Electronic Skin

Flexible, bendable electronics have the potential to transform a wide array of devices from medical sensors to computer displays, although coming up with a way to fabricate them reliably has posed a challenge for manufacturers. Recently, however, researchers demonstrated a mechanically flexible sensor network that can be wrapped around irregular surfaces and visually map variations in pressure.

One of the most complex electronic circuits ever built on plastic, the sensor consists of a nanowire array printed on a thin sheet of plastic which generates a signal when pressure is applied. The signal in turn stimulates an overlapping array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) the intensity of which is proportional to the amount of pressure applied.

The technology is scalable over relatively large areas and can be integrated with a variety of sensor elements for use in computer interfaces, robotics, vehicle dashboards or even interactive wallpaper.