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Bleeding Edge

by Mike Masnick

Fri, Apr 12th 2002 12:34pm





Printing Photonic Circuits With Your Everyday Inkjet Printer

from the hey,-I've-got-a-few-of-those-around... dept

EETimes has an article about some researchers who have figured out ways to "print" computer displays or photocell arrays onto any surface using a basic inkjet printer. This is pretty cool. It's letting them create certain devices that are cheaper and better than was otherwise available. The process replaces regular ink cartridges with "polymer-based electro-optic ink" (I'll leave it for Techdirt's polymer chemist to explain what this means in a comment) - which is invisible. Thus, the printing can allow people to create useful "clear" items. For example, they "printed" solar arrays on clear plastic - so imagine when all of your windows might double as solar cells. It sounds like there are a number of potentially very useful applications of this technology.

2 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    heh...

    identicon
    mhh5, Apr 14th, 2002 @ 2:26am

    So "polymer-based electro-optic ink" means "we're not telling exactly, but we can put together a bunch of technical terms that vaguely describe the material and sound impressive"....

    But if you're looking for some examples of a "polymer-based electro-optic ink", just imagine that the naturally-occurring materials are what make fireflies and jellyfish glow.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Re: heh...

    identicon
    Ryan, Apr 14th, 2002 @ 5:00pm

    We can probably go back even further to offer the genetically engineered picks and shovels for this new revolution. Lets genetically engineer jellyfish to grow these inks and people never need run out of ink ... ahh ... the joy of freshly squeezed jelly ink (no more rip off inkjet refills).

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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