing an external power source.
The Next Web explains:
“Scientists have developed a method of turning paper into keyboards that can convert notebooks into music players and make food packaging interactive.
Engineers from Purdue University made the interfaces repellent to moisture, liquid stains, and dust by coating paper with highly-fluorinated molecules. They then used this coating to print multiple layers of circuits onto the paper without smearing ink across the pages.
The interfaces are powered by vertical pressure sensors that harvest energy through contact with the user — which means they don’t need an external battery.
‘This is the first time a self-powered paper-based electronic device is demonstrated,’ said Ramses Martinez, an assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Industrial Engineering, in a statement.
The team says the tech is compatible with common mass printing processes and can be manufactured for just $0.25 per device. They believe the cost and simplicity of producing the gadgets make them a viable way of turning cardboard or paper into smart packaging or human-machine interfaces.
‘I envision this technology [facilitating] the user interaction with food packaging, to verify if the food is safe to be consumed, or enabling users to sign the package that arrives at home by dragging their finger over the box to properly identify themselves as the owner of the package,’ said Martinez.”
I have a feeling that this low-cost method of turning paper into interactive electronic displays will wind up having a ton of practical and whimsical applications. Far beyond the initial ideas of packaging food and signing for deliveries. Perhaps eventually even getting to the point where we could turn an entire notebook into a computer.
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