Microprocessor:
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| Bendable microprocessor |
IMEC have created a cheap (potentially 1/10th the cost of silicon chips), bendable microprocessor by layering a plastic substrate, gold circuits, organic dielectric, and a pentacene organic semiconductor. It's 8-bit logic circuit with 4000 transistors is capable of executing 6 instructions per second. Not a screamer by today's standards but it is still a step in the right direction. [Engadget]
Display:
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| Flexible display |
When they arrive, flexible displays will be a big leap forward from today’s LCDs (liquid crystal displays) and even OLEDs (organic light-emitting diode displays). In terms of power consumption flexible displays will consume 100 times less power than LCDs. Even OLEDs (2-3 times more efficient than LCDs) can’t match this kind of efficiency. These displays have thin-film transistor arrays on specialty polymer and thin stainless-steel substrates and use electrophoretic ink (E-Ink). Does extremely low power consumption and flexibility sound too good to be true? According to Wired we are about 2-3 years away from in-field army trials.
Speakers:
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| Paper-like flat flexible speaker |
Engineers at the University of Warwick have created a paper-like flat, flexible speaker that is lightweight and just 0.25 millimeters thick. And they say it could be commercially available by the end of the year. The flat, flexible speaker technology takes a flexible laminate, which when excited with an electrical signal vibrates to produce the sound. The flexible laminate is made of a number of thin, conducting and insulating materials. According to researchers the speaker arrangement allows for highly directional and accurate sound. [Wired]
Solar panels:
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| Rollable Flexible Solar Cells |
The Rollable Series Flexible Solar Cells were built with the outdoors in mind. Each unit is assembled using high grade marine components, sealed edges for waterproofing, and built in grommets for easy fastening. To store the cells, simply roll them up and toss in your bag. [FlexSolarCells]
As you can see we have all the individual parts to make flexible wearable gadgets. And I think its just a matter of time before someone combines all of these technologies and creates a new truly revolutionary device. Whether its Apple or the US Army RD that first puts these pieces of a larger puzzle together one thing remains clear - the future of technology is bright, flexible, and wearable!
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