Communications of the ACM
Here Comes the Internet of Plastic Things, No Batteries or Electronics Required
Researchers at the University of Washington have devised a way of using three-dimensionally-printed plastic to create objects that communicate with smartphones or other Wi-Fi devices, without the need for batteries or electronics.
Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington
Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a technique for three-dimensionally (3D) printing plastic objects that communicate with Wi-Fi devices without batteries or electronics.
The method applies Wi-Fi backscatter technology to 3D geometry to create wireless devices that are easy to print using commodity 3D printers.
The researchers built non-electronic analogues for each electronic component using plastic filaments, then integrated them into a single computational design.
Explained UW’s Shyam Gollakota, “We are using mechanism actuation to transmit information wirelessly from these plastic objects.”
The team has released its computer-aided design (CAD) models to 3D-printing hobbyists so that they can create their own Internet of Things objects.
From IEEE Spectrum
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Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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