University of Minnesota researchers have figured out a way of printing electronics on top of skin, even onto hands that are unrestrained and slightly moving. We got a peek at the technology in the Fall of last year, when it was first presented at the 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Vancouver, Canada. Now, though, the full details are out as a study regarding the new printing method was published in journal Advanced Materials. The technology should have important applications for medicine, including body-worn sensors and drug delivery devices.
The technology works by having tracking dots placed on the skin around where the electronics will be layed out. As the ink, which is made of silver flakes and works under room temperature, is squeezed out the extruder tip, the device constantly adjusts to the movement of the skin its printing on to create the correct patterns.
Here’s a video demonstrating the technique followed by a discussion with the researchers behind the technology:
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