Impressive.
That printable PDA you asked for just might have gotten a little bit closer to reality.
Bangable poster firm Novalia makes printed 'leccy keyboard
The Cambridge company Novalia is working to launch a printed keyboard in the next year. What makes it special is a process which allows x-y printing, which means much more speedy production of the 'boards. Both layers are printed at the same time While the Cambridge-based company has previously shown devices with discrete …
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Tuesday 4th February 2014 15:41 GMT JDX
Re: @fibbles
However you can do this, which is almost the same:
edit: this is in production, having brought in 7X the amount they wanted HomePage
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Tuesday 4th February 2014 12:32 GMT Irongut
It has been done before
My father invented a technique for printing circuits like this using standard printing presses that normally print magazines, books or newspapers over 25 years ago. That is much more standard than presses that print on bottles and would have run at much higher speeds. We had test circuits on normal self adhesive paper labels. Unfortunately no tech company in the UK was interested, he tried Ferranti, Marconi and all the rest, and eventually we had to let the patents drop. :(
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Tuesday 4th February 2014 13:06 GMT sorry, what?
... used for a short promotional campaign and then thrown away
Why oh why do we think this way? Can't we be more responsible with our available resources?
I think the use of ink and paper is a great way to replace "nasty" materials such as plastics assuming the ink naturally degrades harmlessly and is itself "clean" in its production processes and companies invest in growing the trees required. I'd be very happy to use such products.
Having said all this, I am applying double standards because I don't avoid use of traditional products. I do grumble about packaging but that's about as far as it gets. On the flip side, I don't tend to "upgrade" anything until the previous device (phone, iron, TV etc.) dies or is literally obsolete. There, I feel better already.
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Tuesday 4th February 2014 19:11 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Intresting
The concept of printing CIGS cells using an ink is in active research, but not on paper (too rough and heat treatment is needed) and the current ones are hopelessly uneconomic - solar yield is very poor and the indium in the CIGS is rare and expensive.
One of those might possibly work one day technologies, I think.
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Wednesday 5th February 2014 00:56 GMT John Brown (no body)
A proper keyboard?
I've seen some very good all-in-one bits of cardboard that fold in to some quite complex box shapes with internal separators as part of said single piece. A clever combination of structural design and origami.
So, in light of that, can I have a printed, foldable keyboard with properly angled full travel keys that makes a nice satisfying "click" when pressed?
It's an impressive step forward, especially in light of the graphene news out of IBM today.
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Wednesday 5th February 2014 01:34 GMT Anonymous Coward
There is so much prior art in this area.
http://dea.brunel.ac.uk/cleaner/electronics_projects/Handbook_1.htm
(google 'conductive lithographic films')
Commercially available screen inks have been available for this application for decades, as have paper keyboards/switch pads/wallpaper/posters/toys.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Magic-Roundabout-Electronic-Alphabet/dp/B0007VTBPM
(google kids delight magic roundabout)
We did a disposable qwerty keyboard for a customer that was a piece of A4 printed with electric, graphic and adhesive ink folded twice, and stuck on to itself. Last century...
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
