Researchers at the Perdue University have developed a printing process that allows paper or cardboard packaging into a keyboard, keypad or human-machine interface, creating what the researchers claim is the first self-powered paper-based electronic device.
Ramses Martinez, assistant professor, Purdue University’s School of Industrial Engineering, commented: “We developed a method to render paper repellent to water, oil and dust by coating it with highly fluorinated molecules. This omniphobic coating allows us to print multiple layers of circuits onto paper without getting the ink to smear from one layer to the next one.”
The development facilitates the fabrication of vertical pressure sensors without an external battery, generating energy from contact with the user. The technology is compatible with typical large-scale printing processes, able to be implemented to convert conventional cardboard packing or paper into smart packaging or a human-machine interface.